Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream & Frozen Dessert Maker review

There's more to the Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream & Frozen Dessert Maker than meets the eye. We put this summer must-have kitchen gadget to the test.

Ninja Kitchen certainly know a thing or two when it comes to producing efficient, durable appliances - from blenders to multicookers and now, ice cream makers. The Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream & Frozen Dessert Maker features seven pre-set programmes allowing you to make a whole range of frozen desserts with just the press of one button. 

And that's not all, this high-tech machine allows you to customise your desserts with a specially designed Mix-In programme allowing you to personalise your ice cream or frozen dessert with your choice of ingredients - be it chocolate chips, nuts, sweets, biscuit pieces and more.

The Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream & Frozen Dessert Maker comes with 3 BPA-free 1.4l tubs so you can make three different desserts in one go. It also includes a recipe book and step-by-step guide for creating each indivdual frozen dessert which is simple and easy to follow.

This machine comes with a one year guarantee. 

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Design

Dimensions: H:40.5 x W:16.5 x D:27cm | Colour: Black/Grey | Wattage: 800W | Tub capacity: 500ml

"The Ninja CREAMi was really easy to set up despite all the different components included. Once it’s put together and plugged in all the functions buttons on the front light up so you can see them clearly and make your decision as to which programme you want to try first," says Senior Content Editor, Jessica Dady. 

The Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream & Frozen Dessert Maker features an 800W motor base, an outer bowl with a handle (which looks more like a jug), and a lid. The blade, or paddle, is attached with a safety lock mechanism to keep the blade in place during processing. If it isn't correctly installed, the machine will flash and let you know to correct it.

The outer bowl is then fixed into the motor base on a rotation base which clips into the machine keeping the bowl firmly in place. Once you've made your ice cream and have given it 24 hours to set, you can remove the outer bowl and place the Ninja dessert tub into the center of the bowl and reattach accordingly.  

"The machine itself is quite heavy so you might want to position it somewhere in the kitchen where you won't have to move it around so much, or store it away in an easily accessible cupboard," says Jessica. 

Comfort and features

Depending on what you've chosen to make, you may need to prep ahead. "We chose to make ice cream first - vanilla and then chocolate chip ice cream," says Jessica. "Follow the recipe step-by-step and do this the night before you want to eat the ice cream. Leave in the freezer to set for 24 hours and then when you are ready to serve, you will need to add your tub of frozen dessert to the machine to churn."

Choose from one of the seven pre-set programmes to make your ice cream, smoothie bowl, or milkshake with just the press of the correct button. The machine will then start to blitz and process the frozen dessert tub with the attached blade to create light, fluffy ice cream or silky smooth milkshake.

"There isn't much more to it, to be honest. It's a really simple gadget that pretty much does all the hard work for you. All you have to do is make sure the bowl is attached correctly, click a button, and wait. It takes around 2-3 minutes per tub," says Jessica.

The majority of attachments are dishwasher safe which makes the Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream & Frozen Dessert Maker super easy to clean. We'd also recommend giving the machine itself a wipe-down with a damp cloth after each use as making ice cream can be sticky work.

"Another feature that we really enjoyed using was the Mix-In programme which allows you to customise your dessert with a variety of different extras - be it chocolate chips, biscuits, or nuts," says Jessica. "For our chocolate ice cream and vanilla, the kids were keen to add some chocolate chips."

Value for money 

This a neat kitchen gadget for those who have a serious sweet tooth and want to expand their dessert-making repertoire. It will certainly be one of the highlights of your summer holidays - particularly if you love frozen desserts. 

"The Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream & Frozen Dessert Maker is really easy to use, simple to set up, the recipes are on point and you really can create delicious ice cream and gelato at the push of a button," says Jessica. "It is a tad noisy and maybe over time you may find the novelty of making homemade desserts can wear off, however, if you're looking for something new to jazz up desserts - even looking to make healthier options of shopbought products - frozen yogurt, smoothie bowls, etc. this is a great choice."

Currently priced at £149.99 at the time of writing, we feel that this Ninja Kitchen machine is worth the money as it does exactly what it's made to do - with efficiency in mind.