All of the drinks we made in the Ninja Slushi were ready in under an hour, whether we filled the receptacle to its maximum (64 ounces) or minimum (16 ounces). However, the time it takes to make a frozen beverage can vary drastically. For example, 24 ounces of strawberry milkshake took 54 minutes, whereas 32 ounces of Coke took only 32 minutes.
We recommend starting with already cold beverages to expedite the cooling process. For context, the drinks I used to make my slushies were between 37 and 52 degrees Fahrenheit to begin with. Once the slushies were ready, they were between 23 °F and 35 °F. Although you can adjust the temperature control for a thicker or more sippable consistency, we found the presets to be pretty accurate.
A word of caution: If you happen to walk away when the Slushi’s very quiet ding goes off, you might be left wondering if the drink you’re making is ready or not. In my experience, while the nondairy drinks could seemingly continue churning for hours with no issue, I found that wasn’t the case with dairy-based beverages, which tended to get even frothier as time went on.
However, reading further about the appliance, I learned that the Temperature Control Setting LED lights will pulse until it has reached the optimal temperature (automatically determined by the preset you choose) and turn solid once it has. This info wasn’t clearly listed in the instructions or the recipe booklet, so I didn’t initially notice or test this function; I went based off the alarm, which may be hard to hear, especially when you’re hosting a crowd. Thankfully, because I used the presets, this function just kicked into action automatically.
After running for several hours, the machine gets a little warm as it blows hot-ish air through its sides. (It can go for 12 hours straight, the instructions claim.) That said, the radiating heat wasn’t really a major cause for concern during our testing.
The good news: It’s not a nightmare to clean. The five removable pieces of the machine—the vessel, spout, auger, condensation tray, and drip tray—are easy to pull apart and wash, and the Slushi even has a rinse feature to help make the process even simpler.
