Keurig Vs. Ninja Coffee Bar: Which One Is Better?

keurig vs ninja coffee bar
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If you are looking for affordable single-serve coffee machines, you’ll come across two best options; Keurig and Ninja. The battle between Keurig and Ninja Coffee Bar is never-ending. Keurig coffee makers use pods, while the Ninja Coffee Bar models brew coffee with the traditional, pod-less method. Despite using different brewing techniques, both brands are popular and reliable in terms of functionality.

But the question is, which one is actually best for your needs and coffee desires? To help you solve the mystery, I’m going to make a side-by-side comparison of Keurig and Ninja Coffee Bar in this post. From differences to similarities to pros to cons, you will find everything.

Now without making you wait any further, let’s dive right in!

Keurig Vs. Ninja: At A Glance

To help you identify the differences between the two models, here is a comparison of the two most popular and affordable models by the brands; Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 and Keurig K-Duo Essentials.

Considerations

Keurig K-Duo Essentials

Ninja Coffee Bar CF097

How does it look like

Coffee Compatibility

Pods

Ground Coffee

Brew Size

From single cups to 60 oz pots

From single cups to 38 oz carafes

Water Tank

60 oz

50 oz

Milk Frother Included?

No

Yes

Brew Type

Strong and Classic

Strong, Classic, and Iced Specialty Coffees

Buy

Keurig Overview

Keurig is a well-known name in the world of single-serve coffee makers. You’ll find a Keurig machine in every 5 out of 10 homes and coffee shops. The brand has manufactured plenty of coffee maker options, each with unique functionalities and features. Do you know what the best part is? Keurig single-serve coffee makers are super affordable.

The unique selling point of Keurig coffee machines is their convenient usability. The machines usually offer a one-button control with an effortless interface. Moreover, besides K-Cups and K-Carafes, Keurig machines are also compatible with third-party compatible pods. If you don’t want to harm the environment, you can also use environmentally friendly refillable/reusable pods with your Keurig machines.

In addition, Keurig machines are super convenient to clean and maintain. They come in a variety of color options and cup sizes to choose from. From a single person to a large household, Keurig machines will fulfill the needs of every coffee lover. These mighty and efficient machines are best for a quick coffee fix in the morning.

Pros

Cons

👍 Efficient and easy to use

👎 Very limited machine options to brew multiple cups or carafes

👍 Easy to clean and maintain

👍 Compatible with several coffee pod options

Ninja Coffee Bar Overview

While Keurig machines use coffee pods and an efficient mechanism to have a quick cup of coffee in the morning, Ninja Coffee Bar machines use a different yet incredible approach. Ninja Coffee Bar machines use the traditional brewing method with coffee grounds to enjoy the most authentic-tasting coffee.

Ninja Coffee Bar machines allow you to brew different cup sizes and full pots too. From single cups to large batches, these coffee machines can fulfill all coffee needs. Ninja Coffee Bar also offers several customization settings like strength control and a timer to start automatic brewing at your preferred time.

Do you know what the best part is? Ninja Coffee Bar machines have built-in milk frothers to enjoy milky coffee beverages like lattes, cappuccinos, and macchiatos. However, remember that Ninja Coffee Bar machines can be complex and will require more effort from you in terms of usability.

Moreover, these machines have a large footprint and can take a significant space in your countertops. Still, the settings and coffee quality of Ninja Coffee Bar are unmatchable.

Pros

Cons

👍 Offers plenty of brewing options

👎 Slightly more expensive than Keurig

👍 Built-in milk frothers

👎 Complicated to use

👍 Variety of flavor options

Keurig Vs. Ninja: Side-By-Side Comparison

Both Keurig and Ninja coffee machines have their own features, specs, pros, and cons. To better understand the two options, we will make a detailed side-by-side comparison of two top machines from the brands; Keurig K-Duo Essentials and Ninja Coffee Bar CF097.

Let’s see which coffee maker is worth buying, considering usability, functionality, and other features.

Water Reservoir

Our Verdict:
The Keurig K-Duo Essentials is the winner in this department because of its 10 oz extra water tank capacity. You’ll have to refill less with Keurig.

The water reservoir is an essential component of every coffee machine. It determines how many cups of coffee you can brew without the frequent hassle of refilling.

The Keurig K-Duo Essential coffee maker is equipped with a 60 oz water reservoir. Therefore, you can make several single cups of coffee without refilling the tank. Plus, the water tank of Keurig is multi-positioned. On the other hand, Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 features a relatively smaller 50 oz water reservoir.

However, remember not all Keurig machines come with this much water tank capacity. Some affordable models have water tanks with 40 to 48-oz capacities.

Pods Compatibility

Our Verdict:
Though K-Duo Essentials give you the convenience of using pods, the coffee grounds in Ninja Coffee bar will provide an authentic situation. So it’s a win-win situation in both cases.

As briefly mentioned above, all Keurig machines, including the K-Duo Essentials, use pods to brew coffee. The coffee maker is compatible with all K-Cups and third-party compatible capsules from brands like Starbucks, Peet’s, and Lavazza. Moreover, Keurig K-Duo Essentials doesn’t feature bar scanning technology so you can enjoy all types of brews.

On the other hand, the Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 is only compatible with coffee grounds. You can’t use K-Cups or any other type of pods for brewing. It may initially sound inconvenient, but coffee grounds will give a more authentic taste and richness. Also, you will have a variety of coffee flavor options to choose from.

Design

Our Verdict:
The Ninja Coffee Bar is a clear winner in the design department. Its stainless steel construction and classy design scream durability and aesthetics.

