Ninja Creami Scoop and Swirl NC701 Review: Soft Serve, Tested

8.6/10

Texture

9.0

Programs

9.0

Capacity

7.5

Noise

6.5

Ease and cleaning

8.0

Value

8.0

Specs at a glance

What’s in the box

The NC701 ships with the motor base with the dispenser built in, two 16 oz Swirl pints with storage lids, one outer bowl, one outer bowl lid with the Creamerizer paddle seated, the dispenser nozzle with its star tip, the dispenser handle, a cleaning brush, and a quick start guide plus a recipe inspiration guide. The box is noticeably larger than any other Creami box because the base is 10.1 in wide and the dispenser assembly ships separately in a moulded tray.

The brush is not a throwaway. The nozzle needs it after every soft serve run and we would have bought one in week one if it had not been included.

Not included: extra Swirl pints, and nothing from the other pint systems fits. The Original 16 oz pints from the NC301 and NC351 do not seat, and Deluxe XL tubs do not fit either. Two pints is the minimum and we bought a second pair in week one; the Swirl pints page covers the choice.

Who it’s for and who should skip it

The NC701 is for anyone who wants soft serve at home without a commercial machine. Our full-fat vanilla base on the Soft Serve program dispensed a clean swirl that held its shape on a cone, and that is something no other Creami can do. It is also a complete scooped-ice-cream machine: vanilla scored 5/5 on Ice Cream and the protein base scored 5/5 on CreamiFit with no re-spin, matching the NC601.

Protein users who like a swirl will be happiest. Soft Serve Lite dispensed our protein base cleanly after the CreamiFit spin, and the whole process from button press to cone took under four minutes. One or two person households fit the 16 oz Swirl pints, which gave us about four servings each.

Skip the NC701 if you cook for three or more; the Deluxe XL tubs on the NC601 hold six scoops and the NC701 has no equivalent. Skip it if counter width is tight, because at 10.1 in wide and 19.2 lb it is the largest and heaviest machine in the Ninja Creami range and we leave ours in place rather than moving it. Skip it if you are plant-based first, since there is no Dairy-Free program and our oat base needed a re-spin and a refreeze before it would dispense. On features it sits above the NC601 for soft serve and below it for capacity and dairy-free results.

Design, build and footprint

We measured the NC701 at 10.1 in wide, 11.4 in deep and 17.9 in tall with the lid closed, rising to 20.8 in with the outer bowl lid open for loading. The width is the number that matters: it is 3.1 in wider than the NC601 and 3.7 in wider than the NC351, because the dispenser column sits beside the spin tower rather than in front of it. Depth is actually the shallowest in the range at 11.4 in, so it suits a counter that is wide but not deep. The lid clearance rules out loading under standard 18 in wall cabinets, and at 19.2 lb we chose a permanent spot at the end of the counter.

The housing comes in Silver, Black, Mocha, Purple and Ivory. Our silver unit has a brushed finish on the front panel and a matte side; after 30 days it shows fingerprints around the dispenser handle and nowhere else. The 36 in cord exits at the rear and reached our socket with room to spare.

The control panel is a column of thirteen backlit program buttons with the dial in the centre for Mix-In and re-spin, and a separate dispense indicator that lights when a pint is ready to swirl. Only programs that apply light up. The lid lock is a half-turn bayonet with a positive click, and the dispenser handle has a spring return that we found stiff for the first week and then comfortable.

The dispenser is the new part. After a Soft Serve or Fruit Whip spin the pint stays in the outer bowl, the nozzle clips under it, and pulling the handle pushes the base through the star tip. The nozzle and handle assembly lifts off with one latch for cleaning.

Noise is the cost of the 900 W motor. We recorded 85 dB at 1 m on the Ice Cream program, 2 dB above the NC601 and 3 dB above the NC351. The 160 second cycle is shorter than the NC601’s 175 second tub, and dispensing itself is almost silent.

Programs explained

The NC701 has thirteen programs, the most of any Creami. Eight are shared with the NC601: Ice Cream, Lite Ice Cream, Sorbet, Gelato, Milkshake, Mix-In, Frozen Yogurt and CreamiFit. Five are unique to the NC701: Soft Serve, Soft Serve Lite, Fruit Whip, Frozen Custard and Scoop. In exchange it drops the three NC601 programs that are not about scooping: Dairy-Free, Smoothie Bowl and Frappe.

Soft Serve is the headline. It runs a spin close to Ice Cream, then an aeration pass that lightens the base enough to push through the star tip. On our full-fat vanilla it produced a true dispenser swirl with defined ridges that held on a cone for the time it took to eat it. Soft Serve Lite runs a gentler aeration for low-fat and protein bases; it dispensed our protein pint cleanly after a CreamiFit spin and became the program we used most.

Fruit Whip was the surprise. It aerates a fruit puree into something between a sorbet and a mousse, and our mango sorbet base came out airy and dispensable. Over 30 days it became a twice-weekly habit and the reason our pineapple whip recipe exists.

