Ninja NC501 CREAMi XL Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream and Frozen Treat Maker, with 2 XL Family Size Pint Containers

You read my Headline correctly. This Ninja Creami Deluxe Ice Cream and Frozen Treat Maker is one phenomenal machine. This purchase choice was a difficult one for me to make. I kept hoping for ‘Just-a-Dad to review it but he never did. So I was left on my own without his advice. The reviews were very favorable and 5-star —*****. Professional reviews shopped by Google were also highly favorable. The Ninja Creami Deluxe Ice Cream Maker was either #1 or #2 on every list of ‘The Best Ice Cream Makers for 2024.’ The other #1 or #2 on every list was by Cuisinart. Their 2-qt. Ice Cream Maker was very highly reviewed just like the Creami Deluxe was. So what was the breaking point that made me go for the Creami Deluxe? Pretty easy if you know anything about it. It’s what it did! The Cuisinart made 1/2 gallon or 2 qts. of ice cream at one time. Making a gallon of ice cream by it was easier than the Creami. But since my children and grandchildren and great grandchildren now all live in Europe and no longer in Texas I live alone and have done so since the death of my wife. So, if I wanted to make some ice cream making 2 qts. it seemed too much. And to double batch it would really add inches to the ol’ waistline. And as I am now a septuagenarian who really cares about my waistline anyway! All this said, I guess you can see why I went for the Ninja Creami. It makes so many things other than ice cream, sherbet and frozen yogurt. In addition to ice cream, sherbet and frozen yogurt, it makes lite ice cream, gelato, sorbet, ceramicinnos, frozen drinks, slushis, milkshakes & malts, and Italian ices. Regular ice cream makers simply can’t make these items. Ninja makes several Ninja Creami models but the Deluxe model makes larger batches at a time. The other Creami models each make 16 oz. batches at a time though you can make several 16 oz. batches at one time. The Creami models other than the Ninja Deluxe make ice cream and other treats using what they call PINTS. And they are just that, one-pint containers. So if you make enough custard to fill two or three or more PINTS that is what you make. The Deluxe model uses larger PINTS. These are 24 ounces but are still called PINTS. Two PINTS come with your purchase and you can purchase extra PINTS on Amazon by many manufacturers. There is one particular brand of manufacture that is recommended because of their quality and exacting specifications. You see, the Ninja Creamis (all models) make their ice cream and other treats differently from other ice cream makers. Where the other ice cream makers require that you put your liquid custard into either a frozen bowl/container that has been in the freezer overnight or even longer and then churn the liquid for xx minutes until frozen hard. With the Ninja Creami Deluxe and other models, you fill as many PINTS as you have custard for and then put those custard-filled PINTS into the freezer for a minimum of 24 hours. (Personally I find that an extra eight (8) hours is best.) Then when frozen, you put your PINTS, one by one, into the machine to ‘do its thing’ with the custard. This process turns the frozen custard into a very wonderful rich ice cream that is unbelievably delicious. There is a stainless steel blade that is in the top that is affixed in the top which covers the PINT that drills down through the frozen custard and back up again all the time whipping the custard into a wonderful ice cream. What I particularly like about this system is that you can make several different flavors with one large batch of custard. For most ice cream custards, I start with a very low-calorie (oh, did I say low calorie? I meant to say high-calorie) vanilla made with whipping cream, half-and-half, sugar, and pure vanilla extract. I might make use two quarts of whipping cream which is, for my recipe, two double-batches of custard which will make 1/2 gallon of ice cream. With a regular ice cream maker, you can make different flavors usuallly two batches depending on the size of your ice cream maker. With a 2 qt. ice cream maker, generally you can divide the custard in half making two flavors. With the Creami using the same two quarts of whipping cream and my recipe for vanilla ice cream, I can get five PINTS of custard to put into the freezer. Using one (1) quart at a time, I get two PINTS plus about 25 percent fill in a third PINT. Mathematically speaking, with the second quart I can of course get another of the same and another 25 percent added to the same overflow PINT. You can now see that when I make two more 2-qt. batches of custard I will be able to make the whole recipe again and the overflow PINT will be completely full. The final line is that with four (4) quarts of whipping cream I can make eight (8) 24 oz. PINTS of ice cream and the additional PINT and can with these nine (9) PINTS can make as many as nine (9) different flavors of ice cream or ice cream and some milk shakes or malts-you have to purchase the malt powder which is available on Amazon.com. To date, I have now made vanilla, Dutch chocolate, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, three-berry (blue-, black-, straw- berries), blackberry, cookies and cream, butter pecan, cherry (I use the same dark cherries that B&J uses for their very rich and unique ice cream flavor named after a very renowned singer), and Rocky Road. Needless to say, this wonderful Ninja Creami Deluxe Ice Cream Maker now sits on the kitchen counter along with the toaster and coffee maker. When I got it, I thought it would be stored under the kitchen counter somewhere but it instantly became as important an appliance as the coffee maker. Are there any critical things I should mention? Not really except to say that it is tall but it fits under my cabinets with a quarter inch to spare. Other reviewers have stated that it is loud. We so is my coffee bean grinder but I can’t complain. The Creami has two motors driving that blade down through a very solid, frozen cream-based custard. A double-motored machine is going to make some noise. It’s to be expected. But it’s not too loud and I would advise you not to make ice cream in 0300 hours. My Creami was Renewed by Amazon and when I opened the box not one item had been opened. So I saved a good bit of money by doing so. If one of these is available, I would advise you do look into a Renewed one. Can’t beat it for its versatility. As usual, you get what you pay for.

