NINJA Luxe Cafe Espresso Machine User Guide
- September 9, 2024
- Ninja
Table of Contents
Luxe Cafe Espresso Machine
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Specifications:
-
Assisted Tamper: Applies even pressure for perfect puck
-
Funnel: Prevents grounds overflow during grinding and assists
tamping -
Group Head: Install portafilter for brewing
-
Double Basket: Used for brewing espresso
-
Portafilter: Holds basket for grinding and brewing
-
Grinding Cradle: For installing portafilter and funnel during
grinding
Product Usage Instructions:
Step 1: Meet Your Tools Required to Get Started
Ensure you have all the tools listed including Assisted Tamper,
Funnel, Group Head, Double Basket, Portafilter, and Grinding
Cradle.
Step 2: Test Water Hardness
Clean and dry all items before proceeding. Test water hardness
to determine descaling frequency.
Step 3: Fill Water Reservoir & Bean Hopper
Adjust drink size, place cup under portafilter, start brewing,
discard water, refill reservoir with water, and fill bean hopper
with whole beans.
Step 4: Flush Your Machine
Run a water flush before first use. Follow the provided
instructions to set up your machine for first use.
Dialing in Your Espresso
Calibrate the grind size for perfect espresso extraction using
Barista Assist TechnologyTM. Follow the provided steps for dialing
in your espresso.
FAQ:
Q: Can I use pre-ground beans in the bean hopper?
A: No, do not add pre-ground beans to the bean hopper. Use whole
beans for best results.
Q: How often should I descale the machine based on water
hardness?
A: The frequency of descaling depends on the water hardness
level. Refer to the owner’s guide for specific instructions on
descaling.
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QUICK START GUIDE
Follow these steps to get set up, make your first drink, and care for your machine.
Or scan for easy 3D instructions
Tap. Zoom. Rotate with official interactive instructions on the BILT app.
STEP 1: MEET YOUR TOOLS REQUIRED TO GET STARTED
SCAN HERE
for how-to videos
& quick tips
ASSISTED TAMPER
Designed to apply the right amount of even pressure for the perfect puck.
FUNNEL
Prevents grounds from overflowing when grinding and assists tamping. Always
install funnel before grinding.
GROUP HEAD
Install portafilter here for brewing.
DOUBLE BASKET
Used to brew espresso. Comes installed in the portafilter.
PORTAFILTER
Holds basket in place for grinding and brewing.
GRINDING CRADLE
Install portafilter and funnel here when grinding beans.
STEP 2: TEST WATER HARDNESS
BE SURE TO THOROUGHLY CLEAN AND DRY ALL ITEMS BEFORE PROCEEDING.
All water has minerals that can build up in the machine over time. These minerals are referred to as water hardness and can impact how often you need to descale your machine.
Very Soft
Very Hard
hd 0 hd 1 hd 2 hd 3 hd 4 hd 5
STEP 4: FLUSH YOUR MACHINE
YOU MUST RUN A WATER FLUSH BEFORE FIRST USE. DO THIS ONLY ONCE.
510
1
SECONDS
MINUTE
Locate test strip provided in starter kit. Completely submerge test strip in the water you plan on using with your machine for 510 seconds, ensuring all squares are underwater.
Remove from water and place on a flat surface. Wait 1 minute and check results.
After 1 minute, you will see 05 purple squares appear. This will indicate the water hardness level of your water (0 purple squares=level 0, 5 purple squares=level 5, etc.).
With the double basket installed in the portafilter, place the portafilter in group head (angled to the left) by aligning orange dot on portafilter with orange dot on group head.
Fasten portafilter into group head until orange dot on portafilter aligns with lock arrow on group head.
Turn the center dial to select CLASSIC.
Plug in machine. Press power button to turn the machine on. The control panel will display a water hardness of hd 5.
Turn the center dial to set your water hardness by matching your setting to how many purple squares you see (will range from 05 squares). Press center dial to confirm your setting.*
*IF YOU NEED TO SET YOUR WATER HARDNESS LEVEL AGAIN, SEE OWNER’S GUIDE.
