Automatic milk, tiny footprint
Sage Bambino Plus
- Heats in seconds
- Wand purges itself
Cheaper alternatives to the Ninja Luxe Café ES601UK
Three cheaper machines that take up less room. None makes drip or cold brew.
Updated 12 November 2026
Cheapest with a grinder
De'Longhi La Specialista Arte
- Grinder built in
- Tamping guide
Bean-to-cup for less
De'Longhi Magnifica S
- Fully automatic shots
- Simple to use
The original
Ninja Luxe Café
Worth it if: You want filter coffee and espresso
- Weighs and grinds for you
- Makes cold brew quickly
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What are you actually paying extra for with the Luxe Café?
What the extra money buys
- Weighs and grinds for you
- Makes cold brew quickly
- Grind tips for every bag
Worth it if
- You want filter coffee and espresso
- You're new to espresso and want guidance
Not worth it if
- Your worktop is small
- You want a hot water spout
Good to know
Why each one made the list, and our final recommendation.
Sage Bambino Plus
Sage's compact machine heats almost instantly, and TechRadar liked its quiet, automatic frothing. Tom's Guide notes the small drip tray and 54 mm accessories that are harder to find. It suits someone who already owns a good grinder; without one, the saving shrinks.
De'Longhi La Specialista Arte
It's the entry point to De'Longhi's grinder-equipped range. TechRadar noted its weight, about 10 kg, and slight splashing when pouring. You grind straight into the handle and tamp yourself, as on the Ninja, so it suits someone happy to learn by feel instead of by scale.
De'Longhi Magnifica S
CHIP thought its coffee matched much pricier machines, though it found the build plain and a few quirks to live with. Les Numériques rated the range very good value. It suits anyone who wants coffee with no tamping at all.
Final recommendation: With a grinder already at home, the Sage Bambino Plus gives the best milk in the least space. The Specialista Arte keeps a grinder for less, and the Magnifica S does everything at a button press. The Ninja ES601UK stays the pick for filter coffee and cold brew too.
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 | Premium | Premium |
| Type | Manual espresso with grinder and scale | Manual espresso, no grinder | Manual espresso with grinder | Bean-to-cup |
| Milk | Automatic frother with whisk | Automatic steam wand | Steam wand | Manual steam wand |
| Drinks | Espresso, drip coffee, cold brew | Espresso, milk drinks | – | – |
| Grinder | Conical burr, 25 settings | None: needs a separate grinder | – | – |
| Pump pressure | 15 bar | 15 bar | 15 bar | 15 bar |
| Water tank | – | 1.9 L | 1.7 L | 1.8 L |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Questions people ask
Which is smaller, the Ninja ES601UK or the Sage Bambino Plus?
The Bambino Plus, by a long way. Ideal Home called the Ninja very big on the worktop.
Does the Specialista Arte weigh coffee like the Ninja?
No. It has a dosing guide and tamping mat, but no built-in scale.
Can the Magnifica S froth milk?
Yes, by hand with its steam wand. It doesn't froth automatically.
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, Ideal Home: Ninja Luxe Café Premier ES601UK review, Sage: the Bambino Plus, TechRadar: Breville Bambino Plus review, Tom's Guide: Breville Bambino Plus review, De'Longhi: De'Longhi La Specialista Arte, Les Numériques: Test Specialista Arte : la plus accessible des cafetières semi-automatiques de Delonghi, TechRadar: De'Longhi La Specialista Arte EC9155MB review, Trusted Reviews: DeLonghi La Specialista Arte Evo Review, Tom's Guide: De’Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: The best-value bean-to-cup on the market, De'Longhi: De'Longhi Magnifica S, CHIP: DeLonghi Magnifica S ECAM 22.110.B im Test, Les Numériques: Test Delonghi Magnifica S ECAM11.112.B : un rapport qualité/prix redoutable.