Ninja Swirl by Creami review: I made delicious soft serve in minutes with this viral ice cream maker

Telegraph

17 hours ago

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What is the Ninja Swirl by Creami?
For anyone who jealously watched people on Instagram and TikTok make soft serve ice cream from the comfort of their plush American kitchens and wished you could do the same - now you can. The new Ninja Swirl by Creami, an upgrade on its previous Ninja Creami (another viral hit) is now available in the UK.
With 13 programmes it can make everything from classic ice cream and custard-based gelato to fruit sorbets, milkshakes, frozen yoghurt and healthier protein-based blends to satisfy your sweet tooth. The soft serve swirl arm lets you make your own Mr Whippy, all you need is some wafer cones.
Unlike traditional compressor ice cream makers, it doesn't churn in real time. Instead you prep your base, freeze it overnight, then blend it. At £349.99 it's one of the more expensive frozen dessert machines on the market, but it's by far the most versatile, too. Expect silky, scoopable results, quick clean-up and zero crunchy ice crystals.
How we test ice cream makers
I used the Ninja Swirl by Creami daily in my family kitchen and tested it across five core categories: design, performance, usability, results, and cleaning.
I whipped up over 20 different desserts (hello, heatwave), from a silky custard-based gelato and mango sorbet, to dairy-free protein 'nice cream' and frozen yoghurt, using the new 'CreamiFit' mode to tailor the texture of each batch. I also tested Ninja's 'Creamify' technology to see if it genuinely keeps the texture of the different frozen desserts consistent.
I rotated between the two 480ml tubs provided to see how evenly the machine handled mixing different batches and whether the swirl nozzle could really deliver that signature soft-serve curl. I tested accuracy, spin time, consistency and noise levels while running the machine at full speed, and challenged it with trickier ingredients like flapjack pieces, sticky peanut butter and fresh passion fruit.
Finally, I tested how long it took to clean and dry the various machine parts and how well it stood up to back-to-back use over a busy summer weekend. Every test was done using a standard freezer with no special prep or shortcuts – just the included instructions, recipes and a lot of cream.
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Design
Score: 9/10
Make no mistake: the Swirl by Creami is big, bold and designed to stay on your countertop. It is 45cm tall and 48cm deep, and requires as much space as a typical stand mixer. That said, it looks smart enough to earn its place; the brushed silver finish, glossy digital display and soft‑serve handle gives it an undeniably premium feel. (The videos may make the screen appear glitchy, but it's just a tick that can happen during filming. There's no disco lights to deal with here.)
The solid tubs give you four servings, have clear fill lines and wide lids for easy storage. A drip tray below the swirl dispenser catches excess, and it all clicks together solidly. It's a little heavier than you might expect (9.45kg) but that bulk translates to real stability. It doesn't wobble even on vigorous cycles (but it does get loud) and may be hard to move between uses.
Usability
Score: 10/10
Despite the multiple programming modes, this is one of the most user-friendly kitchen gadgets I've tested. Once you've pre-frozen your base, operating it couldn't be simpler: slot the tub into the base, twist to lock, press your chosen mode and let it do its thing. The soft‑serve handle locks in place with a click and has enough resistance to stop any accidental messes.
The programmes are clearly labelled with options for soft‑serve, scoop, milkshake and more. There's even a dedicated mode for healthier, high-protein bases that would usually require several spins to avoid powdery or crumbly results. I never had to re-do a cycle; every dessert came out with a smooth, scoopable texture on the first try.
Remembering to prep tubs the night before was a learning curve, but once I got in the rhythm it was no different to marinating meat or making overnight oats. Prepping two or more bases at once makes week night desserts a doddle for families, too.
Performance
Score: 10/10
I put on multiple cycles in a row, using the ice cream, sorbet and milkshake settings, and had consistent results from the first test. The machine ran smoothly without slowing down or overheating, and while softer desserts like sorbet were ready faster than dense, creamy gelato or mix-ins, nothing took more than seven minutes.
The paddle easily worked through frozen bases even with frozen fruit and chunky peanut butter. The spin action is precise and strong enough to blend the contents evenly in one cycle without stalling or needing to scrape down the sides.
Crucially, the swirl arm wasn't just a gimmick, it produced a genuine soft‑serve flow with ribbons of ice cream landing in a bowl in neat spirals. It never dribbled or clogged, even with stickier mixes, and while the mixture takes prep you can have it out of the freezer and be eating it on the sofa in under 10 minutes. An impressive feat for any dessert maker.
Score: 10/10
This is where the Ninja Swirl earns its price tag. Every dessert I made – dairy free, low-sugar or all-out indulgent – impressed even the fiercest family critics. The soft‑serve programmes produced glossy, creamy spirals of ice cream with no ice crystals or slushiness. Scoop settings produced dense, smooth textured desserts that held their shape even after sitting in the bowl for a few minutes.
I tested identical bases in both the swirl mode and scoop mode, and each time the results matched its intention: soft‑serve was fluffy and light, scoop mode was denser and more structured, and milkshakes stayed icy cold until the last sip.
Even trickier mixes like frozen Greek yoghurt with fresh mango and white chocolate didn't trip the machine up. It integrated add-ins smoothly without over mixing, allowing the individual flavours and textures to come through in each bite.
Cleaning
Score: 10/10
For a machine with multiple moving parts and a swirl dispenser, cleaning was surprisingly quick. The tubs, paddles, swirl nozzle and drip tray are all dishwasher safe, and they didn't warp or stain. I mostly hand-washed them during testing and it took under five minutes.
The only thing to watch out for is the swirl nozzle. If you're using thick sauces or sticky mix-ins then it's worth rinsing it straight after use to prevent anything from drying inside. The base unit itself just needs a quick wipe with a cloth, as there are no exposed mechanisms or tight nooks that might trap residue.
Overall, the Ninja Swirl is far less faff than a traditional ice cream maker and doesn't require regular maintenance or a fiddly setup, either. If you're used to cleaning after baking or juicing, this will be a breeze.
Technical specifications
I compared the Swirl by Creami with the original Ninja Creami to highlight key upgrades in size, functionality, programme options and performance.
Should you buy the Ninja Swirl by Creami?
If you're serious about soft-serve at home, the Swirl by Creami is a standout. It's bigger, smarter and more versatile than its predecessor and delivers impressively consistent results across a range of desserts.
Yes, if:
No, if:
Ninja Swirl by Creami FAQs
What modes does it have?
The Ninja Swirl by Creami has thirteen modes, including Ice Cream, Light Ice Cream, Gelato, Sorbet, Frozen Yoghurt, Milkshake and the standout Swirl mode for soft-serve-style desserts.
What is the best alternative?
The original Ninja Creami is the best alternative; it's smaller and more affordable, with many similar programmes. It just lacks the Swirl function.
What's the best way to make ice cream?
Prepare your ice cream base, freeze it for 24 hours in the provided container, then blend using the Ice Cream mode. For the best texture, don't overfill and consider re-spinning if needed.
How do you clean it?
All parts, except for the motor base, are top rack dishwasher safe.