Latest news with #softserve
CNN
19-06-2025
- General
- CNN
I tested Yonanas' frozen dessert maker after seeing so many glowing reviews. Here's what I thought
Like the Ninja Creami, the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker is another kitchen appliance you may have seen online. Praised by reviewers for its ability to turn frozen fruit into delicious soft-serve-like treats, this lightweight gadget also comes with a very budget-friendly price tag, and because I'm always up for testing new products, I knew I had to see for myself how the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker managed to rack up more than 3,000 5-star reviews on Amazon. Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker This frozen dessert maker is the perfect way to make good use of your ripe bananas and frozen fruit. Easy to assemble and even easier to use, it's also one of the lightest appliances I own, making it easy to pick up, move around and tuck away on a shelf. It's easy to assemble and disassemble The appliance comprises two main parts: a surprisingly lightweight motor base and a chute that houses the blade cone. Before using it for the first time, you'll want to disassemble the chute so you can wash the individual parts (they're dishwasher-safe), according to the instruction manual that comes with the Yonanas. I chose to handwash the parts and it took me just a few minutes to do this, reassemble the chute, then attach it to the base (it clicks into place). Disassembling the appliance can get a little messy (more on that later), but it's just as simple as assembling it. It's straightforward to use What I appreciate most about the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker is how foolproof and simple it is. There's no control panel to worry about or complicated steps to follow to create a satisfying frozen treat every single time. Since it shaves slightly thawed frozen fruit into soft-serve-like desserts, you'll need to have frozen fruit on hand. You can choose to slice and freeze fruits you have lying around, or you can purchase bags of frozen fruit from the store; I decided to go both routes. The instructions recommend freezing your fruits for 24 hours, but from personal experience you may be able to get away with freezing them overnight, depending on how cold your freezer gets. Before you can start feeding your fruits through the chute, Yonanas recommends letting them defrost for seven to 10 minutes to ensure you get that ideal soft-serve consistency. The first time around, I let my fruits defrost for too long, so my dessert had a consistency similar to traditional soft-serve that's already begun to melt. For that reason, I recommend keeping a close eye on the time so it doesn't turn out too soft. If your recipe calls for bananas, the brand recommends alternating between frozen banana halves and any other fruits you're using. The appliance comes with a pusher that allows you to feed the fruits through the chute, so there's little risk of cutting your hands on the blades. I noticed it takes a minute for it to start dispensing, but as you continue to add fruits, it forces what's already gone through to come out. There are lots of recipes to try The frozen dessert maker comes with a recipe book that includes plenty of fruit sorbet recipes in addition to recipes for other desserts, such as cookies and cream, which you can make by alternating frozen bananas and chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos. The first sorbet I made was a banana and berry cherry one I created using banana halves I'd frozen, plus a bag of frozen berries and cherries from my local grocery store. I used two bananas and 3/4 cup of the berries- and- cherries mix, and I found that this made more than enough sorbet for one person. The result? A refreshing frozen mixture you could easily eat in the morning for breakfast, as a midday snack or as a post-workout treat. Though many recipes include bananas, there are also banana-free recipes you can follow. I'm not a huge fan of bananas myself, so unsurprisingly, my favorite recipe was one I made with strawberries and mangoes. It's worth keeping in mind you'll need to de-pit fruits with pits before using them with the Yonanas. Though I only used fruit in my recipes, as mentioned above, you're also able to use cookies, muffins and ingredients like chocolate bars, peanut butter and avocado slices. It's messy Handling defrosting fruit can get messy, and unfortunately, the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker doesn't come with tongs, so you'll have to use your hands or utilize one of your own kitchen utensils. It also doesn't come with a drip tray. Because fruit bits get left behind in the chute, you'll definitely want to have your sink stopper in place to prevent food waste from going down the drain if your sink doesn't have a garbage disposal. I also couldn't help but notice large pieces of cherry skin throughout my otherwise delicious banana and berry cherry frozen mixture that the blades had missed. Though I expected to come across some fruit skin, I expected those pieces to be smaller and better incorporated into the rest of the mixture than they actually were. I also noticed a decent amount of mixture that needed to be cleaned out of the chute itself, which contributed to the overall