Customer Ratings & Reviews

When I selected this, I had a totally different expectation of what it would be. I'd seen ice cream makers in the past, usually with the chambers you freeze and then you put the ingredients in and it does its thing. This is not that at all. They give you three containers. You mix your recipe in them, then freeze them for at least 24 hours, and then all this does is spin a four bladed mixer (reminiscent of a propeller) that "shaves" the frozen contents so make it easier to eat. My first complaint was there wasn't even a quick guide inside. Let's ignore the lack of recipes or anything, but not even a quick start, an owner’s manual, nothing. And I didn't miss it and leave it in the box since I break down my boxes before putting them in the recycle bin so I can fit all my cardboard every week. There simply was nothing in here anywhere. There WAS a QR code sticker though, that takes you to a website with information. It was also triple boxed. One of my annoyances is the "box in a box" thing since it leaves me with more cardboard to break down, but this was a box in a box in a box. Totally overkill shipping. So my son and I like vanilla. Looked on the website, is there a vanilla recipe? No. There's some lactose free vanilla thing, there's some vegan one, but there is not a simple PLAIN VANILLA ICE CREAM recipe to be found. I did end up taking a chocolate chip recipe and adjusting it a bit to try. You ought to be able to use pretty much any recipe out there though, and I found other vanilla recipes elsewhere I may try if we bother using this again down the road. I got the ingredients mixed up, put them in the containers, which DO come with their own very secure lids so that things won't spill. But they caution you to make sure they freeze level, and to never use the machine to shave a container that was tilted and has the frozen treat inside at an angle. Then last night we tried it. Pulled my frozen ice cream concoction out of the freezer, popped the lid, and put in in the machine here. This entire machine serves one purpose - simply a motor and gears to spin the blades inside. It extends and retracts it as it goes so it moves up and down inside the container. So you lock the lid on top of the container, then you lock the container into the base. After you lock the container in the base, as you rotate it further (just grabbing the handle and pushing it counter clockwise), it raises it up on a platform to engage the driveshaft above. The noise level is ATROCIOUS. It's amazing how much noise this makes to shave a frozen ice cream mixer. It's louder than blenders. I took a video but unfortunately we can't post videos with our reviews. I couldn't believe just how much noise this makes. But it does turn that container into something with a consistency you could eat. The normal ice cream setting seems to make it about what I remember as a kid with a container of ice cream in the freezer. My son likes it a bit softer, and there is an option to "re-spin" to mix a bit more to make it a bit softer. That point after the first spin is also where there's an option to mix in other things like candies, nuts, etc, then have it mix that into the container as well. Now, the benefit of something like this, compared to a normal ice cream maker like I had expected, is that you aren't stuck with a single flavor at a time. With this, you can pre-mix three different flavors. Since it only takes about 90 seconds to shave it into something you can scoop with a spoon, that means a quick turnaround before doing another flavor right away. Another thing is that you can really get creative here with your ingredients, and use a lot of things that you may not use in a normal ice cream maker. And this makes it easy to really get things like nuts and candies mixed through as well. It also has settings for those who substitute dairy or sugar, since the consistency can be different otherwise. You can even add some alcohol, but don't add too much otherwise it can impact the freezing process. For me, the noise level really makes this a problem appliance, since with my family, the ice cream would normally be an evening or night treat, and there is no way we'd use this at night since it would probably wake up people. So if I have something mixed up and want it late at night, it's a no-go. Clean up was simple though. The containers themselves are easy to clean up. The blade can be a bit of a pain to remove if you try to do it while it still has ice cream gummed up around it, but if you either rinse it off first to melt the ice cream, or just let the ice cream melt before you go to clean, it comes off easily enough. Looking at this from MY perspective, I'd give it two or three stars. But I can see how this would be a fun thing for people with kids. They would LOVE being involved in making their own treats, being able to be the ones to add something like M&M's or chocolate chips to fold into their snack. A chance for them to learn a bit about how ice cream is made and personalize their own snacks. But for us, it's just not a very useful small appliance. I doubt we'll get much use out of it since it's just so much easier to buy what we want and just scoop it out as needed. We don't eat ice cream all that often, so the cost of this would likely buy us a decade of ice cream at the rate we eat it. But if you have kids, and they like ice cream, this could be a fun kitchen addition.

