I test a lot of coffee machines here at TechRadar - over a dozen every year - and there's one thing that always frustrates me. Although automatic coffee makers save you time and effort when you want to brew your drink (just press a button, wait a minute, and enjoy), the time and effort required to clean them means you lose that time later on.
With automatic coffee makers, the entire brewing process happens inside the case: grinding beans, tamping grounds, heating water, and pulling the shot. On the outside, everything looks neat and tidy, but take the maintenance panel off the side after preparing a drink, and you'll find a warm, steamy environment with at least some condensation and stray coffee grounds clinging to the surfaces. If you don't dedicate time to cleaning it all carefully and allow it to dry properly overnight, it's a recipe for mold.
It's as disgusting as it sounds — see this Reddit post if you have a strong stomach). To quote one Redditor, "If the apocalypse happens tomorrow and we’ve forgotten how to make penicillin, you’ve got that in a ready-to-drink form now!"
The new Ninja AutoBarista Pro will still need regular cleaning, but the company's engineers have specifically targeted this gross and time-consuming problem.
Wash and blow-dry
Firstly, Ninja says that the brew unit, drip and cup trays, milk jug, bean hopper, and puck bin are all removable and, even more importantly, dishwasher-safe. It's normal to be able to remove all of these components except for the bean hopper, but I've never seen a coffee maker where they're all dishwasher-safe as well. The pitcher may be, but certainly not the drip trays, let alone the brew unit. This won't just be faster and easier than hand-washing, it will be more hygienic as well.
Even better, the AutoBarista Pro has a fan fitted inside the case (just like the one in your desktop PC) that helps keep things cool and dry between brews. It's such a great idea, I'm surprised it's never been done before. Usually, I recommend leaving the side panel off your machine as long as possible to let moisture evaporate and avoid turning your expensive coffee maker into a cozy petri dish, but this will help keep things hygienic without the hassle.
The AutoBarista Pro also automatically rinses itself after each brew to keep the dispenser clear of residue and ensure your coffee tastes as good as possible.
We'll be testing the AutoBarista Pro very soon here at TechRadar, and will bring you a full review once we've put it through its paces and determined whether it can earn a place in our roundup of the best espresso machines.
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