messy cleanup process. After each use, I made sure to thoroughly wash the chute, the blade cone and the gasket. If you're going to make two different sorbets consecutively, I suggest quickly disassembling the chute and giving it a quick rinse to avoid any flavor transfer. I'll be the first to admit how disappointing it is when a dessert doesn't come out as expected, which is why I love how easy the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker makes creating frozen treats. Turning fruits into frozen desserts is a creative way to use them before they go bad, not to mention the Yonanas is lightweight and easy to use, providing countless flavor combinations to experiment with. If you're looking for a quick way to make a healthier-for-you treat that also tastes delicious, the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker is definitely worth considering. Can you use frozen fruit in the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker? Can you use frozen fruit in the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker? Yes, frozen fruit needs to be used in the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker. Can the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker make ice cream? Can the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker make ice cream? While the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker can't be used to make traditional ice cream, it can make delicious vegan-friendly desserts using frozen fruit. What's the difference between the Yonanas Soft-Serve Maker and Ninja Creami? What's the difference between the Yonanas Soft-Serve Maker and Ninja Creami? The Ninja Creami can also make fruit sorbets, but you need to add a liquid, like fruit juice, to the container before freezing, while the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker requires freezing individual pieces of fruit. Even though both appliances use a blade to create frozen treats, I felt the Ninja Creami produced sorbets that had a smoother consistency than the ones made with the Yonanas, though the desserts are equally as tasty. CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when applicable to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this story, associate editor Rachel Dennis made several frozen desserts with bananas, strawberries, mangoes and more using the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker.
Wall Street Journal
12-06-2025
- Wall Street Journal
Soft Serve at Home? This $350 Kitchen Gadget Makes It Possible
Making soft serve at home hasn't, historically, worked out so well. Most countertop appliances are designed for hard ice cream. If you go Luddite and leave a carton of ice cream out to thaw just so, it easily ends up somewhere between a milkshake and soup. So, when appliance maker Ninja released the Ninja Swirl by CREAMi Soft Serve & Ice Cream Machine ($350) earlier this year, I was—cautiously—hopeful. Would the quality of the soft serve make it worth laying out the money and the counter space? First, you mix the base—largely milk, cream and sugar—in the provided pint container. (The Swirl comes with recipes.) Then you freeze it for 24 hours. The next day, you load the container into the machine, choose the soft-serve setting, and wait 4-5 minutes as a metal shaft with a toothy blade moves through the frozen base. Next, move the pint container to the Swirl's top left corner and ready a cone or cup. Hold the lever down for about 10 seconds, and a piston pushes the ice cream through a star-shaped silicone tip similar to the kind that pipes frosting onto a cake. The ribbon of soft serve meanders down slowly, tantalizingly. The ice cream will definitely be soft, but it can also be icy. My freezer was already set to zero degrees, but I learned that carving out a spot in the very back chilled the base faster, reduced the iciness and delivered a mouthfeel closer to commercial soft serve. I also found that the base works better with eggs, and experts back me up on this. 'I add eggs when I make soft serve at home,' said Kimberly Bukowski, a dairy foods extension specialist at Cornell University and former ice-cream-shop owner. 'Eggs are a natural emulsifier, so you can use yolks without necessarily having to use any stabilizers.' Adding a couple yolks did make for a richer consistency. You have to cook them first—for food safety and thickening—in a saucepan, to about 170 degrees. Ninja includes egg-based frozen-custard recipes in the book that comes with the Swirl. But this bit of fuss lengthened an already 24-hour-long endeavor. The easier route: Use store-bought hard ice cream as your base. Commercial ice creams have stabilizers to ward off iciness and come in flavors and colors tricky to replicate in your kitchen. (I happen to love an artificially green mint chip.) The machine is loud enough to make your kitchen sound like a wood shop. And it's big, with a 12-by-10-inch footprint. But it's also a twofer, since it churns scoopable ice cream too. Most important, while the ribbon it produces isn't quite as fat as what you get at Mister Softee, it comes close. Turns out, it is pretty exciting to make soft serve at home. The Wall Street Journal is not compensated by retailers listed in its articles as outlets for products. Listed retailers frequently are not the sole retail outlets.