I have been a fan of Ninja products for many years. I have particularly enjoyed the Ninja Foodi which I use regularly. The Foodi was a innovative product which ingeniously paired a pressure cooker with an air fryer. When I heard that Ninja was releasing an ice cream maker called the Creami I eagerly anticipated it’s arrival. I was not disappointed. Ninja has yet again brilliantly reimagined another appliance, this time the ice cream maker, with amazing results. In the box you find the Creami, 3 Creami pints & 3 lids, the outer bowl & lid, the Creamerizer paddle, a quick start guide, and a recipe booklet. I was pleased that 3 pint containers were included. The Creami is fairly imposing with dimensions at 15.92 inches tall by 12.07 inches deep by 6.52 inches wide. The quality of all the components is very impressive. Looking through the recipe book and it’s mouthwatering offerings had me debating what to try first. The Creami isn’t just an ice cream maker. It also makes lite ice creams, sorbets, milkshakes, smoothie bowls, and gelato. So many options and so many recipes. Just keep in mind you can’t just mix ingredients and instantly have a frozen dessert. That’s where Ninja has reimagined the making of ice cream treats. With the Creami you mix a frozen treat base, pour it into the Creami pint, and freeze it for 24 hours. You then insert the frozen pint into the Creami and it processes the frozen base by breaking it down with its Creamerizer paddle and its powerful 800 watt motor turning it into a creamy dessert. What a great idea. With 3 Creami pints you can create and freeze 3 different bases so they’re ready to go at any time. You can of course purchase additional pints too. To give you even more recipe options you can even add a multitude of ingredients using the Mix In mode. Here you can add candies, fruits, cookies and mix them into an already Creamerized base Yummy! I opted to start with ice cream and sorbet for my first Creami treats. I made a trip to the grocery store for an assortment of ingredients and canned fruits. I mixed my bases according to the recipes and popped it in the freezer. The recipes suggest that you can use fresh pineapple, oranges, bananas, and berries for a sorbet base. Or you can use canned fruits in syrup or juice. You just pop the frozen Creami pint into the outer bowl and insert the Creamerizer paddle into the lid. Close the lid and raise it into position. You then select the one touch button for the frozen treat you’re making. The Creami is loud as it does it’s thing. Surprisingly loud. The Creamerizer paddle lowers through the frozen base, cutting through and mixing the base and then it raises back to its starting position. It takes about 90 seconds from start to finish. I made a strawberry ice cream and an apricot sorbet. I frankly could not believe the amazing end results. The ice cream was rich and creamy and perfectly mixed. The sorbet was incredible. Particularly considering my base was simply a can of apricots in syrup and yet the flavor and consistency was remarkably delicious. I was utterly sold on another Ninja appliance. I immediately started planning my next recipes. So far I’ve tried mango, peach, pear, and orange sorbets with consistently impressive results. I have also made chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips, Oreo vanilla, and cinnamon bun. Oh my! I can’t wait to explore more recipes and creations of my own. The flavor possibilities are endless. The milk shakes are great too. I look forward to trying a gelato and the smoothie bowl option. Ninja has done it again. Highly recommended.

This is more on me for not fully reading the description but I was expecting an appliance that actually made ice cream not one that churns or fluffs it. That said, the Ninja Creami does produce frozen treats with a very pleasant texture that I was unable to replicate with a blender or mixer. I was concerned at first that it would be just like any other blender but the Creami does make a much more consistent and airy texture compared to other appliances, not to mention it's more convenient and less messy. The build quality and engineering is great and it is kind of fun watching the blade descend and ascend as it mixes everything up. All the components fit together and lock into place nicely. It is also easy to clean as it makes little to no mess to begin with. The included booklet is full of great recipes and well laid out. The inclusion of three containers and lids is nice as you can have multiple flavors or treat types setting at once. Aside from my initial disappointment that this does not actually freeze the ice cream the unit does perform as advertised.