STEP 3: FILL WATER RESERVOIR & BEAN HOPPER
Press the SIZE button to adjust drink size to 12 OZ.
Place a 14 oz. or greater cup under the portafilter.
Press START BREW. The machine will beep to signal the brew has started. The progress bar will illuminate, indicating the status of the brew.
When finished, the machine will beep again, signifying the brew is complete. Discard the water, then rinse and dry the portafilter.
Remove water reservoir from back of machine.
Fill with room-temperature or cold water up to, but not exceeding, the max line. Place reservoir back on machine.
Fill bean hopper with whole beans*. You may fill the hopper as much as you desire. Be sure the bean hopper is secured to the machine before brewing. DO NOT add pre-ground beans to bean hopper.
*For more information on beans, see Best Bean Practices.
2
3
DIALING IN YOUR ESPRESSO
“Dialing in” means calibrating the grind size for your beans to get the
perfect espresso extraction for your drink.
Barista Assist TechnologyTM automatically does this for you. All you have to
do is run through the steps below twice, and the machine
should be calibrated for your current beans.
STEP 1: PREP YOUR DRINK
STEP 3: BREW ESPRESSO
After grinding remove portafilter. On a solid level surface with funnel still attached, press tamper all the way down until it meets funnel.
Remove funnel from portafilter. Place funnel and tamper in storage on left side of machine.
Place portafilter in group head (angled to the left) by aligning orange dot on portafilter with orange dot on group head.
Fasten portafilter into group head until orange dot on portafilter aligns with lock arrow on group head.
Place funnel on portafilter with double basket, aligning the notches on the
funnel with the notches on the portafilter. Push down until funnel locks into
place in the portafilter.
THE DOUBLE BASKET COMES INSTALLED IN THE PORTAFILTER.
With the funnel on top of the portafilter, insert portafilter in the grinding cradle. Make sure it is level and fits securely. Once portafilter is installed in grinding cradle, it will be weighed. To ensure accurate weight, let go of portafilter.
Once portafilter is properly installed, the machine will display an animation
and drink options available for that basket.
Note: If you do not see this animation, remove the portafilter from the
grinding cradle, power the machine off and on, and reinstall the portafilter
in the grinding cradle, ensuring it is level and pushed all the way in.
Turn the center dial to select ESPRESSO.
STEP 2: GRIND THE BEANS
Check to see if the current grind setting matches the recommended setting.
Note: The numbers displayed in the images are for reference only and may not
match what is displayed on your machine.
If they don’t match, adjust current grind size by spinning the grind dial on left side of machine until it matches the recommended setting.
Press START GRIND. Do not touch portafilter until grinding is complete.
NOTE: Once a grind is complete, the machine will be set to the brew style and size that was selected for that grind. To change style and size, pour grounds out of portafilter, power the machine off and on, and restart from Step 1, selecting desired style and size before grinding.
Place a cup under the portafilter.
Press START BREW. The machine will beep to signal the brew has started. The progress bar will illuminate, indicating the status of the brew.
When finished, the machine will beep again to signify the brew is complete.
Carefully remove portafilter from group head. Dispose of grounds by tapping
the surface of the basket over a container or knock box.
PLEASE USE CAUTION AS PORTAFILTER WILL BE HOT.
KNOCK BOX SOLD SEPARATELY AT NINJAKITCHEN.COM/ACCESSORIES
Now that your first brew is complete, discard the drink and repeat steps 13.
Once your second brew is complete, Barista Assist TechnologyTM will have
dialed in the recommended grind setting to get perfect extraction. The machine
is now ready
to make espresso. Please note that you will have to do this whenever you are
switching the type of beans you are putting in the hopper.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, REFER TO UNDERSTANDING BARISTA ASSIST TECHNOLOGY.
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5
ESPRESSO 101:
BREW A LATTE
BEGINNER RECIPE MAKES: 1 SERVING (9 1/2 OZ.)
INGREDIENTS
Double shot espresso 1 cup (8 ounces) milk
STEP 1: PREP YOUR DRINK
Place funnel on portafilter with double basket, aligning the notches on the
funnel with the notches on the portafilter. Push down until funnel locks into
place in the portafilter.
