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

The UK is now basking in its fourth heatwave of the summer, surely that’s got to be a record? And, like many, when the sun is shining, there’s usually only one thing on my mind – ice cream. So you can picture the smile that spread across my face when I was asked to test out the all new Ninja swirl, a soft serve and ice cream maker. The machine officially launched in the UK on 28 July, and has already climbed its way to be the bestselling product on Ninja’s website.

This isn’t the brand’s first foray into ice cream though. Ninja first released the creami here in the UK in 2022 and, although ice cream makers were already a thing, there really was nothing quite like it – unlike its predecessors, it offered a great variety of methods and easy to use convenience.

Now, the Ninja swirl is an even more impressive machine – with 13 different functions in one, it can make sorbets, soft serve, milkshakes and frozen yoghurt. It also has the trusty mix-in and re-spin abilities, and can also be used to make scoopable ice cream, just like the creami.

Aside from being designed as an impressive machine, one thing is certain – this is a premium piece of equipment. The Ninja swirl comes in at £349.99, which is no small sum. However, if you have children or tend to splurge every time the ice cream van rolls into your street (especially now that a true Flake 99 is a thing of the past), it could well be a worthwhile investment.

As a seasoned product tester and writer with years of hands-on experience reviewing the latest kitchen gadgets, I’ve seen (and tasted) it all. But when it comes to ice cream, my passion runs deeper than just professional curiosity. I have a serious sweet tooth and proudly consider myself an ice cream connoisseur, always on the hunt for the perfect scoop. So, this was the perfect opportunity to combine my technical know-how with my genuine love for all things frozen and indulgent.

In order to get a good flavour for what the Ninja swirl offers, and how it differs to the ever popular creami, I put a number of its functions to the test. Keep reading to discover my verdict.

How I tested

I tried the Ninja swirl with a number of different recipes – starting with classic vanilla, of course. Moving through the machine’s different capabilities, I made sure to compare any functions that the Ninja creami offers, while paying particular attention to the swirl’s new soft serve magic, which was the real star of the show.

It took a few tries to get used to the swirl function, but was a lot of fun (Mollie Davies/The Independent)

In particular, I assessed a few key factors:

Why you can trust IndyBest reviews

Mollie Davies is an experienced writer who has been testing products for major publications for many years and has tested everything from the best scented candles to Dubai chocolate for IndyBest. Her passion for food and kitchen gadgets runs deep – she's constantly trying out the latest innovations in her own kitchen, where several Ninja appliances already have pride of place. Mollie also thrives on discovering products that make home cooking more exciting and efficient, and she's particularly enthusiastic when it comes to anything sweet. A self-confessed ice cream connoisseur with an insatiable sweet tooth, she’s always on the lookout for the perfect texture, flavour, and swirl. With her expert eye for detail and deep love of frozen desserts, she’s the ideal person to put the Ninja swirl through a proper test.

Ninja Creami swirl

Rating: 4/5

Dimensions: 44.5cm x 25.5cm x 48.48cm

Capacity: 480ml tubs (comes with two)

Settings: 13 – including soft serve, frozen yoghurt, creamifit, light ice cream, gelato, and milkshake

Wattage: 800W

Warranty: Two years

Why we love it

• Creates professional grade soft serve at home
• Gives you the ability to know what's in your ice cream
• Easy to clean
• Simple instructions

Take note

• Very expensive
• May require trial and error
• Needs a lot of space

Design

The machine looked super sleek on my counter (Mollie Davies/The Independent)

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.

There's a whole new part to the swirl machine (Mollie Davies/The Independent)

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.

Ice cream whips perfectly with the Ninja swirl (Mollie Davies/The Independent)

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.

It's easy to get a bit carried away with the soft serve function (Mollie Davies/The Independent)

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.

Olive loved her dog-friendly frozen treat (Mollie Davies/The Independent)

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.

I recreated one of my favourite ice creams at home (Mollie Davies/The Independent)

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.

Buy now £349.00, Ninjakitchen.co.uk

The verdict: Ninja swirl

I really loved testing the Ninja swirl machine, and found that it made lots of really delicious ice creams. Getting to grips with the machine was relatively easy, and it looked really neat on my countertop. I've got two teenage sisters, and plenty of little ones in my life, so having a piece of kit that makes experimenting so fun always comes in handy.

If you’re tight on space, or looking for ice cream on a budget, the Ninja swirl may not be the best pick of ice cream makers for you, with the creami perhaps a more suitable option. But, if you have the cash to spend, you’re unlikely to find a better looking, harder working or more fun ice cream maker than the Ninja swirl.

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