The Ninja Specialty CM401 Coffee Maker is a small yet powerful coffee maker that will cater to all your caffeine needs. The best part about this coffee maker is that it is not heavy on the pocket despite being laden with a number of features.
For those who relish their doses of caffeine and can’t live without a good cup of coffee at regular intervals, this is a product they should definitely give some serious consideration to – find out if it is the right model for you with our Ninja CM401 review below.
About The Ninja Specialty CM401 Coffee Maker
The Ninja Speciality CM401 is a one-stop solution for all your coffee needs whether you are craving a cappuccino, a latte, mocha, or any other coffee house style drink. It gives you the option of six brew sizes which adds to its versatility.
If you are a stickler for the frothy coffee that you get from your favorite joint or café, fret not as this coffee maker is fully adept at giving you that aesthetic and taste.
Ninja CM401 Coffee Maker Features
The Ninja CM401 comes with a number of features that add to its versatile appeal. We take you through some of these that make it a worthy product.
Multiple Brew Styles
The Ninja coffee maker comes equipped with the power to make four types of coffee brews. These include over ice, rich, specialty and classic. By giving you so many options, the machine ensures you never feel bored.
- Specialty Function: This is the highlight of this product as it enables you to experiment with a number of coffee types. This function ensures a small amount of concentrate to go through, thereby enabling you to make different types of coffee. This brew offers you a highly concentrated amount of coffee that can be used to ship up several types of coffee.
- Over Ice: The times you want to quench your thirst with a glass of cold or iced coffee, this should be your go-to option.
- Rich and Classic Brew: True to their names, these brews offer what they promise. While the classic brew will whip you up a cup of classic coffee, the rich brew will add to the intensity, offering a stronger flavor. The differentiating factor between the two is their strength.
Innovative Design
The area where the Ninja Specialty CM401 wins big is its design features. The brew group is suspended between the water tank and the support bar. This gives it a great aesthetic appeal.
The markings on the tank are completely visible due to its transparent exterior which also adds to its intuitive design interface.
The control panel of this coffee maker is truly innovative and makes using it incredibly easy.
You have the option of choosing the time of the day you wish to brew your coffee thanks to the presence of a clock there.
It is an incredibly easy machine to use with most things spelled out on the interface. For example, the control panel has two options i.e. ‘stay warm’ and ‘delay brew’ to help you set the machine as you like it.
You can choose the latter if you want to delay brewing the coffee, and by choosing the stay warm option, you can keep your coffee warm and ready to be consumed. The rotary dial at the bottom helps you choose the quantity you want to brew.
You have the option to choose from a total of six brew sizes. The specialty brew option is highlighted in the design interface perhaps because the makers truly want it to stand out. You can see this even in the name of the coffee maker.
The power button and the cleaning option are at the bottom of the design interface, making it a great coffee maker to navigate and use.
The Build
The CM401 is made up of stainless steel which adds both durability and great aesthetics to the machine. It is also a great material to use because it keeps the costs under control without compromising on the quality.
It serves another purpose that is important for a machine such as a coffee maker. Stainless steel offers great thermal conductivity which is necessary to prevent the machine from getting overheated.
Certain areas of the machine are covered with ABS plastic which makes it more durable and gives added protection.
Quality At Its Best
The thermal flavor extraction that is unique to the Ninja Specialty CM401 coffee maker is perhaps the reason, among several others, why it has received an SCA Golden Cup for standard brewing. This can give you an indication of the quality and taste standards of the machine.
The flavor enhancer ensures that the taste of your coffee is not compromised in the least. The aroma and the flavor are just optimum and they blend together creating an amazing cup of coffee for you.
So, if you are making several cups of coffee together, you can expect each to taste the same. The taste and consistency remain constant without leaving ‘hot spots’ that unnecessarily waste flavor.
Coffee Blooming
Another feature that makes Ninja Specialty CM401 a great machine, is its ability to release any or all trapped carbon dioxide in the carbon bed, thereby ensuring that your coffee retains its unique taste and flavor.
Folding Frother
There is no denying that a frother is an integral aspect of a coffee machine. The Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker comes with a folding frother that you can pull out when you need it. Otherwise, it just sits quietly adding to the compact design element.
Quick And Fuss-Free Descaling
Coffee makers often stress the elaborate and often complex procedure of descaling and cleaning the machine. But the Ninja Coffee Maker takes care of this to spare you unnecessary stress.
You don’t have to follow any specific descaling process but can instead use any homemade solution to clean the machine and remove the calcium deposits.
PROS:
- Value for Money: The coffee maker is an affordable and value-for-money machine that comes with a number of premium features such as six brew sizes and coffee blooming.
- Compact Size: It is small and compact, which means you won’t have to stress over creating additional space for this in your kitchen.
- Authentic Flavor: The coffee from this machine is not watered down, the flavors are retained and the multiplicity of brews only adds to the overall experience.
- Unique Features: One of the biggest draws for the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker is that it comes with a number of unique features. For example, consider the delay brewing function that allows you to brew your coffee at a specific time without manually changing it every time.
- Brew Sizes: The Ninja brews coffee in up to six different sizes. These are the regular size, XL, half and full carafe, and travel size coffee mug.
- Simple and Economical: The markings on the water reservoir make using the machine simple and fuss-free. You also don’t end up wasting a lot of water as you can see how much you need.
- Ease of Cleaning: Do not underestimate the appeal of a machine that doesn’t require major time commitments for cleaning. The stainless steel exterior is easy to wipe down. You can simply use a damp cloth to do the needful. Likewise, the glass carafe can be cleaned with warm water and a homemade solution.
CONS:
- The Carafe: The carafe that comes with the machine is made up of glass that runs the risk of getting cold quickly. You have to transfer the coffee to a different mug if you don’t want to consume it at the moment of preparation.
- The Incompatibility of Steel with Water: The body of the machine is made up of stainless steel that is not fully compatible with water splashes common in the kitchen. Because of this, it may lose its sheen soon and show signs of rusting. You may, therefore, have to exercise caution before frequently bringing the coffee maker into contact with water.
Final Thoughts
For a single-serve coffee machine, the Ninja Specialty CM401 is a wonderful product. The
unique features it comes with at its price point almost make it a steal.
Most coffee machines, in this price range, don’t give you the option to alternate between hot and cold beverages. This is one of the strengths of the coffee machine. Besides, you don’t have to worry about manually setting it before your morning cup of coffee.
The several steam options and the texture and taste of coffee that it produces make it a product worth trying.
Lastly, you don’t have to make major changes in your kitchen to accommodate this machine in your kitchen. It will blend in with the kitchen décor seamlessly which is never a bad thing!