The Verge
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
The Verge's favorite summer gear for 2025
Two years ago, we published a list of our favorite summer gear — and it's time to do it again! Things can get a little tense out there in the world, so sometimes you have to pause and take a breath. We're looking forward to taking some time for ourselves by hiking, biking, or hanging out and listening to our favorite tunes, maybe accompanied by some soft-serve ice cream to cool things down. We've asked our staff about the gadgets they plan to use this summer to help get away and have fun. Here's what some of them recommend. There's nothing that brings a smile to my family's faces faster than soft-serve ice cream. It's definitely something we bond over, although usually it's when we're on the way back from the beach or as an after-dinner treat while on vacation. So, when I got a chance to try the new Ninja Swirl Creami at home, I jumped on it. An ice-cream maker and soft-serve dispenser in one, the Ninja makes ice cream on one side and then dollops it out in soft-serve form on the other. Unlike my previous attempts at making homemade frozen treats from scratch with my KitchenAid stand mixer, the Ninja makes this super easy to do. (You still need to be patient as it has to freeze for 24 hours.) But the real bonus — and what made this a big hit in my house — is that you can stick store-bought ice cream into it and turn it into soft-serve in seconds; no waiting required, just endless sundae bowls and swirl cones on tap for summer hangouts. The only downside (other than price) is that we only got two decent-sized soft-serve cones out of each 16-oz pint container. Luckily, it comes with two containers, which helped keep the ice cream flowing. I've also enjoyed creating unusual frozen delights in the Ninja. Inspired by a very active Reddit forum, we tried frozen tomato soup (really yummy), fresh watermelon mixed with condensed milk (ah-ma-zing), and my son's morning protein smoothies in frozen form — the perfect way to prep him for a day of lifeguarding at the local pool. – Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, smart home reviewer Solar Buddies sunscreen applicator $12 $12 at Solar Buddies $16 at Amazon As a pasty redhead from a large ginger family, I relish every opportunity to nag about the importance of wearing sunscreen — especially when the summer heat is pounding and everyone starts getting their fleshy bits out. If you're someone who avoids applying the stuff because it makes your hands feel gross, then allow me to remove that excuse for you: sunscreen applicators are a convenient and mess-free solution that can help you protect your skin without itching to wipe your greasy hands on clothes or sandy towels. They're great for applying sunscreen to your kids, too. The Solar Buddies version I use has a big handle, spongy applicator, and a roller dispenser that ensures even small hands have a good grip and don't look like they've dunked themselves in frosting. You just have to fill them with your sunscreen of choice, giving some added flexibility around the brand and SPF (but please, please consider sticking with a factor of 50 plus). Because the applicator screws tightly closed, it can also help prevent any explosions from occurring in your bag compared to the usual squeeze bottles. Nobody likes a sunscreen sandwich. — Jess Weatherbed, news writer CamelBak Hydrobak hydration pack $6017% off $50 $50 at Amazon $65 at CamelBak If you're itching to get out on a bike ride even when it's 85-plus degrees, you don't want to be stuck without an adequate supply of water. I only have room for one drink holder on my bike, so I've found that it's just far more convenient to carry water on my back with the aptly named CamelBak Hydrobak hydration pack. It's a lightweight backpack that holds up to 1.5 liters of water, which it says is enough for a two-hour bike ride. The backpack also comes with a handy straw that you just lift up and drink from, preventing you from having to stop and drink from your water bottle (unless you're coordinated enough to take a sip while riding, which I am not). It also keeps your water relatively cool even when the sun is beating down your back. Aside from storing water, there's a zipper pocket where you can store car keys, your ID, and other small items. It's not just ideal for biking, either. Many people use the CamelBak Hydrobak on long hikes, runs, and even for music festivals. — Emma Roth, news writer Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 $10016% off $84 $84 at Amazon $101 at Best Buy I try to bring a Bluetooth speaker everywhere with me when the weather's good. A pool party, a park day, a golf outing, a hang on the back patio — it's all better with music! There are obviously lots of good speakers out