KitchenAid vs Ninja Filter Coffee Machines

KitchenAid and Ninja both aim at buyers who want barista-style drinks at home, but their price points differ. KitchenAid's machines here run from the Artisan 5KES6503BBK at £449 and the semi-automatic 5KES6551BSX at £549, up to the fully automatic KF6 5KES8556BSX at £899 and the KF7 5KES8557BPL at £1,599. Ninja spans the CFN802UK Prestige DualBrew at £249, the ES601UKBK Luxe Cafe Premier at £475 and the ES601UK at £499.

Ninja puts a grinder and frothing into the Luxe Cafe range, with 25 grind settings and hands-free frothing on the ES601UK, plus dual froth on the Premier models. The CFN802UK DualBrew makes both filter coffee and pod-style drinks. KitchenAid's Artisan has a 15-bar Italian pump and dual temperature sensors for hands-on control, while the semi-automatic 5KES6551BSX offers fast heating, a removable bean hopper and smart dosing. The KF6 and KF7 carry Quiet Mark certification, and the KF7 adds a touchscreen panel and easy cleaning notifications.

Ninja suits households that want guided espresso and frothed milk at a lower price, or people who switch between filter coffee and single cups with the DualBrew. KitchenAid suits buyers who want their coffee machine to match a KitchenAid mixer and look good on the worktop. The Artisan at £449 suits people who enjoy making espresso by hand, while the KF6 at £899 suits those who want one-touch bean-to-cup drinks. KitchenAid's fully automatic models are large, so check your worktop space.

Bottom line: choose KitchenAid if you want a Quiet Mark machine for hands-on espresso from £449 or a fully automatic bean-to-cup from £899 that matches a KitchenAid kitchen; choose Ninja if you want a built-in grinder, dual froth and guided brewing from £475 to £499, or the DualBrew at £249 for filter and pod-style cups.