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Ninja is a popular brand best known for its affordable blenders and other kitchen appliances that often give models from manufacturers such as Nutribullet and Vitamix a run for their money. Its latest offering, the Ninja NC301 CREAMi Ice Cream Maker has stirred up a storm in the world of culinary delights – and TikTok has been on fire ever since its release.
This compact appliance has gone viral on the platform, inspiring countless individuals to indulge in the joys of prepping healthy, protein-rich treats from almost anything at home. Whether you’re just getting into the fitness bandwagon or someone simply looking for a healthy and delicious way to cool off, the Ninja CREAMi may be the gadget you never knew you needed. So, what’s all the buzz about the CREAMi Ice Cream Maker?
The Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Maker, officially named the Ninja NC301 CREAMi (in the US) and Ninja Ice Cream Maker NC300 (in the UK) is a multi-functional device that transforms everyday ingredients into various types of frozen treats. However, the thing to note is that the Ninja NC301 works in a slightly different way than most of the ice cream makers already in the market.
We’re used to freeze-first ice cream makers that feature a double-walled bowl with gel sandwiched in between. To prepare ice cream on such machines, you need to keep the bowl frozen for at least 24 hours before preparing the ice cream base and then churn it in. the ice cream maker. Alternatively, there are self-freezing ice cream makers like the Cuisinart CE-70P1 that mix and churn the ingredients using a built-in compressor so you don’t have to freeze the bowl first.
The Ninja Ice Cream Maker, on the other hand, uses a different technique altogether. Instead of freezing the ice cream base in a different freezer, it comes bundled with dessert tubs that are used to freeze the base for 24 hours. Then it uses a two-blade paddle that utilizes downward force to work its way through the tub of ice cream, shaving and smoothing the mixture until all the ice crystals are broken down. The result is a soft, creamy, and awesomely smooth frozen dessert.
While the Ninja NC301 CREAMi has a smaller capacity (473ml / 1-pint) of ice cream than many freeze-first ice cream makers, it still has the advantage of creating creamy desserts using dairy and sugar substitutes.
As priced (the latest price at the bottom of the review), the Ninja Ice Cream Maker NC301 isn’t the most affordable kitchen appliance around, it takes up some kitchen space and it’s noisy as well. However, if you love your frozen treats more than anything else, then the creaminess and smoothness of the desserts it creates more than make up for the money you’re investing here.
Design
The Ninja CREAMi NC301 is a bulky kitchen appliance, and while it looks like the Vitamix 5200 blender, it gets some heft; measuring 6.52 x 12.07 x 15.95 inches and weighing 13 pounds. The grey design has glossy accents, which are sure to make a statement on any kitchen décor.
Bundled with the ice cream maker are three plastic 473 ml / 1-pint dessert tubs and lids into which the sweet treat bases are to be frozen. The tubs are then inserted into the outer bowl for churning; the lid with a two-blade paddle attaches to the top, scraping and folding the contents.
Unlike most freeze-first ice cream makers, the Ninja comes with two motors, one to spin the paddle and another to apply downward pressure which breaks up the ice crystals quickly.
The CREAMi NC301 has six presets that allow you to prepare most treats – everything from traditional and low-calorie ice cream to gelato, sorbets, smoothie bowls, and even milkshakes. Also, it has an additional program that ensures chocolate, nuts, sweets, and cookie chunks are evenly distributed through the ice cream, for those who like their sweet treats filled with surprises.
All the ice cream maker’s removable parts are dishwasher safe, so cleaning won’t be a problem at all.
Performance
The Ninja CREAMi NC301 Ice Cream Maker is one appliance full of sweet surprises. You’ll love the frozen desserts it makes and the flexibility on what you can prepare makes it a better ice maker than most rivals out there. It can make traditional ice cream, gelato, with an egg custard and cream base, fruit sorbet, and even dairy-free ice cream with a sugar substitute if you’re trying to keep your calories low. Whatever you decide to make, the result is always rich and creamy ice cream, without any ice crystals.
To prepare ice cream, you’ll need to make the ice cream base and freeze it for 24 hours in one of the included dessert tubs. This needs a little attention: you should ensure the liquid is frozen level, not at an angle. Unfortunately, if you get this wrong, you’ll have to throw out the base and start all over again, since the ice cream maker won’t be able to provide a consistent churn.
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If you succeed with the vase, the rest of the steps are pretty quick and simple, since the ice cream maker turns the frozen contents full of ice crystals into a smooth and creamy dessert in a few seconds. All you have to do is remove the lid from the dessert tub and insert it into the outer bowl, attach the paddle to the lid, and connect it to the outer bowl. Everything fits into place with a satisfying click, after which you’re ready to elect one of the seven dessert programs that include ice cream, gelato, sorbet, light ice cream, smoothie bowls, and even milkshakes.
There are seven programs to choose from with each lasting between one and two minutes, as the paddle churns the liquid until it’s consistently smooth. Additionally, there’s a useful “mix-in” function that lets you add chocolate, nuts, sweets, and cookie chunks to the ice cream once it’s prepared.
Overall, you’ll be impressed by the dairy-free ice cream created in the CREAMi NC301. While the frozen dessert won’t be entirely free of ice crystals, they are extremely small and few and far between – which is something the same even with other ice makers. Note, however, this ice cream maker is very noisy in use – louder than even your vacuum cleaner. Considering the maximum program length is just 2.5 minutes, you won’t find it too much of a task to sit through.
Bottom Line
The Ninja NC301 CREAMi Ice Cream Maker isn’t cheap but you’ll like it for its ease of use, sleek design, and most importantly, it churns out some delicious frozen desserts that taste as good as anything you’ve had or bought. If you’re a habitual ice cream eater and often find yourself racking up Ben & Jerry’s tabs like a gambler racks up debt, this would be a perfect way to lower those monthly costs and have a lot of fun experimenting with recipes.
Is it too much to plan your ice cream a day in advance? Yeah, kind of, so you might as well have to decide if you have the patience to wait. Otherwise, it might not get the kind of use to justify the price or end up collecting dust in the cupboard or basement.
That said, the Ninja CREAMi NC301 is a great choice for people who like to try to layer in some lower-sugar ice cream once in a while but who are tired of getting, well, charred by freezer-burnt batches. There are cheaper ice cream makers out there like the Cuisinart ICE-21P1, but one innovation by Ninja allows you to make multiple types of ice cream at once, for as long as you can remember to mix and freeze them ahead of time.
The Review
Ninja NC301 CREAMi
The Ninja NC301 CREAMi (NC300UK) Ice Cream Maker isn’t cheap but you’ll like it for its ease of use, sleek design, and most importantly, it churns out some delicious frozen desserts that taste as good as anything you’ve had or bought.
PROS
- Great Ice Cream Maker
- Replaces Up To 4 Appliances
- Faster and Requires a Lot Less Work
- Parts are Dishwasher Safe
CONS
- Loud in use
- Can only make small quantities of ice cream
Review Breakdown
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EDITORS RATING
Last update on 2023-06-09 at 06:54 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Best Prices Today
Ninja NC301 CREAMi Ice Cream Maker, for Gelato, Mix-ins, Milkshakes, Sorbet, Smoothie Bowls & More, 7 One-Touch Programs, with (2) Pint Containers & Lids, Compact Size, Perfect for Kids, Silver
2 used from $190.80
