Is the Ninja Creami Swirl worth the counter space?

We finally got the Ninja Creami Swirl. Here’s the honest part.

I can tell you right now I’m going to share my honest opinion.

Make sure you got a lot of space. This thing takes up space.

It comes in two separate boxes, then the official box itself. You open it up and it’s full of recipes.

The Ninja Creami Swirl comes in 13 different programs. Six of those are targeted at soft serve. Seven are traditional ice cream. Let’s be honest. We’re all here for the soft serve.

Two ways to do it.

The first way is the one they tell you to follow step by step. First recipe we tried: vanilla. Large bowl. Combine sugar and pudding mix. Slowly add milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Mix that up. Pour it into an empty pint. The device should come with two of them, plus two lids. Then it goes in the freezer for 24 hours.

24 hours later. Blade into the cover. Fresh vanilla pint into the mixer base. Lid off. Mixer lid on. Load it. Lock it. Nice little click. Select soft serve, then ice cream.

This is loud. They say it’s slightly quieter than the older Ninja Creami. It’s still pretty darn loud.

First look at the ice cream: pretty perfect for soft serve.

Then you load the soft serve plug. That’s essential if you want it to pipe. Latch it. Twist from close to open. Star bit on the bottom. Then you start piping.

Look at that. Beautiful swirl. It’s still going. You got to stop it a little sooner than you’re ready.

Some chunks were still inside the vanilla. That happens when the pudding mix isn’t mixed in right. We still got toppings on it.

The handle speed doesn’t change the thickness or the creaminess. It just controls how fast it comes out. Towards the end it has this little extra spurt. It spit. It blasted off.

Leftovers become sundaes. One of the best ways to make sundaes is with soft serve. This gets fun fast.

The other way: you don’t have to wait 24 hours. Take a pint of your favorite ice cream. Load it the same way. Instead of ice cream, click respin. Just like that you’ve got a machine the whole family can use.

When you run out, it automatically stops and reverses the plug.

We also did chocolate. Vanilla and chocolate chip. A protein one. I did the protein too simple. I poured it, then added the other ingredients later, so it didn’t mix well. There were a couple pieces of ice in there. Beyond that it tasted delicious and the texture was pretty good besides the ice.

Cleaning is pretty easy. Remember the ice cream still in the pocket. Open the bottom. Slide it. You can get to it from the top. Easy to clean and maintain.

Would you get the Ninja Creami Swirl, or stick with the older Ninja Creami?

Personally I love the soft serve. I love popping in any of my favorite ice cream brands and making quick soft serve. That’s pretty phenomenal.

This is the test I filmed on Keli’i Discovers: Ninja Creami Swirl.

Affiliate disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Soft serve is the win — six of the thirteen programs are soft-serve targeted, and the swirl pipes clean when you stop it a beat early.
• Two paths: full recipe + 24-hour freeze, or store-bought pint + Re-spin when you don’t want to wait.
• Easy clean if you empty the pocket — open the bottom, slide it, or reach from the top.
• Personally I love popping in favorite ice cream brands for quick soft serve.

Cons

• It takes counter space — two boxes plus the official box, and the unit itself is big.
• Loud. They say slightly quieter than the older Creami; it’s still pretty darn loud.
• Chunks show up if the pudding mix isn’t blended right; protein ice showed when I added ingredients late.
• End of the pipe has an extra spurt — stop sooner than you think.

FAQ

Ninja Creami Swirl vs the original — which should I get?
Get the Swirl if soft serve is why you’re buying. Thirteen programs; six are soft serve. That’s the win. Stick with the older Ninja Creami if you only want scoopable pints and don’t need the soft-serve pipe.

Is the soft serve worth the counter space?
It takes space. Make sure you’ve got room. Loud too — they say slightly quieter than the older Creami; it’s still pretty darn loud. Personally I love the soft serve.

Do I have to wait 24 hours every time?
Recipe path: mix, freeze 24 hours, then soft serve. Skip the wait: load a store-bought pint and hit Re-spin. That’s the fast family path I showed.

Cleaning?
Pretty easy. Ice cream can sit in the pocket — open the bottom, slide it, or get it from the top.

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My name’s Kelii with Ohana Reviews. As always, Mahalo and Aloha.