Gourmia · Frozen Treats & Drink Makers · Reviewed by Candid Clara · Published 2026-06-10
Based on a review by Candid Clara (accessed 2026-06-10).
This page converts Candid Clara's review of the Gourmia Gourmia Soft Serve Ice Cream and Frozen Drink Maker into structured evidence — timestamped claims, pros & cons, and buyer questions. It is not the original review and does not replace watching or reading the full source.
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The reviewer concludes that the Gourmia machine is the superior choice, especially for ice cream, as it saves space, costs significantly less than the combined Ninja units, makes ice cream from scratch, and keeps it cold. While it may be slower at dispensing some drinks, the Gourmia is faster overall in preparation time and easier to clean.
This review provides a comparative analysis of the £150 Costco Gourmia soft serve ice cream and frozen drink maker against two Ninja appliances: the Ninja Slushie and the Ninja Creamy Swirl, which combined cost £650. The reviewer conducts side-by-side tests for making slushies, frappes, frozen cocktails, and soft serve ice cream, also evaluating their cleaning ease.
The Gourmia Soft Serve Ice Cream and Frozen Drink Maker is an exceptional budget-friendly alternative that successfully consolidates the functions of two separate, more expensive Ninja appliances. It notably outperformed the Ninja Slushie in making slushies and frozen cocktails, finishing the process faster and yielding identical, delicious results. While the frappe dispensing proved messy and slow, the machine's ability to produce soft serve from scratch and keep it cold for up to three hours significantly outshines the Ninja Swirl, which lacks cooling capabilities. If you seek a versatile kitchen appliance for both frozen drinks and soft serve ice cream at a fraction of the cost, this machine offers remarkable value and functionality. However, if flawless, quick dispensing for all frozen drink types is your absolute top priority, be aware that some results may be less elegant.
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comparisonneutralt=00:53–01:59
The Ninja Slushie is listed at £299.99 and the Ninja Creamy Swirl at $349.99. The Gourmia machine, costing $149.99, uniquely combines the functionalities of both Ninja appliances.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
specification_claimneutralt=00:57–01:05
The Ninja Slushie has a maximum capacity of 1,890 ml and takes between 15 and 50 minutes to prepare frozen drinks.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
specification_claimneutralt=01:10–01:29
The Ninja Creamy Swirl lacks a compressor, requiring ingredients to be frozen for 24 hours prior to blending, and it cannot keep the ice cream cool once removed from the freezer. Its maximum capacity is 480 ml.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
specification_claimpositivet=01:34–01:59
The Gourmia machine features a compressor to make and keep drinks/ice cream cold, includes a sprinkle dispenser and sauce warming plate, has a capacity of 1,400-1,600 ml, and takes 18-35 minutes for preparation.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
measurement_testpositivet=02:40–02:45
During the slushie test, the Gourmia machine completed its preparation first, with the Ninja Slushie requiring an additional 3 minutes and 45 seconds to be ready.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
measurement_testmixedt=02:59–03:13
The Ninja dispensed slushie in 16 seconds, while the Gourmia took 45 seconds. However, the Gourmia was faster overall because it prepared the mixture more quickly.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
hands_on_demoneutralt=03:13–03:22
Both machines produced slushies with identical consistency and flavor, which were highly enjoyed by the neighborhood children.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
hands_on_demomixedt=04:35–05:43
The Gourmia machine finished the frappe significantly ahead of the Ninja and dispensed it, albeit messily, over approximately 4 minutes. The Ninja machine failed to properly freeze the frappe, stopping dispensing entirely after extended operation.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
measurement_testmixedt=06:21–06:58
The Ninja machine struggled with the cocktail mix, beeping ready while still liquid. The Gourmia completed freezing in 37 minutes with a better consistency, though it took nearly 2 minutes to dispense compared to Ninja's 15 seconds.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
reviewer_claimpositivet=06:58–07:11
Both machines produced fantastic frozen cocktails, described as refreshing and dangerously easy to drink quickly in hot weather.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
hands_on_demoneutralt=07:46–08:24
The Gourmia takes 30 minutes to blend soft serve and vibrates slightly. The reviewer advises against adding the sprinkles dispenser prematurely, as it can detach and spill sprinkles.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
comparisonpositivet=08:44–09:18
Both machines dispensed good-shaped soft serve in similar times. The Gourmia offers a sprinkles dispenser (though messy), a sauce warmer, a cone holder, and can keep ice cream cold for up to 3 hours, unlike the Ninja which melts immediately.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
visual_inspectionneutralt=09:30–09:47
The Ninja Slushie disassembles into four parts, and the reviewer notes an improved design where a previously problematic, hard-to-clean lip on the main tank is now sealed.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
visual_inspectionnegativet=09:47–10:04
The Ninja Swirl comes apart, but it has a hard-to-reach section at the base of the pot and a tricky main drive shaft with the blade, making it difficult to clean.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
visual_inspectionpositivet=10:04–10:35
The Gourmia machine disassembles completely, features dishwasher-safe removable parts, and has a simpler design with easier-to-clean components, leading the reviewer to prefer its cleaning process.
Source location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIELBaMAgFs
The Gourmia machine, priced at $149.99, combines the functionalities of both the Ninja Slushie (£299.99) and the Ninja Creamy Swirl ($349.99). This makes the Gourmia a considerably more budget-friendly option, representing about a quarter of the combined cost of the two Ninja machines for similar capabilities.
For slushies, the Gourmia machine processed the mixture faster, making it quicker overall despite the Ninja's faster dispensing. The Gourmia consistently produced good quality frozen drinks. In contrast, the Ninja Slushie significantly struggled with frappes and frozen cocktails, often failing to freeze them properly or dispensing them inefficiently, and even failing entirely with the frappe.
The Gourmia machine is equipped with an integrated compressor, which means it can create soft serve ice cream directly from liquid ingredients without the need for pre-freezing. A key advantage is its ability to maintain the ice cream's cold temperature for up to 3 hours after preparation, a feature absent in the Ninja Creamy Swirl.
Beyond its primary function, the Gourmia machine comes with several extra features: a sprinkles dispenser (though it was noted to be potentially messy), a convenient warming plate for sauces, and a cone holder. These additions are designed to improve the overall soft serve experience, features not found on the Ninja Swirl.
The Gourmia machine is designed for ease of cleaning; it disassembles completely, all its removable components are dishwasher safe, and its simpler internal design makes it less cumbersome to clean than both the Ninja Slushie and the Ninja Swirl, which have more intricate or hard-to-reach areas.
100/100 source quality
Candid Clara conducted a detailed comparison of the £150 Gourmia soft serve and frozen drinks maker from Costco against two Ninja appliances, which together total £650. The Gourmia demonstrated faster overall processing for slushies and consistently produced excellent frozen drinks, a task where the Ninja Slushie frequently failed or struggled, particularly with frappes and cocktails. For soft serve, both machines dispensed effectively, but the Gourmia offers the significant advantage of an integrated compressor for making ice cream from scratch and keeping it cold for hours, along with bonus features like a sprinkles dispenser. Furthermore, the Gourmia proved to be the easiest machine to clean due to its simpler, fully disassemblable, and dishwasher-safe design.
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