I purchased this because we follow a strict diet in our house for my daughter's ADD. No dairy, sugar, colors, etc. This is impossible to find in a store bought ice cream and even the healthier ones arent great and are very expensive. We are HUGE ice cream people and this saved my life! After a few tries, I have mastered my perfect recipe for high protein dairy free low glycemic ice cream! It has everything I want in it and NOTHING I don't. Yes, its exciting to try new recipes, etc. but after a month of daily use, I found it more useful to just master my vanilla and chocolate bases then switch up the flavors with mix ins at spin time. For us this is gluten free cookies, organic chocolate chips, nut butter, etc. I've actually been able to use up some stuff in the pantry that the kids don't like by itself (cereals, granola/power bars, etc). I've been able to hide a lot of good healthy stuff in this ice cream from hemp seeds to protein powders, even spinach is indetectable in a chocolate base. Unlike smoothies that can change color quickly and die a slow death on the counter leading to waste, with this, you just pop the uneaten portion back in the freezer and spin again later, good as new. We love that we can have a no sugar added fruit sorbet or frozen greek yogurt option at any time of day and it is not really considered a dessert in terms of food exchange since its so healthy. I did purchase extra cups so we always have 2 chocolate, 2 vanilla, 1 frozen greek yogurt, and 1 no sugar added fruit sorbet in the freezer ready to go. (Be sure to get the right size cups as they are different from model to model) Best $ I have spent in a long time. PS. I spent weeks going thru reviews and it seems that the negative ones are more toward the older models and the kinks have been worked out in the newest deluxe version. I have had none of the issues referred to in the negative reviews with the 11 in 1 Deluxe which I did purchase myself with my own money and was not gifted in any way. Also, after using it myself so much, i feel that many of the negative reviews are due to user error/people not fully following the very easy manufacturer's instructions. My mother got hers at the same time and has also had no issues.

