If you love a good frozen dessert, an ice cream maker is an absolute must-have kitchen gadget. It lets you make a variety of frozen treats just how you want them, whether that’s low-sugar, dairy-free, or loaded with chocolate chips.
The Ninja creami deluxe ice cream maker has gained a bit of a cult following over the past couple of years, and it’s easy to see why. This machine promises to turn everything from protein shakes to tinned fruit into delicious, creamy, scoopable desserts. But now it has some competition: the new Cuisinart freeze wand promises an easy (and relatively affordable) way to whip up frozen treats at home.
While both the Ninja and Cuisinart machines promise professional-quality frozen treats at home, there’s a big difference in price: the creami deluxe will set you back £250, while the Cuisinart freeze wand costs less than half that at £99.99.
That’s fascinating because they’re fairly similar machines. Neither is technically a true ice cream maker, as neither uses built-in compressors. With both, you have to freeze your ingredients or base mix the day before. Once you have your base ready, both machines work in the same way, using blades to churn, blend, and shave your frozen mixture into everything from classic soft-scoop ice cream to sorbet, milkshakes, slushies and frozen yoghurt.
I’ve just tested a wide range of ice cream makers for IndyBest, and these two machines really stood out. But does the creami really deliver enough to justify an extra £150 on the price tag? I put them head-to-head to see which one delivers the best flavour, texture, and ease of operation.
How I tested
I’ve owned the original Ninja Creami for a couple of years, so I’ve been used to making a range of tasty, frozen treats at home with this type of machine. For this review, I used the latest Ninja creami deluxe, which works in the same way but has more functions, including frappe and slushi settings. While I was already a big fan of the Ninja machine, the Cuisinart freeze wand piqued my interest because it claims to do the same thing in a more compact (and less expensive) device.
I tested both machines, making the same frozen dessert bases, to keep things fair. I made a simple vanilla ice cream, a frozen yoghurt, and a sorbet. Both machines require you to freeze your bases, so I froze each mixture overnight before letting the ice cream machines get to work. During testing, I assessed the machines on the following criteria:
- Quality of frozen treats: I noted the texture of ice creams and the number produced by each machine.
- Ease of operation: I considered how quick and easy it was to set up, use and disassemble the ice cream makers.
- Ease of cleaning: Whether the machines feature dishwasher-safe parts, and how easy the devices are to wipe down and keep clean, was also a consideration.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Rachael Penn is a writer specialising in lifestyle and tech, particularly home appliances, food, and drink. She has tried, tested and reviewed plenty of ice cream makers, as well as toasters, air fryers, hand mixers and much more for IndyBest, and has been contributing to the section since 2021. Rachael puts every product featured in her reviews through real-world testing, and her years of experience with different machines mean she knows what makes an appliance great value for money.
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Ninja creami deluxe
Size: 42.4cm x 30.5cm x 21.4cm
Weight: 6.66kg
Capacity: Two 709ml tubs with lids
Settings: Ice cream, sorbet, light ice cream, gelato, milkshake, mix-in, frappe, frozen drink, slushi, frozen yoghurt
Why we love it
- Multiple functions
- Easy to use
- Large tubs for batch preperation
Take note
- It’s large
- It’s very noisy
I’ve owned the Ninja creami for a couple of years, and although this deluxe version is an upgrade, with some new features (such as slush, frozen drinks and frappe setting), the two machines work in a similar way. You need to freeze your base mix at least 24 hours before you make your dessert, but the Ninja creami deluxe comes with three large (709ml) tubs and lids. This gives you almost three times the capacity of the Cuisinart freeze wand, and it means you can prep up to three desserts at once. This is great news if, like me, you want instant gratification when it comes to ice cream, as you can whip up treats in batches and freeze them for later.
I found using this Ninja appliance really intuitive. It has one-touch settings, and you can easily flip through the settings with everything clearly labelled. All you have to do is pop your frozen base into the machine, select which type of frozen treat you want, and press start. It works really quickly, too – half a tub takes about two minutes to blitz, and the resulting ice cream came out perfectly creamy during testing.
The frozen yoghurt took a couple of minutes more and was slightly powdery when it came out, but that’s the beauty of the Ninja; if the texture isn’t quite right, you can just add it back to the machine for a respin. After the second spin, it came out perfectly creamy.
One of the things I love about this Ninja is that it is great for experimenting, because you have three large 709ml tubs. It’s ideal for throwing in overripe bananas and yoghurt to make a banana fro-yo, or even leftover custard for a creamy frozen dessert.
