The Ninja Creami really does produce some great results. However, if you're careful you can produce very nice results with a Ninja Foodi Power Blender as well! Check out this video for our review on that! ua-cam.com/video/83UGnGcZoYI/v-deo.html
Rebecca Raven commented: "For the Creami, I always have 3-4 pints in the freezer ready to go. The hardest part is making the decision what to process!"... for some reason, UA-cam deleted this comment.. sorry for that, @Rebecca Raven
What I was getting at is more along the lines of having to plan a day ahead of time with the Creami unless you're just being really proactive and making a bunch just to make it for the the future. Kinda like wanting that bologna sandwich tomorrow but having to make it now.. It's fine for people that don't mind doing that... I'm one of those, too... And the Creami does produce a FANTASTIC result for sure.
I've had several of the freezer bowl ice cream makers, I.E. Cuisinart, etc., and they are just not as good as the Creami. The ice cream consistency/texture is superior. It's not as impromptu but plan ahead, it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
Good analogy! Wow! Yes... I think I mentioned in the video that I really liked it and for me it would be great because I'm a planner.... The recommendation was geared more towards the majority of people that just want something really quick. It's definitely a dangerous thing for me to have sitting around, sugarless ice cream or not! Haha
I've always wanted a compressor based machine because the pre-frozen bowls never get the ice cream quite right. I always have to do an after freeze. I think the results of the ninja are just what I'm after. I have many Ninja and Shark products and love them all.
We actually have some content coming up the next 2 weeks you might like. Some results from an ivation compressor based ice cream maker, a review of it, and a comparison between that, the Creami, and a frozen bowl machine with the pros and cons of each.
The Creami is clearly an attempt to compete with the almighty Pacojet, which is 3x heavier/bulkier and 20x more expensive. This Ninja product is the absolute best ice cream maker in the market for home use - it comes with 3 pints and more are available for purchase as well, which gives us the possibility of having multiple pints already frozen and ready to be spun. The traditional ice cream maker also requires a 24h freezing time for the bowl, and a decent brand costs at least $100. I don't know of any ice cream maker that actually makes the ice cream/sorbets so having a pre-made base is required for every single gadget designed for that purpose. I don't find the Creami to be misleading at all. Having used a Pacojet at work for many years and knowing how finicky and limited of a machine it is, I am beyond excited to own the Creami and finding that I get the same results for a fraction of the price. The re-spin and add-on features are fantastic and overall I find it absolutely worth the price.
Thanks for the insight, my friend! We have a compressor based ice cream machine coming in in a couple of days... we were going to do a compare on contrast video on that, the creami, and also your basic ice cream maker that requires prefreezing a bowl so people can see what each one does good and what each one doesn't... might be pretty interesting.
I agree, 👍 I don’t find the ‘cons’ are a ‘con’ to this consumer. I always chill my ice cream base and the individual pint cups are a brilliant selling point as is the ability to (plan ahead) and make several different flavors in one go. As he mentioned this is not the same as throwing a frozen base into a blender. Ninja have stated it compresses as well as shaves, making it not overly airy. We all have different needs and this item makes us planners very happy! 😁
@@JoesPhenomenal I was waiting for probably a decade for someone to recreate the Paco Jet for home use and can’t wait until it arrives. The Paco Jet is a 10k+ USD machine and if this comes anything close, it would be mind blowing and a freaking steal! That is probably also the reason why I don’t understand the negatives of the author at all. Freezing a bowl overnight is as time consuming as using the creami, but with the creami you can do multiple ice creams sequentially and I expect that cleaning is comparing to compressor machines much easier. I agree, it belongs to the category of enthusiasts, but when you are buying an ice machine, you probably are. It is also very special purpose, but so is a toaster!
@@jbc6193 Excellent points, JBC. It wasn't that we disliked the machine.. It's really a neat product, but we were more just trying to make sure people understood that there is definitely a time committment involved there... Doing a bunch of pints all at once and freezing them to eat at a later date is definitely a strength. Compressor machines are great for people that want ice cream faster, and I'd only recommend the freezer bowl machines for those that can't afford the compressor versions. Love the Pacojet though... The Creami is gonna fall well behind it as far as durabiliy, but last I checked Pacojets were over $5000 bucks or something like that? Thanks for chiming in! You're thoughts are Much appreciated!
I’d like to hear your comments about this observation: It appears the shaft which engages and turns the shaving head descends to the bottom of the pint container with the shaving head, and therefore is exposed to the ice cream or whatever it is you are creaming. Being there is no way to clean the 4”s of shaft that descends into the pint, a dairy product will collect and sit on that shaft until you use the machine the next time. Now, what happens to an unrefrigerated dairy product when it sits for a week? It rots and produces all manner of mold and nastiness. The next time you use your machine, that shaft with spoiled dairy on it, descends into, and mixes with, your fresh creation. Does anyone else see the problem here?
Heya Joseph... Yes... That's definitely something to think about as well. The Creami does a pretty good job scraping that shaft going up and down and there's a seal there, but there isn't a way to be sure that nothing is collecting inside the machine... And like you pointed out, it doesn't take much rotten dairy in there to cause a whole lot of problems... I'll need to contact Ninja and ask them about it. EXCELLENT OBSERVATION! On a related note, we are doing a direct comparison between this, a freezer bowl machine, and a compressor machine, and will mention that info and shout you out in it.
This comment made me look at mine lol. I've used mine around 20 times in the last 4 months so I was a little concerned. The only way I could see the steel shift was to put an empty container in the machine and set it going. It was perfectly clean as far as I could tell but to be sure I put some lightly soapy water in a container and ran it lol. I checked the water after and perfectly clean. I will keep an eye on it in future tho that's for sure thx for the comment!
After use, rinse everything and fill the Creami pint with soy water. Install, and run on any cycle. Then use clean water, and run like normal, then wash everything. Don't forget to remove the rubber seal under the lid.
Well... They get a lot of love from me too... I actually changed my mind about the creami a while later.... The finished ice cream is just too good to discount.
This product is right up my alley. I highly enjoy making my food and knowing what’s going in. I’m not afraid of the extra work because that’s the part I enjoy most. I didn’t anticipate this machine to make ice cream, but rather afford the opportunity to make my own.
I have been trying to figure out how to clean this machine. First, make sure you remove the rubber seal from the lid, every time you clean it. Second, what about that rod that goes into your product? It has to be cleaned each time as well. I figured it out. After use, fill the creami pint with some lightly soapy water. Install in the machine and run like normal. I use milk shake setting. Does not make a mess. Then repeat with clean water. This is how they clean milkshake machines in restaurants. Bacteria can grow under the rubber seal, and on that rod. I hope this helps. A clean Creami machine is a happy Creami machine.
Yes... definitely clean under that rubber seal for sure. The rod that goes up into the unit has a rubber seal in the middle that is supposed to keep anything from getting inside the machine. The idea of doing the milkshake program with the soapy water is a great idea though.... Just like when cleaning a regular blender. Thanks for the tips, James!
Heya kite girl... I have an updated video for that... I changed my mind a little over the course of the last six months. Might be worth a gander... Also we hwve a review up for the new Ninja Creami Deluxe... A little bigger and badder.
Thank you for your VERY honest reviews! I purchased a Ninja Ultimate system with the blender, food processor, and smoothie maker. I love this system, paid less than $200 and I was researching videos to find out why I couldn't just make the ice cream in my blender instead of purchasing another expensive device. I'll pass on the creami and just find some good freezer recipes and try using the smoothie cup or the blender.
Glad I could help! We actually have a couple of frozen treat videos on the channel that we did just using the single serve cup from the Ultimate system. They came out pretty nice. Not quite as smooth since it isn't really getting churned for a long time, but still pretty nice! Here are links to a couple of them for you if you wanted to check that out: ua-cam.com/video/4B5d9VEnB5Q/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/pUJBBTACEBw/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/323pvlxdRbo/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/1BG11fWKi50/v-deo.html
I love this review. Honest feedback.... Like you, I'm a planner as well, so this machine is a win. I literally watched this video to help me with my decision. 🙏 thanks
Thanks Jason! Appreciate ya and glad I could help! I have another video that compares the strengths and weaknesses of the Creami, an Ivation compressor machine, and a cuisinart freezer bowl machine also, that might be kind of interesting to ya.. Here goes the link if it piques you interest, and thanks for watching! ua-cam.com/video/o6aVLKMhBP8/v-deo.html
After much internal debate, I ordered the KitchenAid ice cream attachment, read ppl keep it in their freezers all the time in a bag so it's ready to go whenever they are. I have a deep freezer in my garage that has plenty of room for it. Plus a pro 600 so excited..... But I still kind of want the Ninja Creami idk if I made the right choice lol
Well... That's a pretty nice attachment. I almost bought one myself, but it wasn't in stock and thnr I kinda forgot about it. Haha. Let me know how you like it!
