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Ninja Slushi vs frozen drink makers: which is best?
Ninja promises 'frozen drinks, made simple' with its Ninja Slushi. It's a pricey purchase at £350, so we've tested it to see if it makes delicious slushies or if cheaper frozen drink makers do just as good a job.
We whipped up cola slushies and frozen margaritas in each of the slushie makers we tested. These were blind-taste tested by a panel who rated the drinks on texture, taste and how closely they resembled a classic frozen slushie.
Our tests uncovered one Best Buy slushie machine that impressed above the rest. Read on to find out if the Ninja Slushi took the top spot or if it was beaten by a cheaper rival.
How our tests find you the best
Taste
Is the Ninja Slushi worth £350? Whether your tipple of choice is a cola slushie or frozen margarita, we tell you if it makes party-ready drinks.
Ease of cleaning
After the party’s over, no one wants a difficult clean-up. We handwash the Ninja Slushi and its rivals so we can warn you about the tricky models.
Noise
The Ninja Slushi keeps drinks chilled for up to 12 hours, so you can get ahead of your party prep. But does it make a racket while chilling? Find out in our reviews.
We also test
how easy and quick frozen drinks are to make in the Ninja Slushi and other slushie makers.
The best frozen drink makers
Only logged-in Which? members can view the frozen drink maker test results below.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
| Frozen drink maker | Price | Score | Taste | Ease of cleaning | Noise | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations. Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time Already a member? Log in | 83% | |||||
| 76% | ||||||
| 72% | ||||||
| 65% | ||||||
| 65% | ||||||
| 60% |
Sign up to reveal
Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations.
Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time
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Date tested: March 2025. Page last checked: March 2025. We are not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
The frozen drink makers we tested
All the frozen drink makers we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best frozen drink makers from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
Andrew James Ice Crusher Slush Machine
Settings Fine or coarse ice
Need to know 1 litre, 31 x 18 x 20cm (HxWxD), 1.7kg, 81cm cable, not dishwasher safe
ChillFactor Slushy Maker
Need to know 230ml, 19 x 11 x 11cm (HxWxD), requires freezing for eight to 10 hours, not dishwasher safe, suitable for children 3 years+
Livivo Electric Ice Crusher
Settings Fine or coarse ice
Need to know 1 litre, 31 x 18 x 20cm (HxWxD), 1.7kg, 83cm cable, not dishwasher safe
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Neo Ice Crusher Slush Machine
Settings Fine or coarse ice
Need to know 1 litre, 31 x 18 x 20cm (HxWxD), 1.7kg, 83cm cable, not dishwasher safe
Ninja Slushi Frozen Drink Maker
Settings Slush, frozen cocktail, frappé, milkshake, frozen juice
Need to know 1.9 litres, 41 x 16 x 41cm (HxWxD), 11kg, 120cm cable, dishwasher safe except the motor base and evaporator, keeps drinks cool for up to 12 hours, recipes included
Slush Puppie Snow Cone Machine
Settings Fine or coarse ice
Need to know 31 x 18 x 20cm (HxWxD), 1.7kg, 81cm cable, not dishwasher safe
See our pick of the best ice cream makers and best popcorn makers for your party guests to enjoy
How we test frozen drink makers
Our tests pit the popular Ninja Slushi against other slushie makers available in the UK, as well as the Ninja 2-in-1 blender, to see which makes the best slushies and frozen cocktails. We make a cola slushie and frozen margarita in each and they are assessed on the factors below.
We make our frozen margaritas using the Fever Tree Margarita Mixer – SQUIRREL_TEXT_50020019. It's a handy mixer if you don't want to spend time squeezing limes, but we found it a little on the sweet side. If you prefer a sharper margarita, squeeze in extra lime juice to take away some of the sweetness.
We regularly revisit the frozen drink makers on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing, and when we find them, we do so.
- Taste Our panel of taste testers try a cola slushie and frozen margarita made in each slushie maker in a blind-taste test. The best drinks have a thick, blended consistency with little separation between ice and liquid, while the worst are watery and separated.
- Ease of cleaning We wash each product by hand to see if it's quick to clean or requires a bit more elbow grease. After I accidentally cut my hand on a blender blade, sharp parts that make cleaning a bit more tricky are also taken into account.
- Ease of use Each slushie maker is assessed on its instructions, how easy it is to assemble, how much ingredient prep is required and how easy it is to operate. Some are simple to use but others require a bit of time spent with the instruction manual.
- Speed If you want a slushie maker that won't keep your party guests waiting, we also time how long it takes to make the drinks in each machine. Some have drinks ready in a minute or two, while others take an hour or more.
- Noise We rate how noisy each frozen drink maker is while it's blending the drinks or crushing ice. We find that some will stop your conversation in its tracks, while others are barely noticeable.
Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent
Can you make a slushie in a Ninja blender?
The Ninja Slushi isn't the brand's only appliance that makes slushies. The Ninja 2-in-1 Blender with Auto-IQ BN750UK is £200 cheaper than the Ninja Slushi and has a setting that crushes ice to make slushies and frozen cocktails.
We tested this setting and attempted to make a cola slushie and frozen margarita with the Ninja blender. Join Which? to find out if it's a worthy rival to the Ninja Slushi or read our full review of the Ninja 2-in-1 Blender to see how we rated its other settings.
How does the Ninja Slushi work?
The Ninja Slushi has an auger that spins liquid against a chilled metal cylinder. This slowly freezes the drink into a slushie without the need for any ice. Other slushie makers we tested crush ice into liquid, so you'll need to have plenty of ice handy if you're making drinks for lots of people.
Whether you prefer a thicker or thinner slushie, you can easily adjust its consistency on the control panel at the front of the Ninja Slushi.
How long does the Ninja Slushi take?
Ninja says it can take between 15 and 60 minutes to make a frozen drink. This depends on the ingredients, their starting temperature and volume.
Join Which? to find out exactly how long it took us to make cola slushies and frozen margaritas in the Ninja Slushi.
Are slushies suitable for children?
If you're making slushies at home with the slushie makers we've reviewed and are thinking about what ingredients to include, you should follow NHS guidelines on how much sugar is suitable for your child.
However, slushies that contain the sweetener glycerol should not be given to children of a certain age.
Shefalee Loth, Which? Nutritionist, says: 'There have been several cases of young children falling unconscious and being hospitalised after drinking slushies. Many slushies contain glycerol, an ingredient that's added to stop the liquid freezing and as a substitute to sugar. But glycerol can cause headaches and low blood sugar, especially when consumed in excess.
'Following a risk assessment, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) says these drinks shouldn't be consumed by children under four years old and refills shouldn't be offered to children under 10.'