Ninja's new soft serve ice cream machine has launched – but can it beat Mr. Whippy?

Independent

3 days ago

Design
Putting the Ninja swirl together took a few moments of trial and error, but I first got it set up with two friends at a sleepover, and it wasn't too difficult. The main part of the machine (handle, body, drip tray, etc) is all in tact when it arrives, so it was just figuring out how to align the tubs, and get the swirl function into action.
The Ninja swirl is about double the width of a Ninja creami, and is also taller. Like most Ninja products, the US had first access to the swirl, and typically, US kitchen space is a lot bigger than what we have here in the UK. So, it comes as no surprise that it was a little tricky to find a space for my new swirl machine, and I had to wiggle around my microwave to find a suitable home. I'm keeping it out for the summer, as I know it'll get a lot of use, but when the weather cools down for autumn, I'll probably store it away, or put it in my utility room.
The new machine hasn't increased in size so that it can produce more ice cream, though – while the Ninja creami tubs hold a 500ml capacity, the swirl tubs are a bit smaller, at 480ml. Instead, it's much bigger size is due to needing additional space for the swirl function. Once your ice cream has been spun, it gets swapped over to the left hand side, ready to become soft serve.
Despite it needing more counter space, I much prefer the overall look of the Ninja swirl, which is a lot sleeker than the creami. The silver detailing, ribbed front to the swirl side, and function panel all look and feel high quality – which is what you want when paying £350 for an appliance.
While the machine was relatively noisy when spinning the tubs from the freezer, it only lasts for around five minutes (depending on what setting you choose), and the soft serve part is a lot quieter. Personally, I can take five minutes of loud noise for the results that the swirl gives – I'm used to using a mixer and blender, and it's not really any different.
Cleaning the machine was really easy. I handwashed everything to really give it a thorough test, and wiped down the machine with a warm cloth, but all parts, except for the motor base, are top rack dishwasher safe. The only part that got annoyingly sticky on our first go was the tray where the frozen tubs sit, as just above is the whisk (known as the creamerizer paddle). The tub can dislodge in two parts, so if you're not careful to take it all out together, the whisk will drip ice cream while you use the soft serve.
Preparation
Preparation for the Ninja swirl is no different to that for the creami. Two 480ml tubs come with the machine, and they need to be prepared in the same way – you pour your liquid ingredients into the tubs, stopping at the marked line, and freeze for 24 hours. Although, I'm still holding out for the day where you can bang your ingredients into the machine and it can churn them into frozen goodness in less than 24 hours, to save on time and tasks.
Using the Ninja Kitchen recipe book that comes with the machine, I estimated that each tub would create around three to four portions, allowing for a bit of trial and error. Given the time that it takes each tub to freeze, I would've liked to see a few more included, for the £350 price tag. But, you can buy a set of two if you prefer to have a few spares in your freezer ready to go (£25.99, Ninjakitchen.co.uk). The tubs from the creami models aren't interchangeable with the swirl, so although I have a few of those at home, I can't use them.
The ice cream
The six new soft serve functions include classic ice cream, a fruit-rich fruiti, frozen yoghurt, soft serve gelato, light ice cream with low sugar or alternatives, and creamifit, using protein shakes or protein mixes. Having the ability to create dairy-free, vegan, high protein and low sugar options was particularly appealing to me, as I like to have control over what I'm eating, or preparing for guests.
I went into my first test assuming that I'd be able to use the same recipes that I'd gotten used to with the creami, but I was wrong. Because of the swirl's soft serve function, preparing for soft serve ice cream is different to the scoop options. Most of the Ninja soft serve recipes (whether preparing for fruiti, soft serve gelato, or frozen yoghurt) include a thickening agent, like pudding powder or xanthan gum, which I didn't incorporate into a lot of my creami recipes. I suspect this is so that it can hold its swirled shape, and noticed that when I didn't use it in recipes, the soft serve started to collapse a lot quicker. It's also very easy to go overboard on the amount of soft serve you stack up – especially if you're trying to get the perfect swirl, so I ate quite a few XL ice creams.
So, it's well worth sticking to the Ninja recipes, or, when you are fancying going off-piste, being prepared for some errors to arise.
Starting off, I tried two of my favourite ice cream flavours, beginning with a classic vanilla. I used the Ninja recipe, and got a stack of toppings ready (hot caramel sauce, sprinkles, strawberry sauce, and chocolate Flakes). The first time using the swirl function things got a little messy, and I learned it was better to hold the cone closer to the machine and let it swirl on its own, rather than try and manipulate the shape myself. I also learned that you can adjust the soft serve handle to have three speeds, so you've got a bit more control over your dessert.
The ice cream recipe included a mix of sugar and liquids, and from the first cone we could tell that the mixture was a little gritty, so it needed a re-spin. This was easy enough to do, and then the mixture was nice and smooth. In future, I'd probably opt for a re-spin before dislodging the tub, just to be on the safe side and save fussing around afterwards. The vanilla pods had been evenly spread throughout the mixture, and it had a beautifully creamy texture – much more like a true gelato than a cheap ice cream. When mixing using the re-spin function, we were able to add in frozen fruit, pretzels and chocolate chips to add a bit of crunch.
We used up all of the mixture, but if you don't want to use the whole tub, you can press the retract button, or, the machine will do it on its own after five minutes without being used – which is handy if you have kids who want a single ice cream on demand every day after school.
Testing out how well rouge recipes would hold up, I made a dog friendly recipe for my very happy-to-test basset hound, and it comes as no surprise that she loved it. It held up really well in terms of keeping its firm shape, and tasted really good to us humans, too. Just like making frozen treats for Olive (I'm coming up with a frozen Kong recipe next), recipes can be tailored to suit not only your taste preferences, but your diet, too. I love being able to control how much sugar I want to add, know that a fruiti is made up with almost all fresh fruit, and when my boyfriend wants a treat that fits in well with his marathon training diet, we can use the new creamifit function – a one-spin solution that makes high protein, low sugar treats under 150 calories.
A favourite recipe among the group was my recreation of the Walt Disney World dole whip (a very popular in-park or resort treat that combines frozen pineapple with other swirled flavours). All I needed was a few tins worth of frozen pineapple chunks, a smidge of lemon juice, milk, and a bit of sugar, and spun with the fruiti function. With just one taste I was transported back to sunny Florida, and I know that these will be a very popular addition to family parties.
Price
I can't shy away from the fact that £350 for any piece of kitchen equipment that you won't use at least a few times a week is a lot. With the Ninja creami often on offer for less than £200, you have to be sure that the addition of the soft serve functions will be worth the extra cash.
It will take up a fair bit of countertop space (or cupboard space, if you're storing it), and you do need to be prepared, like with the creami, to freeze your liquids a day in advance. Trust me, I tried to cut corners and freeze for less time, and it just didn't work as well.
All that said, if you can afford the price tag, and know that your family will benefit from saving on £20 trips to the ice cream van, or want to prepare your own swirled acai bowls each morning to get your day started in the right way, the machine will soon pay for itself. And, it will definitely make you a popular choice for house visits and parties in the summer.