Ninja Pods & Grounds Single-Serve Coffee Maker, K-Cup Pod Compatible, Brews Grounds, Compact Design, 56-oz. Reservoir, 6-oz. Cup to 24-oz. Travel Mug Brew Sizes, Iced Coffee Maker, Stone, PB041ST

Flavored ground coffee blends gum up the innards of sophisticated, expensive grind/brew/pour espresso and coffee machines. I have a Nespresso machine for wonderful espresso and lungo pours and I have a De'Longhi that grinds and then gives me all kinds of pour choices. But this Fall I wanted pumpkin spice, and some Barnie's blends and an interesting Mexican chocolate flavored coffee that I found. So I went looking online for a machine--not too expensive, but not too cheap either--that would provide me with the means to make a consistently hot, very rich, cup of flavored coffee with cream, worthy of drinking.I found this machine and I already love it. And it sits nestled between my Nespresso and De'Longhi machines on my coffee bar. In fact--and maybe because it is a novelty for me to be able to have wonderful flavored coffees at my fingertips--I have been using it more often than my other two, more expensive machines. But beware, or be aware: The price you pay for more flavorful coffee, will not be the one-time cost of this machine. It will be the fact that you will go through a bag of ground coffee way quicker than you ever imagined. I accept that. Because this machine makes the best cup of flavored ground coffee that I've ever had.This machine covers all the bases: Using the included filter in the brew basket, and with an ample water reservoir (56oz) at its back, it brews whatever ground coffee your heart desires, whatever grind, however much grounds you add to the filter, and however much water you press the button for. It has three lighted buttons for choosing a milder (Classic) or stronger (Rich) or even iced coffee. It makes for almost overwhelming opportunities to get the exact coffee you are looking for.And, hey, if those choices do overwhelm you, you can use the pod adapter in the brew basket and insert any kind of K-cup (not paper though), and just choose the amount of water for a single-serve. (But I don't use K-cup very often, so my review will not be addressing that feature.) And, the machine senses whether you have the filter or pod adapter in the brew basket and proceeds accordingly.I also have not tried the iced coffee feature. But from witnessing all the different ways this machine can provide you with the perfect strength coffee, I'm positive the iced coffee feature works well. Just use a vessel that can tolerate both hot and cold and fill it with ice, hit the proper button and let the hot coffee trickle into it.From reading reviews and the manuals that come with this machine, I assume that this is a relatively new product for Ninja. The manuals talk of a 4 ounce pour and a frother arm--both of these features are not included on this machine. And that is not an issue for me, the person who already has both of those features on other machines, but it might make a difference to you. So, to be clear this machine does not create froth (from your own heated milk in your own cup, which will be available on another model), nor does it give you the opportunity to make a 4 ounce pour.I am plenty okay with the 7 choices (of 6 ounces to 24 ounces) of water volumes. As this is a single pour machine, (then clean the grounds out of the filter basket), I will use my own quality carafe if I want to make enough coffee for a few morning cups or if I am entertaining a guest or two. But, and this is a possible fault: 24 ounces only stretches to three 8 ounce cups of coffee or 4 six ounce cups of coffee with cream, for instance.And, I'm adding this to my original review: I'd like to find a thermal carafe that fits under the spout of this machine. One that has a pour spout and a lid and no handle. Because I've been using a double-walled stainless steel travel mug and of course those do not have pour spouts--so it's a very messy pour from travel mug to coffee cup. The carafe without its lid would need to be no more than 8" tall and hold at least 26-28 ounces to the rim. I find several on Amazon, but none show the height without the lid. Nor is it obvious if the handle is part of the lid, because I'm thinking a handle would not allow the carafe to fit close enough to the machine's dispenser.What else I've experienced so far:--This machine makes coffee that is plenty hot, so hot that I can only take a tentative sip at first (and that is with cream included.)--It takes longer to brew than a Nespresso machine. It takes less time to brew than a drip machine. And the more water you use, the longer the brewing time. The reason: This machine allows the hot water to sit and stew in the grounds to provide a stronger, richer, flavor. Some quicker machines use pressure to build flavor and richness. But then machines built on the use of pressure do not allow ingredients other than coffee beans, so no flavored coffee grounds.--Brewing is done in stages that appear as lighted bars on top of the machine. It is nice to be able to see the progress.--The cup tray raises and lowers easily to accommodate different size vessels. The coffee does pour rather close to the machine. And the spout does not push in or out. It is a bit restrictive if you use certain uniquely-shaped vessels.--The pod adapter and filter both fit in a storage bin on one side of the machine.--The included spoon hangs from a hook on the other side of the machine.--Speaking of spoons and spoonfuls: You may be surprised how quickly you go through a bag of coffee.....--You will need to make decisions about how much grounds and how much water and what size vessel. You will need to know the volumes of your different cups. Or, if that is something you don't want to do, use the K-cup feature and you'll only need to decide on the water amount and the cup size.--Cleaning is relatively easy, just the brew basket and filter or pod adapter.--Descaling is easy too: 16 ounces of white vinegar or a descale solution and water and a 2 quart vessel and push a button. It takes 75 uninterrupted minutes.

