We tried the TikTok-viral Ninja creami and now we never need to buy ice cream again

So, the way this bad boy works is by starting with a frozen base then churning everything together. Whatever flavour sorbet, ice cream, smoothie, and so on, you’ve decided to make, you need to add all of your ingredients into one of the tubs (there are three included), before putting it in the freezer for 24 hours. When you come to take it out (the next day or whenever you have your frozen dessert craving), you secure the tub into the Ninja creami and choose whichever preset program takes your fancy – ice cream, sorbet, etc. The machine then gets to work, mixing the solid, frozen base into your favourite dessert.

We found the three tubs very useful, as you could batch-make your frozen desserts in one go – the tubs didn’t take up a huge amount of room in the freezer, either. We also found the appliance itself was quite neat – although it isn’t small by any means, it had a compactness about it. Having a vertical design means a smaller footprint, which made all the difference in our kitchen.

Not only was the process of adding the ingredients to the tub easy (it doesn’t get simpler than pouring everything in together), the spin speed and duration of the process are all taken care of, thanks to the preset programs (ice cream, gelato, smoothie bowl, sorbet, milkshake, light ice cream and mix-ins), so you don’t need to worry about setting timers or anything like that.

While Ninja’s recipe booklet, which comes with the device, suggests no-cook ice cream requires softened cream cheese, we’ve watched enough TikToks to know this wasn’t as necessary as the instructions led us to believe. We also liked that, if you left anything out, you could add in extras via the mix-in function. There’s also the option of an extra spin, in case the texture isn’t quite right the first time.

Now, we will say the machine is loud in use. However, this only lasts about a minute before it’s done its thing, and the results will make you forgive the noise almost immediately.

First, we tried a no-cook ice cream with simple ingredients: milk and cocoa powder. While it was no Ben & Jerry’s, the ice cream still hit the spot, for sure. We then experimented with smoothies, trying different varieties of fruit juice and fruit to create a refreshing treat.

Then, we began to get more adventurous, with our next no-cook ice cream being made up of Baileys, espresso, milk, praline chocolates, walnuts and golden syrup. Ben & Jerry’s, eat your heart out. Absolutely incredible, if we do say so ourselves.

It’s worth noting that the ice cream would probably be slightly creamier if using cream cheese or double cream (coconut cream works as a plant-based alternative), but there weren’t any issues when using a plant-based milk.

This sought-after appliance is understandably even more popular with the September sunshine, so is out of stock on Ninja’s own website. However, the brand has let us know that more stock is expected in October.