TL:DR $226 dollars only gets you ice cream and sorbet depending on how much you know about cooking, but as a base line, you cannot mess up unless you're actively trying it. $226 is steep, so I got the used one... but I also got 4 additional pints with silicon lids, came out to about the same price anyways. It came in, was still dirty from the last owner but I deep clean anything I get anyways so it's not skin off my back. THE BEST NATURAL THICKENING HIGH PROTEIN SOME CALORIES BASE: Take a cup of skim milk and water and put on the stove on low heat till slightly steaming or aromatic OPTIONAL: add vanilla paste or fat soluble flavorings into the solution while it's heating up, you can also add salt or really anything soluble which won't break from the solution while it's heating up crack open 2 eggs in a separate bowl and whisk till homogenized. add a 1/4th cup of the hot skim milk and water solution into the eggs and whisk to temper, then add the tempered eggs into the skim milk solution and keep on low heat stirring occasionally, leave the pot open so the solution can reduce. Once it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon take off heat and allow to cool to room temperature, take this cooled base of pasteurized eggs and milk, which should be around 239kcals and 21g protein and blend with your protein powder, thickeners/emulsifiers, or whatever, on it's own it holds up pretty well to a ben and jerry's pint when sweetened with honey or monk fruit/stevia. Plus eating this in the morning is seriously awesome, it feels like being a kid on a Sunday morning except you made it with adult stuff like eggs, milk, and protein so when you get to the afternoon you feel great and the whole process makes digestion really easy, sits pretty in your stomach as you do what you do. Does this beat the evil xanthan gum or fillers? Not by a long shot buddy. ANYWAYS, here's my experience. Guys, I put protein powder, skim milk, coco powder, and a banana in this thing, I had ice cream for breakfast in the morning. Not exactly though, it was more like a frozen fluff with ice crystals throughout and a mild taste. If you're cutting weight, this does taste and feel like heaven on earth. To those who don't like compromise between taste and macros, consider adding emulsifiers to the ice cream base before freezing like xanthan, guar gaur gum, or gelatin, this will disrupt the crystallization process during freezing, it's also good to source these crystallization inhibitors from natural fiber sources like fruit, banana is king when it comes to creaminess, however it will make your ice cream taste like banana + whatever you're trying to make. If these options aren't appealing try adding a neutral saturated fat or even a flavored animal fat like rendered fat, which you can treat like a cream infusion for aromatics like vanilla bean. While you might be confused at the idea of combining something like beef tallow and protein powder, it's important to note that during phases of fat loss, the inclusion of saturated fats and cholesterol is vital in supporting healthy hormone levels, which will ensure the preservation of lean mass and metabolic rate. The lower you go, the more fats you must consume to replace the absence of tissue your body utilizes in hormonal production, ESSPECIALLY FOR WOMEN. Only a rare minority can sustain and achieve low bodyfat percentage without following this rule. For guys, do well to remember anabolic compounds are hormones, no fat or cholesterol, no testosterone, less potential for maintaining or even cultivating lean mass during cutting phases. That being said, mixing emulsifiers with a controlled amount of saturated fat, and lower freezing point items, which could be something as simple as a cup of whole milk, skim milk, or a low calorie pudding mix will yield the greatest taste, macros, and compromise between natural and artificial inclusions in the diet. Let me specify, I have ran multiple experiments with really bad tasting protein powder, bad tasting protein powder, good protein powder, and great protein powder. The very first trials I ran, was a serving great powder and a serving bad powder, pretty equal to each other, only great powder, only good powder, only bad powder, and only very bad powder. All of these resulted in a slow digesting and more fulfilling substance. The very bad powder (very cheap unflavored whey isolate) was still terrible, I ran another batch where I froze it with strong flavorings, still made me gag. the bad powder (cheap vanilla splash) was barely tolerable, jumping from nothing cardboard taste to I don't wanna eat this. the good (chocolate milk isolate) and the great powder were pretty similar, but ice cream should be enjoyed in all forms, so the great powder (chocolate peanut butter isolate) won when it had melted a little bit and I got to taste it warmed up a little and frozen. Otherwise, if you like your ice cream firm and frozen, you just need it to be good/okay tasting protein powder. Bottom line, the better tasting the powder you're using, the better this will be. You CAN, pass off a bad powder but that takes additional ingredients, you need strong tasting stuff like bananas and peanut butter. berries will not mask that whey flavor. The freeze itself does a great job at removing 75% of that horrible whey taste. Keep in mind though that's only because your tongue isn't warm enough to process the taste. Once it starts warming up to a soft serve stage, it's barely tolerable but not enjoyable like ice cream taste wise. What was disappointing is that even mixing the bad protein and the good protein together, the bad protein just made the whole thing suck. Saving grace was adding vanilla extract, a good amount of coco powder, a banana, and a tablespoon of peanut butter, and even then it was still mid for a bunch more calories.

