Sam's Club Members: Ninja Creami Ice Cream, Milkshake and Sorbet Maker

Costco may have the superior items (and the hotdogs), but Sam's has Scan and Go. There's nothing like waiting in line at Costco on a Sunday right after peeps get outta church. We'll be waiting in line for like 20-30 minutes sometimes.

Meanwhile at Sam's, I'm just bopping along scanning as I go. I hit checkout and just leave the store. That is worth Sam's membership to me.

******************** Tips from a Ninja Creami enthusiast: ********************

1. This is VERY loud, be warned! Everyone in the house will know that you are making ice cream lol. Also note that this is the smaller unit (more like a single-serve pint), as opposed to the larger-cup Deluxe (available for cheaper than Amazon from Costco FYI). Basically 16oz vs. 24oz batch sizes. They both sound like weedwhackers either way haha.

2. Keep in mind the "3-spin system". Many mixes turn into a powder-like consistency on the initial "spin" & need extra liquid added, then have to be re-spun a couple more times (there's a literally a "re-spin" button for this very purpose!). A lot of people don't know about this requirement for most mixes, so they end up thinking the machine is bad & quitting. I typically just add a dash of heavy cream to fill in the spindle hole in the center & respin, then do that a second time to get super-creamy ice cream.

3. This does not make hard-pack ice cream that you can scoop; that's what an ice cream machine is for (incorporates air with a paddle aka "overrun", which you then freeze overnight to solidify). You CAN make thick ice cream in the Creami, but this is like a budget Paco Jet, which shaves the mixture down into a creamy consistency with variouness thickness levels, depending on what you're going for (sorbet, ice cream, soft-serve, etc.). The purpose of this is to make frozen treats when you want it, so you freeze it ahead of time & then just spin it up whenever you're in the mood for something cold & yummy! It also has a mix-in cycle so you can blend in mini M&M's, broken-up Oreos, etc. You can replicate DQ Blizzards, McFlurries, Frosty's, etc. If you don't feel like waiting overnight for your mixture to freeze, you can also use it to make milkshakes from store-bought pints of ice cream!


******************** Benefits: ********************

1. This makes ice cream & other frozen treats ON DEMAND! Ice cream is $9 a pint where I live. If you eat ice cream, keto ice cream, protein ice cream, sorbets, smoothie bowls, Dole Whips, etc. on a regular basis, this unit pays for itself in no time! So you can build up a small army of ready-to-spin pints in your freezer. People go as far as setting up "ice cream bars" with syrups, toppings, bowl cozies, spoons, etc. so they have a fun little workstation.

2. This makes FANTASTIC protein ice cream. I eat it for breakfast a few times a week, no joke! After owning a Creami for a few years now, this is my number one usage because it actually tastes LEGIT! For example:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ninjacre...milkshake/

3. You don't have to bother buying more aftermarket pint jars, just buy a roll of produce bags & bread ties & some green painter's tape to label them. You can line the pints like a trash can, pour in the mix, freeze overnight, tie shut with a bread twistie-tie, and then label with some green painter's tape (they all look the same once frozen lol). I typically prep a few batches a week. Places like Walmart & Home Depot also sell small chest freezers for under $200 if you need more room. I always keep a variety of options & flavors on-hand, from ice creams to smoothie bowls!

******************** Resources: ********************

1. Tiktok & Facebook are the two best resources for finding ideas & recipes, as well as tips & tricks. 300k people on this group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/n...community/

Protein ice cream group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/n...nicecream/

This lady makes amazing stuff as a boat chef:

https://www.tiktok.com/@abbyinthegalley?lang=en



2. Introduction here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ninjacre...&context=3

Recommended accessories:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ninjacre...are_button

3. Oddly enough, you can also make pretty decent hummus with this machine! (scroll down here)

https://www.reddit.com/r/ninjacre...&context=3

******************** Operation notes: ********************

1. Clean everything IMMEDIATELY after use (only takes 60 seconds!). The spindle is self-cleaning, but the exposed nub underneath the unit just needs a quick wipe with a wet paper towel or hand towel. I usually just eat my mix right out of the container & use a bowl cozy from Etsy so my hand doesn't freeze. Rinse out the lid immediately as well - pop off the blade & run it under the faucet to clean everything out right after you're done spinning. The lid is not the best design & can get gunk built-up otherwise. Note that the spindle that goes down into the jar has a self-cleaning gasket, but it's not suitable if you have cross-contamination for food allergies, so be aware of that if you're working with non-dairy ice cream, peanuts (ex. PB2, peanut butter, etc.), and so on.

2. If you have the time & patience, leave your frozen mix out for 20 to 30 minutes to thaw out a bit, that way the sides don't get so icy when mixing. Alternatively, run your pint under warm or hot water on the sides to help prevent an icy bottom portion. Or if you're impatient like me, just respin it a couple more times with some additional liquid.

3. This is a trial-and-error machine. Don't give up if things don't come out perfect the first time! I had a LOT of fails with mine until I started to figure out how to extract the good stuff from this machine! Again, remember the "3-spin" system & remember to add liquid each time. Some recipes come out perfect on the first or second spin. Some recipes don't need extra liquid added & just need respins. Note that cold temperatures can reduce the impact of sweetness to our tastebuds by up to 30%, so some recipes may require adjusting the sweetener ratio (ex. more sugar) to taste good according to your preferences.

******************** Ideas: ********************

1. Homemade ice cream (core purpose!) including PREMIUM homemade ice creams! Some options:

a. Sous-vide the base
b. Use duck eggs
c. Use high-end ingredients (chopped quality chocolate bars, better chocolate chips, etc.)
d. Use farm-fresh chicken eggs
e. Use milk & cream directly from a farm (my local farm does 6% whole milk & 40% heavy cream, absolutely phenomenal lol)
f. Add as many cookie dough chunks or brown chunks as your heart desires!
g. Customize the flavor per your tastebuds (ex. more minty or less minty, white or green mint ice cream, stir in Magic Shell for flecks of chocolate, etc.)

2. Froyo (if you're a frozen yogurt fan, you can make healthy kinds or desserts kinds in the Creami!)

3. Protein ice cream (believe it or not this comes out awesome lol)

4. Dole Whip (pineapple. orange, and lemon powders available on Amazon, just like you get at Disney!)

5. Soft-serve (Frostline chocolate & vanilla available on Amazon!)

6. Smoothie bowls

7. Frozen fruit sorbets (canned or fresh...watermelon, pineapple, mango, etc.)

8. Copycat recipes (DQ Blizzard, McD's McFlurry, Wendy's Frosty, etc.)

9. Fresh milkshakes (just buy a tub of ice cream & add some milk!)

10. Hummus & baba ganoush (I like this because I can freeze a pint & have a fresh personal hummus anytime I want)

******************** Workflow: ********************

I get a LOT of mileage out of mine. Quality-wise, Ben & Jerry's hasn't been the same since Unilever bought them a few decades ago. Price-wise, the new Grandma McFlurry from McDonald's is over $6 where I live. My typical workflow is:

1. Meal-prep a few batches a week to keep my freezer stocked up

2. Use produce bags as liners to store in bulk in your freezer

3. Spin up a batch on demand & clean the spindle numb/lid/blade immediately after (~60 seconds)

I'd love to buy a Pac Jet, but > $200 is WAY better than $7,000, haha!

If you have the Kohls 40% off code that's good for today only 5/1, you can get it for $120 plus $20 in Kohls cash plus 2% cash back on certain referral sites.