THE DOUBLE BASKET COMES INSTALLED IN THE PORTAFILTER.
With the funnel on top of the portafilter, insert portafilter in the grinding cradle. Make sure it is level and fits securely. Once portafilter is installed in grinding cradle, it will be weighed. To ensure accurate weight, let go of portafilter.
Once portafilter is properly installed, the machine will display an animation
and drink options available for that basket.
Note: If you do not see this animation, remove the portafilter from the
grinding cradle, power the machine off and on, and reinstall the portafilter
in the grinding cradle, ensuring it is level and pushed all the way in.
Turn the center dial to select ESPRESSO.
STEP 2: GRIND THE BEANS
Check to see if the current grind setting matches the recommended setting.
Note: The numbers displayed in the images are for reference only and may not
match what is displayed on your machine.
If they don’t match, adjust current grind size by spinning the grind dial on left side of machine until it matches the recommended setting.
6
Press START GRIND. Do not touch portafilter until grinding is completed.
Note: Before you grind, make sure the funnel is installed to prevent overflow.
NOTE: Once a grind is complete, the machine will be set to the brew style and size that was selected for that grind. To change style and size, pour grounds out of portafilter, power off and on the machine, and restart from Step 1 selecting desired style and size before grinding.
STEP 3: BREW ESPRESSO
After grinding, remove portafilter. On a solid level surface with funnel still attached, press tamper all the way down until it meets funnel.
Remove funnel from portafilter. Place funnel and tamper in storage on left side of machine.
Place portafilter in group head (angled to the left) by aligning orange dot on portafilter with orange dot on group head.
Fasten portafilter into group head until orange dot on portafilter aligns with lock arrow on group head.
Place a cup under the portafilter.
Press START BREW. The machine will beep to signal the brew has started. The progress bar will illuminate, indicating the status of the brew.
NOTE: If you would
like to adjust your
drink settings, or are
not satisfied with the
results, please refer to
Understanding Barista
When finished, the machine will beep again to signify the brew is complete. Carefully remove
Assist TechnologyTM and Adjusting Your Drink Preferences.
portafilter from group head.
Dispose of grounds by tapping the
surface of the basket over
a container or knock box*.
*KNOCK BOX SOLD
SEPARATELY AT
PLEASE USE CAUTION AS PORTAFILTER WILL BE HOT.
NINJAKITCHEN.COM/ ACCESSORIES
STEP 4: FROTH DAIRY OR PLANT-BASED MILK
Fill the milk jug to the line labeled LATTE with dairy or plant-based milk.
Place milk jug on milk jug platform with steam wand inside.
Press MILK TYPE button based on the milk in the jug.
Turn froth dial to THIN.
Press START FROTH to begin frothing. The machine will beep to signal the froth has started. The progress bar will illuminate, indicating the status of the froth.
When finished, the machine will beep again to signify the froth is complete. Remove jug and immediately wipe steam wand with a damp cloth.
Push steam wand into its down position. The machine will automatically purge to clean inside of wand.
Before pouring milk, tap the jug on a flat surface and swirl around to remove large bubbles. Pour frothed milk over espresso and enjoy.
PLEASE USE CAUTION, AS STEAM WAND WILL BE HOT.
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’VE MADE A LATTE! KEEP READING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW THE MACHINE WORKS, TIPS & TRICKS, AND CLEANING & MAINTENANCE.
U N D E R S TA N D I N G
BARISTA ASSIST TECHNOLOGYTM
You may notice your recommended grind setting change. This is Barista Assist
Technology adjusting the recommended grind setting to help you get proper
espresso extraction. When adding more beans, it may take 23 brews to reach
the optimal grind setting. Over time, you may notice your recommended grind
setting change to account for aging beans. This is normal. Ensure your current
grind size matches the recommended grind size for proper espresso extraction.
An accurate dose of coffee grounds is also important for proper espresso
extraction. Barista Assist Technology features a builtin scale that will grind
until you have the proper dose of coffee grounds in your portafilter. Once the
portafilter is installed in the grinding cradle, immediately let go to allow
it to properly weigh and dose the coffee grounds.
