7 published specifications differ · Updated
Both grind and brew in one box at similar money. The Ninja adds drip coffee and cold brew and froths milk hands-free; the Breville publishes far more brewing detail — PID thermocoil, 54 mm portafilter, 9 bar extraction — where Ninja publishes neither pump pressure nor portafilter size.
$599 · Semi-automatic
Three brewers in one body — espresso, drip and cold brew off a single 25-setting conical burr grinder, with hands-free frothing.
$660 · Semi-automatic
The default first espresso machine in the US: PID-controlled thermocoil, integrated conical burr grinder, 16 grind settings, one footprint.
Rows where the two machines differ are highlighted. A row is only counted as a difference when both manufacturers publish the figure — an em dash against a number is a gap in disclosure, not a win.
| Spec | Luxe Café | Barista Express |
|---|---|---|
| Score (within type)differs | 38/100 | 55/100 |
| List pricediffers | $600 | $700 |
| Machine type | Semi-automatic | Semi-automatic |
| Spec | Luxe Café | Barista Express |
|---|---|---|
| Heating system | — | Thermocoil |
| Heating circuits | — | 1 |
| Boiler material | — | — |
| PID temperature control | — | Yes |
| Heat-up time | — | — |
| Pump pressure (marketing) | — | 15 bar |
| Pressure profiling | — | — |
| Brew pressure at the puck | ~9 bar | ~9 bar |
| Spec | Luxe Café | Barista Express |
|---|---|---|
| Portafilter | — | 54 mm |
| Group type | — | proprietary |
| Built-in grinder | Yes | Yes |
| Grind settingsdiffers | 25 | 16 |
| Spec | Luxe Café | Barista Express |
|---|---|---|
| Milk systemdiffers | Automatic frother | Steam wand |
| Automatic texturingdiffers | Yes | No |
| Spec | Luxe Café | Barista Express |
|---|---|---|
| Water tank | — | — |
| Bean hopper | — | — |
| Widthdiffers | 15.2 in | 15.9 in |
| Dimensionsdiffers | 15.2 × 15.7 × 20.5 in (W×D×H) | 15.9 × 13.1 × 12.4 in (W×D×H) |
| Weight | — | — |
| Wattage | 1650 W | — |
| Made in | — | — |
| Spec | Luxe Café | Barista Express |
|---|---|---|
| Removable brew group | — | — |
| Backflushable | No | No |
| Self-clean / auto rinse | No | No |
Only one of these publishes a pump figure (15 bar). Either way the coffee sees roughly 9 bar, so this is not the specification to choose on.
Prices are the manufacturer's published list price plus any snapshots we have tracked; confirm on the retailer's page before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — this never affects rankings, which are computed from specifications.
Prices are the manufacturer's published list price plus any snapshots we have tracked; confirm on the retailer's page before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — this never affects rankings, which are computed from specifications.
A 0.3 litre insulated brass boiler with PID control in a 21 cm-wide body, heating up in about seven minutes.
58 mm portafilter, 45 grind settings and Auto MilQ automatic texturing with alternative-milk profiles in one touchscreen machine.
A Dedica with an automatic steam wand — milk texturing without the learning curve, still in a compact body.
Specifications for both machines are transcribed from their manufacturers' official pages — Ninja Luxe Café Premier and Breville Barista Express. Scores are computed by our published methodology, not a taste test. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.