If there’s one thing Ninja knows how to do, it’s take everyday kitchen kit and make it exciting. From their innovative air fryers to their oh-so brilliant ice cream makers, the brand has built a reputation for gadgets that promise fun as well as function. Their latest launch, the Ninja Slushi FS301UK, pushes that formula into new territory. This is a machine that can turn lemonade into a perfect icy slush in minutes, churn out creamy frappes for iced coffee fiends and keep frozen margaritas flowing at your next party.
- Available from Fenwick (£349), John Lewis (£320), Ninja Kitchen (£329.99), Currys (£329.99), Argos (£329.99), Very (£329)
That’s the promise here – all without the need for ice cubes or fiddly pre-freezing bowls. At around £349 this isn’t a casual purchase and it takes up a fair bit of counter space, but it’s certainly one of the most intriguing appliances Ninja has released.
Read on to find out if it lives up to the hype.
Unboxing the Ninja Slushi
We were thrilled to see all recyclable packaging surrounding the Ninja Slushi when we unboxed it. But this is a hefty piece of kit: it weighs around 11kg and is 43cm tall, so this isn’t really something to move to and from a cupboard when you want to use it.
Inside the box you’ll find the following alongside the base:
- A 2.5L vessel (1.9L max capacity)
- Stirring auger
- Dispensing handle and tap
- Recipe guide
- Drip tray
The assembly is very straightforward: simply insert the auger, attach the vessel to the refrigerated base and clip on the drip tray and tap. Despite its plastic shell, the Slushi feels well-made and robust.
One key thing to remember, the base unit needs to sit upright for around half a day before first use (much like other compressor appliances) to let the fluids settle.
Ninja Slushi: design, features and use
The Ninja Slushi doesn’t use blades or ice. Instead, liquids freeze directly on the refrigerated metal cylinder in the centre of the machine and the auger scrapes and stirs, producing smooth ice crystals.
There are five presets on the Slushi: slush, frozen cocktail, frappe, milkshake and frozen juice. And there are 10 freeze levels, allowing you to tailor your drinks to your desired consistency. We made four different drinks to put the Slushi to the test.
We used a pre-made lemonade on the frozen juice setting, it took around 20 minutes to transform into a smooth refreshing slush that maintained its texture for around two hours. Our rose wine for frosé froze rapidly, producing a brilliant smooth consistency on the frozen cocktail setting. We wanted to try out a coffee-based drink, so married the coffee frappe in Ninja’s recipe book with our pumpkin spiced latte recipe, to create the ultimate autumn drink for when the sun’s still out. We chose the frappe setting – the final result was a little thicker in texture than the juice and frosé but we enjoyed a deliciously smooth and creamy frozen latte. Finally, we made frozen cola using the slush setting, which the Ninja handled with total ease. It had a fine icy texture that melted slowly rather than clumping. Even after 20 minutes in the glass, it remained spoonable rather than collapsing into liquid.
Compared to a standard blender and ice slushy, the results with the Ninja were noticeably smoother and less watery, as nothing gets diluted by melting cubes.
While Ninja calls the compressor 'WhisperChill', we found it was noticeably louder than a whisper, even in our busy test kitchen. It certainly won’t drown out conversation, but we always knew it was running.
How does the Ninja Slushi work?
It's surprisingly simple; at the centre of the Slushi is a chilled metal cylinder inside the tank. As liquid touches the walls of the cylinder, the auger (corkscrew paddle) scrapes the frozen layer and stirs it into the mixture.
Because the Slushi works by balancing freezing points, whatever mixture you want to turn to slush must have around 5 per cent sugar to properly work. This means that diet or zero-sugar drinks won’t work unless you add sugar. Alcohol can be included, but with limits – Ninja suggests 3-16% ABV total. If there’s too much alcohol or too little sugar, your drink will stay liquid.
How to use the Ninja Slushi
- Insert the auger and vessel, and lock them in
- Pour 0.5-1.9L liquid into the vessel
- Set the preset you want
- Adjust the freeze level
- Press start and let the machine do its thing
- Once it’s finished, pull the tap to dispense the mixture into glasses
We found that the slush tends to plop rather than to flow smoothly out of the machine, and you’ll need to leave the machine running and powered while serving otherwise the mixture doesn’t move to the serving end and it can freeze solid.
How long does the Ninja Slushi take?
This depends on lots of different factors, such as quantity of liquid and the recipe you’re following, but broadly:
- 15-20 minutes: for small servings of sugary fizzy drinks or juices,
- 20-30 minutes: for juice-based drinks and lighter cocktails,
- 30-45 minutes: for dairy-based drinks like frappes,
- Up to 60 minutes: for large capacity drinks, higher ABV or lower sugar drinks.
As a general rule of thumb, we found the more sugar and alcohol, the faster it tends to freeze. Whereas larger quantities and low-sugar mixes take longer.
How to know when the Ninja Slushi is done?
Usefully, the Slushi will beep when the preset cycle finishes. Plus, it’s really easy to see inside the machine, so you can easily gauge the level of "doneness" yourself. We found a quick dispense test is the easiest way to check: if the liquid pours out as a smooth slush, rather than watery, it’s ready. If it's not thick enough for your liking, you can extend the cycle or increase the freeze level manually. We also found that if you’ve over-frozen your mix, a little extra hit of liquid was enough to loosen it up again.
How to clean the Ninja Slushi
Cleaning the Ninja Slushi is very simple indeed. Once you’ve finished with the Slushi, just pour water into the vessel and run the rinse cycle. This flushes the auger and the sides of the vessel. Once you feel it’s been thoroughly rinsed, you can just flush the water out through the tap, but use a jug to catch the water. We found opening the tap slowly, so there’s only a little gap, is the best way to flush it without getting water everywhere.
You can then disassemble the vessel, auger, tap and drip tray. While Ninja says these parts are all dishwasher safe, some are pretty hefty and would take up a fair amount of space in the dishwasher, plus we found they needed little more than a quick clean with soap and warm water.
Return to the freezing cylinder and base and wipe these down with a damp cloth.
Is the Ninja Slushi worth it?
The Ninja Slushi is a go-to piece of kit for entertaining, family treats and cocktails. It’s ideal if you’re looking to churn out rounds of icy drinks for a kids party in the day, and frozen margaritas or piña coladas for the adults at night. It’s also the only domestic slushy machine available in the UK.
We were consistently impressed by the Slushi’s versatility and the quality of the slush it produced. Whether it's a cola slush, a frappe or a cocktail, the results felt indulgent and often better than what you could buy elsewhere, plus you know exactly what's going into your slushies. The overall fun factor and inspiration to try new recipes are also highlights.
There are of course some downsides. Firstly, it’s single function. Unlike a blender, the Slushi does one thing and one thing only, though, admittedly it does this very well. This, coupled with its size, weight and price, means you’re taking a lot on for something that may only get use half the year. Plus, if you’re looking for a frozen dessert maker that’s a little healthier than ice cream, the Slushi is a bit of a false promise given the 5 per cent sugar requirement.
In short, the Ninja Slushi is a well-designed, high-quality machine that makes brilliant frozen drinks. It’s best for people who will use it often and get a lot from the fun, exciting results. If you only want occasional slushies, its price and footprint may outweigh the benefits.
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source https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/ninja-slushi-first-look-review
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