As the adage declares, you scream for it, we do, I do… etc. But homemade ice cream can be a tricky thing to nail without the right tools. Enter the Ninja Swirl by CREAMi, which you’ve no doubt seen taking over your social-media feed in the lead up to summer. In the interests of journalism, I gave it a trial. Oh, it’s a tough gig sometimes.
What’s the elevator pitch?
It’s an ice-cream maker that will do traditional ice cream, gelato, frozen yoghurt and sorbet. It can make them all soft serve, too. Ooh, soft serve. That is the absolute best.
I couldn’t agree more. So how do you use it?
It’s not complicated at all. I’m used to traditional ice cream makers, which have you freeze a steel-lined bowl, then add your ice cream mixture to that and churn. So, it took me a while to understand that you do the opposite by adding your ingredients, then freezing. I know this because my son read the instructions and told me to do it that way. I didn’t believe him, so I googled videos of people using it. Anyway, the machine comes with a book of recipes. I chose the simple vanilla soft serve, then had to rush out and buy milk powder. Otherwise, all you do is throw that, cream, vanilla and sugar into a bowl and freeze for 24 hours.
Wow, it’s that easy?
Well, that’s the first part. You then put it in the outer bowl with the paddle, then press one of the 13 one-touch programmes and wait for it to churn. When it’s done, you transfer it to the soft serve bit, position your cone underneath and pull the lever.
Does it look as good as the ones in the shops?
Mine didn’t because my freezer was too cold, so I kind of churned it to butter the first time. Undaunted, I froze mango yoghurt. This time, it was utterly magnificent. I’m calling it: it’s the best frozen dessert I’ve ever had, and it’s so easy.
So, it was more your fault than the Ninja Swirl?
I blame the overachieving freezer. But yes, in truth, so long as you follow the instructions (something I seem incapable of doing), it’s effortless. I’m levelling up this weekend and making my own strawberry and basil gelato recipe.
Any cons?
It’s big, occupying the space where my kettle and toaster once stood. Who needs tea and toast for breakfast when you could have soft serve ice cream, anyway?
What’s the cost of the Ninja Swirl by CREAMi
The Ninja Swirl by CREAMi retails for $599.99 from Shark.
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