Nowadays, there’s a deluge of at-home brewing machines that coffee enthusiasts can pick from, with Keurig and Ninja as two of the most prominent manufacturers in the market. In this post, we cover all you need to know about both brands so you can go for the one that suits you the most.
In This Guide...
Overview of Keurig
Keurig is a brand that needs no introduction and that you’re probably familiar with. It’s a branch of Keurig Dr. Pepper that specializes in single-serve pod coffee makers. The brand has over 50 units in its catalog, so you’re likely to find a Keurig unit that caters to your particular needs.
If we were to describe Keurig machines, we’d say that they’re reliable and simplistic. Just about anyone can operate a Keurig machine and make a tasty cup of joe. Keurig units have the ability to brew a full carafe in a very short period of time compared to other units on the market.
The thing about Keurig units, however, is that their simplicity can often be viewed as a negative. The vast majority of Keurig units can brew one or two types of coffee at most. Not only that, but you’re also limited to using Keurig 2.0 licensed pods, which some people can find repelling.
Main Characteristics
- Fast Performance - Keurig machines are known for their super expeditious brewing. In fact, these units are so quick that they’re capable of brewing entire carafes in a little less than a minute. Just keep in mind that heat-up time differs from one Keurig to the next.
- User-Friendly Operation - All of Keurig’s lines of coffee makers are remarkably easy to operate, which is one of the reasons why the brand is so popular. Just about anyone can use a Keurig to brew coffee. Keurig units are also very consistent in their outcomes.
- Removable Components - Keurig is well known for its low-maintenance makers, which means that you don’t have to worry about going through trials and tribulations in order to clean a Keurig unit, as most Keurig coffee makers feature removable components.
- High Pod Compatibility - All Keurig machines are highly compatible with licensed pods from Keurig. You might also run into a few compatible third-party pods, but they’re pretty hard to find. The fact that these units only work with pods can be a turn-off, though.
- Safety and Power Saving - All Keurig coffee units are equipped with an auto-off feature in order to ensure safety and lessen power consumption. Essentially, this feature powers off the heating element after the passing of a period of time, from 1 minute to 2 hours.
Overview of Ninja
Previously known as Euro-Pro Operating LLC, SharkNinja Operating LLC has been putting out high-quality products since 1996, including coffee makers. It might not be as salable of a brand as Keurig since they’ve only been around for two decades, but the brand has a lot to offer.
While both brands specialize in creating coffee machines, it feels like the two are very different. Keurig machines are straightforward and simplistic, while Ninja machines are versatile and can brew at least four different types of coffee. Ninja units also feature a lot of convenient settings.
Ninja coffee makers aren’t designed just to make coffee, you can use them to make a lot more than coffee. They even grant you the chance to customize your own coffee mix. The issue with these units, however, is that it can take a while to get used to them due to the variety of options.
Main Characteristics
- Different Brewing Options - As we’ve already mentioned, Ninja coffee units are some of the most versatile products on the market, as they allow you to choose between four different brewing options. So no matter your coffee needs, a Ninja will suffice.
- Classic Coffee - The first of the four options that Ninja coffee makers offer is the ability to brew a standard cup of coffee. This is a fairly simple brew that has a similar outcome to that of a high-quality drip machine, which is ideal for traditional coffee enthusiasts.
- Rich Coffee - The second option that a typical Ninja unit will offer the user is the ability to brew flavor-rich coffee, which is right between its Classic and Speciality option. We’d recommend this option for anyone who likes adding cream or milk to their coffee.
- Specialty Coffee - The Specialty option is the most intense out of the bunch, as it has an almost espresso-like concentration. This option is excellent for people who are into making specialty drinks such as lattes, cappuccinos, cortado, and macchiatos.
- Iced Coffee - One of the strongest selling points of most Ninja coffee units is the ability to make iced coffee. The way it works is by brewing coffee at strength and temperature that’s best suited for iced serving. This is a feature that solidifies Ninja’s versatility.
Keurig vs Ninja: The Comparison
In this section of the article, we’re going to take a look at the most notable coffee machines from each manufacturer in order to determine which brand reigns supreme. Let’s jump right into it.
Now, let's take a closer look at each of these coffee makers.
