Description
The Ninja CFN601 is two machines sharing one body: a capsule espresso brewer with a milk frother on one side, and a full twelve cup drip coffee maker on the other. It takes standard espresso capsules of the Nespresso original format on the espresso side and ordinary ground coffee on the drip side, and it is controlled from a single touchscreen.
Within our espresso machines category it occupies an unusual position, and understanding that position is the whole of this review. It carries roughly 2,298 published ratings at a 4.2 average since October 2022.
What the 19 Bar Figure Actually Means
Ninja calls the system Barista Plus Technology and states that a 19 bar pressure system delivers espresso with a smooth crema by brewing at the optimal temperature and pressure. The 19 bar number appears on almost every capsule and entry level espresso machine sold, and it is widely misunderstood.
Espresso is extracted at around 9 bar at the coffee bed. That figure has been the standard since the lever machine era and it has not changed. A 19 bar rating describes the maximum static pressure the pump can produce with no flow, not the pressure the coffee sees. Machines quote it because a larger number sells, and a pressurised capsule or basket then throttles the flow down to something workable. It is not a lie, but it is not a quality measure either, and a machine quoting 19 bar is not twice as good as one quoting 9. Treat it as a pump specification and judge the machine on what comes out of it.
Espresso, but Only From Capsules
This is the limitation that decides whether the machine suits you. The espresso side takes capsules. There is no portafilter, no basket and no tamper, so you cannot pull a shot from your own beans. Three capsule styles are offered: Espresso at 1.35 ounces, Lungo at 3.75 ounces and Over Ice at 1 ounce.
The consequence is running cost, and one published owner review states it plainly: they replaced an earlier Ninja with this machine and like it, but find the recommended capsule brand expensive and not better than the coffee they already buy. They plan to try other brands once the current stock is gone. That is the right instinct. The format is widely supported by third party capsule makers, and the price per ounce in our single serve capsules and pods section is a far larger part of the true cost of ownership than the machine price is.
The Drip Side
The grounds side is a proper twelve cup drip brewer, not a token afterthought. Three brew styles are offered, Classic, Rich and Over Ice, across nine sizes from a single cup to a full carafe. Rich slows the cycle so contact time increases; Over Ice brews a concentrate designed to be diluted by melting ice.
Nine sizes on the grounds side is the feature that makes a dual machine genuinely useful rather than a compromise. A quarter carafe on a weekday and a full carafe at the weekend both get their own cycle rather than a shortened version of the full one, so the coffee does not go thin when you brew small. A twelve cup glass carafe, a warming plate, a paper filter kit, a removable reservoir and a scoop are all in the box.
Milk and the Fold Away Frother
A frother folds out of the body and folds away when not needed, which on a machine already 12.21 inches deep is a sensible piece of packaging. Owner feedback on it is positive, with one review describing it as working well on milk.
Note what it is and is not. This is an automatic frother rather than a steam wand: it whisks and heats rather than injecting steam, so it produces foam rather than the dense microfoam a wand can make for latte art. For a cappuccino or a flat white at home that is usually enough, and it is considerably easier to use. If textured milk is what you are after, a machine with a proper steam wand is a different purchase.
Daily Handling
The machine measures 12.21 inches deep by 9.84 inches wide by 14.96 inches high and weighs 13.63 pounds. That is a large appliance and it needs depth as well as height. An adjustable cup tray takes anything from an espresso cup to an 8 inch travel mug, and a used capsule bin holds twenty spent capsules so you are not emptying it every day.
Delay brew, keep warm and a clean function are all included. The touchscreen is the control surface for everything, which is convenient in use and is also a component with nothing mechanical to fall back on if it stops responding.
What Owners Report
The positive feedback is consistent and specific: owners like being able to make a carafe or an espresso from one appliance, rate the temperature, and value the strength options on both sides. One review specifically praises the lungo and over ice espresso options.
One detailed negative report describes a leak underneath the unit noticed immediately on first use, following the setup instructions, and an unsatisfying experience trying to resolve it with the manufacturer before returning it. Leaks on a machine with a pump, a capsule chamber and a separate drip path have several possible sources, and one account across 2,298 ratings establishes no failure rate. It is worth checking underneath the machine after your first brew rather than after a week.
What the Specifications Do Not Settle
No brew temperature is published for either side. No wattage is published, and the voltage field reads “1.2E+2 Volts”, which is 120 volts written in scientific notation by software. The water reservoir capacity is not stated anywhere, which on a machine serving two brew paths is a significant omission. No brew time is published. There is no warranty term in the table. “Unit Count = 12.0 Count” is the carafe rating restated as a unit count; one machine ships.
Who It Suits
This suits a household that wants milk drinks and a pot of coffee from one appliance, is content with capsule espresso, and has the counter depth for a machine of this size. The nine size grounds range and the fold away frother are the two features that make the combination work rather than feel like a compromise.
Look elsewhere if you want to grind your own beans for espresso, because this machine cannot. If capsule espresso alone is what you want, a dedicated machine such as the DeLonghi ENV150BAE or the Breville Essenza Mini costs far less and takes far less space, and if you want the dual format without espresso at all, the Ninja DualBrew covers the same ground more cheaply.
