Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Maker, NC301

Yes, and it is the one step you cannot rush. The paddle is designed to shave a fully solid block on a flat surface. A partially frozen pint spins into slush and can strain the motor.

That is what the mix-in program is for. Spin the base first, press a hole into the center, add your pieces, then run mix-in to fold them through without melting the pint.

That is normal for low-fat and low-sugar bases. Add a tablespoon or two of milk and run the re-spin program, which is designed exactly for this and usually smooths it in one pass.

Yes. Protein powder mixes, oat milk and coconut milk bases all freeze and spin, and the lite program is tuned for lower-fat mixtures. Expect a firmer result than full-cream ice cream.

Ninja sells CREAMi pints separately in multipacks, and most owners end up with four or more so they can keep several bases frozen at once. Only genuine CREAMi pints fit the outer bowl correctly.