When my Keuring coffee maker died after only a couple of years of use I started looking for a replacement.I had heard that Ninja had a good reputation for making quality appliances and when I learned they made a coffee maker that gave you the choice of using ground coffee or Kcups I was intrigued.I do prefer ground coffee as it is much more affordable than the Keuring cups and ...well...I just feel ground coffee...especially the way I prefer it.....black ...tastes better.I was never quite satisfied with the Keuring coffee makers they were so ugly looking and the coffee they made....I guess I already went over that...but anyway as a single old guy who just wanted a single cup of coffee in the morning I was stuck with Keuring.I have had the Ninja Pods and Grounds coffee maker for about 6 months now and I have to say I am very pleased with the product...maybe even more than pleased.As I mentioned I am a black coffee drinker. This coffee maker does a superb job of making a good cup of coffee.I prefer using the "rich" mode as it brings out all the flavors of my coffee.Another thing. I like my coffee hot. I am scratching my head over reports from some other reviewers saying the Ninja does't come through with hot coffee. What? My coffee is always hot from my Ninja.Forgot to mention that my morning routiine also includes a cup of green tea and let me tell you this Ninja comes through with flying colors in brewing a an excellent cup of tea.All I have to do is place a tea bag in the basket put it on "rich" mode and it produces a wonderful cup of green tea.I have the Ninja Pods and Grounds coffee maker that comes in "stone" color that looks so nice on my kitchen counter.It takes up less space than the aforementioned Keuring and gets a lot of compliments. I think it really looks classy.I like the fact that you can adjust the little tray to accomodate any size cup and it will even accomodate my travel mug. Yay!One final note..regarding Kcups...I am not totally against them In fact I keep a few around when I am too lazy to measure out a ground coffee cup o' joe and also for when I have company and need faster coffee making in those situations. The Kcups work great on this machine.Don't know what to say except I hightly recommend this Ninja and think you'll really like it.

I waited more than a year to write a review because our experiences with coffee makers have been marginal and I wanted to make sure this was a keeper. Well, we love it!! It has taken the #2 spot amongst our favored counter top appliances, only coming in second because a girl has to have a certain loyalty to her Kitchen Aid Pro Series mixer. That being said, this coffee maker brews a wonderfully hot mug of coffee every time. Need I say more? Yes, I do! Fresh grounds and iced coffee are just as reliably great. The water reservoir is large enough to be useful, the brew time is reasonably quick and quiet. Clean up is a breeze. Its size means it doesn’t take up a lot of space on the counter.You will not regret buying this coffee maker.

Love! I’ve had this for 7 months (since 11/2024) and it’s had no issues.PROS: It brews a decent cup of pod coffee, it’s very easy to use with simple buttons, brews quickly (but not too quickly), has auto shut off, clear water storage to easily see water level and a built-in drawer to store the ground brew basket. I like the look and the Stone color.CONS: It’s tall so it needs to be pulled out from under the cabinet to open the top. I put it on a placemat so it can slide back and forth easily. *Be aware if you’re ordering the frother. I expected mine to have a frother. When it arrived it did not have it. I’m not sure why. However, I didn’t get this to make gourmet espresso and I wouldn’t use the frother that much so I just let the issue go. I’ve never missed it. The frother would be one more thing to clean. If I need one I’ll use my cheapo Ikea handheld one.BOTTOM LINE: I’d buy this again. The price has gone up $20 in 7 months (a rant for another day). Even though the price is on par with other name brands I still think this is a solid buy.