Quick answer
Pints, lids, the Creamerizer paddle, the outer bowl and its lid are all top-rack dishwasher safe on every model, and on the NC701 so are the dispenser nozzle and handle assembly. Wipe the motor base with a damp cloth, never submerge it. After 20 cycles our parts were unchanged apart from faint cloudiness on the NC301 pints.
Cleaning a Ninja Creami takes about two minutes a pint if you do it straight away and about ten if you let a protein base dry on the paddle. Every removable part on every model is top-rack dishwasher safe, and we have put each of them through 20 cycles to see what changes. The motor base is the only part that stays dry, and the NC701 nozzle is the one part that cannot wait.
What goes in the dishwasher and what we found after 20 cycles
Pints, lids, the Creamerizer paddle, the outer bowl and the outer bowl lid are top-rack safe on all five models, and the NC701 nozzle and handle assembly join them. We ran a full set from each machine through 20 top-rack cycles on a normal program.
- NC301 and NC299AMZ: the pints were faintly cloudy near the rim after 20 cycles, the lids still sealed and the paddle was unchanged. No warping.
- NC351: pints clear, lids seal, no visible wear on the paddle.
- NC501: XL tubs clear with one faint scratch from a utensil, lids seal, paddle unchanged.
- NC601: XL tubs clear, lids seal, paddle unchanged, no warping of the outer bowl lid.
- NC701: Swirl pints clear, nozzle assembly clean, but the silicone gasket needed reseating by hand after every cycle.
How to clean the pints and lids
Rinse the pint as soon as you have scooped, because sugar and protein bases set like glue on the rim and that rim is what the lid seals against.
- Rinse under warm water and wipe the rim with a cloth or sponge.
- Hand wash or top rack. Avoid abrasive pads, which put scratches in the inside wall like the one on our NC501 tub.
- Dry the lid groove before storing so the lid does not stick on next time.
Extra pints let a dirty pint wait for the dishwasher; the 4-pack of Original pints is what we keep in rotation on the NC351.
How to clean the Creamerizer paddle and the lid
Remove the paddle from the lid every time, because the socket is where dried base builds up and stiffens the fit.
- Press the release and pull the paddle out of the underside of the lid.
- Rinse the paddle and run a brush around the socket in the lid.
- Inspect the paddle edge for chips while it is in your hand. After 30 days we saw light surface scuffing on the NC301 paddle and nothing on the NC351, NC501, NC601 or NC701.
- Top rack both parts, or hand wash with warm soapy water. Dry the socket before refitting the paddle.
How to clean the outer bowl and the lid lock
The outer bowl collects any base that escaped the pint, and the lid lock tabs collect the drips.
- Rinse the bowl and wipe the inside base where the pint sits. Grit here tilts the pint.
- Clean the lock tabs on the bowl rim and the matching recess in the lid with a small brush.
- Remove the lid gasket monthly, wash it, dry it and press it back into its groove without twisting.
- Top rack the bowl and lid, or hand wash. Our NC601 outer bowl lid showed no warping after 20 cycles.
How to clean the motor base
The base is wipe-only. Never submerge it and never run water into the drive socket.
- Unplug the machine.
- Wipe the housing with a damp cloth and dry it. The NC351 matte housing shows fingerprints less than the NC301 gloss.
- Wipe the drive socket under the control panel with a dry cloth after every pint, and use a cotton swab in the corners once a week.
- Check the vents on the back for dust every month.
How to clean the NC701 dispenser
Brush the nozzle after every soft serve run, before the base dries, or the next run will not dispense.
- As soon as the pint is dispensed, remove the nozzle and handle assembly.
- Push the included brush through the star tip and the nozzle body under warm running water.
- Take out the silicone gasket, rinse it and set it aside to dry.
- Top rack the nozzle and handle. When you reassemble, reseat the gasket by hand and check it is flat all the way round; ours needed this after every cycle.
A nozzle left for an hour after a protein soft serve took ten minutes of soaking to clear, which is why the brush lives next to the NC701.
Model notes: where the NC300, NC500 and NC700 series differ
- NC301, NC351 and NC299AMZ: the simplest clean. Five dishwasher parts, a short lid lock path and a 16 oz pint that rinses in seconds. The Gen 1 pints cloud faintly after 20 cycles; the Gen 2 pints did not.
- NC501 and NC601: the same five parts in XL. Watch for utensil scratches inside the tub, and set the tub lids flat in the freezer to avoid the flat spot our NC501 lids developed.
- NC701: adds the nozzle, handle, gasket and brush. Brush after every run, reseat the gasket by hand, and store the brush with the machine.
Prevention
- Rinse the pint, lid and paddle within a few minutes of scooping, before anything dries.
- Top rack only, every part, every time.
- Dry the paddle socket and the lid gasket groove before reassembling.
- Wipe the drive socket on the base after every pint.
- On the NC701, brush the nozzle immediately after every dispense and check the gasket before the next run.
When to contact SharkNinja support
Cleaning problems become support problems when a part is damaged rather than dirty. Contact SharkNinja if a pint lid no longer seals after cleaning, if the outer bowl or lid shows a crack, if the paddle is chipped, or if the NC701 gasket tears or no longer holds the nozzle. Every model carries a 1 year limited warranty covering the parts that came in the box; pints and tubs bought separately are accessories. Have the model number from the label under the base and the Amazon receipt ready. Our manuals page lists where each model’s guide lives, and our pint compatibility guide names the replacement pack for each system if a pint is past saving. Reassembly is covered on how to use a Ninja Creami.
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
Yes, on the top rack, on every model. We ran the pints from each machine through 20 cycles. The NC301 and NC299AMZ pints came out faintly cloudy near the rim but still sealed; the NC351 pints, the NC501 and NC601 XL tubs and the NC701 Swirl pints stayed clear. No pint warped.
Yes, top rack. After 20 cycles the paddle on every model was unchanged, and after 30 days of use the only wear we saw was light surface scuffing on the NC301 and NC299AMZ paddles with no chips. Remove it from the lid before washing so the socket gets clean, and dry the socket before refitting.
Unplug it and wipe it with a damp cloth, then dry. Never submerge the base or run water into the drive socket where the paddle lid connects. Drips of base that run down the inside of the housing dry hard, so wipe the socket area with a dry cloth after every pint and use a cotton swab for the corners.
Brush the nozzle after every soft serve run, before the base dries. The NC701 ships with a cleaning brush for this. The nozzle and handle assembly then go on the top rack. After 20 cycles ours was clean, but the silicone gasket had to be reseated by hand every time, so check it before the next run.
Weekly if you use it daily. Our routine is a rinse of the pint, lid and paddle after every pint, a top-rack cycle for all removable parts once a week, and a dry-cloth wipe of the drive socket and lid lock. The outer bowl lid gasket gets removed and washed monthly, and on the NC701 the nozzle gasket gets checked every run.