Ninja's AutoBarista, a fully automatic espresso machine priced at $999.99, combines a drip coffee maker, espresso machine, milk frother, grinder, and food scale into a single device, aiming to bring the coffee shop experience into the home without requiring users to master espresso technique. The machine can brew 13 different drinks with the press of a button, including drip coffee, espresso-and-milk drinks such as cappuccinos and flat whites, cold brew, and cold-pressed espresso.
Much of that versatility comes from Ninja's Grind iQ feature, which detects coffee bean size, roast type, and freshness and automatically calibrates grind size, weight, and dose for each drink. The system also adjusts when users customize the number of shots, shot intensity, and temperature. The machine has an automatic milk frother with a stainless steel pitcher on one side, letting users set their preferred temperature and foam heaviness, and it includes a setting for frothing plant-based milk.
TechCrunch senior writer Amanda Silberling, who tested the AutoBarista, wrote that the machine is not intended for coffee snobs who want control over every detail of brewing, but rather for people who love coffee without having analyzed their espresso pucks. She said that despite not being invested in the brewing process, she found the AutoBarista makes good drinks. The machine rinses itself before and after each drink, a feature she noted is useful for people who do not use their machines daily.
That rinse water collects in a drip tray that fills after just a few drinks, making it a daily chore to empty in a household with more than one person. Silberling wrote that she accidentally overfilled the tray and spilled coffee-tinted water on her kitchen floor more than once, calling it the dealbreaker. Removing the drip tray also exposes the knock box that holds spent espresso pucks, which she warned can grow blue mold if left unemptied for even a few days.
Silberling acknowledged that most people likely would not find the machine so arduous to care for, and that those with more patience in the morning may find it low maintenance and love it. She praised Ninja for excelling at multi-use kitchen products, with the AutoBarista combining five functions in one device. She concluded that the machine is not worth its $999.99 price for buyers who do not plan to take advantage of its versatility.
More company and startup news from TechManNews.
