Ninja Slushi review: Should you buy or skip it?

The internet is going mad over the Ninja Slushi — a countertop appliance that turns liquids into slush in as quickly as 15 minutes. As someone who always orders a slushie if it’s on a bar menu and enjoys occasionally making slushies at home with a blender, I had very high hopes for this viral gadget.

Priced at $299, the Ninja Slushi holds a lot of promise. There’s nothing quite like it you can buy elsewhere, especially not something that you can get up and running within a few minutes. From there, anything from sodas to mixed cocktails to coffee concoctions can be churned into slushie goodness. It helps that the Ninja Slushi isn’t as much of a headache to clean as you’d expect.

There are some quirks that don’t make it the right purchase for everyone. Considering it’s incredibly difficult to find in stock, you have plenty of time to read my full Ninja Slushi review below to decide if it’s actually worth waiting for.

The Ninja Slushi Totally Surprised Me! Review, Cleaning, & Easy Recipes - YouTube

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Ninja Slushi cheat sheet

• What is the Ninja Slushi? The Ninja Slushi is an at-home slushie maker that sits on your counter and can turn liquids into slush in as little as 15 minutes.
• What is the Ninja Slushi price? The Ninja Slushi costs $299.
• Where to buy Ninja Slushi? The Ninja Slushi is for sale at ninjakitchen.com, though it’s currently waitlisted. 
• Looking for Ninja Slushi recipes? The Ninja Slushi comes with a recipe book to help you get started. For more inspiration, you can find over 100 recipes linked here.

Ninja Slushi review: The ups

Simple set up and controls

I’m no stranger to Ninja appliances, so the unboxing and setup process for the Ninja Slushi was familiarly straightforward. I always figured that those fancy slushie machines at Tiki bars were super pricey and complicated, so I didn’t expect to have it up and running within minutes. 

There are just a few parts to know: the vessel, or the main container where the slushy turns; the pouring spout, attached to the vessel; the auger, the part that turns the liquid; and a condensation tray to catch drips as the machine gets cold. The “cold” comes from a chilling cylinder attached to the main base that’s powered by Ninja’s RapidChill technology.

When it comes to the controls, there’s a power button, five presets and rinse button, and a chill level meter with up and down level buttons. That’s really all there is to it. It’s the type of thing where a lot of people would probably be able to get the machine up and running without reading the instructions.

Endless slushie options

The Quick Start instruction book comes with two kickstarter recipes, one of which is going to be a fan favorite, and that is the one-ingredient soda slush. I used Cherry Pepsi, and within 30 minutes my soda was turned into a slushie just like I’d get at 7-11. It was easy and delicious.

The options for drinks with the ninja slushi are pretty endless, though. You can follow the recipe book, but I’ve also looked up some inspiration online as more and more people get their hands on the Ninja Slushi. I tried frozen espresso martinis and frozen margaritas, as well as a frozen coffee frappuccinos. But you can use lemonade mixes, fruit juices, and milkshake ingredients — if it’s liquid and it has a high enough sugar content, it can be turned into a slushie. But I’ll explain more on the sugar contents a little later on. 

Operates quietly

The thing that surprised me most about the Ninja Slushi is how quietly it operates. My current collection of appliances includes a manual espresso machine and the Breville InFizz, both of which are quite noisy when they’re in use. It does make some noise, but it’s low and consistent enough that it’s not much of a nuisance. I used the noise app on my Apple Watch and stood a few feet away, and it leveled at 54db.

Easy to clean

My biggest concern with the Ninja Slushi is that it’d be yet another appliance that’s a pain to clean. But I am pleased to report that the cleaning process isn’t very intensive or time consuming. First, to empty the vessel of any leftover slush lodged around the edges, you pour water inside and press the Rinse button. You open the spout, let the water out (I usually use a medium-sized measuring cup), turn the machine off and dissemble by pulling the bail handle forward. 

The vessel and auger come off, and I rinse those out in the sink with some water and dish soap. I take a damp paper towel and wipe down the chilling cylinder and the condensation tray so that everything is dry. It’s just a few minutes of cleanup that’s no different than a lot of other kitchen appliances I use. Since there is a lot of sugar involved, you definitely need to keep this clean, I would not let it sit out overnight or not rinse it properly. 

Ninja Slushi review: The downs

Not ideal for single servings

I’m lucky to live in a household of slushie-lovers, but if you were hoping to go solo on your slushie adventures, the NInja Slushi seems like a big commitment. Not only is it kind of bulky, needing a station on my already crowded countertops — there is also a minimum amount of liquid the machine needs to work. 

Recipes max out at 6-8 servings but bottom out at 2-3 servings, meaning even if you just want one drink, you’ll have to use enough ingredients to reach that minimum indicator line on the vessel. Of course, there’s nothing that stops you from having seconds or thirds, though at that point I would probably just go get a mega-sized Slurpee for less than $3 from 7-11. 

Only works with sugary drinks

If you’re trying to watch your sugar intake, the Ninja Slushi is not for you. I’m no scientist, but a quick Google search taught me that syrupy sugars circulating constantly throughout the mixture keep it from freezing solid. That means if you put your favorite diet soda in the machine, you won’t get the results you’re looking for. Similarly, you can’t just dump in a bottle of wine to get a wine slushie — to successfully make frose, it needs to be cut with juice.

Ninja’s recipe book does a decent job at breaking down the standard sugar requirements, but as someone who doesn’t like to drink too much of their calories, this is the kind of thing that’s definitely a treat. I can't make something more than once or twice a week for myself, compared to something like the Ninja Creami where you can make full-fat ice cream but it also works with non-fat and protein based recipes.

Ninja Slushi review: Verdict

When the weather is warm, nothing hits the spot quite like a slushie. And there’s perhaps no easier way to get sipping than with the Ninja Slushi. While there are some Ninja Slushi alternatives on the market, none promote quite the same professional-caliber results. The closest you’ll get is the Ninja Creami Deluxe, which has a slushie mode in addition to various ice cream-style modes. It’s also a bit cheaper than the Ninja Slushi.

That said, if you think you *need* the Ninja Slushi just because you saw a viral video of it on social media, know the caveats before you sacrifice your precious counter space. I think the high sugar requirements might de-influence a lot of shoppers, considering it’s the main thing I didn’t realize myself until using it. But if you love slushie drinks, want to be the coolest parent on the block, or have never felt steered wrong by a Ninja appliance before, it’s probably the most fun yet one to add to your collection.