I received this Ninja CREAMI Ice Cream Maker as a test unit through the Best Buy Tech Insider Network....and I'm glad I did. First off, if you are looking for something to make up a small batch of ice cream from scratch QUICKLY, this isn't it. That said, it IS a great little machine to make up pint-sized batches of ice cream from a pre-frozen base mixture. Keys to the Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Maker are the ease of use, that it comes with 3 pint sized containers, so you can try small batches of different mixes, and that there are 7 settings on the unit for: Ice Cream, Lite Ice Cream, Sorbet, Milkshakes, Smoothies, Gelato, Mix-In and there is a ReSpin option. There are a number of parts to the maker -- outer 'bowl' with locking lid that you mount the mixing blades (1 solid piece, 4 blades) into, and the pint 'cup' in which you pour your mix for freezing. Each pint cup has its own lid which snaps onto the pint solidly and tightly - for freezing your mix and storing any leftover ice cream. The unit comes with a booklet with a number of recipies for ice cream, lite ice cream, milkshakes, sorbet, etc. that can be made with the unit. My initial batch was a single pint based on the Strawberry Ice Cream recipe in the booklet. I had a bag of frozen raspberries in my freezer, so thought this might be a good example of what it could do. First, you mix up the ice cream base in a regular mixing bowl, based on the recipe in the booklet. Once mixed, pour base into one of the CREAMi pints, seal with lid and put in freezer for at least 24 hours to solidify. Once solidified, take the lid off and place in the outer mixing base - the pint container has 'nubs' on the bottom to fit into the outer mixing base so it does not move around in the creaming process. Make sure the blade is locked in place on the mixing lid, then put the lid on the mixing base and lock it in place. Next, put the mixing base onto the actual machine and lock into place. This lifts the mixing base up so that the blade can mesh with the stirring arm of the machine. Select the program you want to use - Ice Cream, Milkshake, Sorbet, etc. - and let it go to work. In a few minutes, the blade will cycle through the mix in the pint container and you have your ice cream ready to eat. It sounds more complicated than it is, believe me. LOL What comes out of the mix is a creamy, smooth ice cream with very good flavor. I substituted honey for the sugar called for in the recipe (which is allowed and a valid option) and got a very tasty raspberry ice cream. The honey was a little heavy and overrode the berry flavor slightly, so next time I think I will cut the amount by about a third. (2/3 cup of honey vs. 1 cup of sugar) I am looking forward to trying different base mixes and flavor combinations. Positives: This will make up a pint of ice cream from a pre-frozen base in a few minutes. Makes a very smooth and creamy ice cream. Comes with 3 pint containers, each with its own snap on lid, so you can make different mixes for different people without have to make a full gallon of one flavor. Recipe book give lots of ideas for bases and mix-ins. Unit is (relatively) quiet and easy to use and clean up. Individual pint containers so that you are not cleaning the actual mixing base every time. Lids for pint containers snap on tightly and securely for freezing and/or storage of ice cream. Negatives: Unless you keep containers of frozen base in your freezer all the time, it takes 24 hours to make up and freeze your base mix in the pint containers. Listed price is a little steep for what you get, but worth it just for the fun of trying new and different mixes. Another win for Ninja in the small kitchen appliance category.

This is my first Ninja product, and I have to say I am quite impressed. It comes with three empty pints that work with the machine, and a guidebook (since I didn’t know how ice cream is made). Set up is simple: Plug in the machine, load your frozen product into the machine, lock everything down and use the control panel to select what ever it is you froze. I love the milkshake function personally and it does well with texture and consistency. You can also add “mix ins” so almost any candies that would go well with Ice cream for that favorite ice cream treat from your favorite chain restaurant. Cleaning is easy since most of the components are dishwasher safe (I keep it all on the top rack). And it stores quite well on my kitchen counter and makes for an interesting conversation piece when asked about it. Now my only pain point is the noise. This thing is LOUD, so I don’t recommend trying to watch TV or listening to music while the machine is on. But it’s totally worth it when it’s done mixing and you have a cold ice cream treat to enjoy.