there, but for me the UE Wonderboom 4 is the perfect one. It's only $100, it's small but loud enough to work just about anywhere, its battery lasts all day and then some, it's waterproof, and it floats. (All the colors look nice, by the way, but… get the blue one.) There are fancier speakers with more features, and the $200 Megaboom does sound a lot better, but I keep a Wonderboom in my trunk, and it has made me the party hero more times than I can count. — David Pierce, editor-at-large The summer months mean more family walks, hikes, and time outdoors, and one of my favorite ways of exercising in the process is rucking. You don't need a fancy GoRuck to go rucking; just throw as much weight as you want to carry into any sturdy backpack that feels good on you. But, while the Ruckers may be a little over-the-top on their 'tacticool' looks for some folks, they are incredibly well made and nicely designed for weighted walks or even crossfit-style workouts. — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, reviewer Ever since I got scolded at urgent care (turns out the mysterious shooting pain in the back of my head was due to dehydration), this 40-oz flask has rarely left my side. It was a gift from a friend who works outside under the Los Angeles sun all year long, so trust her experience. This hefty bottle fits perfectly into my life — although not in any of the gym equipment cup holders, due to its generous girth (holder-friendly shapes are also available). I am to consume roughly two of these bottles' worth of water daily, particularly when it gets hot in the summertime. Aside from being a sturdy receptacle, it really is a thermos, so it keeps my water cold for hours. — Marina Galperina, senior tech editor Leki Legend Black Carbon Walking Pole $120 $120 at Amazon $120 at REI For years, a close friend and I would go birding together, and one of our favorite late spring treks was to Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania to observe the yearly raptor migration. Unfortunately, my friend never had strong ankles, and as the years passed, the trek up and down the mountain became more difficult. After she had one bad slip, I went to a local REI store and bought her a lightweight walking pole. She loved it. It came with a rubber tip for flat surfaces like sidewalks and a pointed tip for muddy or rocky terrain. It was lightweight and adjustable, and it had a comfortable grip. It could be quickly compressed and stored in her bag or the trunk of her car, and then expanded and used for hiking or just strolling. It was, she once told me, the most useful birthday gift I ever gave her. The walking pole I bought her is no longer available, but Leki's Legend Black Carbon one is pretty close. — Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor Matador Pocket Blanket $30 $31 at Amazon $30 at Matador I never thought I'd marvel at the design and engineering of a blanket until I tried this one from Matador. Made from a waterproof and surprisingly durable fabric given how thin it is, the Pocket Blanket is large enough to accommodate up to four adults when unfurled but folds up into its own built-in storage bag that's about the size of a deck of cards. Refolding the Pocket Blanket is easy, thanks to a subtle printed pattern showing where all the fold lines should be, and it can be secured to the ground using either built-in metal corner stakes or small pockets that can be filled and weighed down with sand. We rarely leave the house without at least one slipped into a bag, and keep extras in the glove boxes of our cars. — Andrew Liszewski, senior reporter Thermacell E55 Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller $30 $31 at Amazon $30 at Thermacell My biggest deterrent to spending some time outside are bugs, mosquitos specifically. I wish they'd bug off. They have me looking like I'm doing interpretive dancing to avoid being poked. Thankfully, a gadget that I got last year has made it so that I don't need to be (as) protective of my exposed skin. Thermacell makes rechargeable and refillable mosquito repellers. I got the E-Series model, which creates a safe zone where you likely won't be bitten. It lasts a little over five hours per charge, meaning I get more than one use out of it before needing to charge it again. Just be sure not to use it in an environment where there isn't proper ventilation; Thermacell notes that its ingredients shouldn't be a concern for people or pets, but I don't want too much insecticide around my loved ones — or my food. — Cameron Faulkner, commerce editor
CNN
09-05-2025
- CNN
I tested the viral Ninja Swirl by Creami. Here's what I thought about the soft-serve ice cream maker