I dont think they ever really call it an ice cream maker. It does say you can transform everyday ingredients into ice cream, but later they clarify that you are creating creamy treats. So I think it isn’t the normal person believing it is an ice cream maker, nor even a play on words. I see it more as a blender for frozen items. One that does not bog down when it is against a frozen item. At the same time that it thins it out and warms it enough through friction that makes it creamy or Creami.
That's a fair assessment.. However in the manual it does mention that, for instance, you can't use any frozen fruits other than Bananas, Pineapple, and strawberries I think was the third because everything else freezes to hard and can damage it. Also, if you freeze canned fruits, it can't be anything packed in water... only syrup, because the syrup will keep it softer. I can understand that though, because the blades aren't angled like a blender blade. They're geared more for shaving. That being said, I would imagine anything would have a problem with a solid block of ice. lol. It was a little worrisome that a lot of people don't read directions and might miss the fruit thing. I did mention that I liked it and for someone like me, It would be a cool tool to have since I plan out meals way in advance, but the amount of time it takes to produce a finished product, and the cost vs the frozen bowl type (which produces a good result too) still would make me wanna spring for the compressor type machines, since they start around $50 more than the Creami. For the average person that doesn't wanna plan a day ahead, anyways. In any case, I made a bunch of stuff with it, and ate it all right away, and it was all delicious. You definitely right about it producing a creamy product, also.
I already have a cheapish compressor type ice cream maker, so thought the Creami didn't have anything for me. I was wrong. I am an amateur cook, so I make mistakes. I also like to experiment. With the classic ice cream maker, if something went wrong, I was more or less stuck with it. With the Ninja Creami, it is really easy to correct mistakes by using the respin and (sometimes) adding a little juice/milk/cream. So mixes that come out icy or crumbling can be made smooth and silky in less than 10 minutes. The other thing is my old ice cream maker takes anything from 30 to 60 minutes to make a batch of ice cream. If I wanted to have a selection for visitors, I'd have to make them in advance. They are not going to want to stand and watch it churn. With the Ninja Creami, you can freeze a number of tubs of ice cream, gelato or sorbet base, and shave it in front of your friends, inviting them to choose any mix-ins. So it is a lot more theatrical than a boring compressor ice cream maker.
All true, my friend. I ended up making a followup to this video about 6 months later, and really had a change of heart about it.. The resulting ice cream really is fantastic. Love the texture.
@@JoesPhenomenal Have only just discovered you, looking for more Creami ideas. :) Needless to say, am now subscribed. Edit: Oh my! Yes, you do have a bit of Creami content!
@@JoesPhenomenal I was curious whether anyone has played with the Creami for non-ice cream recipes. For example, the Pacojet method of making pates and similar.
I watched this just to help make my decision If I need this machine. It’s on special today, but i think it’s still a bit overpriced. Thanks for the informative video!
Just pulled my Creami out of the box! OMG... its the easiest and creamiest! The Sorbets cost around $1 per pint. My 3 yr old G-son says it elicious. Yes, over priced especially Khols but Costco had on sale $140.
At 140, that's a steal! For sorbets, the Creami is still my favorite machine, since you don't need to pre process your fruit. Super excited for you! You got a great value for your money there!
I was on the edge of purchasing one of these. Thank you!! Now I'm turning my attention to the higher-end machines that produce ice cream when I want to eat it!! Thanks again!
Got mine for a bit less than $200. Maybe the price has come down since you posted this, or it was a holiday sale, but I am glad I bought it and don't find the amount of time to prepare the recipe to be very time consuming at all-especially for a fruit sorbet or simple ice cream. I say it was well worth the $.
Yep... You're right... It's down to 150 in some places which makes it more enticing to me. I liked the machine, but imo I always prefer devices that can pull off more functionality since I'm weird about counter space... Definitely cool though.
@@JoesPhenomenal thank you, and thanks for the video. I'm doing some research. You'd think I'd have done that before buying, lol, but I'm a Ninja junkie anyway. I was doomed from the start. I already have their blender, air fryer, coffee maker, and cookware. They should be paying me. Lol.
Heya, Marjan. It looks like the 299 comes with one pint container, and the 301 normally comes with 2... Other than that, the specs and features look the same to me... The 301 might have some color options too? Ninja is so weird about changing the model numbers all the time. It gets confusing fast!
@@JoesPhenomenal thank you for you’re answer, yes i got confused with the models bc ithere are different ones but it doesn’t say where’s the difference.
It's definitely confusing. On top of that, they give different model numbers to different retailers sometimes too since they make the bundle or the unit a little different. For instance, on the ninja dual brew pro coffee maker, best buy has a special version that has a stainless carafe, and they're the only ones that have that... Special model number also.
I make most of them up through trial and error. Sometimes I take a regular pre existing ice cream recipe and modify it to drop the sugar and calorie content down... That's what I did with the dole whip video.
Good review. I think you said it very well that this machine actually just shaves what you made and makes it cremi. I bought the Ninja™ CREAMi™ Deluxe 11-in-1 XL Ice Cream Maker. Having to have the ingredients in the freezer for 24 is too much time and then the blade just shaves it down and then it looks like just chunks of flakes. You need to add more milk or liquid to make it look more like actual ice cream. I don't think this is how companies and people really make ice cream or other frozen desserts, I believe they mix ingredients and then pour it into a cold mixer for a while and then can eat it for freeze it. They don't freeze it for 24 hours and then shave it. 24 hours in the freezer is way too much time. It should be more like 5-6 hours. Definitely returning this item or gonna sell it. I bought it thinking it would be great but i don't like it. Only made ice cream about 2-3 with it so far and haven't tried the other 10 options and don't want to because I don't think it's worth it. Get an ice cream maker than spins the ingredients in a cold container.
Thanks, Nate. That machine actually grew on me a bit over time... The finished ice cream really does come out nice, and I liked that a lot, and the time thing wasn't too bad after I picked up a few extra pints and just made a bunch at once so it would be ready to go when I wanted it. Not everyone has that kind of space in their freezer though, That's where those compressor machines really shine... and if you like a soft serve type of consistency (which I do!), they can be pretty fantastic. It all depends on the person I suppose... I really do like being able to just make some ice cream spur of the moment though... The Creami can't do that.
It has 2 sets of blades on it on opposite sides of the paddles. When you turn It on, it spins one way and the blades slowly move to the bottom of the bowl.. Then It comes back up slowly spinning the opposite direction to use the different ones. Pretty ingenious, really.
I love the Creami! To me it seems like your video was more of an overall negative review. It shouldn't be. It's a great product and I haven't heard anyone regret their purchase yet.
Hi, G Robb! I know.. It kind of ended up looking that way a little... I personally liked it, but the critiques were more to be cautionary for people that don't understand the time commitment... In any case, I did a followup review after 6 months that was a lot more positive, since it has really grown a lot on me since then.. here it goes if ya wanna check it out! Thanks for watching my video, and thanks for you insight as well, by the way! ua-cam.com/video/MtQbIjdj17I/v-deo.html
You can do the same thing with a food processor and immense mixer... Save yourself $200... I don't understand if the blade in on the lid, how does the unit extended the blade down to the bottom of container???? Where is the rod and how does it attach to blade??!
The blade sits in the bottom of the lid, and is attached to a shaft that comes through, then the whole shaft extends down during the shaving process.. For our uses over here, we ended up finding the compressor based ice cream makers a lot more useful though since they can just freeze on the go. I agree with you that much of what the Creami does can be accomplished by other means for less money for sure.... It does have a pretty cool blade design though. Makes the finished products pretty light and fluffy.... Dunno if that's worth 200 bucks though. Costco has it for 140 right now, which makes it a little more interesting though, IMO. Thanks so much for the Input!!
Thanks for stopping by! Yes. Basically... It does a great job at that though... Everything is nice and fluffy. However... That's an awful lot of money for that. I was thinking about putting up reviews for both the compressor type machines and also the frozen bowl type, just to contrast.
@@JoesPhenomenal it seems like the "ice cream" would be full of ice crystals, based on my basic knowledge of making ice cream. If I recall correctly, the churning during the chilling process, is to limit the size and number of ice crystals.