We mixed up a recipe for coffee ice cream that called for 1 cup of brewed espresso. We added the other ingredients and popped the mixing container in the freezer for a day or two. 24 hours is enough though. After reading the instructions and reviewing a video on YouTube we were ready to make coffee ice cream. (I wanted to be sure we knew exactly what we were doing.) We locked container int the machine, selected FULL then dialed to Ice Cream and pushed the start button. After 2 minutes of grinding away it was finished. First Run Coffee Ic Cream had beautiful consistency and great taste. For great results read the recipes they include as well as recommendations on what is necessary for great product. You need sufficient fats and sufficient sugars to get premium ice cream quality consistency. This machine is not designed for low fat and low sugar frozen concoctions. Most of the complaints are about mixture being crumbly even after doing a Re-Mix. This is a direct result of the recipe used. After one use I'm sold on this machine. I had another machine with a built-in freezer unit that could produce reasonable results but the machine was very heavy, clunky, hard to store and hard to clean. It made groaning noises for 45 minutes. I gave up on it years ago. In my current research I originally wanted a machine with built in freezer unit. Didn't want to wait 24 hours to freeze recipe. After much reading and creating a spreadsheet to compare features, cost, etc.the the Ninja Creami won. I decided to forgo the built freezer in favor of versatility and features. I can even live with the noisy motor as it converts the frozen ingredients into luscious ice cream. It is only two minutes. Next stop Mango Sorbet.

