Coffee makers are a hot commodity in the world of kitchen appliances. Not only do they help you get your morning cup of joe, but they can also serve as an attractive centerpiece to any countertop. There are many options for coffee makers, so how do you know which brand is right for you?
Well, in the never-ending search for a good cup of coffee, many people have been lured by the siren call of these two brewing best-buys: Braun and Ninja. There are many different coffee products from both companies, and you can get everything from drip coffee to an elaborate pod machine. So, which brand is the best?
To help make your decision easier, we have compiled an overview of both brands below.
Braun Coffee Makers Overview
Braun is a German appliance company that has been around for over 100 years. Their products include beard trimmers and shavers, beauty appliances like hair dryers and curling irons, and more. But most importantly, Braun has been developing better home coffee makers to take consumers’ caffeinated pleasures to the next level.
Although Braun has always been a popular model for drip coffee, with the release of their Multiserve model, it’s clear that Braun is branching into more versatile machines.
Ninja Coffee Makers Overview
Ninja Coffee Makers offer much more than just coffee machines. Like Braun, Ninja manufactures many kitchen appliances, including blenders and food processors, as well as air fryers. Of course, they also produce an incredibly versatile line of coffee machines.
Also known as SharkNinja, this is a much newer company and was founded in the early 1990s. They are dedicated to bringing consumers high-quality products at an affordable price point while also looking for ways to reduce environmental impact when possible.
What sets Ninja apart from other brands is the sheer amount of options available in one relatively small line of appliances. From standard drip coffee makers to single-serve pod machines, Ninja really does have it all.
So, now that we’ve given you a little overview of both brands let’s compare some of their most popular products.
Ninja DualPro Pro
Now, we’ve already mentioned the versatility of Ninja Coffee makers, but the Dualbrew Pro, their latest model, demonstrates just how versatile they can be. The sleek design will sit proudly on your kitchen countertop and allow quick and easy access to the water tank, drip tray, and brew basket.
This coffee maker features several brewing options, including K-Cup compatibility (the only Ninja machine to offer this option), single-serve options, and a built-in frother. It also provides carafe-style servings that can be made into various hot or cold beverages, depending on your preference.
The Dualbrew Pro also comes with a permanent filter, so you don’t have to worry about buying replacements. Plus, the Auto IQ and thermal flavor extraction technologies ensure that your coffee beans are correctly brewed, and your drink will taste as fresh and delicious as possible each time.
Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker
Braun’s Multiserve is their latest innovative coffee maker. Although it is a pod-free system, it gives plenty of options for those using coffee grounds. The machine allows you to choose between five different coffee cup sizes, as well as a half or full carafe. It also ensures that the coffee grounds are brewed at the perfect temperature for an exceptional cup of delicious coffee every time.
The MultiServe gives you multiple brew settings, such as Light, Gold Standard, Bold, or Over Ice, meaning you can create your hot or cold drink exactly how you’d like it. It also offers removable parts, meaning that using and cleaning it is simple and easy.
Another nice feature that sets this machine apart is the freshness indicator, which helps you to know when your coffee is at its freshest.
Ninja Hot and Cold Coffee Maker
Ninja’s Hot and Cold Machine was their newest model until they dropped the Dualbrew bombshell on us! This brewer is designed to make all of your favorite hot and cold coffee drinks (hence the name).
Similar to the Dualbrew, it features thermal flavor extraction technology that ensures that your coffee beans are brewed each time for maximum flavor. And once again, the Auto-IQ One-Touch Intelligence takes all of the guesswork out of brewing by adjusting the settings automatically. It can also handle iced drinks as well as a range of teas.
Braun Brewsense KF7170 Coffee Maker
Braun’s Brewsense machine is an excellent option if you are looking for a drip coffee maker. It offers fewer features than the other machines on this list but is a great option for those after a simpler solution.
It is easy to use and offers programmable settings so that your coffee is consistently brewed just the way you like it. You can also brew both regular and bold flavored drip coffee, which is ideal if you like to vary the flavors.
The machine has an automatic shutoff timer to help save energy and dishwasher-safe internal parts for easy cleaning. The generous 12-cup brew capacity also makes it perfect for serving everyone at once.
Quick recap
So, those are a few of the most popular Ninja and Braun coffee makers, each with its unique features and style.
Let’s recap some of our key points:
- Ninja’s Dualbrew Pro offers K-Cup compatibility while the Braun machines do not.
- Both Ninja machines feature a built-in milk frother, while the Braun machines do not.