@@horseshoe_nc Yessir.. Sounds right to me.. You sound like your ice cream game is better than mine for sure.. lol. The creami has a problem in that case then, I would imagine since there isn't any churning during freezing like you have with other types of machines, since you freeze everything completely before you use it.. but I didn't notice any ill effects of that on the finished product. The results were nice.. I just wasn't thrilled about all the time and planning required to use it... and the price was relatively close to a lower end compressor machine. I have a bowl style ice cream machine being sent over now, so when that gets here we can see how it compares... That one churns to freeze, so it will be interesting.
i use this thing to make thickshakes best home made thickshakes ever i throw in the ice cream then i threw in banana flavoured milk then i get banana flavoured thickshakes
Yeah... Recently I changed my min Don that thing a little... It's really grown on me... Here goes the updated video if ya wanna check it out! ua-cam.com/video/MtQbIjdj17I/v-deo.html
The point was that the only thing the foodi does is take a completed and frozen product and essentially shave it back down from a frozen mass. It does a nice job of that, but for the price tag there are better options. With the machines that you prefreeze the bowls and also with the compressor based machines, you just take all your ingredients and put them into the machine. They do the work of freezing and stirring the ingredients into whatever you are trying to make, and they do so in about 40 minutes or so depending on which machine it is. With the Creami, you are looking at a 24 hour commitment to produce 2 servings. If you have the time and wherewithal to plan out ahead and just make a bunch and freeze way ahead of time, it's nice, but most people aren't going to wanna do that consistently. Yes, with the bowl freezing machines, you have to prefreeze that bowl, but it's much easier just to store that bowl in your freezer when not in use than the other way around. However, that's all just my personal opinion on all this, of course. I did mention in the video, that I liked this machine and would probably use it, but I am the type that doesn't mind planning out and making meals way ahead of time to have food prepped all week, so it's kind of the way I live, anyway.
@@JoesPhenomenal I think like with the cuisinart and other frozen bowl makers you still have to have the bowl frozen for at least 24 hours and and after you make one you have to freeze it again so you can’t make several different types. Of course compressor style ice cream makers are the true ice cream maker but I haven’t really seen a home edition of those for a decent price. I think for a home edition for multiple styles of ice cream in a single evening this is none of the better ways to go. Thanks for responding!!
Yep... You're totally right about the bowl thing... Unless you have a bunch of bowls.. Kinda defeats the purpose in that case... I have one one those machines on the way just to check it out and see... Also some of the compressor machines are down below 300 bucks now... Might ge tone of those too to compare to... For sure you're right... That's the best solution... If I were to keep the Creami, I would just order 4 or 5 extra pint containers and just have a bunch of stuff made and ready to go in the freezer for whenever my sweet tooth was acting up!
@@StreetLore We're lobbying a couple companies to send out review units... it's tough sometimes though since we have to tell them the review will be our honest opinion.. lol. Probably going to go ahead and just order at least one in... I saw a Cuisinart under $300, so I might just have to spring for it and get it in here. Was looking at Breville and Lussino also.
I hear ya, Chris. My point on that was a little unclear, I think, and only had that in there, because several people asked me about it, and werer under the impression that is just magically pops ice cream out or something (which would be awesome!). It was meant to illustrate more that with the Creami, you do everything other than the mix-ins outside of the machine, and don't use it until everything is done and frozen and you're ready to eat it. With the bucket based machines, the frozen bowl ones, and the compressor machines, there's a lot more early interaction with the actual machine. I'm sorry for that. I think I made it a little confusing.
I'm glad you made this video. I thought that when I bought my ice cream maker. Mine is a Cuisinart. Everything is true what you said..you know what you're putting in.
I think for a slurpy, not so much. It will make it too light. Italian ice, you might be able to do depending on the flavor. Certain things can't go into it if they freeze too hard. For that stuff, a blender might work better. I'd have to try to experiment with that one.
Lol. Thanks Sane. I did this one before I realized I should be showing that stuff... Haha. Stupid me. All the newer ones have actual review footage in them isthead of me just talking about it. I Apologize for that!
Yeah... That's a great point... They'd need to make it a little bigger to get something larger than a pint in there... I suppose you could just do 6 or 7 pints at a time and just em all in the freezer, but that takes a little planning to do that.
Heya, Furious. The cookng parts, for sure. My point wasn't really very clear on the video, so I apologize for that.. The only issues I really had with the creami are that first, it doesn't have any type of cooling element, so you have to use a freezer for a full 24 hours to get your mix where it needs to be in order to make anything where as the compressor machines and frozen bowl ones do require some freezer time after you make your ice cream if you prefer to have something harder than your typical soft-serve, but only a couple of hours or so... and second, that you have to be really careful with ingredients on the creami as far as different fruits go. If they freeze hard, like strawberries, it can damage the machine. Definitely work arounds to that, but it's something that a lot of people won't realize if they don't read the manual. All that being said, I still think the Creami produces a fantastic result if you plan ahead and have the time to let those creami pints freeze. In fact, I like that machine a lot more than I did originally now that's I've had it for awhile. Enough to where we are gonna start doing a lot more Creami content.
I would say your 90% wrong. Anywhere in the world you have to prep your base at least a day in advance. Your 10% correct because you do have to freeze it ahead of time. However, ice cream isn't ice cream until it gets put in the ninja creamer.
Hey! Thanks for the comment. I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you though. We have produced ice creams, gelatos, and sorbets with several machines and using several machines including the creami, a ninja foodi blender with a smoothie bowl attachment, a compressor based ice cream maker, the old school ice cram makers that use the bucket and ice, and the type of machines that use the bowl that needs to be pre-frozen. The creami is the only one in the group that takes that amount of time. As I mentioned in the review however, I did say that I like the machine and would be happy to keep one in the kitchen because it produces nice results... but that for the average person that wants to make it on a whim, the fact that you need 24 hours to be sure the ingredients are fully frozen will cause most people to just go out and buy some from the store... no to mention that you need a litle more time at the begnning to prep the ingredients before you freeze them. With the frozen bowl and ice/bucket typoe machines, all you have to do is mix your ingredients and go. A lot of people say you should let you mixed ingredients set for a few hours before using the machines in this senario, but we never do and it comes out great and you have ice cream in about an hour including prep time. The downside to these is that the old stype bucket machines need ice and they're a little cumbersome, and with the frozen bowl machines, that bowl needs to be pre frozen. In the case of those, the bowl is supposed to be pretty much stored in your freezer between uses. That way it's all ready to go when you want to use it.. otherwise it would take just as long as the creami does and the results still wouldn't be quite as good. All that bein said, frozen bowl type machines don't freeze the ice cream super hard, so in most cases, the finished product needs to go back in the freezer for about an additional hour to firm it up a little more.. Still, we are talking about ice cream in 2 hours total with these and those machines are well under $100. With the blender, I've found that they work best for sorbets because with those you are mostly using fruits which you can just buy from the store already frozen. Blending that stuff gives you something closer to a smoothie though unless you are very careful with the pulse button, and in any case again, you'll want to firm that up in the freezer for up to 2 hours. I probably wouldn't use a blender for anything that doesn't include frozen fruit though. The compressor based machines are the most expensive, but they work the best and they start priced just above the cost of the creami. These machines run much colder than the frozen bowl type, so they can get a much better freeze on your raw ingredients. Frome the time you put your ingredients in to the finished product on these is something like 30 minutes plus prep time.. so under an hour of total time in most cases. One area that I think the Creami does have an advantage though is with fruit sorbets. With sorbet (since your are typically using whole or chunk fruit), you can do the whole thing with one machine. All the ingreidents go into the cup and you just freeze the whole thing. when it's ready, the machine does the rest of the work. The compressor, manual ice, and frozen bowl machines will all require the use of a blender to break down that fruit first except for the the blender making option which comes with it's own challenges in the form of pulse blending just right, having to use frozen fruit (which makes it a wash with the creami if you are freezing your own), and a lot of added time in the freezer to firm everything back up. I get what you're saying about the creami though.... It's a cool machine.. and for the people that commented here about getting it on sale between $130-$150, I feel like that's the price where a machine like this really really shines and makes it way more enticing. $200 is just too high IMO, though.. expecially with compressor machines starting under $300.
Great advice, Joe! I was looking at this the other night when my wife's handbag "accidently" hit me upside the head. I guess you can say she went Ninja on my a$$. When my Ninja Ultimate Kitchen System gets here, I'll take your advice and see how that does making a sugar-free frozen dessert.
You could do that, but probably wanna use the single serve cup, and be careful not to over blend it. If you have the ninja smoothie bowl maker attachment, it makes that easier since you can stir the contents a little without having to remove and open the cup. We have some frozen yogurt and sorbet videos on here that we did in the Blender and it came out really nice.
You should be able to do that no problem... All it's really doing is fluffing it up. If you put in already finished ice cream, I would use the "respin" button though. A full cycle might make it overly soft.
Love my Creami! I love the pint size because my freezer pretty much stays pack and I don't have room for the large freezer bowls. Wish I could afford one with a compressor.
