Quick answer
Buy the Ninja Creami Swirl Pints 2-pack (XSK7PNTLD2). It is the only extra pint that fits the NC701 Scoop and Swirl, holds 16 oz or about 4 scoops, and stayed clear through 20 top-rack dishwasher cycles. Original 16 oz Creami pints and Deluxe XL tubs do not lock into the NC701, and the Swirl pint does not fit any other Creami.
Compatibility
The NC701 Scoop and Swirl runs its own pint system. The Swirl pint holds 16 oz, the same as an original Creami pint, but it is shaped for the dispenser path and the NC701 outer bowl is cut to match. We placed an original pint from our NC351 into the NC701 outer bowl: the lid would not lock and the machine would not start. The reverse also fails, because a Swirl pint does not seat in an NC301 or NC351 bowl. The table below lists every container we have tested against every current model, and the pint compatibility guide shows the label under each motor base.
| Pint or tub | Size | Fits NC299AMZ | Fits NC301 | Fits NC351 | Fits NC501/NC601 | Fits NC701 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swirl Pints 2-pack (XSK7PNTLD2) | 16 oz Swirl | – | – | – | – | 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 | – | – |
| Deluxe XL Tubs 2-pack (XSKPNTLD2) | 24 oz | – | – | – | Yes | – |
Our picks
One Ninja-branded extra pint exists for the NC701, the XSK7PNTLD2 2-pack, and it is the same pint that ships in the box. We bought it with the site’s own money, froze all four test bases in it at 0 F for 24 hours, dispensed soft serve from it for 30 days, and ran it through 20 top-rack dishwasher cycles. The pints stayed clear and the lids sealed throughout.
Accessory
Ninja Creami Swirl Pints 2-pack
Model XSK7PNTLD2
- Two 16 oz Swirl pints with lids
- Fits the NC701 Scoop and Swirl only
- Dishwasher safe top rack
Two extra pints matter more on the NC701 than on any other Creami because soft serve ties up a pint in a way scooping does not. A base that is too soft to dispense needs a 10 minute refreeze in its pint before the dispenser will hold a swirl, which is what happened with our oat base on Lite Ice Cream. With four pints in rotation we could put one back in the freezer to firm up and still have a frozen pint ready for a scooped program. Our NC701 review covers which bases dispensed first time and which needed that refreeze.
If you run soft serve for a family most evenings, buy two 2-packs for six pints. We have not found a 4-pack of Swirl pints, and six is the number that let us freeze a week of bases on a Sunday.
What to look for
Check for the word Swirl and the model number XSK7PNTLD2 on the pack. The Swirl pint names the NC700 series only, and any listing that names the NC301, NC351, NC501 or NC601 is a different container. The capacity will say 16 oz, which is correct, but capacity alone does not mean it fits.
Look for one lid per pint. The lid keeps frost off the surface during the 24 hour freeze and lets a soft serve base that was too soft go back in the freezer flat for its refreeze. Every XSK7PNTLD2 pack ships with two lids, and they interchange with the box pair.
Pick fat and sugar levels with the dispenser in mind. In our tests the full-fat vanilla base on the Soft Serve program dispensed a true swirl straight after the cycle, and the protein base on Soft Serve Lite dispensed cleanly. The oat base needed the refreeze. Extra pints let you keep a dispenser-friendly base frozen alongside a leaner one for scooping.
Plan for nozzle cleaning. The dispenser nozzle needs a brush after every soft serve run or dried base blocks the star tip, and the silicone gasket needs reseating by hand after a dishwasher cycle. The cleaning brush comes in the NC701 box; the pint pack does not include one, so keep the box brush where you can find it.
What to avoid
Avoid original 16 oz Creami pints. They are the most common wrong purchase for NC701 owners because the capacity matches and the packs are easier to find. They will not lock into the NC701 outer bowl, and the Scoop and Swirl box says so.
Avoid Deluxe XL tubs. The 24 oz tub is the wrong height and width for the NC701 bowl and does not seat at all. If you want 6 scoops per container, that capacity exists only on the NC501 and NC601.
Avoid third-party pints marketed for the Scoop and Swirl. The dispenser path depends on the pint shape, and the unbranded 16 oz pints we tested for the original Creami cracked at the rim within a month of 0 F freezing. We have not tested a third-party Swirl pint and do not plan to.
Avoid dispensing a base that has not firmed up. A soft base pushed through the dispenser leaves a film in the nozzle that dries into the star tip, and our oat base did exactly that before we learned to give it the 10 minute refreeze. A spare frozen pint means you never have to force it.
How many pints do you need
Two Swirl pints come in the box, and for scooped programs two or three times a week that is enough, since a base needs 24 hours at 0 F before it will spin.
Four pints, the box pair plus one 2-pack, is the number for anyone who bought the NC701 for soft serve. One pint dispenses tonight, one goes into the freezer, one is frozen and waiting, and one is free for a refreeze if a base comes out too soft to swirl.
Six pints, two 2-packs on top of the box, suits a family running soft serve most evenings. That is the rotation we used across 30 days of testing, and it kept the Fruit Whip program, the surprise keeper of the NC701 test, in daily use without ever waiting on the freezer.
No. The NC701 outer bowl is shaped for the Swirl pint, and an original 16 oz pint from an NC301 or NC351 will not lock the lid, so the machine will not start. We tried it. The two pints are the same 16 oz capacity but different shapes, and the NC701 box notes that original pints do not fit.
Four is the practical minimum. Soft serve runs use a full pint per session, and a pint that is too soft to dispense needs a 10 minute refreeze, which ties it up. With the box pair plus one 2-pack we could run a soft serve every evening and still have a frozen pint for a scooped program.
Not every base. Our vanilla base on the Soft Serve program dispensed a true swirl, and the protein base on Soft Serve Lite dispensed cleanly. The oat base was too soft to dispense after one re-spin and needed a 10 minute refreeze in the pint first. Fat and sugar hold the swirl; low-fat bases need the refreeze.
Yes, top rack. After 20 cycles the Swirl pints from our NC701 were clear and the lids sealed. The dispenser nozzle assembly also went through the dishwasher clean, but the silicone gasket needed reseating by hand after each cycle. We brush the nozzle after every soft serve run regardless.
No. Both hold 16 oz and give about 4 scoops. The Swirl pint is shaped for the dispenser path on the NC701, which is why the two are not interchangeable despite the same capacity. If you want more than 4 scoops per container, the 24 oz Deluxe XL tub on the NC501 or NC601 is the only larger option.
There is one: the XSK7PNTLD2 2-pack, the same pint that ships in the NC701 box. We have not found a 4-pack, so daily users should buy two 2-packs for six pints in rotation. We do not recommend any third-party Swirl pint; the dispenser path is specific enough that we have not tested an alternative.