Costco Wholesale has for their
Members: Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream and Frozen Treat Maker (CN501CO) for
$179.99.
Shipping is free.
Thanks to Community Member
malka for finding this deal.
Note: You need to be an active Costco Member and signed in to your account to purchase at sale price.
Includes: - 3x 24 oz. CREAMi Deluxe Pints with Storage Lids
- Motor Base with Dual-Drive Motors and Creamify Technology that turns almost anything into a frozen treat
- Deluxe Creamerizer Paddle shaves and churns ice particles into the creamiest frozen treats in minutes
- Outer bowl and lid to house deluxe pint while processing
- 11 One-Touch Programs
- Countdown Display
- All parts dishwasher safe
- Recipe inspiration guide with 30 recipes
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Top Comments
Unfortunately, it's not ice cream on demand. This thing, in my humble opinion, is a glorified blender. The process requires planning, pre-freezing the ingredients overnight, etc, etc. It might not sound like much, but I really can't tell you in advance if I'm going to want ice cream tomorrow. It's typically a spur of the moment type of thing, which makes the Ninja Creami useless really.
My family used it maybe twice before shelving it.
It's not a bad deal, just understand what you're buying before you pull the trigger.
1. This makes VERY GOOD ICE CREAM but takes PRACTICE to get there! Note that nearly all ice creams require at least 2 or 3 spins in the machine to get to the ideal texture!
2. This machine is VERY LOUD! Be prepared for the noise while running!
3. If you like frozen treats, this makes a HUGE VARIETY! You can do amazing sorbet from frozen mango, smoothie bowls, soft-serve-style ice cream, milkshakes, McFlurries, etc. plus savory stuff like ultra-creamy hummus.
Second, more details:
1. This is essentially a budget Pacojet, which is the commercial equivalent of this machine. But the Ninja under $200 instead of $7k+. REALLY incredible technology for the price point!
2. Emphasis on the noise! This appliance is VERY LOUD! Your neighbors will know when you're making ice cream lol. You will NOT be prepared for how loud this thing is hahaha. It's like turning on a weed eater in your kitchen!
3. Buy extra pint jars. Make sure to get ones that fit your specific model (there are a variety of machine models & styles available). This allows you to have "ice cream on demand" at all times when the mood strikes! I did NOT think I'd end up liking the Creami as much as I did or using it as much as I do!
4. Buy cozies (cloth sleeves) for the pint jars so your hands don't get cold when eating the ice cream out of the pint jar after spinning it. Search "Universal ninja creami cozy" on Etsy. They come in a variety of colors & patterns. The best design I've found is the square-ish ones that go to 4 diamond points around the top, that style allows the jar to slide in the easiest without having to push it on to fit.
5. Regular ice cream makers have you chill the base mixture, then churn the base in something like a freezer bowl to incorporate air so it becomes ice cream instead of a solid frozen block, then freeze it overnight to become scoopable ice cream. The Creami basically uses a drill with a blade on the end to shave the ice cream down. Different method, but GREAT results once you master the process & build up a collection of recipes that you like! The results of this machine are not so much about the machine but about the recipe you use & the workflow you master, so don't get disheartened when things don't come out perfect on the first try, because a fabulous ice cream experience IS achievable with this machine, it just takes some practice to get there when you first start out!
6. Freeze the pints WITHOUT the lid on to help avoid the "dimple" that appears in the middle of the ice cream. You want the ice cream base in the jar FLAT so that it doesn't break the blade when it comes down. Otherwise you can just kind of shave it down if needed (some people use a thin putty knife).
7. If you run the bottom of the pint jar under hot water for 30 seconds before spinning, it will help reduce any icy chunks at the bottom of the jar after you spin it in the machine.
