Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System (CP307) Review for 2021

The Ninja CP307 is a great tool to help you brew your own coffee, in as little time and budget as possible. 

It doesn’t cost a lot and has some of Ninja’s most prized technologies. The most outstanding is the Thermal Flavor Extraction. It keeps a steady temperature and retains lots of flavor and aroma. 

But you will find there’s no hot plate in this machine, and the Specialty espresso tastes bland. However, looking at the rest of the features and the price point, this machine seems worth the time and money. 

Things to Consider Before Buying A Drip Coffee Machine:

Drip coffee machines are preferred by people who like a traditional way of brewing things. They’re small, inexpensive, and have a lot of useful options. Many on the market are multi-purpose, doubling as cold brewers and espresso machines.

People who seek such items tend to prefer a simple coffee machine that doesn’t take much time. They just want to grab a cup of coffee and go. Multi-purpose drip machines can be used by people who like to have a bit of flexibility at their hands. They can also be used by people who have to brew for a whole family, as they usually come with their own carafe.

But wait, what exactly makes a drip machine worth your time and money? And how do you decide? Here are a few things that may influence your decision:

• Brew styles. 
• Brew sizes.
• Materials and design.
• User-interface and accessibility. 
• Flavor extraction procedure.
• Frothing options.

The Ninja CP-307 – Features and Benefits:

5 Brew Styles:

Everyone likes their coffee brewed differently. Most drip machines don’t offer a lot of diversity, but this is not the case with the Ninja CP-307. It’s able to make 5 different types of coffee, including a cold beverage and its proprietary Specialty Brew. 

Classic and Rich:

This is the standard go-to brew style for most individuals. Classic mode soaks the coffee beans in water and lets the coffee drip down into your cup, much in the traditional way. In Rich mode, the concentration is higher, which means the grounds are allowed to saturate for long. 

People who have a knack for coffee with high caffeine should use the Rich function. For every other person, the Classic mode will supply your morning cup of Joe. 

Over Ice:

Over Ice is one of Ninja’s most prized brew styles that they include in most of their drip machines. In Over Ice, the coffee is extracted and boiled, then poured over ice by the user. The flavor and aroma are optimized for usage over ice. You can make both iced coffee and tea with this function, using the individual tea and coffee baskets. 

Ninja’s Over Ice function is featured on many of CP-307’s predecessors and successors. The overall taste is a bit stronger than the regular brews. 

Cold Brew:

Cold Brew is a fairly new function on the Ninja, which is different from the Over Ice function. In Over Ice, the coffee is brewed hot and then poured over ice in order to cool it down. In Cold Brew, the brewing itself is done at a much lower temperature. And it takes a lot longer too; about 12 hours minimum. This is to extract all the vital sugars, oils, and caffeine that give cold brews their distinctive taste. 

Ninja’s Cold Brew function retains enough of the taste and texture that otherwise gets lost during hours of brewing. Some of that comes down to your own skills, and the recipe you use. But in most cases, the flavor doesn’t deteriorate. 

Specialty Brew:

Specialty Brew is Ninja’s signature brew styles that greatly expands on its versatility. A highly saturated ounce of coffee is dripped through, which packs more flavor than others. The quantity is a lot smaller, but that’s because you’re supposed to mix it with other ingredients of your choice. 

The main goal is to extract as much flavor as possible, so you can spin it around however you like. One possibility with this feature is making a pseudo-espresso. Because it is not as flavorful as an actual espresso. Other options include making cappuccinos, macchiato, lattes, and similar barista-style brews. 

Since this style requires you to use your blending skills, the results can vary. But the general consensus is, the flavor is a bit watered down, especially when making espressos. 

6 Brew Sizes:

The Ninja provides you with a number of possibilities; 6 to be exact. There’s the regular cup, XL cup, travel mug, XL travel mug, full jug/carafe, and half carafe. 

You can add as much water as you like to the water reservoir, and set the brew size. The unit will extract the water needed for that specific brew. But the water tank has markings for the different brew sizes, in case you don’t want to fill it up entirely. 

The variation in sizes is a reasonable feature, as it lets you serve more people. 

Coffee and Tea Baskets:

The Ninja CP-307 stands out from its predecessors when it comes to its technologies. Perhaps, the most innovative yet simplest technology is its use of separate coffee and tea baskets. 

Coffee makers are already an idea for making tea. You just need to add the tea leaves for that blissful taste and aroma. So, wouldn’t it be better if both your tea and coffee could be made in the same place, with the same machine?

Ninja brings this new twist to its CP-307 model. There are two separate baskets for holding your tea and coffee. And you can switch between the two at any time. 

Don’t like tea and fail to understand how this will benefit you? Think of it the other way round. Now you have two separate baskets for two different flavors of coffee. 

