Hot on the heels of the viral Ninja CREAMi, Ninja has launched another summer must-have, and I can't wait to try it. The Ninja Slushi dropped this morning, promising hassle-free frozen drinks that are perfect for keeping cool at home, and if you opt for the XL capacity, it's an even better party starter.
This frozen drink maker can take just about any drink, from chocolate milk to wine, and turn it into an ice-cold slushy without using any ice. It also promises to keep drinks chilled for up to 12 hours. You can choose from five settings to create an array of drinks, and depending on your desired consistency, you can also adjust the temperature of your frozen drink.
I can't wait to get my hands on Ninja's latest launch for a full review, but with a scorching hot summer well underway, I wouldn't be surprised if it sells out fast.
What we know about the Ninja Slushi
While you may already make frozen drinks at home — in fact, it's one of the tests we use when reviewing the best blenders — crushed ice can melt in minutes, leaving your frozen margarita weak and watered-down.
Ninja's solution? Remove the ice entirely. Using an auger to spin drinks around a central cooling cylinder, the Ninja Slushi uses its WhisperChill compressor to make frozen drinks in as little as 15 minutes and keep drinks frozen for up to 12 hours. You can add anything from soda and juice to coffee, and even wine, but the drinks will need to be sugary in order to achieve that slushy consistency.
Although we'd have no trouble firing up the Slushi for the family to use, there's also a Premium XL capacity to choose from that can make enough drinks for a crowd.
The machine has five settings to choose from:
- Slush
- Spiked Slush (for alcoholic beverages, presumably!)
- Frappé
- Milkshake
- Frozen Juice
You can also choose from 10 temperature variations, although they're seemingly not denoted with specific temperatures, so there could be some guesswork involved when finding the right one for your drink.
First impressions of the Ninja Slushi
I've tried just about every Ninja gadget, and I've yet to be disappointed by their innovations. My first impression of the Ninja Slushi is that it's surprisingly slimline, and I could see it happily churning away in a corner of my kitchen on a hot summer's day. Because you'll likely be using it for a few hours at a time, it's good that it won't get in the way too much.
I also like the look of the ergonomic handle used to dispense drinks. Ninja claims it's a no-mess machine, and you can also see this from the easy-pour slot at the top of the machine, which will make it easy to top up on drinks if you're running low without disrupting the chilling process.
In terms of capacity, there's a minimum fill of 16oz and a maximum of 64oz, or about 8 cups. Knowing Ninja though, there will be an XL iteration of this machine that's got a larger capacity for those who like to entertain.
What's the difference between the Ninja Slushi and the Ninja Creami?
If you've already invested in the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe, which has a frozen drink setting to create Italian ice, Slushi, Creamiccino and other frozen drinks, you may be wondering what the difference is between the Creami and Slushi.
At $269, the Ninja Slushi is actually more expensive than the Creami Deluxe, and it can do less in terms of functions. However, while both machines can make frozen drinks, they do this in very different ways. The Creami will require you to freeze your drinks for 24 hours before you mix them using the Frozen Drink setting, and you'll have to do this in 24oz increments. Once mixed, your drinks will almost immediately start melting, whereas the Slushi will keep drinks frozen and cold for up to 12 hours, meaning you can drink away at your leisure.
The pouring function of the Slushi will also make it a better option for crowds, and because the machine has an in-built cooling mechanism, you can bypass your freezer and get straight to chilling your drinks from room or fridge-temperature.
