Ninja Hot & Iced XL Coffee Maker review

The Ninja Hot & Iced XL Coffee Maker (CM371) is for a household that wants one grounds brewer to serve a mug, a travel cup, or a shared glass pot—and sometimes make an iced drink or a quick Cold Brew. The important qualification is the coffee format: the exact CM371 listing and guide document a grounds basket, with no pod adapter or pod-size menu identified for this package. If pods are part of the daily routine, compare the Ninja CFP101 instead; that model trades away this CM371’s Cold Brew mode for a separate pod route.

Eight sizes from a small cup to a full pot

With grounds in its swinging filter basket, the CM371 offers Small Cup, Cup, XL Cup, Travel Mug, XL Travel Mug, quarter carafe, half carafe, and full carafe. That makes it useful for a person who normally drinks one cup but still wants a pot for company. The supplied Ninja Smart Scoop is intended to make measuring easier, and the removable reservoir holds up to 60 ounces with auto-metering.

The guide’s approximate output table is worth reading before assuming “12 cup” means twelve large mugs. On Classic, the listed amounts run from 8.5 ounces for Small Cup and 9.5 for Cup through 14 ounces for Travel Mug, 18.3 for XL Travel Mug, and 54.4 for a full carafe. Rich produces smaller amounts at the same size choices; the guide lists 47.2 ounces for a full carafe on Rich. Grounds absorb water, and the manual says actual volumes can vary. For Over Ice and Cold Brew, the listed brew liquid is smaller still. Those are selection labels and approximate outputs, not a promise that every ordinary mug fits beneath the basket. The manual asks for at least a 12-ounce vessel for Cup, 14 ounces for XL Cup, 16 ounces for Travel Mug, and 20 ounces for XL Travel Mug.

Four modes, with a real distinction between iced and Cold Brew

Classic is the straightforward hot setting; Rich uses a smaller output at a given size. Over Ice and Cold Brew are separate selections. For both, the guide tells you to fill the vessel to the top with ice before brewing. Do not put ice in the water reservoir. Ice melting is part of the finished drink, so a smaller amount of brewed liquid is expected rather than a fault. The product page advertises Cold Brew “in as little as 10 minutes”; the manual says brewing time varies from 4 to 20 minutes with the settings. Treat it as a rapid countertop option, not an overnight steep or a measured promise of café-style concentrate.

This mode mix changes what to ask in a finder. If grounds-based Cold Brew and a glass warming-plate carafe are both essential, the CM371 has a documented arrangement for both. If you mainly want a K-Cup, pod Over Ice or a fast button press with no grounds to handle, it is the wrong fit. The CFP101 offers grounds and compatible pods and has Classic, Rich and Over Ice, but its reviewed package does not document a Cold Brew setting. Neither model supplies a thermal carafe, separate hot-water dispenser, or milk frother.

A glass pot that stays warm on a controllable plate

The included carafe is glass, and the Intelligent Warming Plate turns on automatically for Classic or Rich carafe brews. The default is two hours at Medium; the owner guide allows a setting from zero to four hours and Low, Medium, or High. Zero disables the automatic warming cycle. This is useful if you pour a few cups over breakfast and prefer the plate to stop later, but it is still a heated glass pot, not a thermal carafe for taking to another room.

A 24-hour Delay Brew is listed, with a digital clock and a programmable start. Keep the brewer powered after setting it; the guide says the delay function will not work if the machine is unplugged or switched off. The removable 60-ounce reservoir is convenient to fill at the sink, but the maker is tall: its listed height is 17.4 inches. Measure the space beneath cabinets and leave room to lift the reservoir and swing the brew basket out.

Grounds mean a little more routine

The exact CM371 package includes a permanent filter, its removable filter holder, the 12-cup glass carafe, and the scoop. The guide also describes #4 cone paper filters as an alternative; remove the permanent filter first rather than stacking both, which can clog or back up the basket. Medium grind is recommended, and very fine or espresso-fine coffee can cause an overflow. If you brew decaf, the guide advises using fewer scoops because it absorbs water differently.

The guide lists the carafe, brew-through lid, permanent filter, removable filter holder, water reservoir, lid, and scoop as dishwasher safe, but its dedicated reservoir-care section separately recommends emptying and hand-washing the reservoir weekly. To avoid overpromising, follow that tank-specific hand-wash instruction. The system should be cleaned weekly; a prompted descaling cycle takes about 60–75 minutes and needs a fresh-water flush afterward. At high altitude, run the guide’s calibration brew before regular use to reduce excessive steaming. This is ordinary care, not a maintenance-free pod appliance.

Who should choose it?

Choose the CM371 if you want one grounds-only machine for individual cups and a carafe, a reusable filter in the exact package, and separate Over Ice and rapid Cold Brew modes. It adapts to different servings, but you still measure grounds and clean the basket. Choose a pod-and-grounds hybrid such as the CFP101 if pod compatibility is more important than grounds Cold Brew. If you need an insulated pot, a steam wand, or hot water independently of coffee, compare a different configuration rather than treating a second brew style as a substitute.