Cleaning is straightforward, too – the blade and tubs can be placed in the dishwasher, and you just need to give the lid and outer bowl a quick rinse. It is large, so if you don’t have a great deal of space in your kitchen, you may find that it’s too big – the slim Cuisinart freeze wand will take up less real estate in your kitchen. At £250, the Ninja creami deluxe is also more than twice the price of the freeze wand, but if you enjoy a variety of frozen treats, Ninja’s machine is well worth the splurge.
I was super impressed with all the settings I tried, but if there’s one major complaint I have, it’s the noise level. Even on the lower settings, it’s incredibly noisy. It’s a good thing that it’s so quick because the noise is very irritating. If you want to make a smoothie bowl for breakfast before the family gets up or enjoy an ice cream when the kids have gone to bed, you may find this a little too loud.
Buy now £249.99, Ninjakitchen.co.uk
Cuisinart freeze wand
Size: 41.1cm x 33.79cm x 15cm
Weight: 1.95kg
Capacity: Three 240ml tubs with lids
Settings: Ice cream, slushies, milkshakes, sorbets, and mix-ins
Why we love it
- Compact and portable
- Easy to use
Take note
- Better for smaller portions
- You have to control the machine
This kitchen gadget works in a similar way to the Ninja creami. It comes with tubs in which you can add your mixture, before freezing for 24 hours, then whizzing everything into a delicious treat, with the help of the ‘wand’. The tubs here are a lot smaller (240ml each) than those supplied with the Ninja creami deluxe, but they still provide decent portions.
The freeze wand looks like a stick blender, so it’s a lot more compact and portable than Ninja’s creami deluxe, making this gadget better suited to smaller kitchens. Operating the machine is very simple, too. Once your mixture is frozen, you attach the tub to the freeze wand, twist the dial to select the type of frozen treat you want, then press the button at the top.
Unfortunately, unlike the Ninja creami, you can’t just step back and let this device work its magic – you have to do some of the work. You have to keep hold of the machine, including the button, and guide the freeze wand down into your mixture. You have to be careful not to apply too much pressure, too, or the light will flash red and the machine will stop working for a moment. Once the light turns green, you can continue.
It takes a little bit more time than Ninja’s machine but it still took less than five minutes to completely blend my mixture. Also, when taking the Cuisinart tubs out of the freezer, it’s best to leave the mixture for 5-10 minutes before blending. Otherwise, the ice cream and frozen yoghurt come out powdery, and you have to reblend them. After leaving the mixture to sit for a few minutes first, though, the results are fantastic. The ice cream came out with a lovely soft-scoop consistency, and the sorbet was perfectly formed.
Another major plus point over the Ninja is that it is really quiet in operation, so you won’t wake the kids if you’re trying to sneak an ice cream once they’re in bed.
Clean up is just as easy as the Ninja creami deluxe, too. You can pop the tubs into the dishwasher, and the blade detaches, so you can just rinse it under the tap.
I think this is a really good machine for anyone who wants a basic frozen treat maker. If you don’t mind a little extra work, this is a good ice cream maker, but not as versatile as the Ninja Creami deluxe.
Buy now £99.99, Cuisinart
Ninja creami deluxe vs Cuisinart freeze wand – which is the best?
Both of these ice cream makers are ideal for anyone who wants to make frozen treats without the hassle. You have to prepare in advance, but both machines come with multiple tubs, so you can prepare a couple of different treats in one go, then store them in the freezer. My favourite of the two machines is the Ninja creami deluxe, as there’s so much choice when it comes to making different types of frozen treats. It’s faster, has a bigger capacity, and it’s less finicky than the Cuisinart, because there’s no faffing about with pressure sensors. However, it’s very loud, so your neighbours may not appreciate it.
I was also impressed with the Cuisinart freeze wand, however. This is a brilliant piece of kit if you have a smaller kitchen and don’t want a bulky machine that takes up valuable space. The freeze wand is simple to use, easy to clean, and produces amazing ice cream and frozen yoghurts in less than five minutes.
While the Ninja creami deluxe’s premium price tag reflects its range of functions, the Cuisinart freeze wand is one of the best sub-£100 ice cream makers I’ve tested. If you have the money, the Ninja Creami is the better choice, but if money is tighter, the Cuisinart freeze wand is more than up to the task.
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