Ninja, a well-known brand in the kitchen appliance industry, particularly for its air fryers and blenders, has recently expanded into the coffee market with its Luxe Café range. The range includes three models: the Luxe Café Mini, the Luxe Café Premier, and the Luxe Café Pro. The Luxe Café Mini (ES301EU) is a semi-automatic espresso machine with an integrated grinder. It features stainless steel conical burrs, a 250 g hopper, and a Barista Assist system that provides grind recommendations, an integrated dosing scale, and assisted tampering. The machine uses a thermoblock and vibration pump, with a 53 mm extraction group and a single outlet stainless steel filter port. It offers several recipes, including espresso, crema coffee, classic filter coffee, and bold coffee, with options for iced coffee in 175 or 235 mL. The machine has three intensity levels and three temperature levels, a manual stainless steel steam wand, a 1.3 L water reservoir with an integrated water filter, and dimensions of 21.6 × 32 × 31 cm, weighing 8.8 kg. It has a 2-year warranty and is priced at 449.99 €, regularly around 399 €. Making a good espresso involves several interdependent parameters, including grind size, dose, pressure, and temperature. The grind must be precise to avoid a watery or bitter result. The dose must be accurate, with even small differences affecting the extraction. The pressure should be around 9 bars, while the temperature must remain stable between 90 and 96 °C. Maintenance, such as steam wand purging, filter port rinsing, grinder cleaning, and descaling, is also essential. Full automatic machines handle these tasks, while semi-automatics like the Luxe Café Mini offer a middle ground, with the machine assisting with grinding, weighing, and advising, while the user tamps, locks, and starts the extraction. The Luxe Café Mini comes with the machine, a stainless steel filter port, a double basket, a grind spout, a tamper, a graduated milk pitcher, a maintenance kit, and a water reservoir filter cartridge. It is delivered with a double basket, which is suitable for daily use. The machine is compact, slightly wider than a capsule machine, and is well-made with precise adjustments and a tamper that folds on top. The integrated grinder is separated from the extraction group, allowing for direct grinding into the filter port, with the scale weighing the dose in real time. The stainless steel conical burrs provide a more homogeneous grind and less heating than entry-level blade grinders. The Barista Assist system recommends a grind fineness, and the user adjusts the grinder knob accordingly. The integrated scale stops the grinder at the right weight, replacing the approximate dosing with a spoon. The assisted tamper applies even pressure without forcing, and the filter port is locked in the group before starting the extraction. After the extraction, the machine analyzes the progress and indicates whether to refine or widen the grind. It took three extractions to find the right setting with the current coffee, which is more efficient than using a separate grinder and espresso machine. Once set, the Mini proves to be very regular, producing 40 g of beverage from 19 g of coffee in about a dozen seconds. The time between turning on the machine and a ready-to-drink espresso is approximately 1 minute and 14 seconds, which is faster than a full automatic machine. The espresso produced by the Luxe Café Mini is described as having a dense, chestnut-colored, persistent crema with a balanced taste and no underlying bitterness. The ristretto, shorter and more concentrated, has a syrupy texture and well-rounded aromas. The crema coffee, longer than espresso but still extracted under pressure, is convincing with a long drink that retains body and a nice foam. The filter coffee is good but not as effective as a real drip coffee maker or a gentle method, with a capacity of up to 235 mL per cup. The tested version of the Luxe Café Mini is equipped with a manual steam wand, which requires attention to produce a cappuccino. Preheating the pitcher, positioning it correctly, incorporating air, and swirling the milk to create a whirlpool are necessary steps. The result depends entirely on the user's technique. The manual steam wand allows for control over the texture of the milk, from micro-foam for latte art to thick foam for traditional cappuccino. However, the machine does not prepare the coffee and milk at the same time, requiring switching between extraction and steam. The wand must be purged and wiped immediately after use to prevent milk from drying and sticking to the metal. The Mini remains a manual machine, requiring the user to grind, tamp, lock the filter port, and empty and rinse it after each coffee. The sequence is quick and becomes a reflex, but a full automatic machine would spare the user this ritual. The compactness of the machine comes at a cost in autonomy, as the 1.3 L water reservoir empties quickly when making dairy drinks, and the successive purges fill the drip tray, which must be emptied often. The filter port has only one outlet, making it impossible to serve two cups at the same time despite the double basket. If guests are present, the coffees will come out one by one. The machine includes an automatic cleaning cycle, warns when descaling is required, and offers a backflush for deep cleaning of the group. Removable parts, such as the reservoir, baskets, and tray, can be placed in the dishwasher. However, the grinder must be cleaned regularly to prevent coffee oils from accumulating and altering the taste over time. The Ninja Luxe Café Mini is sold for 449.99 € and is regularly found around 399 € at specialized retailers. The Luxe Café Premier (ES601EU) is more imposing and adds more recipes and automatic milk froth, while the Luxe Café Pro includes an integrated tamper for assistance. Competitors with a similar philosophy of semi-automatic assistance with an integrated grinder include the De’Longhi La Specialista Touch EC9455.M (599 euros) and the Sage Barista Express Impress (699 euros), which popularized assisted tamping. Both are more bulky and generally more expensive. In terms of compactness, the Mini currently doesn’t have a real equivalent.