The Ninja CE251 is a 12-cup programmable drip coffee maker with a glass carafe, a 60-oz removable reservoir, Classic and Rich brew styles, a 1–4 cup small-batch mode, 24-hour delay brew and an adjustable warming plate.
The Ninja CE251 is a 12-cup programmable drip coffee maker with a glass carafe, a 60-oz removable reservoir, Classic and Rich brew styles, a 1–4 cup small-batch mode, 24-hour delay brew and an adjustable warming plate. Testers and most owners find its coffee hot and well balanced for the price, and it is easy to fill and program; Wirecutter names it its budget drip pick. The main weakness is durability: a recurring minority of owners report failures, leaks or lost heat after one to four years, a few report overheating, and the warranty is only one year. The screw-on carafe lid and modest keep-warm heat also draw complaints. It suits households wanting good everyday programmable drip coffee at a mid-range price, not buyers seeking a long service life, a thermal carafe or specialty brew modes. Independent long-term reliability data is not available.
Strengths
Hot, well-balanced coffee for its class, confirmed by Wirecutter's testing and many owner reviews.
The CE251 is a Ninja (SharkNinja) 12-cup programmable drip coffee maker in a black/stainless finish. Seven US retailers sell it under that model code with matching UPC/GTIN 622356559225.
Features include two brew styles (Classic, Rich), a 1–4 cup small-batch mode, 24-hour delay brew, mid-brew pause, a clean/descale button and an adjustable warming plate of up to 4 hours.
Wirecutter names the CE251 its budget drip pick. Its testers found it made the most balanced and hottest cup among the budget models they tried, and that it is intuitive to program. They criticized the screw-on carafe lid as less convenient than flip-top lids.
TechGearLab measured an average brew temperature of 191.6°F, just below the ideal range. A 6-cup brew averaged 7 min 48 s, the first brew on a cold machine took over 11 minutes, and the hot plate let coffee cool by about 10°F over an hour.
A recurring minority of reviewers report the brewer failing (no brewing, dead buttons or clock, leaking, slower drip or lower brew temperature) after roughly 6 months to 4 years, often just after the 1-year warranty ends.
Some reviewers say coffee is not hot enough or that the warming plate does not keep it warm for long. Others specifically praise the hot coffee and the 4-hour keep-warm.
Isolated complaints mention the glass carafe cracking, grounds passing through the permanent filter, a lid cap that holds water and a mid-brew pause that does not work.
Ratings differ widely by store: Target's average is clearly lower, with about 16% one-star ratings, while Home Depot, Walmart, Best Buy, Macy's and Kohl's average 4.6–4.7. Target's AI summary says durability and leaking concerns come up frequently.
Many of the most positive store reviews are older promotional or incentivized posts syndicated from sharkninja.com or influenster.com, which likely makes the average ratings look better than newer feedback.
It is widely stocked in the US at a typical $89.99 (Amazon, Home Depot, Target, Best Buy, Kohl's). Macy's charges more, and a third-party Walmart seller had it for less on 2026-11-08.
SharkNinja's current US drip coffee maker page does not list the CE251. The manufacturer still sells a compatible carafe that names CE251 alongside the older CE200/CE201 codes.
Features include two brew styles (Classic, Rich), a 1–4 cup small-batch mode, 24-hour delay brew, mid-brew pause, a clean/descale button and an adjustable warming plate of up to 4 hours.
Wirecutter names the CE251 its budget drip pick. Its testers found it made the most balanced and hottest cup among the budget models they tried, and that it is intuitive to program. They criticized the screw-on carafe lid as less convenient than flip-top lids.
TechGearLab measured an average brew temperature of 191.6°F, just below the ideal range. A 6-cup brew averaged 7 min 48 s, the first brew on a cold machine took over 11 minutes, and the hot plate let coffee cool by about 10°F over an hour.
A recurring minority of reviewers report the brewer failing (no brewing, dead buttons or clock, leaking, slower drip or lower brew temperature) after roughly 6 months to 4 years, often just after the 1-year warranty ends.
Some reviewers say coffee is not hot enough or that the warming plate does not keep it warm for long. Others specifically praise the hot coffee and the 4-hour keep-warm.
Isolated complaints mention the glass carafe cracking, grounds passing through the permanent filter, a lid cap that holds water and a mid-brew pause that does not work.
Ratings differ widely by store: Target's average is clearly lower, with about 16% one-star ratings, while Home Depot, Walmart, Best Buy, Macy's and Kohl's average 4.6–4.7. Target's AI summary says durability and leaking concerns come up frequently.
Many of the most positive store reviews are older promotional or incentivized posts syndicated from sharkninja.com or influenster.com, which likely makes the average ratings look better than newer feedback.
It is widely stocked in the US at a typical $89.99 (Amazon, Home Depot, Target, Best Buy, Kohl's). Macy's charges more, and a third-party Walmart seller had it for less on 2026-11-08.