THIS IS WHAT PROPER ESPRESSO EXTRACTION LOOKS LIKE
· Espresso will pour out at a slow, consistent rate.
· You will see a caramel-colored liquid pouring out. That is your crema.
· There will be a layer of crema on top of your drink. Feel free to tilt your
cup to see if the layer of crema is still completely visible. If you can still
only see that caramel color, you have a properly extracted espresso shot.
Note that grind recommendation will only adjust over time for espresso brews.
For coffee brews, grind recommendations will stay the same.
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TIPS & TRICKS
BEST BEAN PRACTICES
For best results, use freshly roasted coffee beans. When purchasing coffee
beans, it’s best to buy a bag with a “Roasted On” date
rather than a “Best Before” date to ensure quality and freshness. We recommend
you use any coffee beans within 20 days of the “Roasted On” date.
ADJUSTING BREW STRENGTH AND TEMPERATURE
CHANGING BREW STRENGTH
Adjusting Brew Strength: To adjust brew strength, press the STRENGTH button.
Espresso Strength Options: Taller, less concentrated: 4:1 water to grounds
ratio Default: 2.5:1 water to grounds ratio Shorter, more concentrated: 2:1
water to grounds ratio
Coffee Strength Options: Mild: Less grounds will be dosed Default Bold: More
grounds will be dosed
BREW TEMP ADJUSTMENT
1 Hold the SIZE button for 3 seconds. 2 Rotate the center dial to _h06, then
press the center dial
to select. 3 Rotate the center dial to select your desired setting,
then press the center dial to select. LO: Low temperature M: Medium
temperature HI: High temperature To leave the additional settings menu, press
the SIZE button. The temperature setting will affect the extraction of
espresso and the flavor of your drink. For best results and proper extraction,
we recommend a low or medium temperature for darker roasts, and a medium or
high temperature for lighter roasts.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT CUP
Ensure the cup you are using is appropriate for the size of your drink. For a
hotter drink, use a cup that is a similar size to your drink. The thickness of
the material your cup is made of will also affect the temperature of your
drink. For a hotter drink, use a cup made of thinner material.
PREHEATING BEFORE YOU BREW
Running hot water through the group head and portafilter will help preheat
them and the machine for future brews. To further increase the temperature of
your drink, run a water-only double shot of espresso through the portafilter
into the cup you would like to have your drink in. The temperature of your cup
will impact the temperature of your drink. Discard the water, then dry the cup
and portafilter. Then, proceed to brewing. See Water Flush for instructions.
MILK TEMPERATURE ADJUSTMENT
Adjust milk temperature in the additional settings. 1 Hold the SIZE button for
3 seconds. 2 Rotate the center dial to _h07, then press the center
dial to select. 3 Rotate the center dial to select your desired
temperature, then press the center dial to select. Low: Select this setting if
your froth is coming out too hot or if you would like your froth to be
slightly thinner. Medium: Our barista-recommended default setting. High:
Select this setting if your froth is coming out too cold or if you would like
your froth slightly thicker. To leave the additional settings menu, press the
SIZE button.
CHECK OUT THE INSPIRATION GUIDE FOR MORE RECIPES AND INFORMATION.
CLEANING & MAINTENANCE
DAY-TO-DAY MAINTENANCE
CLEANING THE BASKETS AND PORTAFILTER
Remember to clean these after each brew. Remove the basket from the
portafilter and hand-wash both thoroughly.
EMPTYING DRIP TRAY
When the orange empty indicator rises enough to be visible, it’s time to empty
the main drip tray.
CLEANING THE FROTHER
Wipe with damp cloth: Do this immediately after frothing to prevent any milk
from getting stuck to the steam wand.
Auto purge: After every froth, push the steam wand back into the down position
without the jug installed to initiate an auto purge. This will help clean the
inside of the steam wand after frothing. You can purge any time by pressing
the PURGE button.
Removable whisk: Remove the whisk from the milk jug and handwash thoroughly
after each use.