When I was a kid, one of the best parts of going to summer camp was ordering a big cup of vanilla soft serve from the ice cream truck at the end of the day. Even with my camp days far behind me, I still enjoy grabbing a few scoops of store-bought ice cream or going to nearby ice cream shops for soft serve. But thanks to the new Ninja Swirl by Creami, I can enjoy vanilla soft serve from home year-round. The latest addition to the Creami lineup, this viral countertop appliance lets you make ice cream and a handful of other frozen treats from the comfort of your home. Its biggest appeal (and what makes it stand out from other Ninja Creami models) is its soft serve feature, which truly brings the ice cream shop right into your kitchen. Even though I already have the original Ninja Creami, I've never actually used mine for ice cream, only fruit sorbets. Shocking, I know. But when I heard about the Ninja Creami Swirl, my mind immediately went to vanilla soft serve, and I just knew I had to get my hands on one. To see if Ninja's newest ice cream maker lives up to all the social media hype (and if it's worth its $350 price tag), I made several desserts with it over the course of a couple of weeks. Ninja Swirl by Creami Soft Serve & Ice Cream Machine Ninja's latest ice cream machine lets you create delicious frozen treats at home. And thanks to the new soft-serve feature, you can get even more creative with the types of desserts you make. You can customize your recipes What I love most about the Ninja Swirl is that you can get as creative as you want with your recipes. From Chocolate Hazelnut Frozen Yogurt to Cookies and Cream Frozen Custard, the options are pretty much limitless. I have no dietary restrictions, but if you prefer dairy-free recipes, you can easily swap ingredients (like whole milk for unsweetened oat milk, for example). The Ninja Swirl has several one-touch programs: Ice Cream, Creamifit (high-protein and low-sugar mixtures), Lite Ice Cream (mixtures with low sugar or sugar alternatives), Frozen Yogurt, Milkshake, Fruit Whip, Sorbet, Frozen Custard and Gelato, so you'll never get bored experimenting. It's worth noting that not every recipe, like sorbet, can be dispensed as soft serve, so it's important to keep that in mind when you're preparing your bases. I made several desserts during testing, including a one-ingredient sorbet and a peach fruit whip. The textures were pretty spot-on, and they were both so refreshing. Though I didn't need to use this feature for every dessert I made, the Ninja Swirl has a respin option if your mixture comes out crumbly. I found that to be the case with the sorbet I made, but respinning it again fixed this. I also noticed with both the sorbet and fruit whip mixtures, the parts against the walls remained icy after the first spin and I could still see tiny pieces of peach. I fixed this in both recipes by scraping down the sides of the containers and respinning them. The Swirl also has a mix-in option for adding ingredients like nuts and cookies to scoopable desserts. I used it to make a cookie crumble milkshake, and it came out perfect. The cookie pieces broke down well during the mixing process, and the chocolate chips remained intact just like I expected. But when I made strawberry frozen yogurt using the Ninja Creami Swirl, it didn't come out as sweet as I hoped it would. In the future, I'll experiment with adding a sweetener to the base before freezing it. I also followed Ninja's Easy Vanilla Soft Serve recipe, which has just five ingredients: granulated sugar, vanilla instant pudding mix, whole milk, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Though I wasn't sure how it would turn out, I was super pleased with how delicious the ice cream tasted. In its soft serve form, I was impressed by how similar it looked to something you'd get at an ice cream shop. It definitely holds up to the ice cream you can buy in stores or at places like Dairy Queen, and the ability to fully personalize your recipes makes it all the better. Using it is pretty straightforward Like the Ninja Creamis before it, there's some prep work required before you can get to the fun part. Because it uses a blade to shave frozen ingredients into creamy desserts, your mixtures need to be made ahead of time and left in the freezer for 24 hours (you may be able to get away with less) before they can be processed. This is a little inconvenient because you can't make and eat your dessert the same day, but the delicious results make it worth the wait (promise!). There are also some exceptions to this, since milkshake recipes don't require any freezer time. The Ninja Swirl comes with an easy-to-follow recipe booklet to help you get started and two containers to freeze your mixtures in. I also appreciated that plenty of single-ingredient recipes were included in the booklet to further simplify this part of the prep. To get your frozen base ready for processing, you have to install