Customer Ratings & Reviews

There are health labels and suggestions on food products but sometimes food looks so good and you don’t know what’s in it! Well the Nima detects gluten and works like this: insert a piece of food in a capsule, set capsule in Nima reader, it does its sorcery and when it’s done if there isn’t any gluten your Nima smiles back at you! I’d say that is efficient and snazzy if anything but you can also use data from the application and see restaurants that are gluten free. This is going to come in handy for people who have allergies to gluten because they won’t be hindered by the inability to try something for the fear of gluten. They can just test it on the spot! I’m glad something like the Nima exists because it expands the horizons for people who live within a limit of gluten free diets. Last thing is it is small enough to fit in your pocket or and it’s a conversation starter for sure! It happens at restaurants that I’ve tested so far! Hope this helps you!

I’m not Gluten sensitive. I do have friends who are, so I got this for one of them. The unit comes in two boxes that contain a Gluten Sensor, a USB charging cable, a dozen Gluten Test Capsules, a Twist-off Capsule Wrench to assist in closing the top of a test capsule, and a fabric carrying bag. It was very easy to use this system. I took a small (pea-sized) bit of food I wanted tested and placed it inside one of the test capsules. I was able to twist the top of the test capsule to a fully closed position with my hand but found it infinitely easier on the second capsule using the capsule wrench. I inserted the now-closed capsule into the Gluten Sensor and then pressed the start button. A key to this kind of test is to ensure that you’ve taken a representative sample (perhaps by mixing the food up) of what you’re trying to test. Gluten may be present in your food but not necessarily in the sample you’ve selected. If a small image appears that Nima says represents gluten, then gluten was found. If the Sensor shows a Smile after the test is complete, that means that no gluten was found in the sample. The Nima website indicates that the unit is optimized to detect 20ppm of gluten and above. It turns out that Nima has an impressive background and has its origins in M.I.T. It was developed by people who have food sensitivities and allergies. The antibodies Nima developed for this test are recognized as the gold standard currently used on the market. The test was quick, only taking a couple of minutes. The Nima website says that its sensor can take up to 5 minutes to complete, while many home test kits can take up to 25 minutes. Nima also states that the cost of one of their tests to be $5, in comparison to $12 for other test home kits. Nima has a downloadable app for the Sensor that I found in the Google Play Store. The app helps you locate businesses in your area where you can find gluten-free foods, and includes business categories like cafes, bakeries, Italian, Thai, and many more. It also identifies which products are gluten free under specific labels – which includes but is not limited to the likes of Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Ghirardelli, and more. The App also has a spot where you can report on foods you’ve personally tested at local restaurants or in pre-packaged foods. Your results are then available to other Nima users. As noted above, the initial cost outlay includes a dozen test capsules. Another dozen capsules will cost you a bit over $70, although automatic refills reduce the price to $59 per 12-pack. Nima indicates that the capsules are FSA/HSA reimbursable. While I don’t have gluten or peanut sensitivities, and therefore won’t need a testing sensor like this for myself, I don’t see how they could have made it any easier to use. Nima certainly seems to be on the leading edge of this kind of technology.

I really did not have a lot of hope when the Nima Gluten arrived. It was smaller than expected, USB powered and small mono-color screen. But in the end, it’s simplicity that makes the package work. First, charge the Nima via USB. I charged it for a few minutes and left it plugged in for use. Next you download the app. I was not too happy that the app wants access to all your contacts and access your phone call history. Luckily, you can decline to give the app access and it works fine. After downloading the app, turn the Nima on and click pair in the app. It discovered the Nima in a few seconds and immediately paired. To be honest, I am not even sure how much you need the app to us the Nima. There is not a whole lot of functionality in the app besides sharing results. Where the functionality lies is in the device and the test capsules. How it works is you take a pea size portion of whatever food you are testing and put it in the capsule. There is a screw on cap that you have to make sure it is tight and they include a tool to tighten. I had no problem tightening it but I definitely can see who some women would have an issue. After setting the capsule up, you insert it into the Nima Sensor unit and push the button. Initially, the Nima was silent but then the unit started making what appears to be some grinding sound. There is a little symbol that looks like sun while the Nima is processing. After 4 minutes you get your result. Every test I tried was accurate. It does not tell you how much gluten is present; it simply tells you whether the food has gluten. Simple, straightforward and it works. So what is not to like? Well, it is expensive. The sensor is $230 plus tax. A little on the high side but not unreachable. The capsule, on the other hand, is quite expensive. The are $72+tax for 12. If you use only 4 a month, that is going to cost you another $300. I opened up one of the capsules to see how it works and it appears it grinds the food in some type of liquid substrate . After looking at how it works, the capsules are single use only. Now if you have chronic celiac disease or similar , this would be worth the money . If you are thinking about it to occasionally use, then it is not worth the nearly $600 first year cost.

Ever since my wife's doctor put her on a gluten free (FODMAP) diet, we've had to be very conscientious about what she eats. Many times, a restaurant will offer a gluten free meal, only to find out that the sauce it's cooked in contains gluten, (i.e. chicken and rice with soy sauce sounds innocent, but the soy sauce in the U.S. is typically made with wheat flour for some reason). This device had definitely been a great help in determining what contains gluten and what doesn't, but it does have a few drawbacks. It does take 3-4 minutes to complete the test, so if you're out at a restaurant, you will have to sit and wait before you can eat your meal while the test runs. Also, we've received errors sometimes because the sample size is either too large or too small seemingly. Overall this is an excellent product that is ahead of its time, but I think in 2 or 3 years, they'll have it down to a mere few seconds to determine gluten content, and hopefully, a rough idea of how much gluten is in something.

My wife has Celiac disease so eating out has become a constant struggle for us. She never knows if what she's ordering is truly gluten free and she is always worried about getting sick. This has made it much easier on her and given her peace of mind when we go out. The only down side is the cost of the testing capsules. At around $5-$7 per capsule, the overall cost does add up after a while. However, the feeling of knowing what you're eating is safe is well worth it.

My daughter has Celiac disease and eating is a constant struggle. I have lost track of the times she as asked about the ingredients or whether or not something is gluten free. This device changes the game. It’s a small device with capsules. Simply fill the capsule and seal it as instructed and turn on the device. It actually mixes up the substance and renders a smiley face to confirm that it is indeed gluten free. This will give the owner the flexibility to request a small sample at restaurants to be sure the food is gluten free. I’m very excited to see this product. The manufacturer provided me with very good support as I was learning to use it. If you test dry foods, you’ll want to add a small amount of water to the sample. This will be a great prurchase for anyone looking to test foods for gluten.

Finally a gluten meter that works and is mobile. Love this and the app. When trying new places or items I check the app first to see if anyone else already tested there. If not, I place it in my pocket and away I go

This gluten sensor is a great way to start off if you are new to eating a gluten-free diet. If you are just learning what to look for in foods, this sensor will be very helpful for you. I’ve been following a gluten-free diet for more than a decade, so this isn’t terribly useful since I know what to look for. There are a couple of points to keep in mind where this sensor doesn’t work perfectly. They specify that it doesn’t work for detecting gluten in fermented foods. This includes soy sauce. Unfortunately, that is the place where you can get in trouble at restaurants. If meats are marinated in soy or teriyaki sauces, they are not gluten-free, and this little sensor will not pick up on it. When testing food, you get a reading in about 3.5 minutes. Other than the issue with soy sauce, it correctly identified gluten in the foods that I tested. I’ve put together a video with my thoughts here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHt7kp4sGmU