Ninja Swirl vs Ninja Creami Deluxe: which ice cream maker is best?

The Ninja Swirl brings soft serve ice cream home, while the Ninja Creami Deluxe sticks to scoops. But which one comes out on top in our ice cream tests?

The Creami Deluxe usually costs around £250, while the newer, more expensive Ninja Soft Serve is about £100 more.

But regardless of your budget, both of these ice cream makers have a range of attractive features ready to impress. So which is better? 

We ran both machines through our full ice cream test, which includes a panel of judges rating the ice cream on texture, consistency and how well solid ingredients such as chocolate chips are spread through each scoop, and found a clear winner.

Want to see more than two Ninjas? Here's our full round-up of the best ice cream makers instead

Ninja Swirl vs Ninja Creami Deluxe: how do the ice cream makers compare?

Compare two of Ninja's flagship machines to see what they have in common, and which features stand out.

Does the Ninja Swirl make better ice cream than the Ninja Creami Deluxe?

The Ninja Swirl promises soft serve at home with 13 one-touch programs, while the Ninja Creami Deluxe focuses on classic scoops with 11 programs and larger tubs for bigger batches. Both claim to deliver café-style frozen treats in your own kitchen. But which produces better-tasting ice cream? 

Our test showed a clear difference. One machine produced a creamy, smooth scoop with no ice crystals and evenly distributed chocolate chips. The other was less impressive; the ice cream came out a bit too firm, and the chocolate chips clumped together in places.

Log in or join Which? to find out which one made the best ice cream. 

Magnum vs supermarket chocolate ice creams – for those of you who don't have the time to make your own

How much do the Ninja ice cream makers cost?

Both the Creami Deluxe and the Swirl are freeze-first models, so making ice cream takes longer than self-freezing machines. But it usually means they're much cheaper too (around £50 vs upwards of £200). 

Unfortunately, Ninja does not play by those rules.

Both the Swirl and the Creami cost more than £200. That's far more pricey than the average freeze-first model, with the Swirl being the most expensive at around £350. 

They do bring something extra to the table, though. Unlike most freeze-first machines, they do far more than churn ice cream – whether that justifies the higher price depends entirely on your budget and how adventurous you want to get.

We've listed a range of different ice cream makers below so you can compare the current prices. But be sure to read our ice cream maker reviews before you invest. 

See how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker

Which Ninja ice cream maker is easier to set up and use?

The Ninja Swirl gives you more programs than the Creami Deluxe. And because it comes mostly assembled, in theory, you can go from unboxing to making ice cream with little more than fitting the blade and tub.

The Creami Deluxe still has 11 programs that cover everything from classic ice cream to slushies and frozen yoghurt, all at the touch of a button. Much like the Swirl, it comes with most parts already put together, so you should be able to dive right in without much setup.

The Swirl and the Creami are dishwasher safe, too. 

Both promise to keep things simple, but is it ever that easy? Log in or join Which? to find out.

You’ll need somewhere to store all this ice cream you'll be making, so see our round-up of the best freezers

Ninja Swirl vs Ninja Creami Deluxe: our verdict

They might be part of the same Ninja family, but one definitely got the better traits. 

Both come with useful attachments and interesting features, but one really shines when it comes to churning creamy ice cream and blending mix-ins evenly.

Log in or join Which? to find out which Ninja ice cream maker is the best. 

Not sold on the Ninja? See all our results in our round-up of the best ice cream makers