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Prices checked October 2026Not tested in handNo paid rankingsHow we pick
You give up: Manual steam wand instead of hands-free froth presets, and no drip coffee mode.
Short answer: The closest cheaper alternative to the Ninja Luxe Café Pro Series Espresso Machine (ES701) is the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine (EC9255M), about $700 instead of $750 (save 7%). What you give up: Manual steam wand instead of hands-free froth presets, and no drip coffee mode. The cheapest is the CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine at about $140. Prices checked October 2026.
Why it's a good swap Bean-to-cup espresso machine with a built-in grinder, steam wand and a cold brew function.
You give up: Manual steam wand instead of hands-free froth presets, and no drip coffee mode.
Why it's a good swap 20-bar espresso maker with a steam wand and 34 oz water tank for lattes at home.
You give up: No built-in grinder and manual frothing, so you need pre-ground coffee or a separate grinder.
Why it's a good swap Same Ninja whole-bean machine for espresso, drip coffee and cold brew with hands-free frothing.
You give up: Four froth presets instead of five (no Extra Thick), and no hot water function.
Typical US prices, checked October 2026. Not live prices; check the listing before you buy.
Looking for a cheaper alternative to the Ninja Luxe Café Pro Series Espresso Machine (ES701)? It usually sells for about $750. Here are 3 cheaper swaps from $140: the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine (EC9255M) is the closest match from another brand, the Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series Espresso Machine (ES601) is a cheaper option from Ninja and the CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine is the cheapest at about $140. Each one says what you give up for the lower price.
The Ninja Luxe Café Pro (ES701) lists for $749.99. The closest cheaper pick is Ninja's own Luxe Café Premier (ES601) at $599.99, or the Breville Barista Express at $699.95 for a built-in grinder from another brand. The cheapest pick is the CASABREWS CM5418, without a grinder (check its price on Amazon).
The Ninja Luxe Café Pro Series Espresso Machine (ES701) ($750) is worth it if you want one machine for espresso, drip coffee, cold brew and Americanos, with milk handled for you. Ninja lists a conical burr grinder with 25 settings, a built-in scale for weight-based dosing, a lever-operated integrated tamper, an independent hot water system and five hands-free froth presets: Steamed Milk, Thin Froth, Thick Froth, Extra Thick Froth and Cold Foam. Tom's Guide's tester found the weight-based grinding very accurate and the automatic milk texturing even enough for latte art.
The Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series Espresso Machine (ES601) ($600) covers most of the same ground: Ninja lists the same 25-setting conical burr grinder and weight-based dosing for espresso, drip and cold brew, with four froth presets including Cold Foam, but no hot water dispenser. If you would rather steam milk by hand, the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine (EC9255M) ($700) has a 15-setting conical burr grinder, a manual steam wand, a hot water function and a cold brew mode. The CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine ($140) only makes sense if you already own a burr grinder or accept pre-ground coffee, since it has no grinder and, per Tom's Guide, ships with pressurized dual-wall baskets only.
| Option | Type | Typical price | You save | What you give up | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ninja Luxe Café Pro Series Espresso Machine (ES701) | The original | $750 | – | – | View ↗ |
| CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine | Budget pick | $140 | $610 (81%) | No built-in grinder and manual frothing, so you need pre-ground coffee or a separate grinder. | View ↗ |
| Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series Espresso Machine (ES601) | Same brand, cheaper | $600 | $150 (20%) | Four froth presets instead of five (no Extra Thick), and no hot water function. | View ↗ |
| De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine (EC9255M) | Close match | $700 | $50 (7%) | Manual steam wand instead of hands-free froth presets, and no drip coffee mode. | View ↗ |
Typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices and may have changed, so check the listing before you buy.
The CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine, at about $140 (81% less). 20-bar espresso maker with a steam wand and 34 oz water tank for lattes at home. The catch: No built-in grinder and manual frothing, so you need pre-ground coffee or a separate grinder.
The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine (EC9255M), at about $700 (7% less). Bean-to-cup espresso machine with a built-in grinder, steam wand and a cold brew function. The catch: Manual steam wand instead of hands-free froth presets, and no drip coffee mode.
Yes. The Ninja Luxe Café Premier Series Espresso Machine (ES601), at about $600 (20% less). Same Ninja whole-bean machine for espresso, drip coffee and cold brew with hands-free frothing. The catch: Four froth presets instead of five (no Extra Thick), and no hot water function.
Ninja lists five hands-free froth presets on the Pro ($749.99), adding Extra Thick, plus a hot water function. The Premier ($599.99) makes espresso, drip and cold brew with four presets, cold foam included.
The Breville Barista Express ($699.95) also has a built-in conical burr grinder and steam wand. For the lowest cost, the CASABREWS CM5418 is a 20-bar espresso maker with a steam wand but no grinder.
Yes. Ninja's own model comparison lists four hands-free froth presets on the Premier (ES601): Steamed, Thin, Thick and Cold Foam. The Pro (ES701) adds a fifth preset, Extra Thick, along with a separate hot water dispenser.
Treat them as a starting point. Tom's Guide's tester found the Pro's suggested grind setting pulled a fast, flat shot, then got a 33-second shot with much better flavor after choosing a finer setting manually. The tester still considered the guidance useful for beginners.
No. Tom's Guide notes the CM5418 ships without a milk jug, and CASABREWS sells a stainless pitcher separately. It also comes with dual-wall pressurized baskets only, which Tom's Guide says suit pre-ground coffee better than freshly ground beans.
Each swap links to amazon.com. Prices are typical US prices checked October 2026 and change often, so check the listing before you buy.
Compared on their own pages: Breville Barista Express alternatives
Every swap is a product sold in the US that does the main job of the original. Close match is another brand with similar features, Same brand, cheaper is an older, smaller or renewed model from the same maker, and Budget pick is the cheapest thing that still does the job. On each page, Closest match is the close match nearest the original in price, and Lowest price is the cheapest swap. We compare published specs, retailer listings and reviews; we don't test products ourselves.
A cheaper product is cheaper for a reason. Each swap says what you give up, like weaker noise cancelling, a smaller screen or a shorter warranty, so you can decide if the savings are worth it.
Prices are typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, last checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices, which change often. When a price couldn't be confirmed, the page says “Check price on Amazon” instead of showing a number.
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