Quick answer
Buy the Ninja Creami Deluxe XL Tubs 2-pack (XSKPNTLD2). It is the only extra container that fits the NC501 and NC601, holds 24 oz or about 6 scoops, and came through 20 top-rack dishwasher cycles clear and sealing in our kitchen. Original 16 oz pints and Swirl pints do not fit the Deluxe, and the XL tub does not fit any other Creami.
Compatibility
The Deluxe XL tub is a different container from the original pint, not a bigger version of it. It holds 24 oz against 16 oz, stands taller, and seats in an outer bowl that only the NC501 and NC601 have. We put a 16 oz original pint into the NC601 outer bowl to check: it sat too low for the lid to lock, and the machine would not start. The table below lists every container we have tested against every current model, and the pint compatibility guide explains how to read the label under your motor base if you are not sure which Deluxe you have.
| Tub or pint | Size | Fits NC299AMZ | Fits NC301 | Fits NC351 | Fits NC501/NC601 | Fits NC701 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deluxe XL Tubs 2-pack (XSKPNTLD2) | 24 oz | – | – | – | Yes | – |
| Pints 2-pack, grey lids (XSKPNTLID2) | 16 oz | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | – |
| Pints 2-pack, Lime and Aqua lids (XSKPLID2CD) | 16 oz | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | – |
| Pints 4-pack (XSKPLD4BCD) | 16 oz | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | – |
| Swirl Pints 2-pack (XSK7PNTLD2) | 16 oz Swirl | – | – | – | – | Yes |
Our picks
There is one Ninja-branded extra tub for the Deluxe, and it is the same tub that comes in the NC501 and NC601 boxes. We bought the 2-pack with the site’s own money, ran it through all four test bases on both machines, froze each base at 0 F for 24 hours, and put the tubs through 20 top-rack dishwasher cycles. The tubs came out clear and the lids still sealed.
Accessory
Ninja Creami Deluxe XL Tubs 2-pack
Model XSKPNTLD2
- Two 24 oz XL tubs with lids
- Fits NC501 and NC601 only
- Dishwasher safe top rack
Two extra tubs doubles the rotation from two to four, which is the number that let us spin a tub every day during the 30 day tests of the NC501 and the NC601. The tubs are interchangeable between the two generations: we moved frozen bases between the NC501 and NC601 outer bowls for a month and saw no change in lid lock or in cycle time, which stayed at 182 seconds on the NC501 and 175 seconds on the NC601 for the vanilla base.
If your household goes through more than a tub a day, buy two 2-packs rather than hunting for a bigger pack. Six tubs covers a week of bases frozen ahead on one evening, which is how we run the family rotation described on the Deluxe family page.
What to look for
Check for the 24 oz marking and the model number XSKPNTLD2. The XL tub has a max fill line about 1 cm below the rim and a wider base than the original pint, and the pack names the NC500 and NC600 series. A listing that names the NC301 or NC351 is the wrong container.
Look for one lid per tub. The lid is what lets a 24 oz base freeze flat, and flat matters more on a Deluxe than on a Creami because the paddle has a longer path to the floor of the tub. A domed top gave us a crumbly first inch on the protein base in the NC501, which took one re-spin to fix; a flat top on the same base in the NC601 on CreamiFit needed none.
Think about the top and bottom processing feature when you buy. Both Deluxe models let you spin only the top half of a tub, so one tub can hold two different days of dessert. That makes four tubs do the work of eight pints on an NC351, and it is the reason we stopped at four for a household of two adults and two children.
Measure your freezer shelf height. The XL tub with its lid stands taller than a 16 oz pint, and a tub that has to tilt to fit under a shelf will freeze with a sloped top. We clear one shelf to a height that takes four upright tubs on a flat tray, and the bases come out level every time.
What to avoid
Avoid 16 oz pints of any kind. They are the most common wrong purchase for Deluxe owners because they are cheaper per container and look similar in listing photos. They do not fit the NC501 or NC601, and the Deluxe box says so. If you own a Creami as well as a Deluxe, keep the two sets of containers on separate shelves; the shapes are close enough to grab the wrong one in a hurry.
Avoid third-party XL tubs. The two unbranded 24 oz tubs we bought had thinner walls than the Ninja tub, and one cracked along the base seam during its second 24 hour freeze. The Ninja tubs survived 30 days and 20 dishwasher cycles on both machines, so we stopped testing alternatives.
Avoid stacking tubs lid to lid in the freezer. That is how our NC501 lids developed a flat spot after 30 days. The lid still sealed, but a flat spot on the lid is a sign the tub below it was under load, and a tub under load can freeze with a dented top. Upright, on a flat tray, lids up.
Avoid overfilling to stretch a recipe. A 24 oz tub filled past the line pushed its lid up when the oat base expanded in our NC501 test, and the lid would not lock in the outer bowl until we scraped the surface level. The 1.5x scaling on our recipe cards is sized to the fill line for exactly this reason.
How many tubs do you need
Two tubs come in the box, and for a family that spins two or three times a week that is workable. Each tub needs 24 hours at 0 F before it can be spun, so with two tubs one is always freezing while the other is being eaten.
Four tubs, the box pair plus one 2-pack, is the number we settled on for a household of four. One tub comes out every evening, one goes in, and two are frozen flat and waiting. With top and bottom processing, those four tubs can hold up to eight separate half-tub spins.
Six tubs suits a family that spins daily and also wants a tub of leftovers levelled, lidded and refrozen for a later re-spin. That is the rotation we used while testing the Frozen Yogurt and CreamiFit programs on the NC601 for 30 days, and it is the count we would buy again. Our NC601 review describes which programs earned a place in that weekly rotation and which did not.
Yes. The NC501 and NC601 share the same 24 oz XL tub and outer bowl, and we swapped tubs between the two machines for 30 days without any difference in lid lock or cycle time. The XSKPNTLD2 2-pack is the same tub that ships in both boxes.
No. A 16 oz original pint sits too low in the Deluxe outer bowl, the lid will not lock, and the machine will not start. We tried it on the NC601 to be sure. The Deluxe box notes that 16 oz pints do not fit, and the reverse is also true: an XL tub will not seat in an NC301 or NC351.
About six. Our full-fat vanilla base from a 24 oz tub served six single scoops on both the NC501 and NC601, compared with four from a 16 oz pint. A family of four gets a serving each with two left for the next day, which is the main reason to pick a Deluxe over a Creami.
The lid rests on the freezer shelf when a tub is stored upside down or stacked, and after 30 days on the NC501 ours developed a small flat spot where it touched the wire. The lid still sealed. Storing tubs upright on a flat tray, which also keeps the base level, avoids it entirely.
Yes. Both Deluxe models let you choose top or bottom processing, so you can spin the top half of a 24 oz tub and leave the bottom frozen for another day. We use it for mix-ins: spin the top, add mix-ins, run Mix-In, and the bottom half stays plain. Level and lid the tub before it goes back in the freezer.
Yes, top rack. After 20 cycles the NC601 tubs were clear with no warping, and the NC501 tubs had one faint scratch from a utensil but were otherwise unchanged. Every lid still sealed. The paddle and outer bowl lid go on the top rack as well; nothing from the Deluxe goes on the bottom rack.