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Does anyone else feel overwhelmed shopping for coffee pots? You go to Target, find the kitchen goods and walk into the isle of auto drips. And there isn’t just a few; there’s a whole bunch of them! Thanks to some coffee loving friends, I found my next auto drip: the Ninja Coffee Bar. Yes, the one with the infomercials. I know, I know….I typically steer clear of the products on the infomercials and up until my friend mentioned it, this would have stayed out of my kitchen. So far, the Ninja has proven to be the best auto drip on the market.
But then it happened. The Keurig went belly up. If you have one that has just died, you know what I’m talking about. That dreaded error you get onscreen that says something about something not working. So it was time. It was time I start asking around and finding out what people were using. I was tired of the waste from the Keurig and frankly I wanted one that would produce more coffee than one cup. My friend recommended the Ninja Coffee Bar. “What’s that” was my exact response. Little did I know it would be my most favorite coffee maker of all time.
The Ninja
When I think of the word ‘ninja’, I think of a master of skills. In this case, coffee skills. The one I purchased is fairly simple; it can brew from one cup to a 43 ounce pot and everywhere in between. It has specialty brew settings for swanky drinks like lattés and cappuccinos. I can set it to ‘rich brew’ and it suddenly turns my light and medium roasts into a bold flavor. Or I can set it to ‘classic brew’ and get a basic cup of coffee. The model I bought is the Ninja Coffee Bar Auto IQ which came with a separate milk frother, measuring spoon and the reusable filter. For the flexibility and the accessories, the price was affordable and so far has made it longer than my single cup brewer before it. The machine will tell you when it’s time to clean, which is great because #iforget.
What Makes it Different
There really is a science as to why this machine produces some really amazing tasting coffee. It’s not like your typical auto drip coffee maker. Regular auto drips simply run water into the filter through the grounds. The water accumulates because of a small drip hole allowing the liquid to come through. When water hits the grounds, the extraction process starts immediately, however in a conventional auto drip, the water hits the grounds unevenly. With the Ninja, water is infused into the basket at once, allowing all of the grounds to be absorbed evenly. Once the infusion process happens, the grounds sit in that water for 1-2 min before the drip opening begins to flow. Then the remaining water from the chamber flows into the basket as the drip continues. This process allows more of the flavor from the coffee to be extracted more evenly than competitor coffee pots. You’re going to get more flavorful coffee and a more true flavor profile from the coffee you’re brewing. I buy high quality, fresh roasted beans, but I’ve also pumped store bought coffee through this and it tastes better than my previous machines.
The Accessories
The great thing about the Ninja Coffee Bar is that it’s flexible. You can brew a single cup, a few cups or a whole pot. The reusable filter basket doesn’t need an additional paper filter and is eco-friendly. The milk frother is easy for first time home baristas. You don’t need a separate steamer to get coffee shop worthy specialty drinks! Just pop your milk into the frother, put in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and then plunge the frother up and down until the milk has a nice foamy top. The measuring spoon is handy and is two sided; one for single cup measuring and one for bulk measuring. This model is programmable which makes preparing coffee in the morning a breeze. Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh brewed coffee?! Plus it’s a time saver. If you’re anything like me, you’re running late before you even get out of bed!
It’s safe to say this coffee bar is definitely ninja worthy. If you are looking to put together your own coffee bar, I consider this an essential. It’s great as a single cup brewer or if you’re brewing for a party. I also like that it’s simple. Simple to use and simple to clean. Follow me on Facebook where I share videos of recipes using my Ninja Coffee Bar and it’s accessories! Come hang out!
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