Hey! Thanks for checking out the video! Glad ya like your Ninja Creami. We have this other video you might like the does a pros and cons head to head between it, an Ivation Compressor Machine, and a Cuisinart Freezer bowl machine also. Might be fun for ya. Here goes a link if you're interested in that: ua-cam.com/video/o6aVLKMhBP8/v-deo.html
It's like a new kitchen toy. I predict the thrill of what it does will wear off and it will end up in everybody's appliance graveyard by the end of the first year. I'm a kitchen appliance junkie and I know, the thrill does wear off after a few months for most people. No, not everybody. I remember wanting a bread maker and after I got one, and after making a few different loaves of bread, that was it, I was finished with it. My husband used to say he calculated what that bread maker cost , and how many loaves of bread I made and he figured it was about $300.00 a loaf.........lol. Hey, we all love new gadgets and we seem to buy them to see what they can do, and then eventually all that enthusiasm dies out. I'd like to try this out , but only if a friend owned it and I could watch them make something. Me, I prefer to roll my cart down the aisle to the Haagen Dazs freezer, toss the pints into my basket and go home. Or, I make "No Churn" ice cream, and it's great , only 3 main ingredients, and you can add in your fruits or chips to the 3 ingredient base, freeze it for 6 hrs and it's done. Ninja tells you to cut your fruits up because this is not a blender but a mixer and you could ruin it using large chunks of fruit. But, that being said, you put everything in the freezer until it's rock hard and then try to mix a block of ice. I would think that would eventually burn out that motor. If large pieces of fruit can ruin it, what do blocks of ice do?
Excellent comment, Lisa! Thanks so much for your take! Several things. When you put the cups in the freezer, remember that fats don't completely freeze, so ice creams and stuff like that don't get totally solid... BUT if you're doing a nonfat version, that can be a problem... Also the sorbets are no good if you are using fruits that freeze really hard also. That's why they say you can only use a few different ones in this... Otherwise it will kill the motor. The fact that these kind of machines have really limited utility was the reason I mentioned in the video that most people might want to try using their Blender, since you can make some pretty nice treats with those too, and still have an appliance that does other stuff. I feel for you on the appliance graveyard... Lol... There's always a "gotta have" cool device. The Creami is definitely cool, but my biggest critique was the price tag that goes along with it's limited use. Right now, we have a Cuisinart frozen bowl style ice cream maker in house making recipes and doing our review video... It's only about 60 bucks retail, so if it turns out to be able to produce good results, it's a much easier pill to swallow, if you know what I mean.
I think to avoid the kitchen appliances graveyard you have to know yourself well and fully understand how the product works. For me, I like to eat organic and fresh home made food so this Creami is perfect to achieve that. But if you're happy to buy from a store and you enjoy that ice cream that would be far more convenient! My parents ended up with a lot of juicers in the graveyard. I think it was just because they didn't know how time consuming it would be to set up, clean and disassemble.
@@sophieannaviolet Heya! Thanks for the thoughtful addition! Totally agree with ya there. Just put up a new video last week that compares and contrasts the Creami with a freezer bowl machine and also a compressor based one as well.... They all have their advantages and disadvantages depending on what's important to ya.
I thought that but still on the fence about getting this or just a normal ice cream maker (sage smart scoop) since there's no way I'm spending upwards of 3k on a pacojet....
I just use a compressor based machine over here. They've gotta pretty affordable lately... Just have to use the Blender a little bit for sorbets to break down the fruit.
Thanks for the honest review! It's a bit of a deceiving product - not really an ice cream maker. However, waiting a day would be great for my waistline - haha.
Lol... I hear ya. It does do a nice job whipping the ingredients up though.. I might have been more favorable to it if it costed a bit less.... A lot less, actually.
I think we can stand to mention the fact that the creami makes stuff without using any ice. Using a whole bunch of water in your recipe will definitively... well... literally water down the flavor. For some recipe that might be what you want but in my case it's usually the opposite.
Excellent point! and that's also what a lot of people do when they make smoothies in blenders as well. With the Ninja Creami, and all of the compressor based and frozen bowl type ice cream makers it's the same recipes. No water in any of those, I think. On the old style bucket ones that you have to use ice in, I'm not sure but I think that ice stays on the outside of the mixing area... Not positive about that though, but it makes sense not to introduce water for both flavor and creaminess!
Thanks! Well... For my purposes, I just felt like it was too much money for what it does.... Especially with the price of the compressor ice cream makers coming down so much.. It's a cool device, and I'm sure plenty of people will love it, but for me I just like to do stuff on a whim.
“Coffee makers done really make coffee, you’re the one that puts the coffee bean and water in and the coffee maker just grinds the bean and boils the water… is it really a coffee maker if thats all it does?” This is the same logic applied to this video… smh
Heya Engelbert! Thanka for the great input! I might have been a little unclear as to what I meant by that comment in the video, and if so I apologize... Using the same coffee maker analogy, if the coffee maker also could not boil the water and requires you to do that and then pour it in, then that would kind of be what I was getting at with the Creami. Every other type of ice cream maker has the ability to at least do the freezing portion as well. I don't hate the Creami though... I like the blade design. It does do a nice job on blends and leaves the contents nice and fluffy.... Almost like it had been churned, which I though was really great.
When you say the Ninja Creami is not really an ice cream maker, you are being disingenuous. Even industrial machines require a mix (comes in a bag and is kept cold until needed). Just like a ravioli maker doesn't really create raviolis (you have to prepare the pasta and filling, and then put them together), or an air fryer doesn't really "fry" anything, it's just a name to identify the usefulness of the product. Until we discover how to use atoms around us to create stuff (like the Replicator in Star Trek), NOTHING makes something out of nothing. That being said, if you see this machine as a specific type of blender, it's easy to see it's potential to "whip" stuff into a specific consistency. Now, does the machine do THAT correctly? Then your review should be positive. Don't be cheap.
I thought the same thing.... I ended up revising this review video a couple months later... It's a limited use machine, but man.... the way it churns it makes a really great finished product.... It grew on me a lot, anyways.
Yeah... I would have been a lot happier about it if it were around $99 or something like that. Money is so tight for people these days and I felt like there was more value elsewhere.
Yeah, you're right. The Creami is problematic that way. The only thing that directly involves it is putting a pre-frozen cup on it and pressing one button. Everything else is done away from the machine, so I didn't want to focus too much on showing that stuff... I have a few recipe videos up that use it that do, however.
The Ninja Creami really does produce some great results. However, if you're careful you can produce very nice results with a Ninja Foodi Power Blender as well! Check out this video for our review on that! ua-cam.com/video/83UGnGcZoYI/v-deo.html
Rebecca Raven commented: "For the Creami, I always have 3-4 pints in the freezer ready to go. The hardest part is making the decision what to process!"... for some reason, UA-cam deleted this comment.. sorry for that, @Rebecca Raven
Yeah... that's how I would use it also.... Mentioned that in the video as well. It takes some planning though for sure.
@@JoesPhenomenal Making anything from ice cream to a bologna sandwich takes planning, just like anything else in life. No big surprise.
What I was getting at is more along the lines of having to plan a day ahead of time with the Creami unless you're just being really proactive and making a bunch just to make it for the the future. Kinda like wanting that bologna sandwich tomorrow but having to make it now.. It's fine for people that don't mind doing that... I'm one of those, too... And the Creami does produce a FANTASTIC result for sure.
Lol! I was thinking the same thing!😂 I will be checking out your video. I will save 150-200 because I have a Ninja Bender.
Thanks!
I've had several of the freezer bowl ice cream makers, I.E. Cuisinart, etc., and they are just not as good as the Creami. The ice cream consistency/texture is superior. It's not as impromptu but plan ahead, it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
Good analogy! Wow! Yes... I think I mentioned in the video that I really liked it and for me it would be great because I'm a planner.... The recommendation was geared more towards the majority of people that just want something really quick. It's definitely a dangerous thing for me to have sitting around, sugarless ice cream or not! Haha
Thank you for your honest review, it was really helpful to made me choose which icecream maker is better for me,
You're welcome! Glad to be of assistance.
I've always wanted a compressor based machine because the pre-frozen bowls never get the ice cream quite right. I always have to do an after freeze. I think the results of the ninja are just what I'm after. I have many Ninja and Shark products and love them all.
We actually have some content coming up the next 2 weeks you might like. Some results from an ivation compressor based ice cream maker, a review of it, and a comparison between that, the Creami, and a frozen bowl machine with the pros and cons of each.
Love your slippers, Joe
Lol thanks... Was an accident that they ended up on camera originally.
The Creami is clearly an attempt to compete with the almighty Pacojet, which is 3x heavier/bulkier and 20x more expensive. This Ninja product is the absolute best ice cream maker in the market for home use - it comes with 3 pints and more are available for purchase as well, which gives us the possibility of having multiple pints already frozen and ready to be spun. The traditional ice cream maker also requires a 24h freezing time for the bowl, and a decent brand costs at least $100.
I don't know of any ice cream maker that actually makes the ice cream/sorbets so having a pre-made base is required for every single gadget designed for that purpose. I don't find the Creami to be misleading at all.
Having used a Pacojet at work for many years and knowing how finicky and limited of a machine it is, I am beyond excited to own the Creami and finding that I get the same results for a fraction of the price. The re-spin and add-on features are fantastic and overall I find it absolutely worth the price.
