Some people come back from Italy dreaming of gelato; and, while my daughters were not immune to the charms of that churned confection, when it came time to cool down, they preferred the frozen slushies that over there go by the name “granita”. I looked into getting them a slushie maker, but the price for a commercial unit was prohibitive.
We tried to make similar tasting concoctions using a blender and a lot of ice, but the ice would dilute any juice or other flavoring, and the texture was never exactly the same. Some would be too thick, other parts just liquid, not the homogenous ice-flow that could make you want to take a bath in it on a blazing hot summer day.
I had high hopes for the Ninja Slushi after testing the Ninja Creami ice cream maker the year before and crowning it the best new kitchen gadget of the year. The Creami makes delicious ice cream, but it suffers from one major drawback: you have to plan in advance. Because it does not have a freezing unit, you have to make the ice cream mix the day before to give it sufficient time to freeze in your ice-box. Hedonist that I am, delayed gratification has never been my strong suit. And, when the grandchildren come over unexpectedly, and expectantly demand that grandpa will have ice cream ready for them, the limitations of th Creami can lead to tears. (I have high hopes that Ninja will come out with a refrigerated ice cream unit one day, but for now....)
The Ninja Slushi machines (there are several models) can make a frozen drink from juice in fifteen minutes or so! The kids can show up at the door, help me make whatever mix we’re going to concoct, and watch it freeze before their eyes!
Ninja makes several Slushi models. They sent me the most deluxe, the Ninja Slushi Twist ($399). This deluxe unit has two side-by-side chambers, so you can make different flavors at the same time and dispense them one at a time or as a twist. I liked that the unit could operate with one or both sides working at the same time; no need to make more than you need.
Making our first batch
Setting up the Slushi for the first time, though not difficult, does require some planning. First, you’ll need to find counter space for it near a power outlet. At 17.48 x 11.93 x 16.26 inches it isn’t small. My son-in-law, the primary cook in his family, was at first dubious about giving up so much room. Needless to say, at the end of the day he was a convert! The unit earned is place in the kitchen.
You’ll want someone to help you lift the machine. It is a two person job. Once it is plugged in, though, all you’ll need to do is wash out the vessels (by hand – do not put the parts in the dishwasher), and wait.
Wait? Yes. Sadly, the instructions say to let the unit rest for two hours before first use. This is probably to let the coolant settle into position. This is a one-time thing, but almost resulted in a not-so-frozen melt-down by my grandson who couldn’t believe the instructions were right. To get things calmed down, I told him he could choose what our first frozen treat would be.
He voted for frozen lemonade. I decided to pour in some lemonade already in the fridge without any additional ingredients.
The four percent solution
There is a bit of chemistry to making the perfect slushie; according to the instructions, the mix has to have sufficient sugar (about 4 percent) to get to the proper consistency. (Happily, as it turns out, you can also get to that consistency by using one of several sugar-substitutes, but for our first try we just poured in the lemonade they were already using. That way I didn’t feel like I was introducing a new sugar drink to their diet. Still, as with any treats you make at home, whether baked or frozen, you should be aware of the sugar content.)
The lemonade turned to a slushie in minutes. It was perfect. You could spoon it or suck it through a straw. It was the perfect texture and had none of the problems of the blender drinks I had made in the past.
Although you can adjust the temperature (and hence, consistency) of the mix, the unit’s built-in sensor managed temperature at the same time as it monitored for drink’s thickness. If you are making a drink with alcohol, it also checks that you didn’t add too much to keep it from freezing.
A new twist
Our next adventure was making a creamsicle-like drink: We put orange juice in one side and poured in a milkshake mix I found on-line: basically, some condensed milk, vanilla, and whole milk. Once everything is frozen you put a glass on a holder and give it a gentle spin while pulling both handles. The kids loved making the twist!
The device can (and does) set different temperatures for each unit using something called Dual SlushAssist Technology, and you can override it if you find it is necessary.
What else we tried
Later that night, after the kids had gone to bed, I tried making two very different grown-up drinks.
On one side I added some cold-brew, a bit of milk and some Alulose, a sugar substitute. What came out of the machine was the spitting image of the sort of frozen coffee drink you’d get at Starbucks. Finding the right temperature for drinks with dairy took some trial and error. They tended to get a bit too frothy to dispense properly when the unit was left to its own sensors. A push or two of the button, however, and things worked perfectly.
On the other side I made a pina colada with Malibu Rum and Pineapple juice that was to die for.
Cleanup
Once you’re done with the unit, you drain it and pour in water and run a rinse. After emptying it again, the main parts come off, get rinsed in the sink, and then set out to dry. It was much faster and easier than washing the dishes after dinner.
One thing to note: It is a good idea to have a lightweight pitcher with a good, predictable spout to use when adding the mix to the unit, and again at cleanup.
Such things as dreams are made
Having two chambers makes the Ninja Slushi Twist perfect for summer parties, but if you want to save on space, and spend a few less dollars, a single vessel model is also available.
So, after waiting all those year’s since my kids started asking for a slushie machine was the Ninja Slushi Twist the answer to their childhood dreams?
It was better. The delay of about twenty years only improved on the experience (because now, older and wiser) they can also use it to make frozen cocktails! My grandkids loved it, too. What better way to beat the heat?