Quick Summary: ✅ Overall, I would definitely recommend purchasing the Ninja Creami Deluxe. However, DO NOT BUY IT FROM AMAZON! Purchase it on the Ninja website when it goes on sale for a newer machine that performs better than the one that I got from Amazon. Like any other machinery, watch it when it is in use and frequently inspect it. Thoroughly clean it and dry it out properly to prevent a mildewy smell. Please read the rest of the review for my full experience with the Ninja Creami Deluxe after using for over a year 😁, including warnings, tips, and what to expect. Product specifications: ⚙️ The machine is on the heavier side and takes up a good amount of space, but delivers amazing results. It is also very loud and the machine shakes a bit. It is time consuming to make the ice cream. Expect it to take around 10-15 minutes overall between getting the base ready, going through the cycles and respins, and cleaning the lid. Make sure to shake all the water out of the lid and lean it against a wall so all the water drains out to prevent a mildewy odor from forming, which is what happened to my first machine. I wish it was designed differently to be easier to clean overall, but it is what it is 🤷🏻‍♂️. The plastic Tip #1: Purchase additional 24 oz containers from alternative brands so you could have a wider variety. Ninja is charging $30 for 2 containers, which is way too expensive. I got 4 containers for around $20, but unfortunately the brand that I purchased it from no longer sells them. However, there are plenty of other ones out there for a cheaper price - - just make sure the specifications match with the model you get! I have about 8 containers overall and each one has a different flavor. Tip #2: I usually run the sides and bottom of the base under hot water for a minute to prevent ice. After the first spin, it will appear powdery. This is normal. Just gently scrape down the sides all around so there's no ice on the edges, add your mix-ins, and choose the mix-in setting. The powder should turn into an ice cream consistency and it won't be too melted. Thank me later! 😉 Tip #3: After your second spin, put the ice cream in the freezer to clean the lid. It should take less than 5 minutes to clean and then you could enjoy your ice cream and relax without having to worry about cleaning it afterwards. If the ice cream starts freezing, let it sit out for 2-3 minutes before digging in. First Machine (from Amazon): 👎 The first machine is the one that I purchased from Amazon, which did not work as well as the second one. After a month and a half of using it, I started to notice a black oil while cleaning the metal shaft with a paper towel. I also noticed some plastic shavings on the lid, which deeply concerned me. I called Ninja directly to set up a video call to review the machine, which I will explain more below. Overall, the first machine only worked good for about a month, then I noticed the problems. I would NOT recommend getting this machine from Amazon. Warranty: 📜 After the oil appeared on the shaft of my first machine, I set up a video call with Ninja support and one of their support agents reviewed the machine. She asked me to show all parts of the machine, asked me a few questions, asked me for the product model and code, and then told me that the oil and plastic shavings should not be there and that they will send me another machine since it was covered under their one year warranty. It was free of charge and they did not make me send back the older machine, so I just stored the parts of the old one away in case the parts on the new one were to ever break. The lady that I spoke to was very kind and helpful, great support overall! It took about a week for the second machine to arrive. Second Machine (from Ninja): 👍 After the second machine arrived a week later from Ninja directly, I noticed that it performed WAY BETTER than the first one that I got from Amazon. It was still loud, heavy, and took up a lot of space, but I noticed less shaking and the base blended more smoothly overall. It has been over a year and I still haven't noticed any black oil on the shaft when cleaning it or any plastic shavings on the lid. The ice cream it makes is absolutely delicious! Warning: ⚠️ Like any other machinery, please watch it at all times while it is running and inspect the machine frequently. Make sure there are no cracks in the containers before preparing the base, that there is no oil on the shaft or metal shavings on the lid after spinning, and make sure to watch and listen to every spin cycle to be on the safer side. I personally haven't experienced anything bad from the machine, but I have read some reviews of the blade detaching mid-cycle and the machine smoking and producing a foul odor, which is a safety hazard that could lead to a fire or the machine breaking. The only bad experience I had with the machine was the black oil on the shaft and plastic shavings on the lid after spinning, but that was only with the first machine that I got from Amazon, which was probably an old defective model and is the reason that I do not recommend getting this machine from Amazon. Full Summary: 📝 Overall, to keep it short and simple, wait for this product to go on sale on the Ninja website and purchase it from there. Do NOT purchase this product from Amazon. The first machine that I got from Amazon did not blend well, and I started noticing a black oily consistency from the shaft and plastic shavings on the lid after using for a month. Once I video called Ninja support and they sent a new machine free of charge thanks to their one year warranty, my ice cream has been blending better and I haven't noticed any oily consistency or plastic shavings after using for over a year. Expect the machine to be loud, heavy, and take up a lot of space. Depending on the ingredients you put in, which you could easily find many recipes online that fit your desire, this machine could make AMAZING ice cream. I recommend purchasing extra containers from an alternative brand (way cheaper than Ninja's containers 😭), rinsing sides and bottom of container under hot water for a minute before spinning, using the mix in option as the second spin, and putting the ice cream in the freezer to clean the lid and metal shaft before eating it so that you could relax afterwards, will give you the best experience! Most importantly, always watch the machine when it is in use and frequently inspect it to prevent anything bad from happening. I hope that you found this review helpful and that you enjoy the machine! 🙌

I've had this for a few months now, and I've made a whole lot of ice cream. Or fake ice cream that tastes so good I don't care that it's healthy. I love ice cream way too much. I really wanted to find a way to satisfy that without all the fat and maybe with a few health benefits and I kept getting pointed to this unit. Over and over. So, finally, I decided to give it a whirl. I'm so incredibly glad I did. There are endless recipes online to create an endless variety of frozen goodies, so you'll never get bored. That's for sure. First, the unit is a bit heavy, but that's okay, because I'm not carrying it in my purse. Second, yes, it is loud. I'm not gonna lie. The first couple of times I used it, I hid around the corner of the kitchen, thinking it might go plooey. Nope. It's just loud. Third, it's not really that complicated. It only seems that way at first because it's something new. The jumbo pints (which are more like quarts) can be prepped and then spun with only the top half, allowing you to put that bottom half back in the freezer for the next day. That's huge, because it cuts down prep. The texture is awesome! You can tailor it to your hearts desire. I like to give it a second spin a lot of times to get the full creaminess. And yes, it does make exceptionally creamy goodies. And mix-ins...omg. Yes. A couple of oreos and it's amazing. You can do anything. I've done a bunch of different things, including cake! If you go for this, do look up the bagillion recipes online that just take a few ingredients. My favorites are Fairlife 2%, a scoop of peanut butter chocolate protein powder based. Add in some sugar free pudding mix if you want, or cocoa and other things, but that base alone is the source of so many kinds of deliciousness that is also good for you. Mostly.

