• 2 min read
Nutribullet Chill takes on Ninja Creami for $30 less
Mashable says Nutribullet’s first instant ice cream maker delivers smooth results in one spin, but it’s extremely loud and skips mix-in and respin modes.
Image: Mashable
Nutribullet has moved beyond blenders with the Chill ice cream maker, and according to Mashable’s hands-on review, it’s a strong first entry in a category largely defined by the Ninja Creami. The machine makes ice cream, sorbet, gelato, smoothie bowls, and frozen yogurt using five presets, and reviewer Samantha Mangino said it produced creamy frozen desserts in minutes.
Mangino said the 16-ounce pint, blade block, and motor base make up a compact system that suits smaller kitchens. The base is 10.5 pounds and takes up less counter space than a stand mixer. Its design also differs from rivals like the Ninja Creami and Cuisinart FastFreeze: instead of a top-down blade, the Chill’s blade assembly screws onto the pint and is inserted upside down into the machine.
In testing, Mashable made four mixes: vanilla ice cream, dairy-free protein ice cream, chocolate hazelnut frozen yogurt, and strawberry frozen yogurt with fresh fruit. Most turned out smooth after a single cycle, with no need for a second spin. The standout was frozen yogurt, which Mangino described as landing between hard and soft serve. The vanilla batch was the weakest result, coming out looser and more melted than expected.
Missing features and notable drawbacks
The Chill’s biggest limitations are its lack of a mix-in mode and a respin option. Nutribullet recommends adding mix-ins before freezing, which means ingredients get fully blended rather than left chunky. Anyone who wants cookie pieces or fruit chunks will need to fold them in afterward.
Mashable’s more serious complaint was noise. Mangino called the Chill the loudest instant ice cream maker she has tested, comparing it to a garbage truck. She also noted that the blade block’s metal shaft gets very hot after use, despite the machine carrying multiple warnings about it.
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Cleaning is much simpler. Aside from the motor base, the pints, lids, blade block, and blade cover are all top-rack dishwasher safe, and Mangino said they were easy to hand-wash too.
Mashable ultimately called the Nutribullet Chill a worthy rival to the Ninja Creami, especially for buyers who want the basics and have limited space. It’s also $30 cheaper than the Ninja Creami, with the reviewed listing priced at $149.62 at Amazon, down from $199.99, a savings of $50.37.
Mashable notes that the pints should be frozen for 24 hours before use, and the machine ships with two 16-ounce pint containers.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via Mashable