SharkNinja's current US drip coffee maker page does not list the CE251. The manufacturer still sells a compatible carafe that names CE251 alongside the older CE200/CE201 codes.
Owners mostly like the coffee itself: hot and balanced, with a useful Classic or Rich choice. They also like the removable water tank, simple setup and programming, the delay brew that has coffee ready at wake-up, the small-batch setting and the permanent filter that removes the need for paper filters. The main complaint is longevity. A recurring minority say the brewer stopped brewing, leaked, dripped slowly or lost heat after roughly one to four years, often just past the one-year warranty, and a few describe overheating with smoke. Other complaints: the warming plate doesn't keep coffee hot for long, glass carafes cracked, some grounds slip through the permanent filter, and the end of the brew cycle can be loud. Many of the most enthusiastic reviews are older promotional or incentivized posts, and recent feedback is more mixed.
What buyers like
Good-tasting, hot coffee; Classic/Rich strength options appreciated77 reviews
Easy to set up, program (delay brew) and clean69 reviews
Removable water reservoir makes filling easy54 reviews
Small-batch and brew-strength flexibility40 reviews
Permanent reusable filter saves buying paper filters37 reviews
Quiet operation13 reviews
Common complaints
Stopped working, leaked or slowed down after months to a few years, often just after the warranty11 reviews
Coffee not hot enough or warming plate doesn't keep it warm long7 reviews
Bulky for small kitchens4 reviews
Overheating, smoke or fire reported3 reviews
Glass carafe cracked2 reviews
Permanent filter lets some grounds through1 review
Loud at the end of the brew cycle with loud beeps1 review
How was this summary made?
Summarized from 166 reviews. The summary is drawn from opinions that recur in the reviews read; each theme shows how many reviews mention it. These counts are not a rate and do not apply to every unit.
Unique text reviews: Home Depot 55 (pages 1–3, manual tally; 35 rating-only excluded), Walmart 73 (8 pages), Best Buy 29, Macy's 8, Target 8 = 173; 7 cross-store syndicated duplicates removed = 166. Theme mentions are approximate manual tallies; ratings_total sums store totals and may include syndicated overlap.
Show reviews (29 of 166)Read the texts as published by the store
29 original reviews can be listed on this page. The number of reviews analyzed may differ.
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D***4/5September 26, 2026The Home Depot
Had it 2months,works,great,but I wish it keep,my extra coffee hot. Longer.
n***2/5April 19, 2026The Home Depot
Awesome coffee for 2 years. 5 weeks after 2/26/24 HD 2 year warranty was up I heard crackles and pops from my kitchen 10 minutes after pouring 1st cup. Hotplate and coffee maker was overheating to a point that couldn't touch it, and a little of smoke coming out. Yanked plug. There was that plastic, electrical fire smell.…
L***5/5March 9, 2026The Home Depot
The resusable filter works really well. The coffee is steaming hot, like it should be. I really appreciate that the keep warm timer can be set for up to 4 hours (mine is programmed for 4 hours).…
P***1/5January 21, 2026The Home Depot
When it was new it did great. But after 4 years, brew temperature dropped to 165 even after regular cleaning. Given that my grandmother's electric percolator coffee maker is still going strong after 50 years, 4 years of useful life with the Ninja just sucks.…
B***5/5December 23, 2025The Home Depot
We Love our Ninja coffeemaker! It makes very hot coffee and it keeps it hot too! We had never had a Ninja, but will definitely get another when the time comes to replace this one..
6***1/5November 27, 2025The Home Depot
Ninja products are not worth the money , this coffee maker , had it less than a year , started on fire , had I not been right there it most likely would have burnt my home down !…
E***1/5December 28, 2024The Home Depot
One year, 6 days after purchase I heard beeping in the kitchen, went to investigate and it’s a good thing, because this coffeemaker was billowing smoke. Had I not been home…
R***5/5December 10, 2024The Home Depot
I love the removable reservoir and the small batch brew options. Best coffee maker I've had.
J***2/5July 22, 2022The Home Depot
Clock display failed after just a year of daily use. Ninja only gurantees it's products for a year, and they offer no parts or service. Ninja reps day to just buy a new one every year.…
G***5/5April 12, 2026WalmartSyndicated from influenster.com
Man this coffee maker has been an amazing addition to our morning routine! Super reliable especially when a brew time is set!…
D***5/5July 25, 2023Walmart
Love the wide lip that doesn't leak when pouring and the removable water reservoir
M***5/5October 24, 2022Walmart
It has a lot of options for the right cup of coffee, you can program it and it it easy to use.… I wouldn't pay full price because it didn't have enough options for the justification for the price but on sale at 70buks it's not a bad deal
G***1/5December 16, 2022Walmart
Easy to use and brews a fine cup of coffee. But the glass carafe has cracked twice. After the first carafe cracked, I bought a new one and handled it with extreme care. It still cracked across the bottom in just a few months.…
G***1/5March 28, 2022Walmart
DON’T BUY! Had this coffee maker for a few months and it leaked. Ninja sent replacement under warranty which less than a year later stopped working! Machine shuts off warming plate after brewing regardless as to how long you set warming plate to stay on.
j***3/5December 19, 2022Walmart
Doesn’t make coffee very hot initially and the warmer doesn’t keep it warm enough… despite that the product information includes both as features. Otherwise the product is very nice.
