Ninja CREAMi NC301 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker

We bought this in September because we were spending too much on pints from the store and half of them were full of stuff we did not want. The idea is simple: mix a base, freeze it overnight in the pint container, and the machine shaves it into ice cream in about two minutes the next day.

The first spin usually comes out a little crumbly. Hit re-spin and it turns smooth. That is the one thing nobody tells you and it confused me the first two times. After that it has been dead reliable. Protein ice cream with a scoop of whey, mango sorbet with just frozen fruit and a splash of juice, a proper vanilla with cream and sugar for the kids. All of it works.

It is loud for those two minutes, about like a blender. It also takes counter space, and you have to plan a day ahead because the pint needs a full freeze. If you want ice cream right now this is not the machine.

What sold me is control. I know exactly what is in every pint, and the two containers mean one is always freezing while the other gets eaten. We use it three or four times a week.