The new Ninja CREAMi makes some great ice cream and milkshakes. Everyone in my house agrees it makes fantastic ice cream. Using the included recipes I went to town on making some dark chocolate ice cream and now it is all my kids want. It is dead simple to use and easy to clean-up. It has all the hallmarks of a quality Ninja product. Why the 4 stars then? Well, the product leaves me scratching my head. First, once you mix the ingredients they must sit in the small mixing cups for 24 hours in the freezer first. So you need to preplan your ice cream. Generally, I want my ice cream the day I'm thinking about it and not plan for it the day before. When you couple the pre-planning with the fact that it makes 16oz batches at a time I am confounded by who exactly this product is for. It makes great, smooth, and creamy ice cream, but not enough for a family of 5 without making making multiple batches in advance. The milkshake option I get. I can throw some ice cream and milk in one of the mixing cups, throw the CREAMi into milkshake mode, and 'Voila!' an awesome thick milkshake. That said, my blender does a pretty bang up job too so I am not sure one would buy this with the express intent of just making milkshakes. Overall, I like it, but I can't say that I love it no matter how good the end product it makes is. Ninja might consider something scaled up in size a bit with someway to freeze the product on the fly. Maybe I just want my ice cream and eat it too. For a smaller family with patience the Ninja CREAMi is calling you.

The Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Maker is a fantastic small kitchen appliance for anybody that enjoys homemade ice cream or frozen products like sorbet, milkshakes, gelato, and many more. Best of all, it is easy and intuitive to use. Unpacking the three pint containers, outer bowl, paddle, and motor unit (and getting them all setup) takes just a couple minutes. The base is about 16 inches tall and 12 inches deep, and is built very durably. This isn't a particularly small appliance in size, but compared to other homemade ice cream makers this unit is small. It comes with a manual that explains the steps to making your first pint clearly and an excellent recipe guide that includes everything from the decadent to some healthier paleo options. The first step is to prepare the base in one of the pint containers and freeze it for at least 24 hours. After that, put the frozen container into the outer bowl, insert the paddle and put on the lid to the outer bowl, and then put the outer bowl into the motor unit. Next, power up the motor unit and push one of the program choices on the unit, which includes ice cream, sorbet, gelato, milkshake, smoothie bowl, slush, mix-in, and re-spin. The motor unit will begin processing your frozen treat automatically. It isn't particularly loud, especially compared to the loud motor noises typical in other homemade ice cream makers. The unit will sense when the product is ready and will stop at the appropriate time. You can remove the product at that time and eat, or add mix-in products of your choice. If mixing-in, there is another step with the unit to get those things mixed into the product thoroughly. The processing seems to take about 4 minutes at most, and it makes an amazing product. I tried one of the ice cream recipes and one of the milkshake recipes, and they were fantastic. The ice cream was creamy and smooth, and the mix-in was perfectly mixed through the entire pint. The milkshake was a White Russian recipe that was amazing on a hot day. I appreciated that the recipe book included ideas for taking items that I already had in the pantry and fridge and turning them into frozen treats. Clean up was quick, as all of the items can be either hand washed or washed in the top rack of a dishwasher. The only negative that comes to mind is that it only makes a pint so it probably is not the appropriate product for large family get-togethers or parties. But if you are looking for a product that can you help you to make delicious, quick, and easy frozen treats, the Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Maker is exactly what you are looking for to assist.

I was first surprised by how easy it was to make ice cream from scratch and how Ninja provided many recipes to try. With 3 cups available, I was able to create three different combinations of ice cream flavors to share with my friends during a party. There are other options besides creating ice creams such as smoothie or sorbet. Finally able to make sorbet without grabbing my food processor which now minimized my counter space compared to before. Best Buy College Crew members receive products to write honest, unbiased reviews. Reviewers have been provided products free of charge and may have received nominal compensation.

I didnt like it at all you had to mix ingredients together first and let set for 10 minutes then add remaining incgredients. Freeze 24 hrs if I want ice cream dont want too wait 2 days to get it !!!!