Thanks for the insight, my friend! We have a compressor based ice cream machine coming in in a couple of days... we were going to do a compare on contrast video on that, the creami, and also your basic ice cream maker that requires prefreezing a bowl so people can see what each one does good and what each one doesn't... might be pretty interesting.
I agree, 👍 I don’t find the ‘cons’ are a ‘con’ to this consumer. I always chill my ice cream base and the individual pint cups are a brilliant selling point as is the ability to (plan ahead) and make several different flavors in one go. As he mentioned this is not the same as throwing a frozen base into a blender. Ninja have stated it compresses as well as shaves, making it not overly airy. We all have different needs and this item makes us planners very happy! 😁
@@erinsjourney315 yep... The finished product really is nice, for sure.
@@JoesPhenomenal I was waiting for probably a decade for someone to recreate the Paco Jet for home use and can’t wait until it arrives. The Paco Jet is a 10k+ USD machine and if this comes anything close, it would be mind blowing and a freaking steal! That is probably also the reason why I don’t understand the negatives of the author at all. Freezing a bowl overnight is as time consuming as using the creami, but with the creami you can do multiple ice creams sequentially and I expect that cleaning is comparing to compressor machines much easier. I agree, it belongs to the category of enthusiasts, but when you are buying an ice machine, you probably are. It is also very special purpose, but so is a toaster!
@@jbc6193 Excellent points, JBC. It wasn't that we disliked the machine.. It's really a neat product, but we were more just trying to make sure people understood that there is definitely a time committment involved there... Doing a bunch of pints all at once and freezing them to eat at a later date is definitely a strength. Compressor machines are great for people that want ice cream faster, and I'd only recommend the freezer bowl machines for those that can't afford the compressor versions. Love the Pacojet though... The Creami is gonna fall well behind it as far as durabiliy, but last I checked Pacojets were over $5000 bucks or something like that? Thanks for chiming in! You're thoughts are Much appreciated!
I’d like to hear your comments about this observation: It appears the shaft which engages and turns the shaving head descends to the bottom of the pint container with the shaving head, and therefore is exposed to the ice cream or whatever it is you are creaming. Being there is no way to clean the 4”s of shaft that descends into the pint, a dairy product will collect and sit on that shaft until you use the machine the next time. Now, what happens to an unrefrigerated dairy product when it sits for a week? It rots and produces all manner of mold and nastiness. The next time you use your machine, that shaft with spoiled dairy on it, descends into, and mixes with, your fresh creation. Does anyone else see the problem here?
Heya Joseph... Yes... That's definitely something to think about as well. The Creami does a pretty good job scraping that shaft going up and down and there's a seal there, but there isn't a way to be sure that nothing is collecting inside the machine... And like you pointed out, it doesn't take much rotten dairy in there to cause a whole lot of problems... I'll need to contact Ninja and ask them about it. EXCELLENT OBSERVATION! On a related note, we are doing a direct comparison between this, a freezer bowl machine, and a compressor machine, and will mention that info and shout you out in it.
This comment made me look at mine lol. I've used mine around 20 times in the last 4 months so I was a little concerned. The only way I could see the steel shift was to put an empty container in the machine and set it going. It was perfectly clean as far as I could tell but to be sure I put some lightly soapy water in a container and ran it lol. I checked the water after and perfectly clean. I will keep an eye on it in future tho that's for sure thx for the comment!
After use, rinse everything and fill the Creami pint with soy water. Install, and run on any cycle. Then use clean water, and run like normal, then wash everything. Don't forget to remove the rubber seal under the lid.
this guy is ninja's greatest enemy forsure
Well... They get a lot of love from me too... I actually changed my mind about the creami a while later.... The finished ice cream is just too good to discount.
Thank you so much for sharing this video, I was just about to order this for my son for Father's Day
Glad I could help, Cynthia! You're very welcome.
This product is right up my alley. I highly enjoy making my food and knowing what’s going in. I’m not afraid of the extra work because that’s the part I enjoy most. I didn’t anticipate this machine to make ice cream, but rather afford the opportunity to make my own.
Nice! That's a great perspective!
I have been trying to figure out how to clean this machine. First, make sure you remove the rubber seal from the lid, every time you clean it. Second, what about that rod that goes into your product? It has to be cleaned each time as well. I figured it out. After use, fill the creami pint with some lightly soapy water. Install in the machine and run like normal. I use milk shake setting. Does not make a mess. Then repeat with clean water. This is how they clean milkshake machines in restaurants. Bacteria can grow under the rubber seal, and on that rod. I hope this helps. A clean Creami machine is a happy Creami machine.
Yes... definitely clean under that rubber seal for sure. The rod that goes up into the unit has a rubber seal in the middle that is supposed to keep anything from getting inside the machine. The idea of doing the milkshake program with the soapy water is a great idea though.... Just like when cleaning a regular blender. Thanks for the tips, James!
Thank you! I just got the Ninja Foodie and was wondering whether to get the Creamy. I will stick to the Foodie for now!
Heya kite girl... I have an updated video for that... I changed my mind a little over the course of the last six months. Might be worth a gander... Also we hwve a review up for the new Ninja Creami Deluxe... A little bigger and badder.
Thank you for your VERY honest reviews! I purchased a Ninja Ultimate system with the blender, food processor, and smoothie maker. I love this system, paid less than $200 and I was researching videos to find out why I couldn't just make the ice cream in my blender instead of purchasing another expensive device. I'll pass on the creami and just find some good freezer recipes and try using the smoothie cup or the blender.
Glad I could help! We actually have a couple of frozen treat videos on the channel that we did just using the single serve cup from the Ultimate system. They came out pretty nice. Not quite as smooth since it isn't really getting churned for a long time, but still pretty nice! Here are links to a couple of them for you if you wanted to check that out: ua-cam.com/video/4B5d9VEnB5Q/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/pUJBBTACEBw/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/323pvlxdRbo/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/1BG11fWKi50/v-deo.html
Great review
Thanks, Valeria!
I love this review. Honest feedback.... Like you, I'm a planner as well, so this machine is a win. I literally watched this video to help me with my decision. 🙏 thanks
Thanks Jason! Appreciate ya and glad I could help! I have another video that compares the strengths and weaknesses of the Creami, an Ivation compressor machine, and a cuisinart freezer bowl machine also, that might be kind of interesting to ya.. Here goes the link if it piques you interest, and thanks for watching! ua-cam.com/video/o6aVLKMhBP8/v-deo.html
After much internal debate, I ordered the KitchenAid ice cream attachment, read ppl keep it in their freezers all the time in a bag so it's ready to go whenever they are. I have a deep freezer in my garage that has plenty of room for it. Plus a pro 600 so excited..... But I still kind of want the Ninja Creami idk if I made the right choice lol
Well... That's a pretty nice attachment. I almost bought one myself, but it wasn't in stock and thnr I kinda forgot about it. Haha. Let me know how you like it!
I got mine for 100 on rollback at Walmart and I love it! I do not mind making it the day ahead, especially if you have seen icecream prices lately! 😅😅
That's a good price! Congrats to you! They are cool machines.
Great video with an honest review. You just earned a new sub!
Awwww... Thanks Paula!
I dont think they ever really call it an ice cream maker. It does say you can transform everyday ingredients into ice cream, but later they clarify that you are creating creamy treats. So I think it isn’t the normal person believing it is an ice cream maker, nor even a play on words. I see it more as a blender for frozen items. One that does not bog down when it is against a frozen item. At the same time that it thins it out and warms it enough through friction that makes it creamy or Creami.
That's a fair assessment.. However in the manual it does mention that, for instance, you can't use any frozen fruits other than Bananas, Pineapple, and strawberries I think was the third because everything else freezes to hard and can damage it. Also, if you freeze canned fruits, it can't be anything packed in water... only syrup, because the syrup will keep it softer. I can understand that though, because the blades aren't angled like a blender blade. They're geared more for shaving. That being said, I would imagine anything would have a problem with a solid block of ice. lol. It was a little worrisome that a lot of people don't read directions and might miss the fruit thing. I did mention that I liked it and for someone like me, It would be a cool tool to have since I plan out meals way in advance, but the amount of time it takes to produce a finished product, and the cost vs the frozen bowl type (which produces a good result too) still would make me wanna spring for the compressor type machines, since they start around $50 more than the Creami. For the average person that doesn't wanna plan a day ahead, anyways. In any case, I made a bunch of stuff with it, and ate it all right away, and it was all delicious. You definitely right about it producing a creamy product, also.
I already have a cheapish compressor type ice cream maker, so thought the Creami didn't have anything for me. I was wrong.
I am an amateur cook, so I make mistakes. I also like to experiment. With the classic ice cream maker, if something went wrong, I was more or less stuck with it. With the Ninja Creami, it is really easy to correct mistakes by using the respin and (sometimes) adding a little juice/milk/cream. So mixes that come out icy or crumbling can be made smooth and silky in less than 10 minutes.