the container in the outer bowl, click the lid in place and attach the bowl to the unit. After that, the Ninja Swirl will light up with two options and two options only: Soft Serve and Scoop. From there, you're able to select from the nine other output programs I mentioned earlier. If you chose a Scoopable spin cycle, once it's done, you're pretty much free to enjoy your dessert. If you went with a Soft Serve cycle, you'll have to take it a step further by removing the pint from the outer bowl and attaching it to the dispense area. The handle at the side of the machine is how you dispense your base and control the speed. I found that it takes a bit of time for it to start dispensing, so don't be surprised if nothing comes out right away. It doesn't take up a lot of counter space This appliance isn't small by any means, but it also won't eat up all your counter space. Compared to my first-generation model, the Ninja Swirl is considerably wider and taller (see below for a side-by-side). I was also pleasantly surprised to find that it fits perfectly under my built-in cabinets so I can push it against the wall. While I kept the ice cream maker on my counter during testing, I'll likely find a different spot for it now, since I know I won't be using it as much as some of my other appliances. It only comes with two containers One of the biggest drawbacks for me is that the Ninja Swirl only comes with two pints. If you want to freeze more than two mixtures at a time, you'll have to shell out additional money. You can purchase a four-pack for $65 or a two-pack for $35, but given its $350 price tag, I expected it to come with at least a few more. Since I didn't buy extra pints, I had to resort to using empty plastic containers for my leftovers so I could continue making more recipes. This isn't convenient at all, and I can see this being a pain point for families with kids who like to eat totally different things. The pints from the different Creami models aren't interchangeable either, so even though I have the ones that came with my older Ninja Creami, I can't use them in the Swirl. It's pretty loud and heavy When I reviewed Ninja's frozen drink maker last year, I mentioned finding it heavy. At nearly 21 pounds, the Ninja Creami Swirl is on the heavier side too, though it's lighter than the Ninja Slushi, which weighs 24 pounds. My older Ninja Creami weighs only 13 pounds, so I keep it on a shelf in my kitchen when I'm not using it to avoid having too many appliances out at once. But the Ninja Swirl is heavy enough that it probably needs a dedicated spot on your counter, so you're not forced to pull it from a shelf every time you want to use it. There's really no getting around this, but it's something to keep in mind (especially if you have limited mobility), since you'll have to get the box from your door to the kitchen, unbox it and then lift it to your counter. Weight aside, I also couldn't help but notice how noisy this appliance is. In fact, the first couple of times I used it, I was concerned that I had done something wrong because of how loud it was. I quickly realized this wasn't the case, though, and the Ninja Swirl is just noisy. If you're a midnight snacker living in a small, shared apartment, don't say I didn't warn you. The whole appeal of the Ninja Swirl is being able to have soft-serve ice cream on demand, and I won't lie, being able to make it from home so easily is pretty awesome. If you love the idea of having soft serve in a cone or a bowl, the Ninja Swirl is for you. If you're willing to ditch the soft-serve function, the Ninja Creami XL Deluxe might be a better option that can save you some coins too. How does the Ninja Swirl compare to the other Ninja Creami models? How does the Ninja Swirl compare to the other Ninja Creami models? The biggest feature that sets the Ninja Creami Swirl apart from the other two Ninja Creami models is its soft serve function. All of the Ninja Creami appliances can make ice cream, lite ice cream, gelato, sorbet and milkshakes, but only the original Ninja Creami can make smoothie bowls. The Ninja Creami XL Deluxe and the Ninja Swirl, on the other hand, both have a frozen yogurt program, while the Ninja Swirl has settings for Creamifits, fruit whips and frozen custards too. The Deluxe model is also able to make Italian ice, frozen drinks, slushies and creamiccinos (coffee-based frozen drinks). And then there's Ninja's dedicated frozen drink maker, the Ninja Slushi, which has five different presets: slush, spiked slush, frappé, milkshake and frozen juice. CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when applicable to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this story, associate editor Rachel Dennis tested the Ninja Swirl by Creami over the course of two weeks to see if it's worth buying.
