If you love a good frozen dessert, an ice cream maker is an absolute must-have kitchen gadget. It lets you make a variety of frozen treats just how you want them, whether that’s low-sugar, dairy-free, or loaded with chocolate chips.
The Ninja creami deluxe ice cream maker has gained a bit of a cult following over the past couple of years, and it’s easy to see why. This machine promises to turn everything from protein shakes to tinned fruit into delicious, creamy, scoopable desserts. But now it has some competition: the new Cuisinart freeze wand promises an easy (and relatively affordable) way to whip up frozen treats at home.
While both the Ninja and Cuisinart machines promise professional-quality frozen treats at home, there’s a big difference in price: the creami deluxe will set you back £250, while the Cuisinart freeze wand costs less than half that at £99.99.
That’s fascinating because they’re fairly similar machines. Neither is technically a true ice cream maker, as neither uses built-in compressors. With both, you have to freeze your ingredients or base mix the day before. Once you have your base ready, both machines work in the same way, using blades to churn, blend, and shave your frozen mixture into everything from classic soft-scoop ice cream to sorbet, milkshakes, slushies and frozen yoghurt.
I’ve just tested a wide range of ice cream makers for IndyBest, and these two machines really stood out. But does the creami really deliver enough to justify an extra £150 on the price tag? I put them head-to-head to see which one delivers the best flavour, texture, and ease of operation.
How I tested
I’ve owned the original Ninja Creami for a couple of years, so I’ve been used to making a range of tasty, frozen treats at home with this type of machine. For this review, I used the latest Ninja creami deluxe, which works in the same way but has more functions, including frappe and slushi settings. While I was already a big fan of the Ninja machine, the Cuisinart freeze wand piqued my interest because it claims to do the same thing in a more compact (and less expensive) device.
I tested both machines, making the same frozen dessert bases, to keep things fair. I made a simple vanilla ice cream, a frozen yoghurt, and a sorbet. Both machines require you to freeze your bases, so I froze each mixture overnight before letting the ice cream machines get to work. During testing, I assessed the machines on the following criteria:
- Quality of frozen treats: I noted the texture of ice creams and the number produced by each machine.
- Ease of operation: I considered how quick and easy it was to set up, use and disassemble the ice cream makers.
- Ease of cleaning: Whether the machines feature dishwasher-safe parts, and how easy the devices are to wipe down and keep clean, was also a consideration.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Rachael Penn is a writer specialising in lifestyle and tech, particularly home appliances, food, and drink. She has tried, tested and reviewed plenty of ice cream makers, as well as toasters, air fryers, hand mixers and much more for IndyBest, and has been contributing to the section since 2021. Rachael puts every product featured in her reviews through real-world testing, and her years of experience with different machines mean she knows what makes an appliance great value for money.
