Ninja Coffee Bar question

Sammijo10 · ‎05-14-2011

This if for all of you that are using the Ninja coffee bar brewer. I just got the new version of the Ninja coffee bar (DH and I decided it's our Christmas gift to ourselves!)and have been experimenting with it all afternoon - I may never sleep tonight! I use pretty good coffee for a 'normal' pot (either Starbucks Cafe Verona or Dunkin Donuts), but I'm trying to make a 'coffee house' cup and the specialty brew and cafe forte don't quite seem strong enough (although the cafe forte has a terrific flavor) to stand up to the steamed milk. Should I be using an espresso type coffee for these brews? Any tricks or tips to get a great latte or flat white?

Sammijo10 · ‎05-14-2011

Bumping this up to see if anyone has any suggestions for me. Made a full carafe this AM and the experimenting continues - it wasn't as strong as I normally like it even using the Rich brew, however I did use 3 large scoops when the recommendation ws 2 to 4. So now I know to use 4 for AM coffee. It was plenty hot even sitting for a few minutes until I got to it.

Any suggestions as to type of coffee to use with the specialty brew setting for lattes, cappucinos and flat whites would be appreciated. Regular ground coffee didn't seem to yield the result I was hoping for. Is an espresso type coffee going to work better? Since I got this machine for it's ability to create those coffee house drinks, if I can't make it work, it may go back.

DarlingDino · ‎05-09-2014

You can try adding more coffee or like you said an espresso type of coffee. I have the older ninja, mine does not have the forte choice. I love making the special coffees and have been using starbucks coffee and gevalla coffee. I plan on trying other coffees too. We love it so far and have had it now for maybe two months.

Sammijo10 · ‎05-14-2011

Thanks, Dino! If you're using the espresso type coffee, do you still use the amount of scoops the recipe book calls for or to you use less?

I usually use Starbucks Cafe Verona, and the flat white I tried yesterday was good, but needed a bit more coffee 'umph' to taste like the coffee house.

I realize there will be a bit of experimentation to get the right combos of everything to come out the way I want, so thanks for your suggestions to help cut down on my caffeine consumption white the experimenting continues.

soonersis · ‎08-12-2010

@Sammijo10, I had the original Ninja Coffee Bar but about a month ago I got the new version as I just couldn't wait. I loved my first and love this one even more. It's fun to experiment and try different settings and ways to make coffee.

My husband and I like pretty strong coffee as we add a sweetener and an almond milk/cream combo. I use some type of a bold/dark coffee. Currently I am using Starbuck's Christmas Espresso blend.

Since we don't drink much more than one mug apiece, this is what I have been doing in the morning. I use 3 of the large size scoops of coffee. I use the XL travel mug setting but use the carafe for the coffee to drip in to. Then I use the Over Ice Brew setting. This makes a little stronger brew than the Rich setting which I used to use. When it finishes brewing, I change from the XL travel mug setting to the half carafe setting. This allows me to turn on the warming plate (it will only turn on when the half or full carafe settings are chosen). Since we don't like our coffee to get cold as we're drinking it, I only pour about 1/3 of our mugs full then refill the same way. I can do this about 3 times for each of us using the XL travel mug and Over Ice Brew setting. Sometimes if we want more coffee I will use the half carafe size with the same amount of coffee and Over Ice Brew setting. By turning on the warming plate, and putting a small amount of coffee in our mugs several times, this allows us to have hot coffee every time.

I hope my explanation has not been confusing to you. Let me know if I can answer any other questions. Enjoy your coffee!

Sammijo10 · ‎05-14-2011

Thanks for the tips, SoonerSis. I just made a huge mess because I thought if I put more regular coffee in the basket and chose Rich brew, it would be ok. Too much coffee in the basket equals a big overflow mess all over the counter and the machine. (Even though the guide says you can use 6 large scoops, don't try it!) Thank heavens this machine is not like others where the grounds will gum up the works and trash the machine. I've done that before with a wonderful Cuisinart machine.

As always, the strength of the coffee that comes out of any machine is only as good as the coffee that goes in. I need to use a richer roast coffee. At the moment, I'm out of cafe verona, and have the old standby DD. Just not doing the job as far as strength is concerned for us.

Thanks again for your help. I will try the xl travel mug size in the carafe.

soonersis · ‎08-12-2010

@Sammijo10, glad your mess didn't turn into a disaster. Think a stronger coffee will definitely get you a richer cup. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out.

This morning when I made our coffee I used the frother in each cup to give us some foam on top. I just did this with the first 1/3 I poured and still had some foam leftover for the next pourings. I don't usually do this but it was nice for a change.