Don’t Buy the Ninja Creami

(If you already have the KitchenAid Mixer)

Okay, here’s my hot take. I know you’ve seen the Ninja Creami trending on TikTok and Instagram. (I did). You’ve probably decided you need it. (I definitely did).

But here’s the thing. If you have the KitchenAid standing mixer, there is something you can get that works just as well (maybe even better?) and is less than half the price. As always, this is not sponsored. I just want to show you something awesome that will help you save money. I’m also going to share my favorite no-sugar, protein packed ice cream recipe so far.

Why I ruled out the Ninja Creami

I watched tons of videos about the Ninja Creami online, and even went to check it out at Walmart to see its sizing. Here’s what I gathered from the videos and my observation that made me rule it out:

1) It’s enormous. It is easily bigger than my coffee maker and even my standing mixer. It was going to cause a problem for me in terms of counter space or storage space.

2) It’s loud. I have sensory issues, as do my children. Online reviewers visibly cringed when they turned the Creami on in their videos, and eventually they edited the sound out because it was so obnoxious. I just don’t need another noisy thing in my already loud household.

3) You have to know what kind of ice cream you want in advance. Unlike most ice cream makers, which freeze your ice cream while it churns, the Creami requires you to make and freeze your ingredients 24 hours in advance. I recognize that this might just be a “me” thing, but I’m a little too impulsive for that. It takes the fun out of making ice cream if I have to mix all the ingredients and then wait 24 hours.

4) I’m not sure if it’s special enough to warrant the price. The Ninja Creami is $179 for the standard version and $264 for the deluxe. Based on the videos I saw, it just doesn’t seem like it offers enough to make it worth the price. It’s got the “mix” function that lets you mix ingredients into the batter, but, I mean, can’t you do that with any ice cream maker? Additionally, I learned through my research that you can make gelato, sherbet, and smoothie bowls with a standard ice cream maker, too! Just like the Creami. So, all around, I just had a hard time seeing why the Creami was valued so much higher.

What I got instead

Rather than investing in the Ninja Creami, I went with the KITCHOOD Ice Cream Maker attachment for the KitchenAid standing mixer. KitchenAid makes their own ice cream attachment, but it is $30 more expensive and practically identical to the KITCHOOD in every way. Here’s why I chose this one:

1) It’s only $69.99. If you already have the KitchenAid standing mixer, why spend almost $200 on the Creami when you can get the KITCHOOD for so much cheaper?

2) It attaches seamlessly to the KitchenAid. This was what I was most skeptical about. Since it’s not made by KitchenAid, would it actually work properly with it? Well, it most certainly does. Installation is easy, so is clean up.

3) It’s super quiet. It sounds no different than your mixer when you’ve got it set to Stir. It’s nice and quiet, and done in around 20 minutes.

4) You don’t have to know what you’re making in advance. So yes, technically you do have to at least know that you want to make ice cream in advance, because you do have to freeze the mixing bowl about 24 hours beforehand. But! You can leave the bowl in the freezer at all times and grab it when you’re ready to make ice cream. All you have to do is mix your ingredients, put them in the frozen mixing bowl, and turn on the appliance. Twenty to thirty minutes later, you’ve got ice cream.

5) I can make just about anything. Finally, I’m not just limited to making ice cream. Depending on what ingredients I use, I can make heavy ice cream, sherbet, gelato, and even a smoothie bowl.

All around, if you already have a KitchenAid standing mixer, I personally think you’re way better off getting the KITCHOOD attachment instead of the Ninja Creami. To adapt a quote by Kevin from The Office, “Why waste money spend lot dollars when few dollars do trick?”

Recipe for Sugar-Free Protein Lemon Blueberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 Premier Protein shake in the flavor Cake Batter

1/2 cup Monk Fruit Sweetener

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen is fine)

Juice from 1/2 large lemon

1 tbsp lemon zest

Directions

Put KITCHOOD mixing bowl in the freezer 24 hours in advance. Don’t use it until you can shake it and not hear any moving water on the inside. Make sure that the spinning paddle and adapter are installed on your KitchenAid. Place all ingredients into the mixer and turn the KitchenAid to “Stir.” In about 20 minutes, your ice cream should be ready! For an extra flourish, I like to add a Cliff Bar White Chocolate Macadamia Nut bar (only 50 calories). Either crush it up with your hands or with a blender.

One small caveat: this recipe will be very creamy when it first comes out, but after going into the freezer it’ll take on more of a sherbet consistency. If you want to make it stay creamy, you’ll need to add heavy whipping cream.

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