Whether it was the top of your Christmas wish list or you've invested in a Ninja Creami to hit your health goals this new year, I can attest that this iconic kitchen gadget can completely change your kitchen game.
But getting to grips with a new way of preparing food can be daunting, and if you're not armed with tips and tricks for getting the most of our your Ninja Creami, it could end up sat on your counters gathering dust.
The great news is that Ninja has a huge array of its own verified recipes on the Ninja Test Kitchen website, but there are also plenty of Ninja Creami community pages online that will give you the lowdown on common mistakes and tricks that the brand might not tell you.
Here are my top 3 Ninja Creami tips and tricks to get you started.
3 Ninja Creami tips
1. Don't freeze with the lid on
Ninja is very insistent that you freeze your mixtures upright, and for good reason. If your frozen mix isn't flat on top, it could damage or even break your machine as it tries to blend at uneven pressures.
When freezing my mixtures I would instinctively put the lid on to allow me to stack with other products in my freezer and protect my mixture, but it would always come out with a raised lump in the middle of the frozen mixture.
After some online research, I found that this is caused by the lid itself. There are heaps of Ninja Creami enthusiasts who recommend leaving the lid off when freezing to prevent this, and I was happy to find that it actually works!
2. Add thickeners for a professional effect
You can add thickeners such as xanthan gum and guar gum powder to your ice cream mix to create a thicker and more scoopable consistency.
My ice cream made with the Ninja Creami melts faster than store-bought ones because store-bought ice creams contain additives that make them smoother, thicker, and longer-lasting.
I found this tip on a Ninja Creami Facebook community page and it's made a huge difference in my finished ice creams. Just make sure you only use a small amount (a half teaspoon at a time) and incorporate it fully.
3. Don't be afraid to re-spin
There are a number of reasons why your ice cream could look grainy or crumbly after the first spin. Perhaps it's not been incorporated well enough, or it was too cold when you first processed it. The trick is not to add in any additional liquid if you re-spin, which is a mistake I've made before which left me with something more resembling a milkshake than an ice cream.
Just scrape around the outside of the container and flatten the top down, then put it back in for a re-spin and you should be left with a much smoother consistency the second time around.
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