Ninja Luxe Cafe vs Nespresso VertuoPlus

Buy the Ninja Luxe Cafe if you want one machine that grinds fresh beans and makes espresso, drip coffee and cold drinks. Buy the Nespresso VertuoPlus if you want fast, consistent coffee from capsules with almost no cleanup or learning curve. The Ninja is far more capable and more adjustable, but it is large, heavy and takes practice; owners and reviewers call it user-friendly for an automatic, though purists find it short of cafe quality and its cold brew weak. The VertuoPlus is small, light and ready in about 20 seconds, but it locks you into Nespresso pods, brews no drip coffee and gives you little control over strength beyond capsule choice.

• Choose the Ninja Luxe Cafe if you want fresh-ground espresso, drip coffee and cold drinks from one machine and don't mind the counter space.
• Choose the Nespresso VertuoPlus if you want a compact, near-instant cup from capsules with no grinding or dosing.