Ninja Swirl Ice Cream Maker Review: Is it Worth Buying?

Logan Nathanson

Summary:

Here's a summary of the Ninja Swirl Ice Cream Maker review:

The Ninja Swirl offers a quick and easy setup, similar to the original Ninja Creamy, and claims to be a 13-in-1 ice cream machine.
Its soft serve option creates a noticeably lighter and airier texture compared to the denser "scoop" option or the original Ninja Creamy.
The machine is as loud as the original Ninja Creamy and takes roughly the same amount of time to process.
A key feature is the ability to dispense soft serve directly into a cone, enhanced by a "retract" button to pull unused ice cream back into the container.
All washable parts are dishwasher safe, making cleanup simple and fast.
The Ninja Swirl is recommended for those who love the soft serve experience and cones, despite being $150 more than the original Ninja Creamy.

The Ninja Swirl dispensing soft-serve ice cream into a cone. [ 00:00:04 ]

Unboxing and Assembly [00:00:22]

The Ninja Swirl by Creami box highlighting its 13-in-1 soft serve and ice cream machine capabilities. [ 00:00:02 ]

The Ninja Swirl includes:

Base
Drip tray

The drip tray sliding into the base of the Ninja Swirl. [ 00:00:29 ]
Two 16 oz pint containers. The reviewer notes that the Ninja Creamy Deluxe comes with 24 oz containers, so this was unexpected.

One of the 16 oz pint containers for the Ninja Swirl. [ 00:00:33 ]
A special attachment for soft serve dispensing.

The soft serve attachment, a key component for dispensing. [ 00:00:44 ]

The setup process is quick and easy, taking less than 5 minutes.

Making Ice Cream [00:00:59]

The process of making ice cream with the Ninja Swirl is similar to the original Ninja Creamy:

Attach the blade to the lid.

The processing blade that attaches to the lid. [ 00:01:05 ]
Place the pint container into the outer bowl.

Placing the pint container into the outer bowl. [ 00:01:24 ]
Secure the lid.
Attach the bowl to the machine.

Sliding the assembled pint and outer bowl into the Ninja Swirl machine. [ 00:01:45 ]

A notable improvement is that the Ninja Swirl has grooves that help ensure correct placement of the container, unlike the original Creamy where placement was more of a guess.

Grooves on the machine base ensure correct placement of the container. [ 00:01:50 ]

Functionality and Features [00:02:16]

The Ninja Swirl claims to be a 13-in-1 ice cream machine, but this refers to the various settings available.

The Ninja Swirl control panel showing 'Soft Serve' and 'Scoop' options and various dessert programs. [ 00:02:22 ]

Selecting either "soft serve" or "scoop" illuminates the relevant options, with some overlap between the two modes.

Selecting the 'Lite Ice Cream' setting under 'Soft Serve' mode. [ 00:03:00 ]
The "scoop" setting produces a denser ice cream, similar to the original Ninja Creamy.
The "soft serve" setting creates a lighter texture.
The machine displays the remaining processing time on the screen.

The display shows remaining processing time in minutes. [ 00:03:26 ]

Noise and Speed [00:03:12]

The reviewer notes that the Ninja Swirl is as loud as, or possibly even louder than, the original Ninja Creamy. Processing time is roughly the same for both machines.

First Spin Results and Taste Test [00:03:37]

The soft serve setting creates a noticeably lighter and airier texture compared to the original Creamy.

The light and airy texture of the chocolate peanut butter ice cream after processing on 'Soft Serve' mode. [ 00:03:53 ]

The reviewer, who regularly makes ice cream with the original Creamy, could taste a subtle difference in texture, finding the soft serve version lighter and softer as expected.

Soft Serve Dispensing [00:04:51]

To use the soft serve dispensing feature:

Replace the regular lid with the dispensing lid.

Attaching the specialized dispensing lid to the pint container. [ 00:04:59 ]
Attach the container to the side of the machine.

Inserting the pint with the dispensing lid into the soft serve section of the machine. [ 00:05:07 ]
Twist the front piece open.

Twisting open the front piece of the dispenser to prepare for soft serve output. [ 00:05:18 ]
Pull the handle to dispense the soft serve into a cone.

Smooth, swirled soft serve being dispensed directly into an ice cream cone. [ 00:05:55 ]

The machine needs to be turned on to dispense. It takes about 15 seconds to start dispensing the ice cream.

Retract Feature [00:06:30]

The Ninja Swirl has a retract button that pulls the ice cream back into the pint container, allowing you to save the rest for later.

The 'Retract' button, which pulls dispensed ice cream back into the pint. [ 00:06:32 ]

The ice cream retracting back into the pint container. [ 00:06:45 ]

Cleaning [00:06:53]

All washable parts are dishwasher safe, making cleanup quick and easy. The reviewer estimates that cleanup takes less than 5 minutes.

Value Assessment [00:07:23]

The Ninja Swirl costs $150 more than the original Ninja Creamy.

For those who enjoy eating ice cream in cones, the Ninja Swirl is worth the upgrade due to its soft serve dispensing feature.
The soft serve texture cannot be replicated with the original Creamy.
If you simply enjoy eating ice cream and are looking for a healthier option, the original Ninja Creamy is a great entry point.