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- Easy to use
- Makes smooth ice cream
- Compact for small kitchens and freezers
- Unbelievably loud
- No option for mix-ins
- Provided booklet recipes need some finessing
Making ice cream at home isn’t just a bit of fun, it’s also useful if you want to experiment with unusual flavours or make allergy-friendly recipes. The Nutribullet Chill is a fuss-free way to do this. Like the Ninja Creami, this ‘cheat’ ice cream maker works by blending up your fully frozen mixture with a powerful, high speed blade.
It’s a more modern approach to ice cream making, in that it doesn’t use a traditional churning method and doesn’t require you to make room for a large, cumbersome bowl in the freezer. Instead, everything is frozen together in a compact pint-sized tub, making it an ideal choice for those short on freezer and worktop space.
I spent two weeks testing the Nutribullet Chill, making traditional ice creams, sorbets and dairy-free alternatives. It’s by no means a substitute for a big, compressor style ice cream maker. But if you favour convenience above tradition, it’s a simple machine that makes frozen desserts easy.
Nutribullet Chill What do you get for the money?
At £200, the Nutribullet Chill sits in a similar bracket to the original Ninja Creami model (also £200) and Russell Hobbs Chilluxe (£140). It’s a compact, lightweight ice cream maker measuring 19.6 x 20.5 x 43.1cm (WDH) and weighing just 5.27kg.
It looks very similar to the brand’s iconic blenders and comes with a motorised base, removable blade, protective blade cap and two 475ml ice cream tubs. I really rate the design of the Chill: the base has non-slip suction feet and is small enough to be stored in a cupboard or even tucked away on small worktops.
In terms of functionality, it’s not quite as feature-rich as some of its rivals but it does have dedicated settings for ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt, sorbet and smoothie bowls. One key feature missing from the Chill that you’ll find on the Ninja Creami is the option for mix-ins. This essentially runs the blade less aggressively through the tub to incorporate things like chocolate chips and other chunky ingredients.
How I tested the Nutribullet Chill
I tested the Nutribullet Chill over several weeks, making different desserts including sorbet, ice cream and smoothies. Using the same recipes for consistency, I retested multiple times while noting texture, ice crystal formation and longevity (trying it after it was stored in my freezer for a few days).
As well as testing the reliability of the different functions, I also looked at the Chill’s overall design, ease of use, ease of cleaning and noise levels, which I measured with a decibel meter. Using my test results, I also compared the Nutribullet Chill to similar competitors to assess value for money.
How good is the ice cream?
I tested a few different recipes in the Chill including a classic custard base recipe, gelato, sorbet and some quick ice creams made with milk and double cream. I also made a smoothie bowl recipe and vegan ice cream using oat milk and plant-based cream.
The results were surprisingly good across the board, though I personally found that the double cream recipes in the provided recipe booklet came out a bit too grainy and greasy. Ice cream needs fat and sugar for smooth, stable results but too much fat can cause the mixture to clump. The resulting ice cream is perfectly ok to eat, it just doesn’t offer the smoothest mouthfeel.
I’d recommend looking for tried-and-tested recipes online, especially if you’re hoping to make lower-fat bases. I found that plenty of Ninja Creami recipes also work well in this machine and there are dedicated online groups for these types of machines, such as on Facebook or Reddit.
As there is no setting for mix-ins on the Chill, I used soft or macerated fruit directly in my mixtures and blended on the standard ice cream setting. This worked perfectly but I’d advise keeping the pieces small. For harder/larger mix-ins, add them at the end by hand.
How easy is it to clean?
This is where the Nutribullet really shines in my eyes – it’s so easy to clean. There aren’t too many nooks for ice cream to hide in and all of the pieces easily come apart, so they can be washed by hand. Just watch your fingers on the blade.
While most of the parts are dishwasher safe, I think a quick clean by hand – while the mixture is still wet – is the easiest way to keep the Chill in tip-top condition.
Is there any reason to avoid it?
There’s not much to complain about with the Nutribullet Chill, though there are a couple of reasons you might want to consider an alternative model. The first is that it’s incredibly loud. During my tests, I measured the noise levels of the Chill from a metre away and got readings of around 90-95 dBA. It’s one of the loudest kitchen appliances I’ve ever tested but this is, unfortunately, not unusual for a ‘blender style’ ice cream maker.
The other reason to consider a different model, which I briefly talked about above, is that the Chill has fewer settings than its main rival: the Ninja Creami. Most obviously, there’s no option for mix-ins. While you can add these in yourself manually at the end, you should look elsewhere if you’re exclusively making desserts with chocolate chips and other chunky ingredients.
Should you buy the Nutribullet Chill?
If you can pick up the Nutribullet Chill on offer, then I think it’s definitely worth considering. It’s very compact and performed well in testing, making decent ice cream alongside other frozen sweet treats.
At full price, I might be a bit more tempted by the original NC300UK Ninja Creami, simply because it has a few more features. But it’s worth noting that the Creami is larger and a bit more cumbersome to clean, so the Chill might be the more sensible model if you’re short on space.
