There’s something about transforming a drink into a slushie that makes it a whole lot more appealing. For example, we’re all for a piña colada, but if the menu has a frozen version, you best believe we’re making the switch.
They’ve also got that element of nostalgia. Just one taste and we’re back sipping on Slush Puppies and comparing our bright blue tongues.
And now we no longer need to wait for the odd time we can get our hands on a fruity slush at the cinema or pray for Santa to bring us a Mr Frosty, thanks to this summer’s hottest new buy: the slushie machine.
I got my hands on the viral Ninja SLUSHi just in time to test it during the heatwave. As these gadgets are fairly new to market, I also pitched it against a similar (but slightly cheaper) machine from INOVIVA to see if it really stood out from the cool crowd.
The Ninja SLUSHi and INOVIVA Slushie Machine at a glance
Pros
- Large 2.5L capacity
- Comes with a good range of recipes
- Produced slushies fairly quickly
- Easy to use with clearly labelled buttons
- Simple to clean
Cons
- Expensive
- Less presets than the INOVIVA machine
- Quite heavy and tricky to move
Key specifications
| Capacity | 2.5L |
|---|---|
| Number of presets | 5 – slush, frozen cocktail, frappe, milkshake, frozen juice |
| Dimensions | H42.98 x L41.35 x W16.56 cm |
| Weight | 11kg |
Pros
- Sleek design with a touchscreen display
- Easy to clean
- A good range of presets, including one for frozen wine
- Slightly cheaper
Cons
- Smaller capacity (2L), although a larger model is available
- Takes longer to create a slushie than the Ninja
- Also bulky and difficult to move
Key specifications
| Capacity | 2L |
|---|---|
| Number of presets | 5 – slushie, frozen cocktail, frappe, milkshake, wine |
| Dimensions | 53.6 x 53.2 x 28cm |
| Weight | 13.57kg |
How do slushie machines work?
No, it’s not just magic – there’s some great technology packed into these machines.
Both models I tested work in a similar way, using a compressor system to chill and freeze whatever liquid you add. The drink is circled around a frozen cylinder until it reaches the ideal temperature and texture for the selected preset programme.
The Ninja SLUSHi will then maintain the slushie for 12 hours, while the INOVIVA will keep the drinks frozen for up to 24 hours.
One thing to note is that they need a certain percentage of sugar in your chosen liquid to work properly. This is because sugar acts as an anti-freeze and stops the mixture freezing into one solid block. The Ninja SLUSHi advises using drinks with 5g of sugar per 100ml and above to create the perfect slushie.
In a similar way, using too much alcohol or too little alcohol can also affect your final result. It’s recommended that all premade cocktails or alcoholic drinks should contain between 2.8% and 16% alcohol to make the perfect slush.
How I tested the Ninja SLUSHi and INOVIVA Slushie Machines
Testing the two slushie machines was thirsty work. With so many presets on each model, I decided to try out three recipes that would make it easy to compare the two.
First up was a simple frozen juice using a carton of apple juice. I filled the compartment to the minimum line on each machine, selected the ‘frozen juice’ preset on the Ninja and the ‘slush’ on the INOVIVA and left them to work their magic. After it was complete, I dispensed a cupful, judging the consistency of the slush and how easy it was to pour, before doing the all-important taste test.
I then repeated the process with Coca-Cola on the ‘slushie’ preset and a premade espresso martini mix on the ‘frozen cocktail’ mode.
After slurping up all my slushies, I assessed how easy the machines were to dismantle, clean and put back together.
Here’s what I loved (and didn’t) about each machine.
My verdict: Ninja SLUSHi Vs INOVIVA Slushie Machine
It comes as no surprise to me that these sleek-looking machines have gone viral on social media. But how did they fare in the battle of the frozen drinks...
Set up – a tie
Both machines were a breeze to use thanks to the well-labelled displays.
The opening for pouring in your drink is at the top of the slushie containers. With both models, I’d advise pouring slowly to avoid a mess. I’d even recommend using a bottle rather than making up a cup or jug of whatever you’re adding for better control.
Once filled, the Ninja SLUSHi is as simple as pressing two buttons (‘On’ and your chosen preset) and letting the machine do its thing, while the INOVIVA had the extra step of pressing ‘Play’ on its touchscreen display. This doesn’t exactly detract from its ease of use though, and the screen is sleeker and more satisfying than the Ninja SLUSHi’s buttons.
