Ninja
Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301
$229.99Cheaper
Released 2021
Best Ice Cream Makers · head-to-head
Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 vs Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 is cheaper at $229.99. Every spec and price links to its source.
Breville
Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL
$599.95
Which is better: the Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 or Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL?
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 is the cheaper at $229.99.
See Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 on Amazon See Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL on Amazon
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 | Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $229.99 | $599.95 |
| Brand | Ninja | Breville |
| Released | 2021 | — |
| Type | pre_frozen_pint | compressor |
| Capacity qt | 1 | 1.5 |
| Build in compressor | No | Yes |
| Wattage (W) | 800 | 165 |
| Preset programs | 7 | 4 |
| Timer | No | No |
| Keep cool function | No | Yes |
| Mix ins setting | Yes | Yes |
| Release | 2021 | — |
Sources — Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301: sharkninja.com (verified 2026-06-20). Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL: breville.com (verified 2026-06-20).
What's the difference between the Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 and Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (6 of 8). Matching specs are omitted.
- Type: Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 pre_frozen_pint vs Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL compressor
- Capacity qt: Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 1 vs Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL 1.5
- Build in compressor: Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 false vs Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL true
- Wattage (W): Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 800 vs Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL 165
- Preset programs: Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 7 vs Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL 4
- Keep cool function: Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301 false vs Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL true
What reviewers say
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker NC301
Only one whitelisted tester, Wirecutter (NYT), published a hands-on review of the original Ninja Creami (NC301). Wirecutter found it makes surprisingly dense, smooth, ready-to-eat ice cream fast, but flagged a burning-plastic smell, icy unmixed edges, difficult cleaning, loud operation, and durability doubts at $200-plus with only a one-year warranty. (1 sourced review, 1 lab-tested.)
Praised: Produces dense, smooth, tasty ice cream that is ready to eat immediately, even from tricky low-fat bases; Fast: quickly spins a frozen pint of ingredients into mostly smooth ice cream in minutes.
Flagged: Shook and smelled of burning plastic during testing; a taster detected a burnt-plastic flavor; Blades cannot reach pint edges/bottom, leaving unmixed frozen base and crunchy, icy bits; Hard to clean thoroughly; ice cream gunk builds up in the sealed lid and around the spindle housing.
Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL
Two hands-on testers of this exact BCI600XL survived verification: Tom's Guide (dedicated review, Oct 2023) and Reviewed/USA Today (tested roundup, updated Apr 2025). Both praise the built-in compressor (no pre-freezing, back-to-back batches), the keep-cool mode, and customizable hardness settings, while flagging the ~$500 price (more than a KitchenAid mixer) and the large, heavy 30-32 lb footprint. They split on texture: Tom's Guide found it reliable and creamy; Reviewed got uneven batches. (2 sourced reviews, 2 lab-tested.)
Praised: Built-in compressor means no pre-freezing — makes back-to-back batches, plus a keep-cool mode to hold finished ice cream; Customizable hardness settings for different frozen desserts; Easy to use with reliable, consistent performance.
Flagged: Very expensive (~$500, more than a KitchenAid mixer); Large and heavy (30-32 lb), dominates counter space and isn't portable; Texture can disappoint — needs extra freezer time to firm up (Tom's Guide) or comes out inconsistent (Reviewed).