Unboxing the Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Maker, you’ll find the actual CREAMi appliance, the Creamerizer paddle, 3 pint containers with lids, the outer bowl and lid, and documentation. The CREAMi appliance itself is attractive but large, standing a full 16” tall. The entirety of the outside of the appliance is gray and black plastic with a membrane-style control panel. The bowls are stated to be BPA-free and are dishwasher safe, along with the paddle (metal construction), outer bowl, and lids, which is a huge plus for clean-up. Overall usage is well documented and easy to follow. Parts fit together well and logically. Included recipes use mostly standard ingredients found in most kitchens and can be put together in just a few minutes. Operation is a little loud, but not any more so than any other mixing appliance. All of this said, my results were a bit of a mixed bag. Treats such as ice cream, milkshakes or sorbet come out generally well, dependent largely on the ingredients you choose and assuming you follow the directions. But then there are issues like the fact that the paddle cannot reach the sides or bottom of the pints so there is always some material left unmixed. And pints that were not consumed immediately and were placed back in the freezer required additional processing but never quite regained that initial consistency. There is also a large, daunting list of DO NOTs to be aware of: ‘Do not’ freeze the pints at an angle, ‘Do not’ process frozen fruit or ice, etc. etc. At the end of the day, the Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Maker is a niche product, but is fun for those who like to experiment and generally performs as it should.

Ninja Creami makes delicious creamy ice cream and so much more. Along with the machine are (3) pint bowls with lids, a quick start guide, and a recipe book. Basic bases (vanilla, chocolate) use common ingredients such as milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, sugar, cream cheese, and cocoa. Substitutions can be made and are included in the recipe book to make dairy-free, low carb, or vegan treats instead. Making a base takes only a few minutes, then you freeze it for 24 hours. Install it in the unit, turn it on and let it make delicious, creamy ice cream in minutes. And don't stop there! This is when you add mix-ins... cookies, candies, sprinkles, pretzels, cereal, whatever you like. I've added Oreos to vanilla and chocolate sprinkles to chocolate so far. Wonderful. So many recipes to try still, we've only just started. Past ice cream treats are shakes, gelatos, sorbets, and smoothies. The unit's panel is easy to read and understand, lights up, and has a progress bar. This is fun for the whole family, not just small children. My 17 year old enjoyed making and eating the treats. Count on buying more pint bowls. And a little FYI: On our first base of chocolate, I forgot to add the cocoa before the cream and milk (as directed). We went ahead and whisked it in and froze it to see if it would be okay. It turned out perfect.

This is the first ice cream maker I have used and I was quite skeptical at the products it was able to produce. After trying several of their suggested ingredients from basic ice cream to their smoothie bowl, I am very impress at how well everything blended together and created a creamy consistent texture. One of my main concerns with kitchen appliances is how easy they are to use and maintain. The Ninja CREAMi could not be any simpler. Creating ice cream or sorbet is as easy as mixing in the ingredients in the provided containers, freezing them overnight, and then selecting the correct program in the machine the next day. Cleanup is also very quick and easy, with the only components to clean being the paddle and the container lid that houses the paddle. As mentioned before, the final product is just fantastic. The ingredients you froze are mixed thoroughly and there are no chunks at the end, just smooth creamy goodness like you would expect from buying at the grocery store. I am excited at the prospects of trying all kinds of different flavors and fruits to see what I am able to create. The hardest part now is finishing off what I've created so that I can try out new recipes. I would highly recommend this ice cream maker to anyone interested.

We got this item looking into making home-made ice cream, something along the lines of a "pour in, ice cream out" type of experience. Not here! Once we got in to it, I was beginning to think, this not at all what I expected, this is a blender... But boy, was I wrong. Once you get this all set up and learn there is a little set up time involved, the end product is great! It comes with three-pint sized cups where you place all your ice cream "fixings" and freeze them over night or a couple of hours (seemed like 5 hours was enough). Once that was done, you load it into the CREAMi and about two minutes later, out comes very smooth ice cream! It also does milk shakes, sorbets and gelatos (didn't try that!). It has a mix-in feature so you can also build your own "Blizzard"... Easy to setup, easy to clean and simple to use. The only thing is you have to have the patience to plan ahead for what you want, as this is not an "instant" ice cream maker. Really looking forward to lots of great home-made ice cream for the rest of the summer... Now where is the whipped cream!