For a deeper clean of the whisk and steam wand, fill milk jug with water and a
drop of dish soap and run the THIN froth program.
DISHWASHER-SAFE PARTS
Funnel, whisk, cleaning disc, water reservoir, bean hopper, and all drip tray
components.
10
CLEANING & MAINTENANCE
PERIODIC MAINTENANCE
The following are instructions for the descale and cleaning cycles. These are
separate procedures and should be done whenever the corresponding light is
illuminated on the control panel.
DESCALING
Time to complete: approximately 90 minutes
When the descale light illuminates, you must run a descale cycle. If a descale
isn’t performed after the light turns on, drink quality will diminish and your
machine may clog and stop working.
Descaling breaks down and removes limescale and mineral buildup inside the
machine. Doing this will help maintain peak performance if routinely performed
with a descale solution whenever the DESCALE light turns on.
1 Ensure the main drip tray is completely emptied, as some of the water brewed
from the descale cycle will be deposited into the drip tray. Not emptying the
main drip tray may cause overflow.
RUNNING A CLEAN CYCLE
Time to complete: approximately 6 minutes
A clean cycle flushes out residual oils or grounds that are built up in and
around the group head. The CLEAN light will automatically illuminate to
indicate when a clean cycle is required. You may also run a clean cycle if you
notice a change in brew quality. The clean cycle requires the cleaning disc
(included with the machine and storable in the accessory storage) and a
cleaning tablet (also included and available for purchase on
ninjakitchen.com/accessories).
Follow these steps to run a clean cycle:
1 Ensure the main drip tray is completely empty as the water brewed from the
clean cycle will be deposited into the main drip tray. Not emptying the main
drip tray may cause overflow.
2 Dissolve the provided Ninja descale powder in a separate container with 37 fl. oz. of water. Pour solution mixture into water reservoir.
2 Fill the water reservoir up to but not exceeding the Max Fill line.
3 Insert the double basket in the portafilter.
4 Place the cleaning disc on top of the double basket, with the handle facing
up.
OR
Fill the water reservoir with 16 oz. of white vinegar, then fill the reservoir
to the Descale line with water.
3 Insert the double basket into the portafilter.
4 Fasten the portafilter into the group head.
5 Ensure milk jug is placed on the milk jug platform with the steam wand
inside.
6 Place an empty cup (at least 18 oz.) under the portafilter. You may have to
remove the center drip tray.
7 Press the DESCALE button, then press the center dial to start the descale
cycle.
8 The machine will start the descale cycle. The machine will flush solution
through the steam wand and portafilter for approximately 90 minutes. The
machine will count down the remaining time on the control panel.
9 The machine will beep indicating when the descale cycle is complete.
10 After the cycle is complete, remove the portafilter, main drip tray, and
milk jug with caution, as there will be water in each.
11 Empty the contents of each and hand-wash with warm, soapy water to remove
any solution that could affect the flavor of your coffee.
12 Fill the reservoir with fresh water up to, but not exceeding, the Max Fill
line.
13 Install the main drip tray back on the machine and install the portafilter
in the group head. Do not install the milk jug.
14 Flush the group head by running a 12 oz. classic brew.
15 Then, with the milk jug uninstalled, flush the steam wand by pressing the
PURGE button.
5 Place 1 cleaning tablet in the center of the cleaning disc.
6 Fasten the portafilter in the group head. 7 Press the CLEAN button, then
press the center dial to start the
clean cycle. 8 The machine will start the process of backflushing the shower
screen and group head and depositing the water and sediment from the clean
cycle into the main drip tray. 9 The clean cycle will take approximately 6
minutes to complete. The machine will beep when the clean cycle is complete.
10 After the clean cycle is complete, remove both the portafilter and main
drip tray with caution, as there may be water in both. Handwash with warm
soapy water.
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For more recipes, visit ninjakitchen.com/recipes For accessories and
replacement parts, visit ninjaaccessories.com BARISTA ASSIST TECHNOLOGY and
NINJA LUXE are trademarks of SharkNinja Operating LLC.
© 2024 SharkNinja Operating LLC
ES601_QSG_REV_Mv11
References
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