You just bought a Ninja Creami, and you want to know what else you need before your first pint. The short answer: extra pint containers, a few cheap accessories, and a base you can trust while you learn the machine.
This guide covers what to buy first, what can wait, and the one decision that decides whether you keep using it.
Buy extra pint containers first. Every pint needs 24 hours in the freezer.
Match the tub to your model: 16 oz for the 7-in-1, 24 oz for the Deluxe XL.
Aim for at least 3 pints in total, so 1 extra if your box has 2.
Silicone lids (under $10 for 4) and a kitchen scale (under $15) come next.
A ready-made base cuts the guesswork: 2 scoops, 10-12 oz of milk, 23g of protein per pint.
Extra pint containers. Every pint has to freeze for 24 hours before you can spin it, so 2 tubs means 2 pints, then a wait.
SharkNinja's store lists 2 tubs with both the 7-in-1 and the Deluxe XL, checked Oct 16, 2026. That is enough to start, but not enough to build a habit. With a third tub, you can have one in the freezer, one being eaten and one ready to spin. Our guide to batching Ninja Creami pints shows how to keep that rotation going.
Check the size before you order. The 7-in-1 uses 16 oz pints, and the Deluxe XL uses 24 oz tubs. A tub that does not fit your model is a wasted purchase. If you only buy one thing this week, make it a tub.
Only 3: silicone lids, a kitchen scale and labels. Everything else can wait until you know how you use the machine. Do not buy all 9 tools at once. Add one when you notice a real problem, such as pints sliding around the freezer or pints you cannot tell apart.
| Item | Why it helps early | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Silicone lids | Store pints in the freezer without the bulky stock lids | Sets of 4 under $10 |
| Kitchen scale | Same amount every pint, so results repeat | Under $15 |
| Labels or a marker | Know which flavor is which once you have 3 pints | A marker you own |
Prices are from our own full guide to Ninja Creami accessories, which covers all 9 tools. It also lists what to skip, including branded kits, countertop organizers and specialty tampers.
Both work. The difference is how much trial and error you sign up for. We compare the 2 side by side in premade vs homemade Ninja Creami mix, and a ready-made protein ice cream mix is the shortcut.
A homemade base gives you full control. You pick every ingredient, and you can build exactly the pint you want. The cost is time. You buy several ingredients, measure them each time, and the result depends on how carefully you did it. If you enjoy tinkering, that is a fair trade. Just expect a few off pints while you learn.
| Compare | Make your own base | CRUSHS mix |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | Several ingredients, such as milk, cream cheese or half and half, a sweetener and flavoring | 1 bag plus milk |
| Per pint | Measure each ingredient | 2 scoops with 10-12 oz of milk |
| Consistency | Depends on your measuring and recipe | Same base every pint |
| Made for the Creami? | Depends on the recipe | Yes, built for the Lite Ice Cream setting |
| Protein and sugar | Depends on your recipe | 23g of protein and 0g added sugar per serving |
| Control | Full | You choose the milk and any mix-ins |
It removes the variables, so you learn your machine instead of debugging a recipe. When a pint comes out wrong, you want to know if it was the freeze, the spin or the base. A fixed base answers that.
It also helps you keep using the machine, which is what matters over time. One customer said they were “ready to rehome” their Creami before trying a ready-made base. Another said their own recipe “was more work” and “didn’t always taste the same,” and that they have been “inspired to use my creami a lot more often now.”
A third wrote, “No multi-ingredient recipes! Just simple, reliable, extremely tasty frozen treats.”
That is why we make CRUSHS protein ice cream mix this way. It has 23g of protein and 180 calories per serving, with 0g added sugar. It is sweetened with allulose and monk fruit, and it is made for the Ninja Creami Lite Ice Cream setting. One bag makes 8 pints. Our guide on how to use a premade protein ice cream mix walks through the first batch, and the best Ninja Creami ice cream mix guide shows what to look for.
2 scoops, 10-12 oz of milk, and 23g of protein per pint. One bag makes 8 pints.
Shop protein ice cream mixAt least 3 in total. That lets you keep one frozen, one being eaten and one ready to spin. If your box has 2 tubs, buy 1 more and add a fourth if you make pints most weeks.
Yes, before your first freeze. Each pint must be filled 24 hours before you spin it, so the base has to be ready the night before. Make the first one plain, freeze it flat, and follow our guide to how to use your Ninja Creami. If it comes out crumbly, re-spin it with a splash of milk.
It depends on the recipe and what you already have at home. The bigger cost for a beginner is the trial and error while you learn the machine.
A plain vanilla pint. It is your control batch, and it shows you what your machine does before you add mix-ins or change the milk.
