Ninja CM401 Drip coffee maker: Full Review

The Ninja CM401 is a specialty drip coffee maker with a unique fold-away frother designed for brewing excellent coffee at home. This model combines premium features and innovative brewing technology in a compact machine.

The CM401 aims to give users specialty cafe quality from the convenience of a drip coffee maker. It offers a wide range of brewing options and precise temperature control for optimal coffee extraction. The built-in fold-away frother allows you to turn your brew into creamy coffeehouse beverages.

Overall, the Ninja CM401 is a versatile machine marketed as an upgraded drip coffee maker with bonus specialty brewing capabilities. Its combination of advanced technology, customization, and convenient size make it a compelling option for coffee lovers. The fold-away frother adds unique value not found in most standard drip coffee makers.

Sleek and Modern Design

The Ninja CM401 has an attractive and modern design featuring a stainless steel body with black plastic accents. It has a rectangular footprint measuring 9.9 x 7.7 x 14.6 inches, making it a great fit for most kitchen countertops without taking up too much space.

One of the highlights of the CM401's design is the glass carafe. It has clear rectangular walls so you can easily see how much coffee is left. The carafe has a comfort grip handle and pour spout for easy serving. The lid on top flips open for pouring and keeps the contents hot.

Overall, the stainless steel and black plastic outer body combined with the glass carafe give the Ninja CM401 an elegant look that would complement any kitchen décor. The dimensions are compact enough for small kitchens while still offering a 10-cup carafe capacity.

Another option to consider is the Braun KF7070, which boasts a sleek design and user-friendly features. This coffee maker also offers a glass carafe, ensuring an easy pour while maintaining optimal temperature. It emphasizes precision brewing and includes programmable settings to cater to individual preferences. The model’s compact form factor fits comfortably in any kitchen setup, providing both functionality and aesthetics. With its stylish appearance and effective performance, it's an excellent addition for coffee enthusiasts.

Brewing Features

The Ninja CM401 offers a variety of brew types and sizes to suit different coffee preferences. It can brew classic, rich, over ice, and specialty brews in cup sizes ranging from a single cup to a full carafe.

The specialty brew setting utilizes Ninja's Thermal Flavor Extraction technology to unlock the full flavor potential of your coffee. It achieves the ideal brewing temperature and time to extract the optimal flavor and richness from your coffee grounds. This results in a smooth, balanced, never bitter brew that brings out the subtle tastes and aromas in your favorite coffee beans or grounds.

The classic brew setting offers a standard drip coffee option for regular coffee drinkers who like a good old-fashioned cup of joe. You can brew directly into your favorite mug or fill up the included glass carafe.

For iced coffee lovers, the over ice setting brews a concentrated version designed specifically for pouring over ice and retaining flavor. So you can enjoy chilled coffee drinks at home without sacrificing taste.

Overall, the Ninja CM401 provides exceptional versatility for brewing hot or cold coffee in the style and strength you prefer. The advanced Thermal Flavor Extraction technology ensures delicious flavor extraction and balanced taste from each brew.

Another great option is the BLACK+DECKER CM0755S, known for its user-friendly features and fast brewing capabilities. This model can brew up to 12 cups of coffee at a time, making it ideal for gatherings or busy mornings. It also includes a programmable timer, allowing you to wake up to the smell of fresh coffee. Its sleek design and compact size make it a good fit for any kitchen counter.

Ease of Use

The Ninja CM401 is designed to be very easy to use and maintain on a daily basis. The control panel is simple, with buttons to choose cup size, brew strength, and keep warm. There are no complicated settings or programming required.

Cleaning and maintenance are straightforward as well. The removable water reservoir and filter basket can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher. The warming plate and carafe lid are also removable and dishwasher safe. Descaling is recommended every 3-6 months depending on local water hardness, and is accomplished by running a descaling solution through a brew cycle.

The appliance has an integrated cord storage system to keep excess cord neatly wrapped when not in use. Overall, the Ninja CM401 emphasizes simplicity and convenience for the everyday coffee drinker. It's easy to operate, with minimal settings to adjust, and quick clean-up keeps maintenance to a minimum. The simple interface and dishwasher safe parts make this an accessible drip coffee maker for any level of coffee brewing experience.

Coffee Quality

The Ninja CM401 brews a smooth, well-balanced cup of coffee with rich flavor. The thermal flavor extraction technology brings out the subtle notes and aromas for a satisfying brew.

Compared to other drip coffee makers, the Ninja CM401 consistently produces coffee that tastes significantly better. Many reviewers mention they were surprised by the quality of the coffee from this machine. The advanced brewing technology, optimal water temperature and bloom time lead to a bold, nuanced flavor you would expect from a pricey café.

The CM401 also does well balancing the acidity and bitterness. You can brew a medium to dark roast that’s smooth without any harshness or burnt notes. It's easy to customize the brew for your preferred strength and taste. The end result is a clean aftertaste without any metallic or plastic flavors that can occur with inferior drip coffee makers.