Me and my kiddos love this ice cream maker. It is so easy to use and the recipe book comes with a lot of different flavors for ice cream, sorbets and milk shakes. What a great idea! It comes with 3 different pint sized containers with lids. Unfortunately the 4 pack that is available on the Ninja website was sold out so we could not order more and the single pint was way to expensive compared to buying the 4 pack with lids. That was the only downfall. The only reason we wanted to buy more, even though it came with 3, is you have to freeze it for 24 hours before you can make the ice cream. You need more containers to hold the ice cream in after its made so you can make more. Not a really big deal, but it is nice to have extra containers. Other than that, the ice cream maker is pretty awesome! We love it. My son wants to make milk shakes all the time.

Ice Cream, Sorbet, Gelato, Milkshakes....the works! We've had a blast making our own flavors and experimenting with our CREAMi Ice Cream Maker. Is it cheaper than store bought? ...probably not, but you have complete control over the ingredients and that makes it well worth it considering our household has persons with a dairy allergy. To date we've made Lite Vanilla Ice Cream w/chocolate chips, Chocolate Ice Cream, Chocolate Milkshakes with mix-ins, Blueberry Pomegranate Sorbet, Cherry Pomegranate Sorbet, Peach Ice Cream, and Vanilla Cookie Dough Ice Cream. Each and every one has been quite tasty and we've stuck with doing dairy free versions of everything. We've used Oat Milk, Coconut Creme, and Vegan Cream Cheese for most recipes. We've used the Agave Nectar in favor of sugar in some cases as well. Even these dairy free alternatives have been good. I would wager the dairy versions would be fantastic!! The process is really quite simple, but don't confuse it for one of those old school ice cream machines that use salt and ice. This is very much something that require a bit of patience as they ask you to mix the ingredients and let it sit in the freezer for 24 hours before mixing. The only real misconception beyond that previously mentioned would be that carrying the Ninja name, you'd expect it to be able to blend things. Truth is they tell you to only use soft fruits as it is not a blender. So it limits you just a bit to canned and soft fruits. But there's still a recipe book of hundreds of choices. I would very much recommend this as it's fun for the whole fam making your own creations and being in control of the finished product. On top of that, it's much healthier too. Only con is that it only comes with 3 pint containers to start. Try it out today, you'll love it!

I received this item for free from Best Buy and Ninja in exchange for my honest opinion.I was really excited to receive another Ninja product...I've used/had so many, and they've all blown my expectations out of the water. This one, though, failed to do that. Is it a handy gadget? I supposed...but...when you hear "ice cream maker," you think sweet, I'm going to make some ice cream when the craving strikes. Not with this machine, unfortunately, you have to plan at least 24 hours ahead if you want ice cream. Milkshakes are easy enough at the last minute, and there are a lot of great recipes on their website, but I am really disappointed about the ice cream making taking a whole day of planning to make. Yes, you can keep some pints already made and waiting in the freezer, but I don't know about anyone else, but I don't have the freezer space for that when I can just have a store-bought pint ready to go with less work.All my complaining aside, it seems like it is another solid Ninja machine, if you have patience, have the freezer space, and aren't a moody eater like me.

Love this thing! It makes homemade ice cream and other delicious goodies in seconds, and it comes with a recipe book full of great ideas. I'd recommend one to anybody.

I've had a few ice cream makers in the past, and they all had pretty much the same thing in common - they were a complicated and made a mess. This unit is relatively compact and good looking. If you're wanting to make ice cream pretty regularly, it's certainly worth the storage space and may even find a permanent home on the countertop. The recipes included all make ice cream, but other recipes I've found online have been easily adaptable. I also like the ability to load the container when you want to refresh and re-cream the ice cream. The main and only downside to this device is the volume. The creamerizer is essentially a spinning blade drill that's plunging into frozen cream. It's loud, and it takes several minutes to finish.

Great way to make ice cream! The book is very helpful for recepies or you can make your own.

Great gift! My daughter started using it that very day! Loves what she can create from the product!