Folding Frother:

Steaming and frothing are as essential to any flavorful cup of coffee as the grounds are. Fortunately, the Ninja CP-307 has an in-built frothing wand. It’s not as flexible as those on some higher-end espresso machines. But it is still quite functional. 

It delivers smooth silky micro-foam to your milk and makes for a great candidate for latte art. However, it lacks flexibility and doesn’t even let you choose the texture of the steam.

Thermal Carafe and Scoop:

Ninja’s drip coffee machines are available with both thermal and glass carafes. And this model comes with a thermal one. Thermal carafes are great for the high level of insulation they provide, which can keep your hot coffee hot and your cold coffee cold. 

Thermal carafes obviously cost more, but the payback is always high. One additional feature is the specialty Ninja scoop. You can simply scoop out the right amount of coffee and dump it into the basket. 

Intuitive Interface:

The Ninja CP-307 flaunts its own unique design that looks parallel to its predecessors. However, there are some upgrades in terms of aesthetics and overall design. Firstly, there’s a digital display that shows the time for which you have scheduled the coffee maker. The edges of the screen are invisible, and the transition is seamless. It adds a more integrated look as well. 

As for the rest of the control panel, there’s a large dial that lets you select the size of the brew. Right below that, you have 5 brew styles along with a Start/Select switch. Above the dial is a sign that shows whether you’re currently brewing coffee or tea. 

Unique and Modern Design:

While the Ninja CP-307 doesn’t have a rare design, it certainly stands out. All the controls are located on the side, while the main basket and cup are in the center. There couldn’t be a better configuration than this. 

The entire body is made from stainless steel and painted jet black, to complement neutral and modern homes. Even in contemporary interior styles, the Ninja CP-307 seems to blend in quite well. 

The carafe and the brew unit are colored steel grey, which adds a bit of color variance to the unit. The frother is an added plus. 

Unfortunately, the CP-307 does not have a hot plate. But that’s compensated by the thermal carafe.

Delay Brew Function:

The Ninja CP-307, much like any other Ninja drip machines, has a Delay Brew function. This is Ninja’s own invention to schedule brewing for a later date. It might not seem like much, as it probably requires a very simple program. But the fact that the Ninja offers such programmability is definitely worth noting. 

To be fair, you can only add one schedule at a time. But in most cases, you’ll just have to press the Delay Brew button before you go to bed. The unit will already have the settings you fed. 

In this way, managing your coffee habits in a busy schedule becomes easier. Your cup of coffee will be waiting for you every time you wake up. The only downside is, it might use some ambient power. 

Coffee Blooming and Thermal Extraction:

The Ninja CP-307 has just one more trick up its sleeve. It’s called “Thermal Flavor Extraction”. As generic as that may sound, the actual procedure is quite the oddity. It’s an amalgamation of three different processes, each of which contributes to a more powerful flavor and temperature. 

Here’s a great visual that summarizes the technology:

The first is the precise temperature control. This ensures the boiler remains at the same temperature throughout the process. Not only does this prevent hot spots and bean burning, but it also helps extract flavor in a uniform fashion. 

After that, you have the variable blooming and steeping. Blooming refers to the phenomenon when your grounds start to release carbon dioxide after boiling. This gas needs to be eliminated for two reasons. Firstly, it helps make way for more water to be absorbed. And secondly, the gas can impart a bitter taste to your coffee. 

The Ninja CP-307 handles blooming by slowly letting the gas evaporate, and then steeping the grounds over it. This process is variable, and changes with your settings. 

Lastly, there’s an even saturation algorithm. There isn’t much information available on what it does. But it allows the grounds to evenly saturate before the coffee drips. Similar technologies are on higher-end machines, so you know it’s a tremendous benefit. 

All of these come together to concoct the most powerful flavor punch in your coffee.

SCA Certified:

One last feature of the Ninja CP-307, one that may not be as apparent, is that it’s SCA certified. Almost all Ninja drip machines are. To be more specific, the Ninja CP-307 is an SCA-certified Home Brewer. 

The general idea that any machine that passes this certification is a good choice for a homebrewer. It has passed through rigorous testing and experimentation. And that has landed it this authentication. And each cup brewed by this machine is up to par with the current standards. 

Three criteria are mentioned by SCA: temperature, brewing time, and SCA Golden Cup. The first two seem to be quite promising. 

You can read all about it here. And as you will see, it’s quite a comprehensive testing standard.

FAQs For the Ninja CP-307:

Conclusion:

The Ninja CP-307 has certainly outdone itself in many sectors. It’s quick, compact, and convenient. This is a handy drip machine that is great for cold brews, ice teas, and coffees, and even for regular tea. The level of innovation and dedication is laudable and worth your time. Firstly, it doesn’t have a hot plate. And the frothing wand is very basic. But the level of programmability is beyond imagination. No other drip machine lets you schedule your coffee for later.