Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

A little bit about me- I am a barista at the local coffee house. I am a huge snob when it comes to coffee, I've had beans fresh from the plantations in Honduras. I prefer dark roast or single origin coffees. I have almost every type of coffee brewer- drip, espresso, french press, Keurig, and now the Ninja. I bought this unit at a brick and mortar store, not Amazon. I came home and immediately started cleaning the machine. I had decided to have a blind coffee tasting with 3 brew methods. I did my taste test with overly processed beans because I have read the mixed reviews and was expecting to be disappointed. I used the same freshly ground beans in the french press, Keurig, and Ninja. I brewed each cup according to my tastes on the press and Keurig, but followed directions for the Classic Brew on the Ninja. When tasting the brew I sampled black coffee, slightly cooled so I could get the full flavor. I rated each cup and then peaked at which brew I preferred. I won't lie- the press tasted the best to me. However, the Ninja came in a very close 2nd. Now I am a convenience person and as much as I love the taste of the french press, I do not have time at 6 am with 2 kids screaming to wait for the press to be ready. I need to have it prepped and ready to drink. Now I will have the ability to have a very respectable tasting coffee either by the cup or by the pot easily. I have read quite a few mixed reviews and want to address some of the issues I saw. 1. It steams quite a bit. However when you look at the top of the machine there are VENT HOLES, so yes steam is going to escape. 2. There were claims that it took too long, about 10 minutes for a full pot is what my previous drip machine did. This was very close to that time. 3. It's not hot, which is really bunk. This machine produces a cup as hot as a press but hotter than the Keurig. I temped it (see images). 4. It drips after completion. Yes it does, but so does my Keurig. If you want a pristine machine you will have to wipe it after each use. I can't attest to the temperature of the coffee after 2 hours in the carafe yet, but I will update. I also have not tried any other feature of the Ninja either. My main use is fresh brewed coffee, so that's what I tested. I am very excited to experiment with the iced setting as well as the concentrated brew for more elaborate drinks. ***ETA- The coffee in the carafe cooled by about 8 degrees an hour. So while still steaming, it did cool.