How to Make Your First Ninja Slushie (Without Ruining It)
Unboxing a new kitchen appliance is one of my favorite things to do. This is a non-holiday gift and I know what’s inside – how wonderful! But the instruction manual part really kills my vibe. I know that refusing them will almost certainly lead to failure, but I still hate reading them.
In fact, I read the Ninja Slushi’s instruction manual and still managed to ruin my first batch of slushie. (You can read about that experience in my Ninja Slushi review .) To help you avoid the embarrassment of a ruined slush, not to mention reading tedious instructions, I’ve put together this step-by-step guide to operating your new Ninja Slushi , from setup to cleaning.
Notes on sugar and alcohol
Before you get started, know that what you put into your car will directly impact your success. Specifically, the liquid you use must contain at least 4% sugar. Otherwise it will become too icy and the machine will have a hard time scraping the frozen mixture out of the evaporator cylinder. (You also can’t use artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes, unless you want to fall down the rabbit hole of allulose, xanthan gum and brightly colored prepackaged sugar-free slime mixes .)
Ninja provides a small table showing the minimum amount of sugar needed for a specific serving size. Make simple syrup by mixing an amount of sugar with an equal amount of water and microwave it until warm. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. This simple syrup can be added to a larger recipe mixture before pouring it into the Ninja Slushi (be sure to include the simple syrup water in your overall calculations).
Even if you accidentally make a mistake and freeze your sugar-free cold brew mix, you can fix it. (Maybe I know this first hand? Or maybe not.) The machine will stop if it detects a problem with the sugar content during the churning process. This is your chance to make a simple syrup with just the right amount of sugar and pour it into the mixture. Do not add sugar directly into the chamber halfway through freezing – it may not dissolve well in a partially frozen drink.
A similar condition applies to alcohol: to make a spiked slush that will freeze properly, a minimum of 2.8% and a maximum of 16% alcohol must be present. Again, there is a helpful chart to guide you on your journey, but once you know these rules and follow them, the machine will perform well.
Now let’s make this slush.
1. Set up Ninja Slushy.
Like utensils, bakeware, and anything else made in a dusty factory, it’s a good idea to disassemble the Slushi and wash the parts with soapy water before putting food in it. This includes the drip tray, main reservoir, condensate trap, and auger (that spiral thing). The silver evaporator is not removable, so simply wipe it with a soft cloth. Dry everything thoroughly.
This is a large appliance, so be sure to clear a good area of the countertop. There are vents on the sides and back, so give those areas room to breathe. Place the pieces back into their original places. The main vessel is inserted into the arm handle from behind as you pull it back. It will not make a clicking sound, but will be securely attached. After assembly, connect the machine to the network.
2. Pour in the liquid mixture.
The fun is almost here! Open the hatch at the top of the main transparent container. Pour the mixture in one go. Depending on how your Ninja Slushi is positioned on the countertop, doing this gracefully can be a little tricky. I recommend using a pitcher or bottle—any container with a narrow spout—for greater accuracy.
3. Turn on the power
Press the power button on the control panel. All functions should light up. On the left side you will see presets. Choose the one that best matches the mix you’re making: a regular soda will be set to the “Slush” setting, an alcoholic drink will have a “Spiked Slush” setting, a coffee frappe will have a “Frappé” setting, and so on for milkshakes and frozen juices. This time I decided to make a chocolate milkshake. Press the button you need and the number of bars indicating the temperature should automatically light up on the right side panel. The car should start to stall, so all you have to do is wait.
Please note: At this point, Ninja Slushi will alert you if you haven’t added enough sugar or there is a problem with the alcohol content. You know how to add more sugar, and more alcohol can be added straight into the machine if necessary, but if you’ve added too much alcohol to begin with, you’ll need to fix that by adding a little water to dilute the mixture. If the tank is already at the maximum fill line, add some mixture before adding water to thin it.
4. Dosage and adjust consistency.
Once the Slushi completes the setup cycle, it will play you a little song to signal it’s ready, but the auger will continue to spin. Take a glass and place it under the spout. Pull the handle towards you and hold it to release the mucus. The handle does not have a locking mechanism during dispensing, so you will have to keep pressing on it otherwise it will close.
If you’re happy with the slush consistency, yay! If not, you can make it thicker or thinner by manually pressing the up arrow (for thicker, cooler slush) or down arrow (for warmer, thinner slush). The machine will alert you when a new temperature is reached.
5. Clean everything thoroughly
After the party is over, you will need to clean your Ninja Slushi. If there is still slush in the container, pour it into a bowl or container. You must do this with the preset on because it will push the mixture down and out of the spout. Throw it away or save it for another day.
Turn off the preset and press the rinse button. Have a large container on hand – I use a 4 liter saucepan to help. Fill with hot water to the full line, then place the pan under the spout and slowly pour out all the water. Liquid comes out much faster than slush, so only pull the dispenser handle toward you 30%.
Once all the water has come out, stop the rinse cycle by pressing the rinse button again, and then press the power button to turn off the machine. Turn it off and disassemble the same parts that you washed earlier. I wash them by hand with warm soapy water, but if you have a dishwasher, the instructions say you can throw all the parts in there. Wipe the evaporator with a warm, damp cloth. Dry everything before reassembling the parts for storage or for making your next slush.