CNN
09-05-2025
- CNN
I tested the viral Ninja Swirl by Creami. Here's what I thought about the soft-serve ice cream maker
When I was a kid, one of the best parts of going to summer camp was ordering a big cup of vanilla soft serve from the ice cream truck at the end of the day. Even with my camp days far behind me, I still enjoy grabbing a few scoops of store-bought ice cream or going to nearby ice cream shops for soft serve. But thanks to the new Ninja Swirl by Creami, I can enjoy vanilla soft serve from home year-round. The latest addition to the Creami lineup, this viral countertop appliance lets you make ice cream and a handful of other frozen treats from the comfort of your home. Its biggest appeal (and what makes it stand out from other Ninja Creami models) is its soft serve feature, which truly brings the ice cream shop right into your kitchen. Even though I already have the original Ninja Creami, I've never actually used mine for ice cream, only fruit sorbets. Shocking, I know. But when I heard about the Ninja Creami Swirl, my mind immediately went to vanilla soft serve, and I just knew I had to get my hands on one. To see if Ninja's newest ice cream maker lives up to all the social media hype (and if it's worth its $350 price tag), I made several desserts with it over the course of a couple of weeks. Ninja Swirl by Creami Soft Serve & Ice Cream Machine Ninja's latest ice cream machine lets you create delicious frozen treats at home. And thanks to the new soft-serve feature, you can get even more creative with the types of desserts you make. You can customize your recipes What I love most about the Ninja Swirl is that you can get as creative as you want with your recipes. From Chocolate Hazelnut Frozen Yogurt to Cookies and Cream Frozen Custard, the options are pretty much limitless. I have no dietary restrictions, but if you prefer dairy-free recipes, you can easily swap ingredients (like whole milk for unsweetened oat milk, for example). The Ninja Swirl has several one-touch programs: Ice Cream, Creamifit (high-protein and low-sugar mixtures), Lite Ice Cream (mixtures with low sugar or sugar alternatives), Frozen Yogurt, Milkshake, Fruit Whip, Sorbet, Frozen Custard and Gelato, so you'll never get bored experimenting. It's worth noting that not every recipe, like sorbet, can be dispensed as soft serve, so it's important to keep that in mind when you're preparing your bases. I made several desserts during testing, including a one-ingredient sorbet and a peach fruit whip. The textures were pretty spot-on, and they were both so refreshing. Though I didn't need to use this feature for every dessert I made, the Ninja Swirl has a respin option if your mixture comes out crumbly. I found that to be the case with the sorbet I made, but respinning it again fixed this. I also noticed with both the sorbet and fruit whip mixtures, the parts against the walls remained icy after the first spin and I could still see tiny pieces of peach. I fixed this in both recipes by scraping down the sides of the containers and respinning them. The Swirl also has a mix-in option for adding ingredients like nuts and cookies to scoopable desserts. I used it to make a cookie crumble milkshake, and it came out perfect. The cookie pieces broke down well during the mixing process, and the chocolate chips remained intact just like I expected. But when I made strawberry frozen yogurt using the Ninja Creami Swirl, it didn't come out as sweet as I hoped it would. In the future, I'll experiment with adding a sweetener to the base before freezing it. I also followed Ninja's Easy Vanilla Soft Serve recipe, which has just five ingredients: granulated sugar, vanilla instant pudding mix, whole milk, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Though I wasn't sure how it would turn out, I was super pleased with how delicious the ice cream tasted. In its soft serve form, I was impressed by how similar it looked to something you'd get at an ice cream shop. It definitely holds up to the ice cream you can buy in stores or at places like Dairy Queen, and the ability to fully personalize your recipes makes it all the better. Using it is pretty straightforward Like the Ninja Creamis before it, there's some prep work required before you can get to the fun part. Because it uses a blade to shave frozen ingredients into creamy desserts, your mixtures need to be made ahead of time and left in the freezer for 24 hours (you may be able to get away with less) before they can be processed. This is a little inconvenient because you can't make and eat your dessert the same day, but the delicious results make it worth the wait (promise!). There are also some exceptions to this, since milkshake recipes don't require any freezer time. The Ninja Swirl comes with an easy-to-follow recipe booklet to help you get started and two containers to freeze your mixtures in. I also appreciated that plenty of single-ingredient recipes were