One of the best things about today’s world is the great slushy, but you had to leave your house for far too long to have one. After a night of numerous frozen margaritas, I often Googled the price of an at-home frozen drink dispenser, only to be frightened by the price point: The $1,500 industrial models that my favorite local Mexican dive has are quite pricey. And that is before you even consider the best location for a three-gallon slushy maker in your kitchen. And then this year, the Ninja Slushi made its appearance, as if responding to my inebriated internet searches. You can use this frozen drink maker at home to create frozen cocktails, milkshakes, and slushies. I do not mean to sound dramatic, but it has fulfilled every beverage fantasy I had.
The Ninja Slushi took off on TikTok this summer, gaining the momentum of a viral dance craze. Others seemed to share my desire to get Coke slushies delivered to my couch without stopping at 7-Eleven. I was instantly enamored with the machine I was able to obtain, even though it has occasionally sold out. The Slushi arrived at my place and began producing a wonderfully frozen limeade slushy within one hour. All I had to do was fill the tank with limeade, set it up (it takes up the same area as a KitchenAid stand mixer), and start the machine on.
The Slushi is quite simple to use. It contains settings for milkshakes, frappés, frozen juice, slush, and spiked slush. It also has a meter that lets you adjust the degree of frozenness in your frozen drink. You combine a drink (minimum 16 ounces, maximum 64 ounces), pour it into the machine’s tank, and then hit the appropriate button. After that, the Slushi begins its chilling cycle. In about 30 minutes, the drink turns into slush and remains that way for up to 12 hours. I’ve thrown all sorts of liquids at it—mango juice, tomato juice, vodka, cold brew, and a whole bottle of wine—and so far, it’s all worked.
The only true restriction on the Slushi is that it must have some sugar or alcohol to slush correctly; nonetheless, the minimum alcohol content required for it to function is 14% by volume. Martinis and diet soda will not work; beer, wine, juice, and regular soda will. For this, the Slushi includes a ton of charts and explanations, which at first seemed overwhelming. However, it turns out to be easy. If there’s not enough sugar in the drink, the machine will halt and flash a warning. After that, you will add maple syrup, agave, honey, or simple syrup before pressing the button once again.
All of it may sound magical, and it kind of is. You have the option of creating a complex concoction in the Slushi or simply opening a few Coke cans and adding them to it. Additionally, cleaning is not a nightmare. There’s a rinse setting to use in between sips, which merely requires filling the tank with hot water. It was not too difficult to disassemble and clean the Slushi machine, and all of its components—aside from the motor and evaporator—could be washed in the dishwasher.