The Keurig K-Duo Essentials feature an all-black, stylish, and compact design. The whole unit is only 13 inches tall and won’t take up much space on your kitchen countertops. On the other hand, the Ninja Coffee bar features a stainless steel framework for extreme durability. The machine is also aesthetically pleasing and stylish. Despite being tall, the Ninja Coffee Bar has a small footprint to fit into your countertops conveniently.

Brewing Technology

Our Verdict:
In my opinion, the Ninja Coffee Bar is equipped with better brewing technology to provide a well-concentrated and authentic brew.

Both the Keurig K-Duo Essentials and the Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 use different brewing technologies to provide delicious cups of coffee. Like all Keurig machines, K-Duo Essentials uses the pods’ mechanism to brew single cups of coffee.

On the other hand, the Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 uses Auto IQ technology to brew concentrated and creamy cups of coffee. This technology follows the traditional brewing method using coffee grounds and filters.

Brew Quality

Our Verdict:
The coffee and brew quality of Keurig K-Duo Essentials and the Ninja Coffee Bar was good in their own place, considering their different brewing technologies. But if you still want me to pick sides, my vote goes to the Ninja Coffee Bar CF097.

Now coming to the main question, how was the coffee quality of these two machines? After all, a good-tasting coffee is what we expect from a coffee maker, right?

Being a pod machine, the Keurig K-Duo Essentials brewed a flavorful and rich cup of espresso. I also tried making lattes and cappuccinos, and the results were definitely great.

On the other hand, I found the coffee quality of the Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 unmatchable. The espresso was well-concentrated, topped with rich and thick crema. Also, the flavor of lattes and cappuccinos was to die for.

Variety of Drinks

Our Verdict:
The Keurig K-Duo Essentials can only brew basic coffee. However, the Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 can help you enjoy rich, concentrated, and specialty drinks. I think the winner is clear–Ninja Coffee Bar!

The Keurig K-Duo Essentials can brew everything a basic single-serve coffee maker can. You can brew espressos and even lattes and cappuccinos with the help of a milk frother.

However, the Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 offers something more than that. It can brew 4 different types of concentrated coffee; classic, rich, over-ice, and specialty. Since the Ninja Coffee Bar also comes with a built-in milk frother, you can enjoy a variety of coffee beverages without any extra hassle.

Milk Frother

Our Verdict:
The Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 saves you from the hassle of buying a separate milk frother. From lattes to cappuccinos to other cafe-style drinks, its built-in milk frother has covered you! Unfortunately, K-Duo Essentials doesn’t come with a built-in milk frother.

The K-Duo Essentials doesn’t come with an integrated milk frother. However, you can always purchase a separate Keurig milk frother to brew milky coffee beverages.

However, the Ninja Coffee Bar comes with a built-in integrated milk frother. KIts milk frother can froth both cold and hot milk. The machine also features a frother arm for the convenience of users.

Usability

Our Verdict:
Honestly, there is no discussion here. The Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 is undoubtedly the best in terms of usability.

The Keurig K-Duo Essentials is equipped with a convenient pause and pour feature to provide comfort to users. This feature stops the brewing cycle in between when you press the button to provide you with a fresh cup of coffee. Moreover, Keurig has a one-touch control, along with other usability features like an indicator to refill the water tank.

On the other hand, the Ninja Coffee Bar offers plenty of more usability features. For instance, it allows you to choose from 5 different brewing styles. You can also choose from various cup sizes like XL Cup, Regular Cup, XL Multi-Serve, Travel Mug, Full Carafe, and Half Carafe. The Auto IQ technology of Ninja Coffee Bar recommends the right amount of water for every coffee drink. Moreover, there is a delay brew function, a pre-heat function, and the freedom to use cone paper filters.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Our Verdict:
The Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 is a clear winner here because of its self-descaling function. All you have to do is push a button and the machine will handle the rest.

Regular cleaning and maintenance are essential for every coffee maker to work properly.

Since the Keurig K-Duo Essentials is compact, its cleaning and maintenance are quite easy. You must wash all the removable parts with soap and water every day or two. Also, it’s recommended to descale the machine every month.

Thankfully, the Ninja Coffee Bar comes with a self-cleaning function. The machine will indicate to you with the help of lights when it’s time to clean and descale. Apart from that, regular cleaning and rinsing of the removable parts are super convenient too.

Price

The Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 is priced around $180, while the Keurig K-Duo Essentials is available fir $74. Though there’s a huge price gap between the two models, the prices are totally reasonable.

Since the Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 is equipped with more features and functionality, it’s more expensive than the Keurig K-Duo Essentials.

Keurig Vs. Ninja: The Final Verdict

So, which is better? Ninja or Keurig? Though I personally vouch for the Ninja Coffee Bar CF097, the answer of which coffee maker to buy totally depends on your personal preferences.

If you love coffee grounds more than pods, need more features, and want to enjoy concentrated and specialty drinks, then the Ninja Coffee Bar is the best option ever.

However, if you are a bit tight on budget and okay with drinking basic and regular coffee, then the Keurig K-Duo Essentials pod machine will work fine for you.

FAQs

Do Keurig cups work in Ninja?

No, the Ninja Coffee Bar is not compatible with any type of pod. It only uses coffee grounds.

How long does a Ninja coffee maker last?

Ninja coffee makers can last upto 5 to 6 years if operated and maintained correctly.

How long do Keurigs usually last?

Most Keurig coffee makers can last for upto 3 to 5 years.

Can you use tap water in Keurigs?

Yes, you can easily use tap water in Keurig coffee makers. However, make sure the water is filtered to avoid severe health consequences.

Why can’t you put milk in a Keurig?

Adding milk to Keurig can make it stick to the walls of the water reservoir, leading to bacteria buildup and a foul odor inside the unit. Therefore, always use a milk frother with Keurigs to enjoy milky beverages.

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