Milk that froths itself
Breville Bambino Plus
- Hot in about 3 seconds
- Three milk textures
Cheaper alternatives to the Ninja Luxe Café ES601
Three cheaper machines. Two need a separate grinder; one does it all for you.
Updated November 12, 2026
About half the price
Breville Bambino
- PID temperature control
- Free-moving steam wand
Press a button, get a latte
De'Longhi Magnifica Evo
- Grinds for you
- Automatic milk
The original
Ninja Luxe Café
Worth it if: You want drip coffee from the same machine
- Grinder and scale built in
- Espresso, drip and cold brew
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What are you actually paying extra for with the Luxe Café?
What the extra money buys
- Grinder and scale built in
- Espresso, drip and cold brew
- Suggests the grind for you
Worth it if
- You want drip coffee from the same machine
- You don't own a grinder
Not worth it if
- Counter space is tight
- You froth oat milk often
Good to know
Why each one made the list, and our final recommendation.
Breville Bambino Plus
Shots came out smooth with thick crema in TechRadar's review, and the wand froths quietly on its own. Tom's Guide liked how simple it is to start with but warns it needs a capable grinder, and the drip tray fills fast.
Breville Bambino
TechGearLab got espresso close to café standard and could steam right after a shot. Its testers with barista experience preferred the manual wand to the Bambino Plus's. It suits someone who wants to learn milk by hand on a budget, and you'll still need a grinder that handles espresso.
De'Longhi Magnifica Evo
It grinds, doses and froths by itself; TechRadar's review framed it as an easy machine for people who want coffee fast, and Les Numériques found it plain but quick. It suits people who want a latte without weighing or tamping anything.
Final recommendation: Already own a grinder? The Bambino Plus gives café-style milk in a much smaller box. The Bambino is the budget route if you'd like to steam by hand. For lattes at a button press, the Magnifica Evo does it all. Keep the Ninja ES601 for drip, cold brew and espresso in one machine.
Side by side
Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.
| Model | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Premium | Premium | Affordable | Premium |
| Type | Manual espresso with grinder and scale | Manual espresso, no grinder | Manual espresso, no grinder | Super-automatic |
| Milk | Automatic frother with whisk | Automatic steam wand | Manual steam wand | LatteCrema automatic |
| Drinks | Espresso, drip coffee, cold brew | Espresso, milk drinks | Espresso, milk drinks | – |
| Grinder | Conical burr, 25 settings | None: needs a separate grinder | None: needs a separate grinder | – |
| Pump pressure | 15 bar | 15 bar | 15 bar | 15 bar |
| Water tank | – | 64 oz | 46 oz | 60.9 oz |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Questions people ask
Is the Bambino Plus better than the Ninja ES601 for milk?
For dairy, both froth automatically. The Bambino Plus offers three textures and temperatures; Ninja's whisk did worse with oat milk in TechRadar's review.
Does the Ninja Luxe Café ES601 make drip coffee?
Yes. Yes, plus cold brew. None of these three cheaper machines brews either.
Which ES601 alternative needs no grinder?
The Magnifica Evo. It grinds its own beans; both Bambinos need a separate grinder.
Related guides
How we reached this
We compared the Ninja Luxe Café with the alternatives most often recommended by independent reviewers, then checked each against the makers' own specs and current prices.
We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.
Sources: Ninja: Luxe Café Premier Espresso Machine, TechRadar: Ninja Luxe Café review, Top Ten Reviews: Ninja ES601 Luxe Café Premier Series review, Breville: the Bambino Plus, TechRadar: Breville Bambino Plus review, Tom's Guide: Breville Bambino Plus review, Breville: the Bambino, Tom's Guide: Breville Bambino vs Breville Bambino Plus, TechGearLab: Breville Bambino review, De'Longhi: De'Longhi Magnifica Evo, TechRadar: De’Longhi Magnifica Evo review, Les Numériques: Test Cafetière avec broyeur Delonghi Magnifica Evo FEB2942.TB : basique, rapide et efficace.