We opted for the ninja creami deluxe over the standard version as we liked the larger container sizes and the additional spin options. Compared to the standard version these containers are about 1.5x the size. We purchased this to make alternative ice cream recipes for low sugar, and higher protein. Our first attempt came out amazing (photos and video included). The texture and taste was spot in for the mint recipe we were going for. We have been eating ice cream daily and this helps satisfy our evening sweet tooth while meeting fitness goals. Containers and machine are easy to clean and we have had no performance issues with the spin cycles. Just be mindful that you typically have to freeze your mixes for about 24 hours before you spin them into ice cream. This is not an issue for us as we make up several containers to freeze at once.

I really wanted to like this. I bought one in June, 8 days later it wouldn't turn on. I assumed it was defective and returned it, bought another. This one lasted only a few weeks until the magnet that holds up the blade demagnetized. It caused the blade to fall into the frozen pint, the machine wouldn't stop loudly trying to spin anyway, and there was a smoky smell. I had to turn it off. If you turn off the machine before it is done processing, though, the machine will REFUSE to release the container no matter if you're twisting and pressing the container release button. We ended up breaking the lid trying to get it out. There's a small plastic piece that I assume triggers the machine to let it know the container is installed, and it snapped off. I followed an online tutorial to add a magnet (that i bought online) back into the blade, and it worked. I also bought a replacement lid. It worked! But now, when the machine powers on and spins, the blade keeps hitting the sides of the plastic container and making an AWFUL sound. The machine is almost unusable. I wish I hadn't spent so much money on this. And yes, I "thawed" each frozen pint about 15 mins before spinning it, so that wasn't why. Additionally, there is an issue with this one's power circuit as well. I have to plug the thing into a new outlet each time I turn it on for some reason, or it wont turn on. My photos show the inside of the blade, where I added a new magnet, and the plastic part of the lid that snaps off if you try to remove the container if you shut it off mid-spin. This is the new lid I bought, but I wanted you to be able to see what part I was talking about. If it breaks off, the machine cannot register that you've installed the container and it will just keep blinking.

Merveilleuse

I loved the ninja creami and am so bummed it got spoiled. I give it a 5 star rating purely on my user experience with the product. Hoping it launches in India soon. I suggest getting the warranty cos they will accept your return within the timeline but it’s self ship. But still giving it 4stars cos my refund came through very promptly. Mine was slightly complicated case as I didn’t want to self ship also and also the product was working absolutely fine for a few uses. I feel it’s a safe buy cos the seller did issue a refund without a delay and understood that the product was faulty and made no drama about it as such. Amazon provided awesome support tho.

this thing is amazing. been using roughly lately and its been performing very well. for a small appliance that can prepare ice cream? its decent i had the idea that if i just put anything inside it will an ice-cream out of it but that wasnt the case. to clear the confusion, you freeze milk or whatever your mix, machine's purpose is after that. you can change the frozen mix you had into different frozen delicacies such as milkshakes, ice creams, frappe etc...

First time using it, was easy, it is loud but so worth it, we made creamiccino, was quick & was so creamy & delicious, as good as professional cafe machine! Can’t wait to try making homemade icecream next, love that I can substitute ingredients with chemical, toxic & guilt free healthier delicious options!

والله العظيم احلى مكنة ايسكريم وانا جدا راضي وفرحان بيها. عشرة على عشرة تقييم قليل عليها. صوتها بس عالي، غطوها بباسكت زبالة وقت التشغيل والأمور تمام التمام.