8. It's important to understand that MAKING the ice cream is a PROCESS! The two basic steps are "ice cream mode" and "re-spin". Many ice creams come out as POWDER after running in ice cream mode. This is only your FIRST STEP in the process! You'll see a lot of people online quit immediately without realizing that it's typically a multi-step process to get to perfect ice cream! I recommend starting out by adding heavy cream & doing a re-spin, then adding more heavy cream & doing a second re-spin. There will be a hole in the middle of the jar when it becomes a powder, just use a spoon to make a tunnel & pour the cream into it.
9. Regarding the process, the first step is freezing. They recommend doing 24 hours, but for things like protein ice cream, you can get away with 8 hours! It all depends on the individual recipe in question. The second step is spinning. The Creami is more designed to on-demand ice cream that you're going to eat right away. You can freeze it after spinning if you want hard, scoopable ice cream like you buy in the store, so it's important to realize that the ice cream can only get so stiff when you spin it to eat it because otherwise the blade wouldn't be able to move. You can control the thickness of the texture from milkshake to scoopable semi-hard ice cream based on the ingredients & spinning process. After the initial spin on ice cream mode, you can do a re-spin to get the texture right, then do Mix-in mode if you want to add ingredients like crushed Oreos, Mini M&M's, etc.
10. One of the best things I've learned recently is how to make McFlurries at home! Basically, do a scoop or two of store-bought vanilla ice cream (Aldi's sells a big tub for cheap FYI) in the jar, add mix-ins, add another scoop on top, then run the Mix-in mode to get that classic texture! This is fun because you don't have to freeze anything overnight, all you need is a tub of regular ice cream & just let it spin! Same deal for milkshakes, you can simply add the ice cream of your choice & enough milk to make it as thick or thin as you want (spoonable or drink with a straw)
11. People make "ice cream bars" at home for their Creami, complete with a dedicated cart or stand, syrups, toppings, their Creami, fancy bowls & spoons, and so on. SUPER fun concept if you're into ice cream!
12. Buy a $10 milk frother on Amazon. This lets you spin mixes directly in the jars. If you own a blender, that's also good for whipping things up.
13. Lately, I've been addicted to protein ice cream for breakfast. My procedure is: get 2 pint jars. Pour a 26g Fairlife Core vanilla protein shake evenly between them. Get a small box of sugar-free Jello Pudding powder (banana cream, cheesecake, vanilla, butterscotch, etc.). Use the milk frother to blend in the powder. Freeze with the lid off for at least 8 hours. When ready to eat, spin on ice cream mode. Make a tunnel in the middle with a spoon & fill the tunnel with heavy cream & run on re-spin. If the texture isn't perfect, add more heavy cream & run on re-spin again (I typically do 2 re-spins with heavy cream each time). Should come out like super creamy soft-serve. Here are some examples:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ninjacre...1&so
14. You can also make savory stuff like SUPER creamy Hummus & baba ganoush! Bonus points if you use your Instapot to cook the dry chickpeas from scratch!
15. After each use, wipe down the spindle nub under the head of the machine. That's the part that interfaces with the blade. Also, IMMEDIATELY disconnect the blade from the lid & rinse the whole thing off with hot water. The Creami is weirdly-designed, so you want to make sure to clean everything RIGHT AWAY with warm water because the ice cream gets in all of the cracks & crevices. It's not hard, but it's something to be aware of so that it doesn't start smelling funny.
16. The two best resources for recipe ideas are the various Facebook groups & TikTok.
17. In my area, Ben & Jerry's and dairy-free ice creams go for $8.99 a pint. If you're an ice cream enthusiast, this machine will pay for itself in no time! Really good for people with allergies too because you can make ice cream from almond milk, coconut milk & coconut cream, and so on.
18. EGGNOG! Pour it in, freeze it overnight, spin it up!
tbh this is one of the most fun toys I've purchased in a looooooong time. I make McFlurries & milkshakes. I make all kinds of ice creams & fruit sorbets. I make protein ice creams, smoothie bowls, etc. If you're willing to tinker around with recipes & like frozen treats, it's a pretty awesome machine to have in your kitchen arsenal!