Keurig K250
- A sleek and slim single-serve coffee maker. Includes 4 K-Cup pods, a water filter handle + 2 water filters, and a bottle of descaling solution to help extend the life of your brewer. Dimensions : 13.7 H X 9 W X 15 D inches
- 40 oz. water reservoir allows you to brew 4+ cups before having to refill, saving you time and simplifying your morning routine. The water reservoir is removable, making it easy to refill
- Brews multiple K-Cup pod brew sizes (4, 6, 8, 10 oz.) and brews a Carafe (22, 26, or 30oz) using K-Carafe pods to give you more coffee when you need it (Carafe sold separately)
The K250 is arguably Keurig’s most popular coffee maker. It has a sleek construction that’s fairly durable and can handle some serious knocks. It’s pretty compact and lightweight as well, so you don’t have to worry about it consuming too much space or being too hard to move around.
The unit features a 40-ounce water reservoir that allows you to brew up to 4 cups of joe before it needs a refill. The reservoir is removable for ease of cleaning. This unit can brew various K-Cup pod sizes, including 4, 6, 8, and 10 ounces, and it can brew a full 30-ounce carafe.
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Keurig K-Cafe
- INCLUDED IN THE BOX: Keurig K-Cafe coffee, latte, and cappuccino maker, and dishwasher safe frother..Cord Length : 30.0”..Digital Clock : No. Display Screen : No.
- COFFEE, LATTES & CAPPUCCINOS: Use any K-Cup pod to brew coffee, or make delicious lattes and cappuccinos. Press the SHOT button to brew a concentrated shot of coffee from your favorite K-Cup pod to make delicious hot or iced lattes and cappuccinos.
- DISHWASHER SAFE FROTHER: Froth fresh milk, including skim, soy, and almond. The frother is dishwasher safe for easy clean up after use and also features a COLD setting for cold frothed milk.
The Keurig K-Cafe offers its users the ability to use any and all K-Cup pods to make coffee. You can use it to make lattes and cappuccinos as well. All you have to do is insert the pod and press the button controls in order to get the cup of joe of your liking in a short period of time.
The K-Cafe is equipped with a large 60-ounce water tank that grants you the chance to make up to 6 cups. The reservoir is also removable for ease of cleaning and refilling. The Smart Start and the programmable Auto-Off features offer a great deal of convenience and energy efficiency.
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Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker
- Choose a Size—Cup, Travel Mug, Half Carafe, or Full Carafe—and brew directly into your favorite cup or travel mug or use the carafe.
- Choose a Brew—Classic, Rich, Over Ice, and Specialty—to make a variety of hot, iced, and frozen blended coffeehouse-style drinks.
- Auto-iQ One-Touch Intelligence knows how to deliver the perfect amount of water at the right time for the size and brew type you select. No need to measure the water or refill the reservoir after every single serve brew.
There are plenty of Ninja coffee makers on the market, but if we have to choose to label as the best Ninja coffee machine, the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker CF091 has to be that unit. It offers a 50-ounce glass carafe that equates to 10 cups of coffee and an overall capacity of 60 ounces, equating to 12 cups.
The CF091 is equipped with a built-in frother, allowing you to brew, froth, and drink. This coffee maker comes with a 20-recipe inspiration guide for convenience. Keep in mind that this is a unit that’s designed to brew coffee grounds only, so don’t try to use K-pods or any sort of pods at all.
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Ninja 3-Brew Hot and Iced Coffee Maker
- Choose a size: select one of four sizes, ranging from a single cup to a full carafe.
- Choose a brew: dial up the flavor richness level by choosing a brew type: classic brew, rich brew, and over ice brew.
- Thermal flavor extraction: ninja's patent-pending technology blends water delivery with automated controls for calibrated temperature, pre-infusion, Coffee saturation, and flavor richness.
The Ninja 3-Brew is lighter and more compact than the aforementioned Ninja counterpart. In fact, it’s the most lightweight coffee maker amongst all 4 products we’re reviewing today. This unit allows you to choose from 4 different brewing options: Classic, Rich, Speciality, and Over Ice.
The unit has a 50-ounce water capacity and has a 43-ounce glass carafe for convenience. This unit boasts the Auto-IQ feature, which helps deliver the right amount of water for the brew option and size that you’ve selected, helping to eliminate all of the guesswork from the entire process.
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Ninja vs Keurig 2020 Comparison
The bottom line is this: if you’re a traditional coffee enthusiast that’s happy with a regular cup of joe every morning, we strongly recommend buying a Keurig coffee machine as it’ll offer you the simplicity, consistency, and quick performance needed to excellent coffee in no time.
If you’re a little more snobby about your coffee and you don’t like using coffee pods, a Ninja unit will be the ideal fit for you, as it’ll provide you with plenty of brewing options as well as the ability to brew coffee grounds. Both brands are equally fantastic. It all boils down to your preference.