The short answer
Yes, if your household drinks both espresso drinks and drip-style coffee and wants help with the hard steps - it grinds with recommendations, doses by weight, assists the tamp and froths hands-free. No, if you drink only espresso or only drip; a machine built for one does it without paying for the others.
What it does well
- Three drinks. Espresso, drip-style coffee and rapid cold brew.
- Guided grinding. 25 settings, with grind-size recommendations.
- Weight-based dosing. A built-in scale.
- Help with the hard steps. An assisted tamper and hands-free frothing.
What to weigh
- Only one drink? A dedicated machine does it without the extras.
- The Breville alternative. For espresso drinks alone, the Barista Express or Barista Touch keeps a classic portafilter workflow - see Barista Express vs Ninja Luxe Cafe.
Quick picks
The answer first. Tap any row to jump to the full reasoning for that pick.
1. The machine in question
Ninja Luxe Cafe Premier ES601
Upper-mid tier · A 3-in-1 espresso, drip coffee and cold brew machine with a built-in grinder and scale.
Espresso, drip-style coffee and rapid cold brew, with a built-in grinder and scale.
The Luxe Cafe Premier ES601 makes espresso, drip-style coffee and rapid cold brew from one machine.
Its built-in burr grinder has 25 settings with grind-size recommendations, and a built-in scale doses by weight.
An assisted tamper and hands-free frothing - a froth jug with an integrated whisk - handle the steps beginners find hardest.
It ships with single, double and Luxe baskets.
Specification
- Drinks
- Espresso, drip-style coffee and rapid cold brew
- Grinder
- Built-in burr grinder, 25 settings, with grind-size recommendations
- Dosing
- Built-in scale for weight-based dosing
- Tamping
- Assisted tamper
- Milk
- Hands-free frothing, froth jug with integrated whisk
- Baskets
- Single, double and Luxe
What it does well
- One machine covers espresso, drip coffee and cold brew
- Doses by weight rather than time, which removes a common source of drift
- Assisted tamping and hands-free milk take more variables out
Where it gives ground
- A large machine, because it does three jobs
- The built-in grinder cannot be upgraded
- More functions means more to learn and more to clean
Skip it if
Skip it if you only drink espresso - you would be paying for drip and cold brew you never use.
2. Espresso only, one box
Breville Barista Express
Mid tier · The all-in-one: espresso machine with a conical burr grinder built into the case.
An espresso machine with a conical burr grinder built in.
The Barista Express pairs a 54 mm portafilter with an integrated conical burr grinder of 16 settings and PID-controlled Thermocoil heating.
One box, one price, one plug.
16 grind settings is coarse resolution for espresso dialing, and the built-in grinder cannot be upgraded.
Its enormous owner base means parts and answers are easy to find.
Specification
- Portafilter
- 54 mm stainless
- Grinder
- Integrated conical burr, 16 settings
- Heating
- Thermocoil, 200 F, PID controlled
- Footprint
- 15.9 x 13.1 x 12.4 in
What it does well
- One box, one price, one plug - nothing else to buy
- PID temperature control at this level is not a given
- Enormous owner base, so parts and answers are easy to find
Where it gives ground
- 16 grind settings is coarse resolution for espresso dialing
- The built-in grinder is the weakest component and cannot be upgraded
- Wide footprint for a single-boiler machine
Skip it if
Skip it if you want drip coffee from the same machine.
3. Automated milk, Breville style
Breville Barista Touch
Upper-mid tier · The Barista Express idea with a touchscreen, fast heat-up and automatic milk texturing.
A touchscreen, automatic milk texturing and saved drink profiles.
The Barista Touch has an integrated conical burr grinder with 30 settings on the US model and heats in about 3 seconds from standby.
Automatic milk texturing has adjustable temperature and texture, and up to 8 drink profiles can be saved.
It includes a 54 mm portafilter, single and dual-wall baskets, a 54 mm magnetized tamper and a 480 ml pitcher.
Its built-in grinder cannot be upgraded, like any all-in-one.
Specification
- Grinder
- Integrated conical burr, 30 settings (US model)
- Heat-up
- About 3 seconds from standby
- Pump
- 15 bar
- Interface
- Touchscreen; power is the only physical button
- Milk
- Automatic texturing with adjustable temperature and texture
- Profiles
- Up to 8 saved drink profiles
- Included
- 54 mm stainless portafilter, single and dual-wall baskets, 54 mm magnetized tamper, 480 ml pitcher
What it does well
- Automates milk and programming without giving up the portafilter
- Saved profiles give each person in a household the same drink every time
- Fast heat-up from standby
Where it gives ground
- Its built-in grinder cannot be upgraded, like any all-in-one
- Sits above the Barista Express in Breville's range
- Automation means less hands-on learning than a manual wand
Skip it if
Skip it if drip coffee matters as much as espresso.
4. If drip is most of it
OXO Brew 9-Cup Coffee Maker
Mid tier · An SCA-certified drip brewer with a bloom cycle and a rain-style showerhead.
An SCA-certified drip brewer with a bloom and a thermal carafe.
The OXO is an SCA Certified Home Brewer that holds 197.6 to 204.8 F through the cycle, with a 45-second bloom.
It is programmable, brews two to nine cups, and pause-and-pour lets you take a cup mid-brew.
Its double-wall thermal carafe keeps coffee hot without a hot plate.
It makes drip coffee only.
Specification
- Certification
- SCA Certified Home Brewer
- Brew temperature
- 197.6-204.8 F, held through the cycle
- Bloom
- 45-second pre-infusion
- Showerhead
- Rainmaker, even saturation
- Carafe
- Double-wall thermal
What it does well
- A real bloom cycle, which is rare in an automatic drip machine
- Thermal carafe means no hotplate cooking the coffee
- Single-cup and full-carafe modes on one machine
Where it gives ground
- Tall - measure your cabinet clearance first
- The interface is fussier than the Moccamaster single switch
- More plastic in the build than the price suggests
Skip it if
Skip it if espresso drinks are part of the routine.