Also Ninja doesn't mention it but a lot of people like to run an empty pint with hot water on a mix in cycle to try to clean anything that might be on the spindle since it lives inside the unit and theres no way to clean it otherwise. If that grosses you out, you might want to pass.
69 Comments
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My goto low calorie, high protein pint is:
Fairlife protein shake (any of the different kinds) (300-420ml) depending on the version you have.
enough milk or almond milk to bring up to the fill line
8g of sugar free jello
5g of zero calorie sweetener
pinch of salt
The chocolate version tastes just like a wendys frosty. Around 180 calories and 35g of protein for the whole pint.
So good. My wife even fights me over these and she isn't dieting or having to pay attention to what she is eating...
Unfortunately, it's not ice cream on demand. This thing, in my humble opinion, is a glorified blender. The process requires planning, pre-freezing the ingredients overnight, etc, etc. It might not sound like much, but I really can't tell you in advance if I'm going to want ice cream tomorrow. It's typically a spur of the moment type of thing, which makes the Ninja Creami useless really.
My family used it maybe twice before shelving it.
It's not a bad deal, just understand what you're buying before you pull the trigger.
I actually find it odd not to plan your meals / eating, you may have saved yourself some diabetes in the long run.
I actually find it odd not to plan your meals / eating, you may have saved yourself some diabetes in the long run.
First off, this has nothing to do with meals. Second, and way off topic, meal prep is not something most people do - many people can eat on the healthy side if they wish without planning in advance. Thirdly, my diabetes risk is no worse than yours I'm sure. And lastly, being all self righteous about putting the effort into planning meals and health while trying to buy a device to make dessert more convenient and easier for you - pretty ironic.
Not for nothing, and more to the point, the description literally says it's an Ice Cream and Frozen Treat Maker. It does nothing of the sort, it simply blends things that are already frozen. And, in case you weren't sure, yes, you can do that in a regular old blender.
There are actual ice cream makers that do it all for you, like this guy here -
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006UKL...B006U
Or if you want, there are far cheaper options that do what this ninja blender does, minus a few bells and whistles -
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KYS...B003K
Beyond that, I don't know anyone that can say they'll specifically be in the mood for a specific flavor of ice cream ice cream and/or toppings days from now. Most people would buy a half gallon and let it sit till they want it, or just go to their convenience store of choice and grab some Hagen Daaz or whatever. Both of which are far easier, cheaper, and completely negate the purpose of this blender.
All that said, if you are that type of person that knows well in advance what dessert they'll want and think this device would be useful for you, by all means, go ahead and purchase the blender.
I actually find it odd not to plan your meals / eating, you may have saved yourself some diabetes in the long run.
Unfortunately, it's not ice cream on demand. This thing, in my humble opinion, is a glorified blender. The process requires planning, pre-freezing the ingredients overnight, etc, etc. It might not sound like much, but I really can't tell you in advance if I'm going to want ice cream tomorrow. It's typically a spur of the moment type of thing, which makes the Ninja Creami useless really.
My family used it maybe twice before shelving it.
It's not a bad deal, just understand what you're buying before you pull the trigger.
My suggestion for anyone who wants ice cream at home - either buy a cheap ice cream maker, which can often be had used for cheap.
Or better, get a cheap high powered blender, which have deals all the time. Use frozen fruit of your choice, yogurt, just a little milk/cream if needed, any kind of flavorings/herbs etc. Its so much more versatile and convenient and the result is pretty much same as ice cream but a lot lot healthier and tastier due to the fresh fruit. It takes 2min and you can freeze it for later too.
This is like pizza ovens, if you are eating pizza every other day then it might be worth the cost, time and effort.
Still, isn't a regular ice cream maker just as good and much cheaper?
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Should I buy this for $180 or the non-deluxe from Sam's Club for $120? Is it likely to be cheaper in-store than online (my Costco is a bit of a drive)?
Also really loving the term "slightly larger pint sizes". That phrase is just wrong. A pint is a unit of size - if it's larger or smaller, it isn't a pint.
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