The all-important slushies – Ninja SLUSHi wins
The apple juice mixture was well-slushed in the Ninja SLUSHi after around 15 minutes, while the INOVIVA took about half an hour. Both machines alert you with a ‘beep’, so you’ll know as soon as the drinks are ready.
The Ninja’s frozen juice had slightly more flavour compared to INOVIVA’s one; however, both were impressive in terms of consistency and very refreshing!
Onto the Coca-Cola slushie, and again the Ninja SLUSHi was ready first.
Dispensing the slushies on this round wasn’t quite what I expected though. Instead of coming out as a nice stream of icy goodness, I got a dribble of cola first, before lumps of the slush plopped out into my glass – certainly not the most satisfying serve.
Both drinks did have a great consistency once in the glass though, with a good proportion of liquid to ice that I could slurp up and eat.
Testing the frozen cocktail setting was the first time I encountered any real issues. Five minutes into churning the cocktail and the Ninja SLUSHi stopped because of a high alcohol content (oops). After diluting it with water and restarting the machine, I had my frozen cocktail in under half an hour.
The INOVIVA, on the other hand, didn’t alert me to any issues, but did take much longer to turn the cocktail into an icy mixture, clocking close to an hour of churning.
Unlike the Coca-Cola, both servings of the frozen espresso martini had a runnier consistency that poured out much faster. So much so that they sloshed out of the top of my glass as I poured (although this is likely because I used short tumblers), dripping down into the tray below.
On the upside, both were easier to drink through a straw than the juice or traditional slushie and there’s nothing better than sipping frozen cocktails in the sunshine.
While both machines produced similar results in terms of flavour, the Ninja was much faster at producing the drinks so is a winner in my eyes for performance.
Cleaning – INOVIVA Slushie Machine wins
Both machines come with a rinse setting that works in a similar way: add warm water up to the maximum line and press the cleaning cycle. After it’s finished, dispense the water from the machine and leave it to dry – it’s as simple as that.
For a more thorough clean, you can disassemble both machines, removing the auger (the tool that mixes the slushies) and the condensation tray that catches any drips from the bottom of the drink compartment. All the barrel parts from both slushie machines are dishwasher-safe for easy maintenance, but I found they’re also incredibly easy to clean by hand with warm, soapy water.
It’s difficult to say that one is better than the other when it comes to clean-up as they have similar self-cleaning functions. However, the INOVIVA does also include a cleaning brush to help remove tougher residue, so for that reason, it just edges ahead.
The final verdict: Which slushie machine is best?
No matter which one you choose, you’ll have a blast with these slushie machines. Their frozen drinks are real crowd pleasers – trust me, my friends were in awe at the last BBQ I hosted.
The Ninja SLUSHi offers more versatility when it comes to consistency. Alongside the preset modes, you can also manually adjust the thickness or iciness of the drink by pressing the up or down arrow on the scale on the right side of the front panel, which was effective for making small tweaks to the final drink.
The preset modes are slightly different too. Both have slushie, frozen cocktail, milkshake and frappe functions while the Ninja SLUSHi includes frozen juice and the INOVIVA machine also has one for wine.
Another factor to consider is how many people you’re planning to serve. The INOVIVA slushie maker has a two-litre capacity, while the Ninja SLUSHi has 2.5-litres and can deliver more than seven servings per batch. With that in mind, larger households or those planning to host parties, might prefer the Ninja.
And finally, it’s worth noting that the INOVIVA is slightly cheaper with an RRP of £299.99 compared to £349.99 for the Ninja. There’s no denying that both are expensive of course, but it’s a really refreshing way to enjoy your drinks on hot days (cider slushie anyone?), so while not essential, you’ll certainly have a lot of fun.
Overall, if I had to choose one over the other, I would opt for the Ninja SLUSHi. Not only do you have more control over consistency, but it also froze the mixture quicker and the motor was slightly quieter in action. However, if budget is an issue, the INOVIVA offers all the slushie fun without much compromise.
The Ninja SLUSHi and INOVIVA Slushie Machine are both available on Amazon.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market and has written hundreds of product reviews on everything from the best vacuum cleaners and coffee machines to the best ice cream makers and robot window cleaners.
When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her running every distance from 5km to 100km or relaxing at home with her cat – there really is no in between.
Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, Women's Health, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall.
