I got a sneak peek at Salter's budget slushie machine

Salter Slushie machine — (Image credit: Salter)

Salter, one of the oldest homeware brands in the UK, has released its alternative to Ninja's sellout Slushi machine, just in time for the summer weather. It's brand new Slushie Maker, retailing for £179.99 via Salter's website, is capable of turning drinks of your choice into slush in as little as 30 minutes and boasts an impressive 2.5 litre capacity.

I tried a fair few slushie makers last summer, my favourite of them all being the Ninja Slushi, but affordability is a huge factor for people thinking of investing in this type of appliance designed for entertaining.

That's why Salter's version, with its £179.99 price tag, as opposed to the Ninja Slushi's £299.99 RRP, might be very appealing to some. Here's a closer look at this cut-price alternative.

Article continues below

Salter

Slushie Maker

Ninja

Slushi Frozen Drink Maker

These two machines have the exact same capacity of 2.5 litres, but I'm guessing that before you get to how much you can slush, you're more interested in the programs of these machines as you weigh them up.

It's here again that both of these machines match up. Both have 5 programs, Slush, Frappé, Cocktail, Milkshake, Juice.

So far, so similar. It'll be in the time taken to achieve your desired level of slush that I'm predicting these machines may slightly differ. When I've tried the Ninja Slushi in the past, the process takes place very quickly to get your drink frozen – for me, it's never taken more than 30 minutes.

First look at Salter Slushie machine — Getting a first look at Salter's Slushie machine.

Salter advertise that their machine can also take as little as 30 minutes, so I'll be intrigued to put that to the test to see exactly how look it takes compared to Ninja's version.

In terms of size, these two again measure up very similarly, with considerable storage space needed if you want to stash one of these machines away when not in use. The design stakes of each machine are pretty different, with Ninja's version having more to offer in terms of colourways and sizes.

This is Salter's first foray into slushies, with just one model available so far whilst Ninja have just launched an XL and MAX versions of their bestselling Slushi machine, which are perfect for those who love catering to a crowd, as well as a slew of different colourways.

Right now you can snap up the Ninja Slushi MAX in a neutral cool-toned Mocha colour, whilst superfans are desperate for the brand to restock the OG size in the viral Stone shade. Last year Ninja also released very popular pastel versions, which had two-tone accents across the machine.

With either of these machines hosting and cooling down on a hot summer's day will be a lot more enjoyable this summer (as I found out last year!), so now all you need to do is decide whether you're going to save or splurge on your slushie machine.

Molly is Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor and the Ideal Home Certified Expert on Appliances. An all-around cooking and baking enthusiast, she loves finding the next must-have product for readers that will their kitchen a better place. She joined the team in September 2022 after working on the editorial teams of Real Homes, Homes & Gardens and Livingetc.

For the last 4 years, she's been reviewing hundreds of small appliances; conducting tests at home or in the Ideal Home test kitchen.

Molly also has the lucky job of testing coffee machines, from pricey bean-to-cup models to low-faff pod machines, to serve those looking to hone their barista skills at home. She oversees an expert panel of coffee machine reviewers too, to cover every coffee niche.