Ninja Coffee Bar vs. Keurig: Reviewing Their Top Models

crazy by Editorial Staff | Updated on April 1st, 2023

Today, while comparing coffee makers that are both capable of serving you a single cup at a time, we will look at Ninja Coffee Bar vs. Keurig. For the coffee drinker, both brands make coffee conveniently accessible. Living by yourself? With no mess involved, you can make one cup quickly. For your small office, a single-cup maker like Ninja or Keurig could be perfect.


The use of long-lasting pods or capsules known as K-Cups in the Keurig, versus conventional filter baskets in the Ninja, and the greater versatility of the Ninja, are the major differences between these two brands. We will dive into these and some of the less evident differences.

Ninja Coffee Bar vs. Keurig

Ninja Coffee Bar

One of a few house-care brands operating under the larger SharkNinja brand is the Ninja Coffee Bar brand. Founded in 1998 by Mark Rosenzweig, the company quickly became a leader in the market for home appliances. From blenders, to vacuums, to coffee makers, to pressure cookers, they make everything. The company is headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts, and its products are available in stores worldwide. The Ninja house-care brand specifically focuses on kitchen appliances such as blenders, pressure cookers, and tea and coffee makers, while SharkNinja is responsible for many household appliances.

Ninja Coffee Bar Auto-iQ Programmable Coffee Maker

Keurig

Only its beverage brewing system and beverage pods are made by the Keurig brand. The original corporation, Keurig, Inc. was founded in 1992 by John Sylvan and Peter Dragone in Massachusetts. In the early days, Sylvan and Dragone used to produce the pods by hand, but soon called in a design contractor to simplify the method of pod-making. During the last two decades, Keurig has seen several diverse owners and shareholders. Its initial founders are not with the organization anymore. Currently, Keurig Dr. Pepper, one of the major soda corporations in America, operates the company.

In recent years, Keurig has won several honors, including Single Serve Coffee Maker Company of the Year from 2012-2015. The company boasts of over four hundred types of drinks through sixty distinct soda labels. Keurig has also attracted criticism about the detrimental effects of its K-Cup pods on the climate. Although certain facilities will compost them, the cups are tiny and sometimes slip through sorting grates. Via special recycling projects in Canada and the U.S. including collecting and burning of K-Cups at separate waste facilities, the organization has made attempts to minimize the waste effects.

Keurig K-Café™ Coffee Maker, Single Serve

The main differences between the machines

It is pod vs. no-pod. The Ninja Coffee Bar operates without pods. The versions come with a permanent mesh filter that can be used with your preferred coffee. Alternatively, you should use every cone filter, which is removable. If you’re using it as a single-serve coffee maker, you can save money on the Ninja. In that way, pod vs. no pod does matter. The reusable ‘My K-Cup’ was launched by Keurig for use with every coffee as well. It’s like a little pod you can fill with coffee grounds of your own. Still, for their comfort, most individuals merely use Keurig’s gourmet coffee pods because it is more convenient

Let’s look at these labels and compare both of them: Ninja Cafe Bar CF097 and the Keurig K-Café™.

Brewing systems

Two very different methods are used by Ninja and Keurig devices to brew coffee in their creators. Ninja enables the consumer to choose from six different sizes of brew and determine the concentration. The machine then mixes the ground with the correct volume of water. They refer to this system as the Auto-IQ One-Touch Intelligence

On top of the coffee cup, Keurig’s machine checks a barcode to verify that the pod is Keurig-licensed and not from any maker. If the pod is in the assembly, the barcode often signals the computer to restrict the option of brew sizes. This device prohibits users from utilizing competitor-generated pods and serves quality management.

Versatility and variety

For the coffee drinker, the Ninja builder makes even more options. It may create milk beverages such as cappuccinos and lattes, as well as several various sizes. This system may be referred to as the more tightly oriented Keurig by the user who likes a little variety.

