I'm a Ninja Slushi superfan, but was surprised by how similar this cheaper alternative from Amazon was when I tried it

Let me tell you, there has never been a better summer to be testing out a frozen drinks maker at home. I've been able to turn any occasion into something a little sweeter with the Ninja Slushi, which is plenty expensive for £349.99 via Ninja, but also a very fun addition to my kitchen, as per my first try of it.

If you love the concept of a frozen drinks maker but would rather opt for something a little cheaper, then I've been testing a more affordable alternative to see how it measures up. The INOVIVIA 2.6L Slush Machine is currently on sale for £299.99 on Amazon and currently has a 4.7 star rating out of five from the existing user reviews.

Here's how I thought it measured up when I put it side by side with the Slushi.

My first impressions of the Inoviva machine were positive – though it has a larger capacity to the Ninja, it's about the same size on my kitchen worktop.

It also comes with the same helpful materials as the Slushi including a recipe booklet packed with recipes for frozen drinks. Like the Slushi it also comes covered in easy-to-peel off stickers which direct you how to set it up and first use it. Helpful for getting your first slush just right.

Side-by-side, you can see there's not much in it when it comes to the design of these machines. Apart from the square details of the Inoviva rather than the curves of the Slushi, they're practically identical.

Things that mark this machine as different from the Slushi include the child lock button and the touch screen over simple buttons on the Ninja. There were also more servings available from one mix, which is thanks to the increased capacity.

I began trying the Inoviva using a recipe from the guidebook, a raspberry lemonade. All it takes to operate one of these machines is to place the liquids inside and select your program - this time a 'Slushie' for me.

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Testing the Inoviva Slushie machine for the first time at home.

In just half an hour, my first frozen drink was ready with the machine beeping to let me know it was ready to dispense. The recipe was a winner and the result was perfect for a baking summer's day.

As far as capacity is concerned, I definitely got more out of the Inoviva than the Slushi and kept the machine running through the day, returning for top ups for my household.

I'm not really a fan of the childlock feature, which means you have to unlock the machine every time you want to use it, but for certain households this will likely be a benefit instead.

I also prefer the look of the Slushi, as well as the controls. Overall, though the difference between these products feels negligible and it's unlikely that either would live on a kitchen worktop full-time – most likely it'll be relegated to storage until you need to use it.

My biggest takeaway from testing both slushie machines is how much use I've actually got out of it. At first I was convinced an at-home frozen drinks maker was a gimmick that would never make it out of storage, but I've used it at least once a week for a good few months now. It's great value when hosting too.

Whether you opt for the Ninja Slushi or the Inoviva Slushie (!), I think this is (surprisingly) an appliance that has a lot of use in it. Could you be tempted to pick one up for your kitchen?