Cuisinart’s tiny FastFreeze struggles to scoop past Ninja Creami

Cuisinart’s FastFreeze frozen dessert maker has the apartment-kitchen pitch nailed: it is compact, cheaper than Ninja’s Creami and breaks down for storage. In testing, though, Mashable reviewer Samantha Mangino found the little machine could not match the Creami where it counts most, the texture of the ice cream.

Mangino reported that the FastFreeze processes half-pint containers in seconds, far faster than the Ninja Creami, which she said takes three minutes for a spin and another minute or two for a re-spin. The tradeoff, according to her review, was ice cream that often came out grainy with tiny ice crystals, even after additional processing.

Small machine, small servings

The FastFreeze comes with three half-pint freezer containers and a wand-style blending unit, according to Mashable. Mangino said the appliance breaks into two main pieces, with the wand also separating into two parts, making it easier to tuck into a cabinet.

That size was one of its strongest points in the review. Mangino compared its stored footprint to a Nutribullet blender and said it was far easier to stash than bulkier countertop appliances.

The half-pint containers, however, were a limitation. Mangino reported that one container produced about three scoops when she tested it with a friend. She said the size works for a single serving or a small shared dessert, but anyone serving a group would need to prepare several containers.

Fast spin, frosty finish

Using the FastFreeze requires attaching the wand to the top of a frozen container, locking it in place, choosing a setting and pressing down while holding the power button, according to the review. Mashable listed five settings: Ice Cream, Sorbet, Slushy, Milkshake and Mix-ins.

Mangino said the machine reached the bottom of the container in roughly 10 seconds during testing. She called that convenient, especially compared with the longer wait on the Ninja Creami.

But the finished desserts did not win her over. Mashable’s review said Mangino tested four mixes: Cuisinart’s recommended vanilla ice cream base, dairy-free protein ice cream, chocolate hazelnut frozen yogurt and passionfruit sorbet.

Across the tests, Mangino found the texture too icy. She said the vanilla, frozen yogurt and dairy-free protein ice cream were especially affected, while the sorbet’s iciness bothered her less because it fit that style of dessert.

Running the machine again did not solve the problem, according to the review. Mangino said extra processing tended to melt the mixture instead of smoothing it out.

Cleanup is the dealbreaker

Mashable’s review saved its harshest criticism for cleaning. Mangino reported that the half-pint containers are dishwasher-safe, but the blade section of the wand cannot be submerged.

She said the design made the blade difficult to scrub because the wand has to be pressed down to fully expose the area, while the tight spaces around the blade were hard to reach.

Mashable’s verdict was clear: the FastFreeze is easy to store and quick to run, but its icy texture and fussy cleanup make it a weaker pick for serious ice cream fans. Mangino concluded that shoppers who care most about smooth, creamy results would be better served by the Ninja Creami.

A Mashable shopping card listed the Cuisinart FastFreeze frozen dessert maker at $98.69 at Amazon, down from $119.95.

This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.