Slushies have grown up. No longer reserved for cinema lobbies or servo stops, the grown-up frozen cocktail has cemented its place on the modern drinks list — from Bar Primi’s Frosé in New York to the yuzu Margaritas of Tokyo’s izakayas. But replicating that fine-crushed chilled sip at home requires the right tool. Enter: the Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker — a kitchen benchtop appliance garnering serious buzz on social media and drawing interest from savvy entertainers looking to upgrade their aperitivo game.
To see if the hype holds up, we put the Ninja Slushi through its paces with an icy twist on the cocktail of the hour: the Negroni Sbagliato.
Ninja Slushi: Our expert verdict on the frozen cocktail machine
OUR RATING: 8/10
Pros
- User-friendly touchscreen control panel / settings
- Frozen cocktails in less than 15 minutes
- Easy to clean with dishwasher-safe parts (a godsend post-party)
Cons
- High-proof drinks need slight tweaking for best results
- Bulky size — this is not one for the minimalist benchtop
- Manual could do with more detail, particularly around alert sounds
Why the Ninja Slushi is going viral (and might be worth it)?
The alchemy of watching the appliance transform a room temperature cocktail mix into a colourful glass of icy elegance is delightfully satisfying — and fun. The true beauty of the Ninja Slushi is that it removes the fussy elements of freezing, blending, adjusting and hoping for the best, all while delivering a velvety, slushie-like drink that rivals what you’d get at a top rooftop bar.
Ninja Slushi specs and product features (what you need to know)
Capacity: Extra large 2.6 litre capacity (1.9L max fill)
Material: BPA-free plastic vessel and auger
Power: 200W motor with RapidChill Technology
Dimensions: 16.5 W x 41.4 D x 43 H
Weight: 11kg
Price: $499.99
Warranty: 2 years
Settings: Slush, Frozen Cocktail, Frappé, Milkshake and Frozen Juice
How to use the Ninja Slushi
1 Prep before first use
- Wash all removable parts (jug, spout, drip tray) in warm, soapy water.
- Let the unit sit upright on a dry, level surface for at least two hours before first use.
2 Secure the jug
- Slide the jug over the auger assembly and locking mechanism.
- Pull the bail handle down until it snaps into place.
3 Power on
- Press the Power button to activate the machine.
4 Mix your drink
- Prepare your cocktail mix (e.g. Negroni Sbagliato) — chilled, liquid only.
- Important: The mixture must include at least 4 per cent sugar, and any alcohol must be between 2.8–16 per cent ABV if using the Frozen Cocktail setting.
5 Fill the jug and choose setting
- Pour in between 2 cups (500 ml) and 8 cups (1.9 L) — but for best taste, aim near the max fill line (1.9 L).
- Choose from five presets: Slush, Frozen Cocktail, Frappé, Milkshake, or Frozen Juice.
6 Adjust freeze level (optional)
- Use the temperature control arrows to tweak how icy or fluid you want the final drink to be.
7 Blending cycle
- The machine will pulse and adjust, sometimes taking 15–60 minutes, depending on volume and ingredients.
- Wait until the LEDs stop pulsing and stay solid — then the blend is ready.
8 Dispense
- Place a glass beneath the spout, pull the handle slowly for a smooth pour.
9 Clean with ease
- After use, activate the Rinse Cycle per manual’s instructions.
- Then wash all removable parts in warm soapy water. Or pop them in the dishwasher (top rack, no heated dry).
Results from our Ninja Slushi test run
For our cocktail test, we chose a GT team favourite, the Negroni Sbagliato — an Italian classic with a sparkling twist. Equal parts Campari, sweet vermouth and prosecco were pre-chilled in a jug, then poured into the Ninja Slushie barrel. After 15 minutes on Frozen Cocktail mode, the semi-frozen, blood-orange-hued cocktail was ready to sip, with refined bubbles still intact.
Texture-wise, it nailed the balance between icy and sippable. However, the bitter intensity of the Negroni was amplified by the chilling, so a generous splash of soda water was all the dilution it needed to round out the flavour (apologies to any purists out there). The end result? A chic, frozen version of the original.
Clean-up was straightforward, but the machine’s purring could be considered a little noisy; however, if it’s in an open-plan kitchen setting, it’s no worse than your average extractor fan.
Overall, is the Ninja Slushi worth it?
For those who entertain often — or simply enjoy a perfectly chilled cocktail without the hassle — the Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker delivers impressive results with minimal effort. Unlike traditional blenders or slushie machines, it features an integrated freezing system that eliminates the need for pre-chilled ice or crushed cubes. Just pour in your drink of choice, select one of the five presets, and it does the rest.
The machine’s built-in compressor gradually freezes your mixture to the optimal slushie texture, then blends and stirs with a slow-turning auger, ensuring a smooth, even consistency. The result is a bar-quality frozen drink without separation or ice shards. Whether you’re crafting a Negroni Sbagliato, yuzu-spiked Paloma or a smoky mezcal Margarita, you may need to ‘experiment’ with getting the balance right between alcohol and sugar levels, but that’s just all in the spirit of research, right?
Yes, it’s a commitment in terms of bench space and budget just for frozen Margaritas this summer, but the streamlined process and consistent results make it a strong contender for anyone with a serious at-home bar setup. For the price of a couple of rounds at a high-end bar, you can bring the cocktail lounge experience home — on tap.
Where to buy the Ninja Slushi
- Ninja Kitchen Australia, $499.99
- Harvey Norman, $499.99
- Myer, $499.99
