Ninja’s Pod and Grounds Brewer With Frother Drops to $100

Ninja’s Pod and Grounds coffee maker with the built-in milk frother is down to $100 at Amazon, Gizmodo reports, from a $130 list price. Gizmodo calls it the lowest price the machine has hit.

This is the Ninja for people who want a Keurig but also want the option of real ground coffee. According to Gizmodo, it takes K-Cups and other single-serve pods in 6, 8, 10 or 12 oz sizes, and it has a separate brew basket for grounds that goes up to 24 oz, which is enough to fill a travel mug. There are four brew styles (Classic, Rich, Over Ice and Specialty), a 56 oz water tank, and a frother that folds out of the side and works hot or cold with dairy or oat, soy and almond milk.

The frother is the part a regular Keurig can’t match without buying a K-Café. Specialty mode brews a small, strong shot meant to go under frothed milk, so you get something latte-ish from a pod. Don’t expect espresso, though. It’s still drip-strength coffee, just less of it.

Our take: at $100 it’s a sensible pick if you split your mornings between pods and a bag of beans, or if the household can’t agree on one. If you only ever brew pods, a basic Keurig costs less, and our cost-per-cup breakdown shows where the real money goes. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before you buy, since we couldn’t confirm it ourselves.