The other thing is my old ice cream maker takes anything from 30 to 60 minutes to make a batch of ice cream. If I wanted to have a selection for visitors, I'd have to make them in advance. They are not going to want to stand and watch it churn.
With the Ninja Creami, you can freeze a number of tubs of ice cream, gelato or sorbet base, and shave it in front of your friends, inviting them to choose any mix-ins. So it is a lot more theatrical than a boring compressor ice cream maker.
All true, my friend. I ended up making a followup to this video about 6 months later, and really had a change of heart about it.. The resulting ice cream really is fantastic. Love the texture.
@@JoesPhenomenal Have only just discovered you, looking for more Creami ideas. :)
Needless to say, am now subscribed.
Edit: Oh my! Yes, you do have a bit of Creami content!
@@JoesPhenomenal I was curious whether anyone has played with the Creami for non-ice cream recipes. For example, the Pacojet method of making pates and similar.
Lol.. thanks! Was just going to tell you we have a creami Playlist. Sounds like you might have found it!
I was thinking about trying some stuff like that.
After watching this really made it easier for me. Tha k you so much you have a new subscriber now!!!
Thank you! Glad I could help!
Thank you
Yw!
Thank you sooooo much for clarifying 😎. This was so helpful
No problem! Glad to be of service!
It's on sale for $139.99 on Amazon today.
Now we're talkin'! Have a link to it in the video description. Not sure if it's the right listing though.. Will have to check that out.
I watched this just to help make my decision If I need this machine. It’s on special today, but i think it’s still a bit overpriced. Thanks for the informative video!
You're welcome! They had them during prime day for something like $129... Definitely a deal at that price.
Just pulled my Creami out of the box! OMG... its the easiest and creamiest! The Sorbets cost around $1 per pint. My 3 yr old G-son says it elicious. Yes, over priced especially Khols but Costco had on sale $140.
At 140, that's a steal! For sorbets, the Creami is still my favorite machine, since you don't need to pre process your fruit. Super excited for you! You got a great value for your money there!
There are people buying from Costco and selling the items on Walmart and Amazon websites.... This happen to me with a floor lamp!!!
I know! It's crazy.
I was on the edge of purchasing one of these. Thank you!!
Now I'm turning my attention to the higher-end machines that produce ice cream when I want to eat it!!
Thanks again!
You're welcome! I have a compressor based machine on the way that we will be doing some content on soon so that might be helpful for you.
Got mine for a bit less than $200. Maybe the price has come down since you posted this, or it was a holiday sale, but I am glad I bought it and don't find the amount of time to prepare the recipe to be very time consuming at all-especially for a fruit sorbet or simple ice cream. I say it was well worth the $.
Yep... You're right... It's down to 150 in some places which makes it more enticing to me. I liked the machine, but imo I always prefer devices that can pull off more functionality since I'm weird about counter space... Definitely cool though.
I ordered mine from Walmart on sale for $150. Will be here today. Can't wait.
@@TBoogy3 Nice!
@@JoesPhenomenal thank you, and thanks for the video. I'm doing some research. You'd think I'd have done that before buying, lol, but I'm a Ninja junkie anyway. I was doomed from the start. I already have their blender, air fryer, coffee maker, and cookware. They should be paying me. Lol.
@@TBoogy3 I hear ya man.... They make good products that look nice too without breaking the bank..... Unless you buy em all... Lol
Does the ninja come with a type of ingredients booklet as well?
It does! It's pretty loaded too!
@@JoesPhenomenal thanks
@@J-Mac8 any time!
What is the difference between this 301 model ande the 299 model?
Heya, Marjan. It looks like the 299 comes with one pint container, and the 301 normally comes with 2... Other than that, the specs and features look the same to me... The 301 might have some color options too? Ninja is so weird about changing the model numbers all the time. It gets confusing fast!
@@JoesPhenomenal thank you for you’re answer, yes i got confused with the models bc ithere are different ones but it doesn’t say where’s the difference.
It's definitely confusing. On top of that, they give different model numbers to different retailers sometimes too since they make the bundle or the unit a little different. For instance, on the ninja dual brew pro coffee maker, best buy has a special version that has a stainless carafe, and they're the only ones that have that... Special model number also.
Where do you find your recipes?
I make most of them up through trial and error. Sometimes I take a regular pre existing ice cream recipe and modify it to drop the sugar and calorie content down... That's what I did with the dole whip video.
Very insightful video joe! U have earned a sub
Thanks! Appreciate ya! 😊
Good review. I think you said it very well that this machine actually just shaves what you made and makes it cremi. I bought the Ninja™ CREAMi™ Deluxe 11-in-1 XL Ice Cream Maker. Having to have the ingredients in the freezer for 24 is too much time and then the blade just shaves it down and then it looks like just chunks of flakes. You need to add more milk or liquid to make it look more like actual ice cream. I don't think this is how companies and people really make ice cream or other frozen desserts, I believe they mix ingredients and then pour it into a cold mixer for a while and then can eat it for freeze it. They don't freeze it for 24 hours and then shave it. 24 hours in the freezer is way too much time. It should be more like 5-6 hours. Definitely returning this item or gonna sell it. I bought it thinking it would be great but i don't like it. Only made ice cream about 2-3 with it so far and haven't tried the other 10 options and don't want to because I don't think it's worth it. Get an ice cream maker than spins the ingredients in a cold container.
Thanks, Nate. That machine actually grew on me a bit over time... The finished ice cream really does come out nice, and I liked that a lot, and the time thing wasn't too bad after I picked up a few extra pints and just made a bunch at once so it would be ready to go when I wanted it. Not everyone has that kind of space in their freezer though, That's where those compressor machines really shine... and if you like a soft serve type of consistency (which I do!), they can be pretty fantastic. It all depends on the person I suppose... I really do like being able to just make some ice cream spur of the moment though... The Creami can't do that.
How do the blades reach the bottom the bowl as the blades are at the top?
It has 2 sets of blades on it on opposite sides of the paddles. When you turn It on, it spins one way and the blades slowly move to the bottom of the bowl.. Then It comes back up slowly spinning the opposite direction to use the different ones. Pretty ingenious, really.
@@JoesPhenomenal thank you. 👍
@@Susanne171062 no problem! It's actually kinda fun to watch.... Then again, I like watching my clothes flip around in the dryer too. Haha.
I love the Creami! To me it seems like your video was more of an overall negative review. It shouldn't be. It's a great product and I haven't heard anyone regret their purchase yet.
Hi, G Robb! I know.. It kind of ended up looking that way a little... I personally liked it, but the critiques were more to be cautionary for people that don't understand the time commitment... In any case, I did a followup review after 6 months that was a lot more positive, since it has really grown a lot on me since then.. here it goes if ya wanna check it out! Thanks for watching my video, and thanks for you insight as well, by the way! ua-cam.com/video/MtQbIjdj17I/v-deo.html
Thx for this
You're welcome!
You can do the same thing with a food processor and immense mixer... Save yourself $200...
I don't understand if the blade in on the lid, how does the unit extended the blade down to the bottom of container???? Where is the rod and how does it attach to blade??!
The blade sits in the bottom of the lid, and is attached to a shaft that comes through, then the whole shaft extends down during the shaving process.. For our uses over here, we ended up finding the compressor based ice cream makers a lot more useful though since they can just freeze on the go. I agree with you that much of what the Creami does can be accomplished by other means for less money for sure.... It does have a pretty cool blade design though. Makes the finished products pretty light and fluffy.... Dunno if that's worth 200 bucks though. Costco has it for 140 right now, which makes it a little more interesting though, IMO. Thanks so much for the Input!!
Thank you for this video. You answered my question, how does it work. Basically a frozen dessert shaver.
Thanks for stopping by! Yes. Basically... It does a great job at that though... Everything is nice and fluffy. However... That's an awful lot of money for that. I was thinking about putting up reviews for both the compressor type machines and also the frozen bowl type, just to contrast.
@@JoesPhenomenal it seems like the "ice cream" would be full of ice crystals, based on my basic knowledge of making ice cream. If I recall correctly, the churning during the chilling process, is to limit the size and number of ice crystals.
@@horseshoe_nc Yessir.. Sounds right to me.. You sound like your ice cream game is better than mine for sure.. lol. The creami has a problem in that case then, I would imagine since there isn't any churning during freezing like you have with other types of machines, since you freeze everything completely before you use it.. but I didn't notice any ill effects of that on the finished product. The results were nice.. I just wasn't thrilled about all the time and planning required to use it... and the price was relatively close to a lower end compressor machine. I have a bowl style ice cream machine being sent over now, so when that gets here we can see how it compares... That one churns to freeze, so it will be interesting.