Overall, the exceptional coffee quality makes the Ninja CM401 stand out from other machines in its price range. It rivals more expensive brewers when it comes to delicious café-style coffee from the convenience of your countertop.

Fold-Away Frother

The Ninja CM401 comes with an integrated fold-away frother, allowing you to easily froth milk to create lattes, cappuccinos, and other coffeehouse-style drinks.

The fold-away design is sleek and compact. When not in use, the frother folds down and tucks away under the machine, conserving counter space. When you want to froth milk, simply pull out the frother wand.

In testing, the frother performance is quite good. It froths milk quickly and evenly, with the ability to produce silky microfoam. The fold-away frother can handle heating and frothing milk for one or two drinks at a time without issue. It makes it easy to create cafe-quality foam for topping espresso drinks.

Some users do note that very cold milk (direct from the refrigerator) does not froth quite as well. Letting the milk come closer to room temperature first tends to produce better foam consistency. But overall, the convenient fold-away frother adds great value and versatility.

Additional Features

The Ninja CM401 has a few other handy features that add convenience and versatility:

• Warming Plate - The warming plate keeps your coffee hot for up to 4 hours after brewing. This is great if you want to brew a whole pot and come back for refills later.

• Delay Brew Timer - You can program the Ninja CM401 to automatically brew coffee up to 24 hours in advance. Just add grounds and water the night before and set the timer. Wake up to freshly brewed coffee.

• Fold-Away Frother - When not in use, the fold-away frother tucks neatly into the side of the machine. This saves counter space and keeps the frother protected.

• Multi-Serve - Brew anything from a single cup, travel mug, half carafe, or full carafe. The options make this coffee maker versatile for different coffee needs.

• Removable Water Reservoir - The 60oz water reservoir conveniently detaches from the machine for easy refilling at the sink. No need to move the whole coffee maker.

• Hot and Cold Frothing - Use the frother wand to make hot frothed coffee drinks or iced blended drinks.

• Cleaning Alert - The coffee maker has an indicator light to let you know when it's time to descale and clean the machine.

Pros

The Ninja CM401 has several excellent features that make it a great drip coffee machine:

• Intuitive Controls: The controls are very intuitive and easy to use. There are separate buttons for small and large brew sizes, brew now or delay brew. The buttons light up so you know what mode it's in.

• Specialty Brew: The specialty brew setting lets you customize the bloom time, brew temperature and brew strength to optimize the flavor for your preferred roast.

• Fold-Away Frother: The fold-away frother allows you to make lattes and cappuccinos. It folds into the machine so it doesn't take up extra space.

• Thermal Carafe: The thermal carafe keeps coffee hot for 2 hours without sacrificing flavor. No need for a hot plate that can make the brew taste burnt.

• Removable Water Reservoir: The water reservoir can be removed for easy filling at the sink. There are measurement markings on the side so you know exactly how much water you're adding.

• Brew Sizes: With the option to brew a small 4-16 oz cup or a large 18-22 oz travel mug, you can customize the amount of coffee. No need to make a full pot if you only want a single serving.

• Delay Brew Timer: The delay brew allows you to program the machine to automatically brew coffee at a certain time up to 24 hours in advance. Great for waking up to hot fresh coffee.

Cons

The Ninja CM401 has a few drawbacks to consider:

• The water reservoir capacity is relatively small at just 42oz. This means you'll have to refill it more frequently for larger brew sizes or multiple cups.

• While it has a fold-away frother, the frother doesn't actually heat or froth milk on its own. You need to heat the milk separately before frothing.

• The brewer takes up a good amount of counter space and the water reservoir sits behind it, making refilling a bit cumbersome.

• The brewer lacks some common programmable features like scheduled brewing and brew strength control.

• The carafe doesn't have an insulated thermal layer to keep coffee hot for long periods.

• Cleaning and descaling the machine requires following a lengthy multi-step process.

• Some users report plastic tastes or odors when first using the brewer. Extended initial flushing may be required.

• The brewer is pricier than some competitor offerings with similar feature sets.

Conclusion

The Ninja CM401 drip coffee maker is a solid choice for those looking for a quality coffee maker with some nice extra features. The thermal carafe helps keep coffee hot for hours, while the fold-away frother allows you to make lattes and cappuccinos. The brewing technology consistently produces great tasting coffee, and programming options like brew strength control and delay brew give you flexibility.

The CM401 is easy to use thanks to its intuitive interface and dishwasher-safe parts. While it may lack some bells and whistles of more expensive models, it delivers where it counts with great tasting coffee and decent quality construction. The slim profile and fold-away frother also make it a great fit for smaller kitchens.

Overall, the Ninja CM401 provides excellent value. It combines features found in premium coffee makers at a more budget-friendly price point. If you want tasty drip coffee and milk-based drinks without breaking the bank, the Ninja Specialty Fold-Away Frother CM401 is a recommended option worth considering.