Breville Smart Scoop vs Ninja CREAMi
Get the Ninja CREAMi. Unless you don't want to plan a day ahead — then the Smart Scoop churns real ice cream with nothing to freeze first.
Breville Smart Scoop
Real churned ice cream with nothing to freeze first. Batch after batch.
Ninja CREAMi
Smooth ice cream, sorbet and protein ice cream from a frozen tub.
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The CREAMi turns a frozen tub into smooth ice cream or sorbet in minutes, is great for protein and low-sugar recipes and costs far less. The Smart Scoop has its own freezer, so there's no prep and you can make batch after batch, but it's expensive, heavy and big.
- —You want traditional churned ice cream and gelato.
- —You don't want to plan a day ahead.
- —You make several flavours in one go.
- —You make ice cream for one or two.
- —You want protein or low-sugar ice cream.
- —You're happy to prep the night before.
Key differences
Pros and cons
- +Built-in freezer: no pre-freezing
- +Stops itself at the texture you choose
- +Back-to-back batches
- −The built-in paddle gets in the way of a normal scoop.
- −The bowl has to be washed by hand.
- −Heavy and bulky.
- +Silky ice cream, gelato and sorbet
- +Great for protein and dairy-free recipes
- +Cheapest CREAMi
- −Each base has to freeze for a full 24 hours — less and the texture suffers.
- −It's loud while it spins, like a blender.
- −Tubs are about a pint, so a family gets through them quickly.
Ready to choose?
- Is the Smart Scoop worth it?
- Is the CREAMi worth it?
- CREAMi vs CREAMi Deluxe
- CREAMi Deluxe vs Scoop & Swirl
- Smart Scoop vs CREAMi Deluxe
- CREAMi vs Scoop & Swirl
- Best ice cream makers
How we reached this verdict
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: TechRadar: Ninja CREAMi, Expert Reviews: Ninja CREAMi, Tom's Guide: Ninja CREAMi, TechRadar: Ninja Swirl, Trusted Reviews: Ninja Swirl, Food Network, manufacturer specifications.