Battle Zone · Updated Sept 18, 2026
The Ninja Luxe Café Pro ES701 and Breville Barista Express BES870 are not really trying to solve the same morning. One is built to make a wide range of coffee drinks with less work. The other is built around a more traditional espresso workflow where you control more of the process.
If you are choosing between them, the useful question is not “Which machine has more features?” It is: Do you want coffee to be easier, or do you want to get better at making it?
As of September 15, 2026, the US manufacturer MSRP is $749.99 for the Ninja Pro, compared with $699.95 for the Barista Express. Street prices fluctuate, so check the current listing before buying.
Quick answer
| Comparison | CONVENIENCE NINJA LUXE CAFÉ PRO SERIES (ES701) | CRAFT BARISTA EXPRESS CLASSIC MODEL (BES870XL) |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer MSRP | $749.99Manufacturer list · Sept 15, 2026 | $699.95Manufacturer list · Sept 15, 2026 |
| Workflow | Guided + scale dosingBarista Assist / weight-based | ManualDial-in by hand + gauge |
| Grinder | 25 grind settingsWeight-based dosing | 16 grind settingsDose dial |
| Milk frothing | Hands-free presets5 froth presets on Pro | Manual wandRequires practice |
| Drink types | Espresso, drip, cold brew + hot water | Espresso & AmericanoHot-water outlet |
| Good fit for | Convenience / variety | Manual espresso control |
| Current listing | See current price | See current price |
Manufacturer MSRP dated Sept 15, 2026. Street prices change. If you are considering a Ninja, also compare the Premier ES601 before paying for Pro-only extras.
Short version: Pick the Ninja if your priority is getting different coffee drinks with less manual work. Pick the Barista Express if the espresso-making process is something you actually want to learn and control.
What does your morning look like?
Imagine two weekday mornings.
On the first, you have ten minutes before leaving the house. You want an espresso, maybe a latte, and you do not particularly care about weighing every dose or steaming milk by hand. You would rather press a few buttons and get on with the day.
That is the kind of problem the Ninja Luxe Café is designed around. Its guided dosing, built-in scale, automated milk system, and multiple brew modes are all trying to remove steps from the workflow.
On the second morning, you have time. You enjoy adjusting the grind, watching the pressure gauge, changing the dose, and trying to improve the texture of your milk. The process is part of the hobby, not something standing between you and the coffee.
That is much closer to the Barista Express experience.
Neither approach is automatically better. They simply ask different things from the person standing in front of the machine.
Ninja vs Breville: the real differences
1. Automation vs hands-on control
The biggest difference is not the grinder or the pump. It is how much the machine helps you.
The Ninja Pro uses guided dosing and scale feedback to help you reach a target dose. Its milk system can also handle frothing with presets. The goal is consistency without requiring you to learn every part of the workflow first.
The Barista Express leaves more decisions with you. You adjust the grind, manage the dose with its control dial, use the pressure gauge as feedback, and steam milk manually.
What this means: If “less work” sounds good, Ninja has the more natural workflow. If “I want to learn what I’m doing” sounds good, the Breville makes more sense.
2. Drink variety
This is one area where the machines are clearly different.
The US Ninja Pro is a 4-in-1 system: espresso, drip coffee, cold brew, and independent hot water. That makes it more interesting for a household where different people want different drinks.
The Barista Express is much more espresso-focused. It can make espresso-based drinks and has a hot-water outlet for Americanos, but it does not have dedicated drip-coffee or cold-brew programs.
What this means: If you mainly drink espresso and milk drinks, the Ninja’s extra modes may not matter. If someone in the house wants drip or cold brew as well, the Ninja’s broader workflow becomes much more useful.
3. Temperature control
Breville is more explicit in its documentation. The Barista Express specifies a Thermocoil system with PID temperature control and a target of 200°F / 93°C.
Ninja describes adaptive brew temperature and pressure monitoring on its cited US product pages, but those pages do not explicitly label the system as PID.
That distinction matters if you are specifically shopping for documented PID control. It does not automatically mean the Ninja will make bad espresso; it means the two manufacturers describe their temperature systems differently.
If you want the background, see why espresso machines need a PID controller.
What this means: For someone who reads the spec sheet closely and wants explicit PID documentation, Breville is clearer. For someone primarily interested in convenience and drink variety, this may not be the deciding feature.
4. Grinder settings: 25 vs 16
Ninja lists 25 grind settings, while Breville lists 16 on the Barista Express.
It is tempting to look at those numbers and call 25 better. That is too simple.
