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We tried the TikTok-viral Ninja creami and now we never need to buy ice cream again

Ice cream is back on the menu, thanks to the September heatwave and this nifty gadget

Amira Arasteh
Wednesday 06 September 2023 09:23 BST
Whip up homemade ice cream and much more
Whip up homemade ice cream and much more (The Independent)

If you weren’t already tempted to purchase an ice cream maker, this sudden spell of September sunshine must have you craving one that little bit more. If you’ve the urge to make your own favourite frozen dessert at home, the Ninja creami is just the appliance for you.

Having already gone viral on TikTok, with influencers of all kinds putting the Ninja appliance to the test, we here at IndyBest were obviously keen to see if it could really conjure up ice cream and other frozen desserts at the push of a button.

Whether you’re planning to heat up your magic mix beforehand or pursue a no-cook method, the Ninja creami can do it all – making everything from ice cream and sorbets to milkshakes and smoothie bowls.

If you’re in the market for an ice cream maker and are wondering if this appliance is the one for you, we’ve done the hard work for you and tested things out ourselves, to find out just how easy it is to make your own ice cream (among other desserts) at home.

How we tested

We made a variety of sweet treats using our Ninja creami, from classic ice cream to refreshing sorbets. We also tried a couple of simpler recipes, as well as experimenting with a mix of ingredients, to truly see if this appliance can convert anything into ice cream or a frozen dessert alternative.

The Ninja creami is a neat and compact appliance, too
The Ninja creami is a neat and compact appliance, too (Amira Arasteh)

Ninja creami ice cream and frozen dessert maker

ninja creami ice cream maker frozen desserts viral tiktok
  • Dimensions: 40.5cm x 16.5cm x 27cm
  • Dishwasher-safe: Yes
  • Weight: 6.4kg
  • Capacity: 3 x 473ml

So, the way this bad boy works is by starting with a frozen base then churning everything together. Whatever flavour sorbet, ice cream, smoothie, and so on, you’ve decided to make, you need to add all of your ingredients into one of the tubs (there are three included), before putting it in the freezer for 24 hours. When you come to take it out (the next day or whenever you have your frozen dessert craving), you secure the tub into the Ninja creami and choose whichever preset program takes your fancy – ice cream, sorbet, etc. The machine then gets to work, mixing the solid, frozen base into your favourite dessert.

We found the three tubs very useful, as you could batch-make your frozen desserts in one go – the tubs didn’t take up a huge amount of room in the freezer, either. We also found the appliance itself was quite neat – although it isn’t small by any means, it had a compactness about it. Having a vertical design means a smaller footprint, which made all the difference in our kitchen.

Not only was the process of adding the ingredients to the tub easy (it doesn’t get simpler than pouring everything in together), the spin speed and duration of the process are all taken care of, thanks to the preset programs (ice cream, gelato, smoothie bowl, sorbet, milkshake, light ice cream and mix-ins), so you don’t need to worry about setting timers or anything like that.

While Ninja’s recipe booklet, which comes with the device, suggests no-cook ice cream requires softened cream cheese, we’ve watched enough TikToks to know this wasn’t as necessary as the instructions led us to believe. We also liked that, if you left anything out, you could add in extras via the mix-in function. There’s also the option of an extra spin, in case the texture isn’t quite right the first time.

Now, we will say the machine is loud in use. However, this only lasts about a minute before it’s done its thing, and the results will make you forgive the noise almost immediately.

First, we tried a no-cook ice cream with simple ingredients: milk and cocoa powder. While it was no Ben & Jerry’s, the ice cream still hit the spot, for sure. We then experimented with smoothies, trying different varieties of fruit juice and fruit to create a refreshing treat.

Then, we began to get more adventurous, with our next no-cook ice cream being made up of Baileys, espresso, milk, praline chocolates, walnuts and golden syrup. Ben & Jerry’s, eat your heart out. Absolutely incredible, if we do say so ourselves.

It’s worth noting that the ice cream would probably be slightly creamier if using cream cheese or double cream (coconut cream works as a plant-based alternative), but there weren’t any issues when using a plant-based milk.

This sought-after appliance is understandably even more popular with the September sunshine, so is out of stock on Ninja’s own website. However, the brand has let us know that more stock is expected in October.

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The verdict: Ninja creami

While we love cooking, making desserts is a completely different ball game, so we were really relying on the fact everyone on TikTok has been impressed by how easy it is to make ice cream with the Ninja creami. After experimenting with a few preset programs, we can confirm the process is pretty fool-proof.

We also found the same levels of satisfaction when making each of the frozen desserts, proving that the Ninja creami does appear to be able to do it all, as no one was necessarily better than the other. It is loud during use, but it really is just a minute’s worth of noise before you’re left with a tub full of happiness.

Want more kitchen gadgets? We’ve rounded up the best iced coffee makers and cold brew machines

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