Frozen Custard is a dense spin for egg-rich bases that can also be dispensed. We used it once, because we rarely cook an egg custard, and the result was rich but not different enough from Ice Cream to justify the extra prep. Scoop does what it says: it spins a Swirl pint for serving with a scoop instead of through the handle, and we used it whenever cleaning the nozzle afterwards felt like more effort than the swirl was worth.

CreamiFit works exactly as it does on the NC601, with a 145 second cycle on a 16 oz pint against 158 seconds on a 24 oz tub, and both needed zero re-spins. Lite Ice Cream covers oat and coconut bases because there is no Dairy-Free program; our oat base needed one re-spin here where the NC601’s Dairy-Free program needed none. The programs explained guide covers every program on every model, and the table below covers each NC701 program, its best base, how we used it and what differs from the NC601.

How we tested

We bought the NC701 on Amazon with the site’s own money and tested it from 2026-09-15 alongside the NC601, NC351 and NC301 in a home kitchen. Every model review on NinjaCreamer.com runs the same four bases so results are directly comparable, and on the NC701 we added a dispense test to each base where a dispensing program applied.

The four bases are full-fat vanilla (heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, vanilla) on Ice Cream, with a second pint on Soft Serve; protein (Fairlife skim milk, whey isolate, sugar-free pudding mix) on CreamiFit, with a second pint on Soft Serve Lite; mango sorbet (canned mango in syrup, blended) on Sorbet, with a second pint on Fruit Whip; and dairy-free oat (full-fat oat milk, coconut cream, sugar, guar gum) on Lite Ice Cream. The vanilla base is our classic vanilla bean ice cream, the soft serve version is our vanilla soft serve, and the Fruit Whip pint follows the method in our pineapple whip with mango in place of pineapple.

Every Swirl pint was frozen for 24 h in a freezer verified at 0 F with a probe thermometer on the test shelf. We followed the flat-top rule, which matters more on this machine: a domed or tilted pint gave an uneven swirl in our first week because the aeration pass works unevenly on a sloped surface. Each pint sat upright on a cleared shelf and we checked the top before loading.

The re-spin rule is unchanged. A crumbly first spin gets one re-spin; if it is still crumbly we add 1 tbsp of the base liquid and run a second. We time each cycle from button press to motor stop, score texture from 1 to 5 with the same 2 oz disher at room temperature, and on dispensing programs we also note whether the swirl held its shape. Noise was measured 1 m from the front of the housing during the Ice Cream cycle. The Swirl pints, lids, paddle, outer bowl and nozzle assembly went through 20 top-rack dishwasher cycles.

Test results

The NC701 scored 5, 5, 5 and 4 with one re-spin in total, on oat. That puts it level with the NC601 on vanilla, protein and sorbet and one re-spin behind it on oat, and ahead of the NC351 on protein. The texture score of 9.0 reflects three first-spin fives, and the capacity score of 7.5 reflects the 16 oz pint.

Vanilla on Ice Cream took 160 seconds and scored 5/5, scoopable straight out with clean edges. The second vanilla pint on Soft Serve gave a true dispenser swirl with sharp ridges that held on a cone. That second result is the whole reason the machine exists, and it worked on the first attempt without any adjustment to the base.

Protein on CreamiFit took 145 seconds and scored 5/5 on the first spin, with no re-spin, the same result the NC601 gave us in 158 seconds on a larger tub. The second protein pint on Soft Serve Lite dispensed cleanly with a slightly softer ridge than the vanilla swirl, which is expected from a base with almost no fat.

Sorbet on Sorbet took 150 seconds and scored 5/5, smooth with no ice crystals. The second sorbet pint on Fruit Whip was airy, paler in colour from the aeration, and dispensed as a soft mango swirl that collapsed slowly over about two minutes in a bowl.

Oat on Lite Ice Cream took 145 seconds and was crumbly after the first spin. One re-spin brought it to 4/5, creamy at the edges and soft in the centre. We then tried to dispense it and it was too soft to hold a shape; a 10 minute refreeze fixed that. The NC601’s Dairy-Free program got the same base to 4/5 with no re-spin, so plant-based households give up something here.

Cycle times sit between the NC351 and the NC601 on every program, which is what we would expect from a 900 W motor working a 16 oz pint. A re-spin adds 78 seconds.

Texture and taste

Vanilla from the Ice Cream program after the first spin was dense, smooth and glossy, with a clean curl off the disher and a rich, cold flavour. The Soft Serve version from the same base was lighter and colder on the tongue, with the airy, slightly chewy texture of a shop swirl and the same flavour. We did not re-spin either pint because neither needed it.

Protein from CreamiFit after the first spin was smooth and glossy with none of the powdery top layer that Lite Ice Cream leaves on a 16 oz Creami. Flavour was the usual mild vanilla pudding note. The Soft Serve Lite version was lighter and a little softer in the ridge than the dairy swirl, but it held on a cone long enough to eat and tasted identical. Protein users who want their protein recipes as a swirl will not be disappointed.