More steps can give you more room to make small adjustments when an espresso shot is running too quickly or too slowly. But the number of settings does not tell you everything about burr geometry, grind consistency, or the overall quality of the grinder.
What this means: Treat 25 vs 16 as a workflow difference, not a complete grinder-quality verdict.
For more on grinder choices, see do you need an expensive coffee grinder for espresso?
5. Dosing: built-in scale vs dose dial
This is an easy difference to overlook, but you will feel it every morning.
Ninja’s system uses weight-based dosing with an integrated scale. The Barista Express uses a dose-control dial based on time/volume.
Both are trying to solve the same problem: getting a repeatable amount of coffee into the portafilter. They simply give you different feedback.
With the Ninja, the scale does more of the measuring for you. With the Breville, you are more involved in the process and use the machine’s controls and gauge as part of your dial-in routine.
6. Milk: presets vs a real steam wand
This is probably the most obvious difference once you start making lattes.
The Ninja Pro’s Dual Froth System Pro offers five froth presets, including cold foam. It is designed to shorten the path from coffee to a finished milk drink.
The Barista Express gives you a manual steam wand. You have to position the jug, introduce air, control the texture, and stop at the right temperature.
That takes more practice, but it also gives you more direct control over the milk texture.
What this means: Ninja is easier if you want a repeatable milk drink without learning steaming first. Breville is more interesting if learning milk texture and latte art is part of the hobby.
7. Portafilter size and the accessory trap
On paper, 53 mm vs 54 mm sounds like a tiny difference. Once you start buying accessories, it matters more.
Independent reviews from CoffeeGeek and Tom’s Guide report a 53 mm Ninja portafilter, while Breville specifies 54 mm for the Barista Express.
| Accessory | Why size matters |
|---|---|
| Basket | Diameter must match the portafilter |
| Portafilter screen | Size-specific fit |
| Tamper | Diameter needs to match the basket |
| Dosing accessories | Some are designed around a specific basket size |
The difference is not something you need to worry about for your first espresso. It becomes relevant when you start upgrading the setup.
If you choose Ninja, our guide to cheap Ninja Luxe Café accessories is a useful place to start.
Ninja Pro vs Premier: do you actually need the $150 upgrade?
There is another decision hiding inside the Ninja comparison: Pro vs Premier.
As of September 15, 2026, manufacturer MSRP is $599.99 for the Premier and $749.99 for the Pro — about $150 apart.
| Pro extra | When it matters |
|---|---|
| Independent hot water | Useful if you regularly make Americanos, tea, or hot water without a separate kettle |
| Integrated lever tamper | Useful if reducing manual prep is important |
| 5 froth presets | Useful if you make different milk drinks |
| Cold foam | Useful only if you actually plan to use it |
| XL jug + insulated wand | More useful when making multiple milk drinks in a row |
The Premier is the US 3-in-1 version: espresso, drip coffee, and cold brew, with four Dual Froth presets. The Pro adds the features above.
That means the question is not “Is Pro better than Premier?” The better question is “Will I use the Pro features enough to justify the price difference?”
If you mainly want espresso, drip, and cold brew, start by checking the Premier. If independent hot water, the integrated tamp, cold foam, or the fifth froth tier are genuine requirements, the Pro has a clearer reason to cost more.
Three machines, three very different use cases
Ninja Pro ES701
- You want espresso, drip, cold brew and independent hot water in one machine.
- You want guided dosing and less manual preparation.
- You will actually use the five froth presets, cold foam or integrated tamp.
- You make several different drinks and value convenience.
Ninja Premier ES601
- You like the Ninja workflow but do not need the Pro extras.
- Espresso + drip + cold brew covers your household.
- You would rather put the saved money toward coffee or accessories.
- You are comfortable with the Ninja’s 53 mm accessory ecosystem.
Barista Express BES870
- You want a more traditional espresso workflow.
- You want explicit Thermocoil + PID documentation.
- You enjoy dialing in grind and dose rather than having the machine guide everything.
- You want to learn manual milk steaming.
What each machine feels like after the first month
The Ninja
The appeal of the Ninja is likely to become more obvious when the machine is used repeatedly rather than tested feature by feature. The more often you switch between espresso, drip, cold brew and milk drinks, the more its automation can save time.
The trade-off is that the machine is making more decisions for you. If you eventually become obsessed with espresso and want to control every variable yourself, you may find the workflow less interesting.
The Barista Express
The Express has the opposite learning curve. At first, there are more things to get used to: grind size, dose, tamping, extraction and steaming milk.
