Ninja's soft-serve machine is almost ready for UK release – here's a look at the most anticipated kitchen launch of the summer

Ninja has been teasing the release of its soft serve machine, the Ninja Swirl, in the UK for the longest time since its debut in the US. Well, it seems that the time has finally come for it to grace our shores.

Ninja has announced more details about exactly what this at-home ice cream station can do. If you're already sold, you can sign up to be the first to buy the Ninja Swirl here from the brand's website, though it's unclear at present what the RRP will be.

It looks set to have features ready to rival even the best ice-cream makers out there. This machine is a step up from the ever-viral Ninja Creami (which we gave an easy 5 stars in our review) in the best possible way: with a soft serve dispenser. Here's a sneak peek at how it works.

The first part of using the Swirl is the same as if you've ever used the Creami - select your recipe and combine the ingredients, before you freeze it in one of the Ninja tubs. There are 13 different programs to choose from, so you won't be short on recipes.

The settings are as follows for soft serve: Ice Cream, Light Ice Cream, Fruiti, Frozen Yoghurt, Frozen Custard, and CreamiFit. Then for 'Scoops' (which are ice cream proper settings) there's Ice Cream, Light Ice Cream, Gelato, Sorbet, Frozen Yoghurt and Milkshake. You can also use the Mix-in function to add in chocolate, fruit or nuts as you like.

After you've left your mix to freeze for 24-hours, you then process it just as you would with the Ninja Creami or Ninja Creami Deluxe per our review.

The next step is where the Swirl comes into its own. You then load your tub into the left hand side of the machine, which is attached to the soft serve dispenser and voila: you've got your own Mr Whippy at home.

This machine has been a hit in the US already and with those 13 bumper programs, it's easy to see why. Plus, with the summer we've having, it feels like you could definitely get your use out of it in the upcoming months.

We're eagerly awaiting the launch date of the Swirl here at Ideal Home, but if you just can't wait to have soft serve at home then we've already tested a cheaper alternative from Cuisinart for you to give a whirl.

It looks like a soft serve summer is on the cards!