C***4/5March 14, 2022Walmart
Makes great coffee! Roars like a lion at end of brewing cycle and beeps loudly 5 times. If you don’t mind it’s noisy, it’s great
M***2/5August 1, 2021WalmartSyndicated from sharkninja.com
Had no problems with the coffee maker for a year. 5 days after the year warranty it short circuited and stopped working.…
S***5/5November 2, 2026Macy's
It’s great for someone who is looking for a simple coffee maker that doesn’t require complicated instructions.
b***1/5September 29, 2026Macy's
I have never bought a worse coffee maker. If you do not drink a cup of coffee within 10 minutes this machine is not for you. Just horrible. Worse my husband thru out the box! I maybe have gotten a dud machine but do not recommend anyone buying this.
R***5/5September 21, 2026Macy's
Excellent coffee maker. Perfect brew of hot coffee every time. It comes with it own measuring spoon. Great buy for the price.
L***No ratingSeptember 16, 2026Macy's
Arrived quickly and in good shape. A little big for our small kitchen. The coffee does not stay warm very long. We had to send ours back and will purchase something smaller.
E***4/5November 3, 2026Target
I like this Ninja coffee brewer. It is easy to use and I like the simplicity and stores well on my counter. My only issue is the permanent filter does not filter the coffee grounds as well as I would expect. I will buy filters for better results.
L***2/5October 9, 2026Target
The lid that lifts up to put the filter in has a very groovy cap that does not come off. The water stays on it and has to to ne dried off each time we use the pot. The mid brew paise feature does not work.…
O***5/5October 14, 2026Target
Fits perfectly on my counter and makes awesome coffee
t***2/5September 23, 2026Target
After 14 months, it suddenly stopped brewing or cleaning. Lights are on, but nobody is home. Does not feed water from the reservoir
T***5/5No dateBest BuyIncentivized review
REALLY enjoying my new Ninja. For some reason I switch coffee/espresso makers often and my recent maker’s were a Chemex (still have) , Oxo 8 and prior a Moccomaster.… It “blooms” the coffee w/pause and the coffee is smooth and tasteful.…
a***5/5No dateBest BuyIncentivized review
We owned this Ninja coffee brewer for 4 months now and we’re very happy with the performance.… We love the Bold and small batch options, too. Also love the cone filter. Unlike some coffee makers we tried, the basket seats securely and doesn't overflow.…
L***5/5No dateBest BuyIncentivized review
I have purchased this a little over a year and it still works like new, I use it twice a day everyday. I use only spring or purified water and clean it often. Makes great coffee I highly recommend it
J***1/5No dateBest BuySyndicated from sharkninja.com
Bought this product online. Actually makes good coffee, but plan on having to replace the glass carafe. As experienced by others, the carafe cracks for no reason. I believe the glass is compromised at the bottom support band.
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Things to know before buying the Ninja 12-Cup Programmable Pot Coffee Machine CE251
The Ninja 12-Cup Coffee Maker is a well-built, attractive drip machine that delivers hot, flavourful coffee quickly and reliably. It offers convenient features including a 24-hour delay brew function, a removable water tank, and an included reusable filter. However, its tall profile with the lid open may not suit kitchens with low-hanging cabinets, and the glass carafe lacks measurement markings.
The Ninja Fresh Brew 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker offers excellent value with robust build quality, quiet brewing, and convenient features like a removable water tank and integrated scoop. It produces a rich, hot, and flavourful cup of coffee with options for both small batches and different brew strengths. Despite occasional minor drips onto the warming plate, it is easy to clean and receives a five-star recommendation.
The Ninja CE251 Coffee Brewer Review and How to Use
This overview introduces the Ninja CE251 Programmable Coffee Brewer, detailing the included accessories and functions on the control panel. It explains how to program delayed brewing, adjust warming plate times, select small batches, choose coffee strength, and descale the machine.
STOP! Don't Buy the Ninja CE251 Until You Hear These 8 Brutal Truths
The Ninja CE251 offers an attractive stainless steel design and programmable brewing options, but it is heavily let down by common build and performance issues. Users frequently report problems with water leakage, a lingering plastic taste, sudden machine failure, and a messy pouring carafe. While it works well for some, its high failure rate makes it a risky buy.
This page is compiled from manufacturer, store, review and video sources; every piece of information links to the source it was read from. Technical values are as stated by the manufacturer or store; user experiences are summarized from the reviews read and do not apply to every unit. We do not test products ourselves.