Thanks joe Sarah down the way was misleading about preparation
You're welcome! I'll admit though that this machine has grown on me.... You you don't mind the extra prep time, the results come out really nice.
i use this thing to make thickshakes best home made thickshakes ever
i throw in the ice cream then i threw in banana flavoured milk then i get banana flavoured thickshakes
That right there makes we wanna go make one right now.
I love my ninja Creami So easy so quick you can't do everything in a blender if you can do and die it's easier to use.
Yeah... Recently I changed my min Don that thing a little... It's really grown on me... Here goes the updated video if ya wanna check it out! ua-cam.com/video/MtQbIjdj17I/v-deo.html
there is no machine That Creates food.... Every food machine requires you to input ingredients. Really confused about this take.
The point was that the only thing the foodi does is take a completed and frozen product and essentially shave it back down from a frozen mass. It does a nice job of that, but for the price tag there are better options. With the machines that you prefreeze the bowls and also with the compressor based machines, you just take all your ingredients and put them into the machine. They do the work of freezing and stirring the ingredients into whatever you are trying to make, and they do so in about 40 minutes or so depending on which machine it is. With the Creami, you are looking at a 24 hour commitment to produce 2 servings. If you have the time and wherewithal to plan out ahead and just make a bunch and freeze way ahead of time, it's nice, but most people aren't going to wanna do that consistently. Yes, with the bowl freezing machines, you have to prefreeze that bowl, but it's much easier just to store that bowl in your freezer when not in use than the other way around. However, that's all just my personal opinion on all this, of course. I did mention in the video, that I liked this machine and would probably use it, but I am the type that doesn't mind planning out and making meals way ahead of time to have food prepped all week, so it's kind of the way I live, anyway.
@@JoesPhenomenal I think like with the cuisinart and other frozen bowl makers you still have to have the bowl frozen for at least 24 hours and and after you make one you have to freeze it again so you can’t make several different types. Of course compressor style ice cream makers are the true ice cream maker but I haven’t really seen a home edition of those for a decent price. I think for a home edition for multiple styles of ice cream in a single evening this is none of the better ways to go. Thanks for responding!!
Yep... You're totally right about the bowl thing... Unless you have a bunch of bowls.. Kinda defeats the purpose in that case... I have one one those machines on the way just to check it out and see... Also some of the compressor machines are down below 300 bucks now... Might ge tone of those too to compare to... For sure you're right... That's the best solution... If I were to keep the Creami, I would just order 4 or 5 extra pint containers and just have a bunch of stuff made and ready to go in the freezer for whenever my sweet tooth was acting up!
@@JoesPhenomenal 100% any good Recs for the compressor ones !?!?
@@StreetLore We're lobbying a couple companies to send out review units... it's tough sometimes though since we have to tell them the review will be our honest opinion.. lol. Probably going to go ahead and just order at least one in... I saw a Cuisinart under $300, so I might just have to spring for it and get it in here. Was looking at Breville and Lussino also.
Well done!
Why, thank you!
Of course its not making it. With any ice cream maker, it works on what you put into it. Tomato, tamato I guess.
I hear ya, Chris. My point on that was a little unclear, I think, and only had that in there, because several people asked me about it, and werer under the impression that is just magically pops ice cream out or something (which would be awesome!). It was meant to illustrate more that with the Creami, you do everything other than the mix-ins outside of the machine, and don't use it until everything is done and frozen and you're ready to eat it. With the bucket based machines, the frozen bowl ones, and the compressor machines, there's a lot more early interaction with the actual machine. I'm sorry for that. I think I made it a little confusing.
I'm glad you made this video. I thought that when I bought my ice cream maker. Mine is a Cuisinart. Everything is true what you said..you know what you're putting in.
Thanks! So how much use do you really get out of yours? Once is a blue moon kind of thing?
I just bought the Ninja Creami for 160 on sale :D Just in time for the current heatwave!
Got yourself a great deal, there! Nice!
Makes itlaian ice or slurpy?
I think for a slurpy, not so much. It will make it too light. Italian ice, you might be able to do depending on the flavor. Certain things can't go into it if they freeze too hard. For that stuff, a blender might work better. I'd have to try to experiment with that one.
I think this is the first review that I like that didn't show the product being used.
Lol. Thanks Sane. I did this one before I realized I should be showing that stuff... Haha. Stupid me. All the newer ones have actual review footage in them isthead of me just talking about it. I Apologize for that!
GREAT REVIEW
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Walmart now has it for $149.00
Much better price for that! $199 is just a little too much for what it is, IMO.
Thank you so much. I’m going to cancel my order and just stick with my vitamix.
No problem! I love cool gadgets, and it's definitely that, but you can spend that on a lot of things that are a heck of a lot more practical!
@@JoesPhenomenal you are absolutely right.
It just makes a really small amount of Ice-Cream I wish that it had like a bigger container if they ever do a reversion they should do that
Yeah... That's a great point... They'd need to make it a little bigger to get something larger than a pint in there... I suppose you could just do 6 or 7 pints at a time and just em all in the freezer, but that takes a little planning to do that.
Don't you have to do those extra steps with any ice cream machine? Freezer bowls and compressors don't cook gelato either.
Heya, Furious. The cookng parts, for sure. My point wasn't really very clear on the video, so I apologize for that.. The only issues I really had with the creami are that first, it doesn't have any type of cooling element, so you have to use a freezer for a full 24 hours to get your mix where it needs to be in order to make anything where as the compressor machines and frozen bowl ones do require some freezer time after you make your ice cream if you prefer to have something harder than your typical soft-serve, but only a couple of hours or so... and second, that you have to be really careful with ingredients on the creami as far as different fruits go. If they freeze hard, like strawberries, it can damage the machine. Definitely work arounds to that, but it's something that a lot of people won't realize if they don't read the manual. All that being said, I still think the Creami produces a fantastic result if you plan ahead and have the time to let those creami pints freeze. In fact, I like that machine a lot more than I did originally now that's I've had it for awhile. Enough to where we are gonna start doing a lot more Creami content.
I would say your 90% wrong. Anywhere in the world you have to prep your base at least a day in advance. Your 10% correct because you do have to freeze it ahead of time. However, ice cream isn't ice cream until it gets put in the ninja creamer.
Hey! Thanks for the comment. I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you though. We have produced ice creams, gelatos, and sorbets with several machines and using several machines including the creami, a ninja foodi blender with a smoothie bowl attachment, a compressor based ice cream maker, the old school ice cram makers that use the bucket and ice, and the type of machines that use the bowl that needs to be pre-frozen. The creami is the only one in the group that takes that amount of time. As I mentioned in the review however, I did say that I like the machine and would be happy to keep one in the kitchen because it produces nice results... but that for the average person that wants to make it on a whim, the fact that you need 24 hours to be sure the ingredients are fully frozen will cause most people to just go out and buy some from the store... no to mention that you need a litle more time at the begnning to prep the ingredients before you freeze them. With the frozen bowl and ice/bucket typoe machines, all you have to do is mix your ingredients and go. A lot of people say you should let you mixed ingredients set for a few hours before using the machines in this senario, but we never do and it comes out great and you have ice cream in about an hour including prep time. The downside to these is that the old stype bucket machines need ice and they're a little cumbersome, and with the frozen bowl machines, that bowl needs to be pre frozen. In the case of those, the bowl is supposed to be pretty much stored in your freezer between uses. That way it's all ready to go when you want to use it.. otherwise it would take just as long as the creami does and the results still wouldn't be quite as good. All that bein said, frozen bowl type machines don't freeze the ice cream super hard, so in most cases, the finished product needs to go back in the freezer for about an additional hour to firm it up a little more.. Still, we are talking about ice cream in 2 hours total with these and those machines are well under $100. With the blender, I've found that they work best for sorbets because with those you are mostly using fruits which you can just buy from the store already frozen. Blending that stuff gives you something closer to a smoothie though unless you are very careful with the pulse button, and in any case again, you'll want to firm that up in the freezer for up to 2 hours. I probably wouldn't use a blender for anything that doesn't include frozen fruit though. The compressor based machines are the most expensive, but they work the best and they start priced just above the cost of the creami. These machines run much colder than the frozen bowl type, so they can get a much better freeze on your raw ingredients. Frome the time you put your ingredients in to the finished product on these is something like 30 minutes plus prep time.. so under an hour of total time in most cases. One area that I think the Creami does have an advantage though is with fruit sorbets. With sorbet (since your are typically using whole or chunk fruit), you can do the whole thing with one machine. All the ingreidents go into the cup and you just freeze the whole thing. when it's ready, the machine does the rest of the work. The compressor, manual ice, and frozen bowl machines will all require the use of a blender to break down that fruit first except for the the blender making option which comes with it's own challenges in the form of pulse blending just right, having to use frozen fruit (which makes it a wash with the creami if you are freezing your own), and a lot of added time in the freezer to firm everything back up. I get what you're saying about the creami though.... It's a cool machine.. and for the people that commented here about getting it on sale between $130-$150, I feel like that's the price where a machine like this really really shines and makes it way more enticing. $200 is just too high IMO, though.. expecially with compressor machines starting under $300.
