Ninja CREAMi Scoop & Swirl vs Nostalgia Professional 1.25 Qt Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine

The Ninja CREAMi Scoop & Swirl is the more versatile machine: 13 one-touch programs, six soft-serve swirl programs, and a 16 oz pint system that turns fruit, protein shakes and low-calorie bases into dessert. The Nostalgia Professional 1.25 Qt is the faster, bigger-batch soft-serve machine, churning in about 17 minutes with 10 thickness settings and a lever dispenser. Build is plastic on both, and owner ratings are middling: the Ninja sits at 4.2 from about 1,000 ratings, and Nostalgia's churned-soft-serve line draws complaints about thin freezing and durability. Buy the Ninja for made-to-order single pints and diet-friendly bases; buy the Nostalgia for classic soft serve for a crowd.

• Choose the Ninja CREAMi Scoop & Swirl if you want one-pint batches, preset programs for sorbet, protein ice cream and soft serve, and control over what goes in.
• Choose the Nostalgia Professional 1.25 Qt if you want a 1.25-quart batch of classic soft serve in under 18 minutes with a lever dispenser and adjustable thickness.