But that is also the reason people buy this type of machine. Once you start changing coffee beans and dialing in shots, the controls become part of the hobby rather than extra work.
It is worth being honest about this before buying: manual control is only a benefit if you enjoy manual control.
Which one should you buy?
Choose Ninja Pro when…
- Your household drinks several coffee styles.
- You want a faster, more guided morning routine.
- You want hands-free milk frothing.
- The Pro-only features will genuinely be used.
Choose Premier when…
- You want the Ninja concept without paying for features you will not use.
- Espresso, drip and cold brew are enough.
- You want automated frothing but do not need every Pro extra.
Choose Barista Express when…
- You want espresso to be a hobby, not just a beverage.
- You care about documented PID temperature control.
- You want a manual steam wand.
- You expect to spend time learning and dialing in.
Maybe skip all three when…
- You mainly want basic coffee and do not need an espresso setup.
- The footprint or price is more than you want to commit to.
- You would rather start with a simpler setup and upgrade later.
If the budget is much lower, see our guide to an espresso machine setup under $200.
Model number guide
- ES601 = Ninja Luxe Café Premier (US); UK ES601UK
- ES701 = Ninja Luxe Café Pro (US); UK ES701UK
- ES655 = Ninja Luxe Café Premier Plus (UK mid-ladder) — not the US Pro
- BES870 / BES870XL = Breville Barista Express (US)
- BES875 = Sage Barista Express (UK/EU) / often Breville BES875 in AU
Model names and included accessories vary by region. Check the exact model number, voltage and plug before ordering.
FAQ
Is the Ninja Luxe Café Pro the same as Premier?
No. Pro ES701 ≠ Premier ES601 ≠ Premier Plus ES655. The US Pro adds independent hot water, integrated tamp and the Dual Froth System Pro.
Is Sage Barista Express the same family as Breville Barista Express?
Yes. Sage BES875 in the UK/EU aligns with the Barista Express family sold under Breville in other markets. Confirm local voltage and plug.
Does Ninja have PID?
The cited Ninja US product pages describe adaptive brew temperature and pressure monitoring but do not explicitly label the system “PID.” Breville explicitly documents PID on the Barista Express product page.
Does 53 mm vs 54 mm matter?
Mostly when you start buying accessories. Portafilters, baskets, screens and tampers need to fit the correct diameter. Independent reviews report 53 mm for Ninja; Breville specifies 54 mm.
Is the Ninja Pro worth $150 more than the Premier?
It depends on whether you will use the Pro-specific features. Independent hot water, integrated tamp, cold foam, the fifth froth preset and the larger milk setup are the main reasons to move up.
Why are current prices different from older reviews?
Launch-era reviews may quote older pricing. Manufacturer MSRP changes over time, and retailer prices can move independently. For this comparison, the MSRP figures above are dated to September 15, 2026.
The bottom line
You can reduce this entire comparison to one question:
Do you want coffee to be easier, or do you want to get better at making it?
If you want a machine that can move between espresso, drip coffee, cold brew and milk drinks with a guided workflow, the Ninja Luxe Café family is built around that idea. The main decision then becomes Premier vs Pro, based on whether the Pro extras are worth paying for.
If you want to spend time learning espresso, adjusting grind and dose, reading the pressure gauge and steaming milk yourself, the Barista Express is built around that kind of involvement.
And if neither description sounds like your morning, that is useful information too. A machine can have impressive specifications and still be the wrong machine for the way you actually drink coffee.
See Ninja Pro on Amazon See Ninja Premier on Amazon See Barista Express on Amazon
Sources & methodology
Specs and list prices were checked against manufacturer pages and dated independent reviews. Pricing in this article is tied to September 15, 2026; retailer street prices can change.
- Manufacturer specifications: Ninja US Premier ES601, Ninja US Pro ES701, and Breville US BES870.
- Pricing: Manufacturer MSRP checked September 15, 2026. Street prices were not used for the MSRP comparison.
- Portafilter size: Ninja 53 mm from independent reviews (CoffeeGeek, Tom’s Guide); Breville 54 mm from the manufacturer.
- Ninja temperature control: Manufacturer describes adaptive brew temperature / pressure monitoring; an explicit “PID” label is not on the cited US pages.
- Grind settings: 25 for Ninja and 16 for Breville based on the cited manufacturer specifications.
Where a number was weakly sourced or varied between versions, it was not used as a central buying claim. Regional model names and accessories can also differ, so check the exact product page before ordering.
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