So just another counter top appliance. Please don't tell my wife. We have so many that I barely have enough room to chop a carrot.
I know the feeling. Haha. That thing has grown on me a little though.
Great advice, Joe! I was looking at this the other night when my wife's handbag "accidently" hit me upside the head. I guess you can say she went Ninja on my a$$. When my Ninja Ultimate Kitchen System gets here, I'll take your advice and see how that does making a sugar-free frozen dessert.
Yes... I get accidentally elbowed in the eye a lot. The wives must share notes!
🤔 I wonder if you could get similar results by freezing your mix in an ice tray and putting them in a regular ninja blender. ☮️❤️🌈🧘🏽🕉️
You could do that, but probably wanna use the single serve cup, and be careful not to over blend it. If you have the ninja smoothie bowl maker attachment, it makes that easier since you can stir the contents a little without having to remove and open the cup. We have some frozen yogurt and sorbet videos on here that we did in the Blender and it came out really nice.
Can you just put store brought ice cream in there?
You should be able to do that no problem... All it's really doing is fluffing it up. If you put in already finished ice cream, I would use the "respin" button though. A full cycle might make it overly soft.
Love my Creami! I love the pint size because my freezer pretty much stays pack and I don't have room for the large freezer bowls. Wish I could afford one with a compressor.
Hey! Thanks for checking out the video! Glad ya like your Ninja Creami. We have this other video you might like the does a pros and cons head to head between it, an Ivation Compressor Machine, and a Cuisinart Freezer bowl machine also. Might be fun for ya. Here goes a link if you're interested in that: ua-cam.com/video/o6aVLKMhBP8/v-deo.html
It's like a new kitchen toy. I predict the thrill of what it does will wear off and it will end up in everybody's appliance graveyard by the end of the first year. I'm a kitchen appliance junkie and I know, the thrill does wear off after a few months for most people. No, not everybody. I remember wanting a bread maker and after I got one, and after making a few different loaves of bread, that was it, I was finished with it. My husband used to say he calculated what that bread maker cost , and how many loaves of bread I made and he figured it was about $300.00 a loaf.........lol. Hey, we all love new gadgets and we seem to buy them to see what they can do, and then eventually all that enthusiasm dies out. I'd like to try this out , but only if a friend owned it and I could watch them make something. Me, I prefer to roll my cart down the aisle to the Haagen Dazs freezer, toss the pints into my basket and go home. Or, I make "No Churn" ice cream, and it's great , only 3 main ingredients, and you can add in your fruits or chips to the 3 ingredient base, freeze it for 6 hrs and it's done. Ninja tells you to cut your fruits up because this is not a blender but a mixer and you could ruin it using large chunks of fruit. But, that being said, you put everything in the freezer until it's rock hard and then try to mix a block of ice. I would think that would eventually burn out that motor. If large pieces of fruit can ruin it, what do blocks of ice do?
Excellent comment, Lisa! Thanks so much for your take! Several things. When you put the cups in the freezer, remember that fats don't completely freeze, so ice creams and stuff like that don't get totally solid... BUT if you're doing a nonfat version, that can be a problem... Also the sorbets are no good if you are using fruits that freeze really hard also. That's why they say you can only use a few different ones in this... Otherwise it will kill the motor. The fact that these kind of machines have really limited utility was the reason I mentioned in the video that most people might want to try using their Blender, since you can make some pretty nice treats with those too, and still have an appliance that does other stuff. I feel for you on the appliance graveyard... Lol... There's always a "gotta have" cool device. The Creami is definitely cool, but my biggest critique was the price tag that goes along with it's limited use. Right now, we have a Cuisinart frozen bowl style ice cream maker in house making recipes and doing our review video... It's only about 60 bucks retail, so if it turns out to be able to produce good results, it's a much easier pill to swallow, if you know what I mean.
Yes, but whose fault is it that you don't use it more often? Everybody wants to blame someone (something) other than accept blame themself.
I think to avoid the kitchen appliances graveyard you have to know yourself well and fully understand how the product works. For me, I like to eat organic and fresh home made food so this Creami is perfect to achieve that. But if you're happy to buy from a store and you enjoy that ice cream that would be far more convenient! My parents ended up with a lot of juicers in the graveyard. I think it was just because they didn't know how time consuming it would be to set up, clean and disassemble.
@@sophieannaviolet Heya! Thanks for the thoughtful addition! Totally agree with ya there. Just put up a new video last week that compares and contrasts the Creami with a freezer bowl machine and also a compressor based one as well.... They all have their advantages and disadvantages depending on what's important to ya.
Nice video, thanks. I think I'll stick with my old Donvier. LOL
Hey... Those get the job done... and they're way less costly!
@@JoesPhenomenal Yes, that's right. I've had mine for 30 years!
Seems to me this is a Paco jet at a fraction of the price. That is in itself a huge win
I thought that but still on the fence about getting this or just a normal ice cream maker (sage smart scoop) since there's no way I'm spending upwards of 3k on a pacojet....
I just use a compressor based machine over here. They've gotta pretty affordable lately... Just have to use the Blender a little bit for sorbets to break down the fruit.
Nice video. 😁
😀😀
Thanks for the honest review! It's a bit of a deceiving product - not really an ice cream maker. However, waiting a day would be great for my waistline - haha.
Lol... I hear ya. It does do a nice job whipping the ingredients up though.. I might have been more favorable to it if it costed a bit less.... A lot less, actually.
I think we can stand to mention the fact that the creami makes stuff without using any ice. Using a whole bunch of water in your recipe will definitively... well... literally water down the flavor. For some recipe that might be what you want but in my case it's usually the opposite.
Excellent point! and that's also what a lot of people do when they make smoothies in blenders as well. With the Ninja Creami, and all of the compressor based and frozen bowl type ice cream makers it's the same recipes. No water in any of those, I think. On the old style bucket ones that you have to use ice in, I'm not sure but I think that ice stays on the outside of the mixing area... Not positive about that though, but it makes sense not to introduce water for both flavor and creaminess!
Good video does not sound like a good product.
Thanks! Well... For my purposes, I just felt like it was too much money for what it does.... Especially with the price of the compressor ice cream makers coming down so much.. It's a cool device, and I'm sure plenty of people will love it, but for me I just like to do stuff on a whim.
I disagree. Buy it! The best taste.
“Coffee makers done really make coffee, you’re the one that puts the coffee bean and water in and the coffee maker just grinds the bean and boils the water… is it really a coffee maker if thats all it does?” This is the same logic applied to this video… smh
Heya Engelbert! Thanka for the great input! I might have been a little unclear as to what I meant by that comment in the video, and if so I apologize... Using the same coffee maker analogy, if the coffee maker also could not boil the water and requires you to do that and then pour it in, then that would kind of be what I was getting at with the Creami. Every other type of ice cream maker has the ability to at least do the freezing portion as well. I don't hate the Creami though... I like the blade design. It does do a nice job on blends and leaves the contents nice and fluffy.... Almost like it had been churned, which I though was really great.
When you say the Ninja Creami is not really an ice cream maker, you are being disingenuous. Even industrial machines require a mix (comes in a bag and is kept cold until needed). Just like a ravioli maker doesn't really create raviolis (you have to prepare the pasta and filling, and then put them together), or an air fryer doesn't really "fry" anything, it's just a name to identify the usefulness of the product. Until we discover how to use atoms around us to create stuff (like the Replicator in Star Trek), NOTHING makes something out of nothing. That being said, if you see this machine as a specific type of blender, it's easy to see it's potential to "whip" stuff into a specific consistency. Now, does the machine do THAT correctly? Then your review should be positive. Don't be cheap.
All good criticisms.. I did do an update to that video a couple of months later that said I changed my mind about it.
Single use ice cream maker? That's weird.
I thought the same thing.... I ended up revising this review video a couple months later... It's a limited use machine, but man.... the way it churns it makes a really great finished product.... It grew on me a lot, anyways.
So this is a glorified unitasker multi-mixer from what I can see. Too expensive. I will pass on this one. Thanks.
Yeah... I would have been a lot happier about it if it were around $99 or something like that. Money is so tight for people these days and I felt like there was more value elsewhere.
Your review is 97% talk and 3% demonstration. Not a good ratio.
Yeah, you're right. The Creami is problematic that way. The only thing that directly involves it is putting a pre-frozen cup on it and pressing one button. Everything else is done away from the machine, so I didn't want to focus too much on showing that stuff... I have a few recipe videos up that use it that do, however.
Hahaha, now do a PacoJet.
Whoa! That's the price of a small car! LOL
just get on with it.
I agree. It's not worth it. Frozen pineapple, lil sugar and water =sorbet. Seriously, try this in a blender or bullet.