But a Keurig could be preferable for coffee drinkers who aren’t too fussy. It is simpler to clean the removable parts, and the water tank needs refilling less frequently. While the Keurig system does not generate cappuccinos and lattes, it can also produce a broad selection of beverages simply because there are too many different varieties of pods to select from. You will need to purchase the right k-cup or k-shot so you can make “espresso shot” like coffee and froth your milk with the Keurig K-Café™ coffee maker.

Brew time

Ninja Coffee Bar Auto-iQ Programmable Coffee Maker CF097

Both machines allow the customer to catch a cup of joe easily, but the Keurig K-Café™ is a little quicker than the CF097 Ninja Coffee Bar. In a mere three to five minutes, it can make a cup. Depending on the settings selected by the consumer, the Ninja can take up to eight minutes.

Keurig K-Cafe Coffee Maker, Single Serve

Therefore the Keurig K-Café™ coffee maker is a clever alternative for anyone who doesn’t worry about plain coffee. If you’re a busy individual who wants to get fancy with coffee, the Ninja Coffee Bar’s brewing time is still fast relative to many others on the market. And it comes with a thermal carafe, so anytime you need a refill, you can have a couple of cups handy and don’t have to run it again.

Reservoir capacity 

The Ninja  CF097 contains just 50 ounces of water, while the Keurig K-Café™ holds 60 ounces of water.

Carafe capacity 

A colossal 38 ounces (just over seven regular cups of coffee) can be kept in the Ninja’s carafe. There is no carafe for the Keurig K-Café™, it does not brew K-Carafe, which the K-Duo coffee maker is known for.

Ease of cleaning 

One notable benefit of the Keurig machine is that it is very convenient to extract components that must be washed occasionally, allowing for fast, effective cleaning. It is necessary to clean the Ninja, although it would not be as simple as washing a Keurig because many parts are not detachable.

Recapping the differences between keurig and ninja coffee bar

When looking at the Ninja Coffee Bar vs. the Keurig, it becomes obvious that these two devices are geared at somewhat different consumer segments. For those who appreciate convenience and warmth above all else, the Keurig K-Café™ is for you. You just pop in the k-cups and you’re brew is ready within seconds. The Ninja costs significantly less than the Keurig even though it comes with more features.

The Ninja Coffee Bar CF097 is for those who want to change it up a little bit. Three different power levels, the built-in frother, and unique ice cocktail settings are a blessing for coffee drinkers who want to experiment. While you do get the frother, and the cappuccino and latte settings, you still have to buy different k-cups, for each occasions. Once you decide what you are after, it should be pretty easy to pick between Ninja Coffee Bar and Keurig.

FAQs

Can you use K Cups in a ninja coffee bar?

The response is no. The Ninja Coffee Bar uses ground coffee to brew all its sizes, from single to full carafe.

Does Ninja coffee bar need filters?

The Ninja Coffee Bar has a permanent filter, so you don’t need a pod or paper filter. Fill the reusable filter with your favorite coffee.

Does the Ninja coffee bar make espresso?

The Ninja Coffee Bar doesn’t make a “real” espresso. But you can adjust the proportion of water to ground coffee to make a concentrated brew that can be used as the base for a latte or cappuccino style drink.

What is the difference between the K Cafe and the K Cafe Special Edition?

The K-Café™ Special Edition has a premium metal finish, whereas the K-Café™ is a matte, dark charcoal color. They’re functionally identical and both provide the same great café-style drinks whenever you want

Does Keurig K Cafe make espresso?

No, but essentially, you can make “espresso like” drinks with the K-Shot cups

Does the Keurig K Cafe need a filter?

If you want to use your own coffee ground, you can purchase a reusable k-cup filter, which is sold separately.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using these links. Remember to support us by purchasing through the Amazon/Walmart/Impact Radius links provided. Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Disclosure: No compensation or free products were received in exchange for writing this review.

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Editorial Staff

The editorial staff at Crazy Coffee Crave is a team of coffee enthusiasts & Baristas who enjoy the one thing we all think about as soon as we get up in the morning. Trusted by thousands of readers worldwide.