Basket Case: What to Buy at Ninja, According to Our Editors

Welcome to Basket Case, wherein your trusty VICE editors scour the proverbial aisles of our favorite online retailers to bring you a smorgasbord of the absolute best things to buy. In this installment, we're shopping till we drop at Ninja, bringing you everything from TikTok-viral ice cream makers to outdoor pizza ovens. 

Cooking can be thought of as a chore, but if you know how to work the system (or just, you know, outfit your kitchen appropriately) you’ll know that the right appliances can do god’s work in the kitchen. Not like we’re trying to get all spiritual on you, but when it comes to channeling the almighty when we’re trying to whip up something in the kitchen, one appliance brand we know we can lean on is Shark’s sister brand, Ninja.

Ninja has become a cult-fave social media star almost overnight thanks to obsessive TikTok users. The CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream and Frozen Treat Maker is the appliance of the summer with fans dominating our #fyp with frosty creations ranging from boozy sorbet to protein power-infused ice cream. No shade to Mister Softee, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Ninja’s ice cream maker has put the iconic truck on thin ice. 

Now, that said, we’re not suggesting you follow along with everything you see on social media, but we definitely think Ninja’s products are the real deal.  Whether you’re trying to churn out some frozen treats, roast a chicken or prepare a pizza, the brand’s appliances have made our cooking experiences easier than ever. Want to see what we mean? Take a look at a few of our favorite Ninja appliances down below.

(Oh, and did we mention you can score up to 20% off on orders of at least $200 through August 10 when you use the promo code HOTDAYS20?)

Ninja CREAMi

Using “Creamify Technology” the machine’s dual drive motors finely shave and churn ice particles more effectively than traditional ice cream makers. Simply freeze your ingredients—which could be anything from fruit juices to milk—24 hours ahead of time in one of the included pint containers, and the machine handles the rest via its “Creamerizer Paddle.” Frozen treats are a button-push away, with seven one-touch, pre-programmed functions to make ice cream, gelato, sorbet, milkshakes, smoothie bowls, light ice cream, and even add mix-ins. 

Ninja CREAMi Breeze 

An innovation on the popular Ninja CREAMi home ice cream machine, the Breeze is designed to save you precious counter space. It has all the same lovely tech features as the prior model including the ability to transform your frozen bases (from-scratch mixes, fruit, or even protein shakes) into ice cream, sorbets, milkshakes, gelato, light ice cream, and smoothies. The best part is there’s nothing to put together to make the machine work—you just plug it in and it’s ready to be your own personal ice cream factory. One of our writers swears by it for making epic fro-yo.

Ninja Woodfire 8-in-1 Outdoor Oven

We love pizza ovens around here, so Ninja’s new Woodfire 8-in-1 Outdoor Oven is surely one for our pizza-making dreams. This oven is no slouch, no matter how you like to take your pizza; achieve your optimal texture and flavor with oven temperatures ranging from 105 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. But this appliance isn’t just for pizzas—it has seven other built-in functions, including: ​Max Roast, Specialty Roast, Broil, Bake, Smoker, Dehydrate, and (the aptly named) Keep Warm. Slowly tenderize BBQ delights, roast an entire chicken, or char a steak at whim. As for our number one priority (pizza), you can choose from five different settings: Neapolitan, Thin Crust, Pan, New York, and Frozen. Mamma mia!

Ninja 12-in-1 Smart Double Oven

We can’t all have a double oven like rich suburban moms, but the countertop-ready 12-in-1 Smart Double Oven model allows us to at least pretend like we’re living a bougie two story home. Ninja’s oven has the power of two ovens built into one godly machine with its FlexDoor, creating an optimal, double-decker cooking space. You can either sync up both ovens to finish at the same time, or set each zone independently. Expect to be able to bake, broil, reheat, toast, air fry, air roast, whole roast, and dehydrate—all in one machine.

Ninja Blast Portable Blender

Ditch the stale pretzels laying in your desk drawer for a fresh fruit smoothie that can be made in minutes. The Blast Portable Blender is cordless (making it perfect for small kitchens, toting on the go, or for stashing in your corporate cubicle). It can fit up to 18 ounces of liquid, is rechargeable with a USB-C cord, and will shred frozen ingredients at light speed with its BlastBlade.

Ninja Air Fryer Max XL

Anything crispy makes our eyes light up, especially if a kitchen appliance makes the process easier and deep fryer-free. The Ninja Air Fryer Max XL can crisp three pounds of fries in the 5.5-quart basket (which, if you’re asking us, should be the only selling point you need TBH). Its MaxCrisp Technology can reach up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, cooking foods up to 30% faster. As for the specific, pre-programmed functions—Max Crisp, Air Fry, Air Roast, Air Broil, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate—should cover everything you might need to do in the kitchen.

Ninja Thirsti Drink System

We love a bubbly bevy to get through the day. That said, we’re not just talking about plain old seltzer water; we kick things up a notch by personalizing our own flavors at the touch of a button with the help of the new Thirsti Drink System. Effectively Ninja’s take on the SodaStream, the Thirsti has three different sparking levels (along with a still option), with an option to punch up your drink via two flavor intensity settings. A variety of flavored water drops are included with the Thirsti, making it easier than ever to create your fizzy dream drink. While it’s only available for pre-order at the moment, we recommend getting a head start; it’s not uncommon for Ninja products to sell out sooner than later.

Ninja appliances might make being a chef look easy, but the brand makes things even easier when it’s offering 20% off when you use the promo code HOTDAYS20 (but only through August 10)!

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.