Finally, an ice cream maker actually made for small kitchens! The Nutribullet Chill solves this big problem that fans of the Ninja Creami complain about
It flips the design of the Ninja Creami on its head
Nutribullet just unveiled its first ever ice cream maker and it looks to be the ideal solution for those battling for space in small kitchens. Yep the shiny, new Nutribullet Chill, which is available to preorder now via the brand's website for £199.99, is the perfect compromise if you're looking for a sweet treat maker that won't overrun your worktops.
Its design upends what we've seen from the most popular ice cream makers of the last few years, including the Ninja Creami (which we've reviewed), by adopting build that's more like a Nutribullet blender than anything else.
This not only makes the Chill look streamlined and ready to pop into a cupboard when not in use, but also solves what I'd argue is the most pressing problem that Ninja Creami fans have: it's not an easy machine to clean. Here's how the Nutribullet Chill aims to solve that.
The Nutribullet Chill is kitted out with five settings: Ice Cream, Sorbet, Smoothie Bowl, Frozen Yoghurt & Gelato.
This ice cream maker, like most out there, requires pre-freezing. That means you'll need to prep your ingredients in the included tubs the night before you want to make ice cream and then freeze them. Most ice cream makers of this type require 24 hours of waiting time unless you want to opt for something like the Cuisinart Frost Fusion, which we recently reviewed, and allows you to make soft serve in under 30 minutes.
Like the ever-popular Ninja Creami, the Chill also uses a rotating blade to cut through your mix and creamify it in order to create a dessert-like consistency. The big difference with the Chill, however, is that the blade is stored within a countertop-friendly base.
This is very good news for those looking to save space in their kitchen. The Ninja Creami is, whilst incredibly impressive in its performance, a very difficult appliance to store on a kitchen countertop as it's very tall. At almost 43 centimetres in height, it didn't fit under my kitchen cupboards. Compare that to the base of the Chill, which is 27cm tall (without the tub attached) and you can see which would be best if you're short on worktop space.
Another issue that long-time fans of the Creami often have is that the blade can be hard to clean, as it's contained within the upper unit of the appliance. Nutribullet aim to solve this with the Chill by making the blade element totally removable and dishwasher-safe. The parts pop out the top of the base in order to be cleaned, as you can see below.
The removable, washable element of the Chill.
With purchase of the Chill, you'll receive the appliance itself alongside two 450g tubs and matching lids for whipping up whatever kind of sweet treat you like. As with the Creami, a big part of the allure with this machine is that you have complete control over your ice cream ingredients – a must if you have dietary requirements or you want to make healthier family-friendly puddings.
If I'm being fussy, I would say that I'd love this new Nutribullet to also feature a Slush mode – but appliances that can make ice cream and slush are rarer to find. If that's exactly what you're looking for you might want to hold out until the release of the much anticipated Dualit Ice Cream Maker instead.
With more hot weather on the way, I can guarantee you that a frozen-treat maker like this will fast become your favourite kitchen appliance if you choose to take the plunge. You'll get more use out of yours than you'd think!
Alternatives
At 41cm tall, this retractable freeze wand is another small space alternative to a traditional ice cream maker, the slim wand coming apart and fitting inside a drawer.
The OG ice cream maker that kicked off the new generation of ice cream makers. It's still a staple in many kitchens thanks to it's impressive results and ease of use.