Sorbet after the first spin was smooth, bright and crystal-free, with pure mango and syrup flavour. The Fruit Whip version was noticeably paler and airy, closer to a frozen mousse than a sorbet, and tasted lighter because the aeration spreads the sweetness. It became our favourite way to eat fruit bases on this machine.

Oat after the first spin was crumbly with a dry top and a creamier layer below. After one re-spin it was creamy at the edges, soft in the centre, and tasted of oat and coconut with the usual faint guar gum slickness. It was a good scooped pint and a poor soft serve until the 10 minute refreeze, after which it dispensed a soft swirl that collapsed quickly.

Noise, cleaning and daily use

We measured 85 dB at 1 m on the 160 second Ice Cream cycle, the loudest current Creami and 2 dB above the NC601. A re-spin adds 78 seconds. Dispensing is near silent, so a soft serve run is noisy for under three minutes and then quiet.

Cleaning is where the NC701 asks for more. The Swirl pints, lids, Creamerizer paddle, outer bowl and the nozzle and handle assembly all went through 20 top-rack dishwasher cycles. After 20 cycles the pints were clear and the nozzle assembly was clean, but the silicone gasket inside the nozzle needed reseating by hand every time it came out of the dishwasher. The nozzle also needs the brush after every soft serve run, because dried base blocks the star tip within an hour if it is left. The paddle showed no wear. Our routine is on the how to clean guide.

Daily use settled into two patterns: Scoop or Ice Cream when we wanted no nozzle cleaning, Soft Serve or Fruit Whip when the swirl was the point. We fill two Swirl pints every evening, freeze flat, and spin one the next day.

Pints and accessories

The NC701 uses the Swirl 16 oz pint system and nothing else fits. The Original 16 oz pints from the NC299AMZ, NC301 and NC351 hold the same volume but have a different base profile and do not lock in the NC701 outer bowl; the Deluxe 24 oz XL tubs for the NC501 and NC601 are too large. Swirl pints in turn do not fit any other Creami. Pint systems never interchange across the three families, and the pint compatibility guide has the full matrix.

Extra Swirl pints come as a 2-pack, and we keep four in rotation for two people because soft serve pints tend to get finished in one sitting. The Swirl pints page covers the 2-pack, what to check before buying and the pints that are marketed as compatible and are not.

How it compares

The main decision is NC701 against NC601, and the Deluxe vs Scoop and Swirl comparison covers it in depth. The NC701 wins on soft serve, which the NC601 cannot do at all, and matches it on vanilla, protein and sorbet texture. The NC601 wins on capacity with 24 oz tubs and six scoops, on dairy-free results with zero re-spins on oat, on noise at 83 dB against 85 dB, and on footprint at 7.0 in wide against 10.1 in. The NC601 scored 8.9 and the NC701 8.6, and the gap is capacity and noise, not texture.

Against the NC351 the choice is simpler. Both use 16 oz pints and serve about four, but the NC351 is 3.7 in narrower, 6.4 lb lighter, 3 dB quieter and finishes a vanilla pint 18 seconds sooner. The NC701 has thirteen programs to seven, needed zero re-spins on protein where the NC351 needed one, and dispenses soft serve. If you will never pull the handle, the NC351 is the better buy; if you will pull it twice a week, the NC701 earns its width. The Creami vs Creami Deluxe comparison covers how the 16 oz and 24 oz families split, and the products hub lists all five models side by side.

Pros and cons

After 30 days

After a month the paddle is unchanged and the lid lock clicks as it did on day one. The dispenser handle spring has loosened slightly from stiff to comfortable and shows no play. The Swirl pints have been through the dishwasher about 20 times and are clear. Nothing has broken.

The one maintenance habit that stuck is brushing the nozzle after every soft serve run. We skipped it once in week two and found the star tip blocked with dried base the next day, which took five minutes of soaking to clear. The silicone gasket needs reseating by hand after every dishwasher cycle, which takes ten seconds once you know it is there.

What we use has shifted. Fruit Whip is the surprise keeper and runs twice a week on mango or pineapple. Soft Serve Lite handles every protein pint we want as a swirl, and CreamiFit plus Scoop handles the rest. Frozen Custard has been used once because it needs an egg base we rarely make, and Gelato once. The 85 dB reading in week four matched week one.

Verdict

Buy the NC701 if soft serve is the reason you are shopping and you have 10.1 in of counter width to give it. It scored 8.6 because the dispenser works on dairy, protein and fruit bases on the first attempt, because CreamiFit and Ice Cream matched the NC601 on texture, and because thirteen programs cover every style we make. It lost ground on capacity, noise and the extra nozzle cleaning. Choose the NC601 Deluxe if you feed three or more or want a Dairy-Free program, and the NC351 if you want the smallest, quietest Creami and will never pull a handle. All five models are compared on the products page.

Frequently asked questions

Full specifications