- Ninja offers a Speciality Coffee setting which is an alternative for espresso. Braun doesn’t provide a setting like this.
- Braun and Ninja come with glass carafes, while Ninja also offers a thermal carafe option.
- Braun machines have a much more affordable price point.
- Braun machines are much simpler to use.
- According to reviews, Braun machines have a longer lifespan.
- Both devices offer multiple serving sizes, including single-serve up to a full carafe.
Ninja has much more features, and it offers an overall more well-rounded machine. However, if you have a smaller budget, Braun’s delightful drip coffee machine will still become the statement piece in your kitchen and provide you with a delicious morning cuppa!
Other things to think about
Size of machine
The two largest options on this list are the Multiserve machine and the Hot and Cold Brewer. The Brewsense and the Dualbrew Pro machines are relatively compact, so they shouldn’t take up too much counter space.
The Braun machines are 12-cup brewers, as is the Ninja Dualbrew. However, the Hot and Cold Machine can only make 10 cups of excellent coffee at once.
Brewing Options
All of the brewers on this list offer brewing options to cater to your specific coffee needs. They all provide a single-serve cup and a carafe option.
If you like your coffee bold, then both Braun’s Bold setting and Ninja’s Speciality Brew will provide stronger-tasting cups of coffee. However, only the Ninja coffee machines offer Auto-iQ One Touch Intelligence, which sets them apart from the other machines as they automatically adjust all brewing settings. So, you get the perfect cup every time.
The Dualbrew brewers offer the most brewing options overall with K-Cup, Cold Brew, Iced Coffee, and Tea settings, as well as standard hot coffee. The Ninja machines also have a built-in milk frother so you can make all of your favorite coffee-house specialty drinks, hot or cold.
Ease of Use
The Braun machines are some of the easiest to use on this list as they only have a few different settings. They are all programmable, so you can set them to turn on or off at specific times, and the carafes also have an auto-shutoff function, which is great for those who forget to shut things down before leaving home each morning.
Thanks to the Auto IQ One Touch Intelligence and the option to program brew times, the Ninja coffee machines are just as simple to use. They also have a milk frother, so you can easily make all of your favorite coffee drinks with just the touch of a button. However, slightly more features mean they are somewhat more complicated to learn and are much less intuitive to pick up than the Braun.
Programmability
All of the brewers on this list can be programmed to turn on or off at specific times. That’s great for those who like to wake up to a fresh pot of coffee each morning. The Braun machines also have an auto-shutoff function that will turn the coffee brewer off after two hours if it’s not in use, so you don’t have to worry about it running all day and wasting energy.
The Ninja machines have the added bonus of pre-programmable brew times, so you can set them to start making your coffee exactly when you want it automatically. It’s a great feature if you like to schedule your caffeine intake around your workday.
Features
Each of these machines comes with different brew strengths and sizes. However, The Ninja wins the features category. The Auto IQ One Touch Intelligence and built-in milk frother are definitely worth having, in our opinion. If you like the simplicity of K-Cup Coffee, then the new pod compatibility of the Dualbrew should also be worth your consideration.
Nonetheless, for a simpler machine, the Braun coffee makers are ideal. The Multiserve is very similar to Ninja’s Hot and Cold Machine, aside from the specialty coffee feature and milk frother. So, it’s worth thinking about what you’re looking for in terms of features from your coffee maker.
Budget
One noticeable difference between these two brands is the price of their machines. Ninja is generally more expensive than Braun. However, you’re paying for the more extensive feature set as Ninja is one of the most versatile brands.
On the other hand, Braun, although cheaper, is one of the best coffee machines in terms of longevity, another critical factor to consider.
The machines made by both companies are in a relatively affordable price range, with the Dualbrew Pro at the higher end of the budget line, closely followed by the Multiserve. The cheapest model is easily the Brewsense.
So, which is the best coffee maker brand?
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for an all-in-one budget coffee maker with many innovative features, you really cannot beat the Ninja models. Ninja makes a lot of great brewers (this list is just the tip of the iceberg) that will meet those needs, and the frothing feature and innovative technology mean that you can make all of your favorite coffee house drinks without leaving home.
Having said that, if you’re looking for something a little simpler and more affordable, Braun is the way to go. The easy-to-use machines have plenty of different brewing options and a programmable auto-start function. Plus, there’s also the likelihood that they will last a bit longer than a Ninja!
Overall, both brands make great coffee makers, but our scales are tipped slightly towards Ninja.
Happy Caffeinating!