included in the booklet to further simplify this part of the prep. To get your frozen base ready for processing, you have to install the container in the outer bowl, click the lid in place and attach the bowl to the unit. After that, the Ninja Swirl will light up with two options and two options only: Soft Serve and Scoop. From there, you're able to select from the nine other output programs I mentioned earlier. If you chose a Scoopable spin cycle, once it's done, you're pretty much free to enjoy your dessert. If you went with a Soft Serve cycle, you'll have to take it a step further by removing the pint from the outer bowl and attaching it to the dispense area. The handle at the side of the machine is how you dispense your base and control the speed. I found that it takes a bit of time for it to start dispensing, so don't be surprised if nothing comes out right away. It doesn't take up a lot of counter space This appliance isn't small by any means, but it also won't eat up all your counter space. Compared to my first-generation model, the Ninja Swirl is considerably wider and taller (see below for a side-by-side). I was also pleasantly surprised to find that it fits perfectly under my built-in cabinets so I can push it against the wall. While I kept the ice cream maker on my counter during testing, I'll likely find a different spot for it now, since I know I won't be using it as much as some of my other appliances. It only comes with two containers One of the biggest drawbacks for me is that the Ninja Swirl only comes with two pints. If you want to freeze more than two mixtures at a time, you'll have to shell out additional money. You can purchase a four-pack for $65 or a two-pack for $35, but given its $350 price tag, I expected it to come with at least a few more. Since I didn't buy extra pints, I had to resort to using empty plastic containers for my leftovers so I could continue making more recipes. This isn't convenient at all, and I can see this being a pain point for families with kids who like to eat totally different things. The pints from the different Creami models aren't interchangeable either, so even though I have the ones that came with my older Ninja Creami, I can't use them in the Swirl. It's pretty loud and heavy When I reviewed Ninja's frozen drink maker last year, I mentioned finding it heavy. At nearly 21 pounds, the Ninja Creami Swirl is on the heavier side too, though it's lighter than the Ninja Slushi, which weighs 24 pounds. My older Ninja Creami weighs only 13 pounds, so I keep it on a shelf in my kitchen when I'm not using it to avoid having too many appliances out at once. But the Ninja Swirl is heavy enough that it probably needs a dedicated spot on your counter, so you're not forced to pull it from a shelf every time you want to use it. There's really no getting around this, but it's something to keep in mind (especially if you have limited mobility), since you'll have to get the box from your door to the kitchen, unbox it and then lift it to your counter. Weight aside, I also couldn't help but notice how noisy this appliance is. In fact, the first couple of times I used it, I was concerned that I had done something wrong because of how loud it was. I quickly realized this wasn't the case, though, and the Ninja Swirl is just noisy. If you're a midnight snacker living in a small, shared apartment, don't say I didn't warn you. The whole appeal of the Ninja Swirl is being able to have soft-serve ice cream on demand, and I won't lie, being able to make it from home so easily is pretty awesome. If you love the idea of having soft serve in a cone or a bowl, the Ninja Swirl is for you. If you're willing to ditch the soft-serve function, the Ninja Creami XL Deluxe might be a better option that can save you some coins too. How does the Ninja Swirl compare to the other Ninja Creami models? How does the Ninja Swirl compare to the other Ninja Creami models? The biggest feature that sets the Ninja Creami Swirl apart from the other two Ninja Creami models is its soft serve function. All of the Ninja Creami appliances can make ice cream, lite ice cream, gelato, sorbet and milkshakes, but only the original Ninja Creami can make smoothie bowls. The Ninja Creami XL Deluxe and the Ninja Swirl, on the other hand, both have a frozen yogurt program, while the Ninja Swirl has settings for Creamifits, fruit whips and frozen custards too. The Deluxe model is also able to make Italian ice, frozen drinks, slushies and creamiccinos (coffee-based frozen drinks). And then there's Ninja's dedicated frozen drink maker, the Ninja Slushi, which has five different presets: slush, spiked slush, frappé, milkshake and frozen juice. CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when applicable to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this story, associate editor Rachel Dennis tested the Ninja Swirl by Creami over the course of two weeks to see if it's worth buying.
