The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?ExtrasIndyBestHome & GardenKitchen AppliancesSalter launches affordable rival to the Ninja slushi – I put the two appliances head-to-headBoth home appliances will quench your thirst for frozen drinks all summerMake frozen cocktails, milkshakes, frappés and more (Kerry Law/The Independent)Our Top Picks12Ninja slushi frozen drink makerRead review£299Buy nowThere once was a time when you could only slurp a slushie on a trip to the seaside, but now you can enjoy that end-of-the-pier treat at home. Although still relatively new in the kitchen appliance market, there’s been an increase in slushie machines to meet our thirst for frozen drinks.When Ninja launched its slushi frozen drink maker in late 2024, it was a viral sensation and sold by the bucketload the following summer. Now British brand Salter has released its own slushie machine – and it’s almost half the price of its Ninja rival. Unlike the catering models spied in cinema foyers and beach cafes, with their tanks of lurid blue and red slush, at-home slushie machines are not just for soft drinks. Compact and multifunctional, these domestic slushie makers may keep the kids happy with retro favourites, but they can also create grown-up drinks, from mocha frappés to frozen margaritas.With all that in mind, I put Salter’s new affordable machine head-to-head against Ninja’s hit product to see whether you really need to shell out for a café-worthy slushie or bar-standard frozen cocktail.Read more: Best ice cream makers, reviewed I made a range of frozen drinks in both machines, to see how they compared (Kerry Law/The Independent)Read more: Best juicers for fresh and healthy drinks1Salter slushie makerWhy we love it Image-led control panelEasy to cleanTake note Heavy and bulkyTexture was a bit hit and miss during testingA bit noisy at timesShow moreAt first glance, there is little to distinguish Salter’s slushie maker from the Ninja slushi. It’s almost identical in weight and dimensions but is boxier in design. It has a 2.5l tank, which is a little misleading, as this refers to its fill line for rinsing. Its maximum drink capacity is 1.9l – the same as Ninja’s machine. The control panel features colourful images accompanying its five preset programs: slushie, frosted cocktail, frappé, milkshake and chilled juice. I liked the large numerical display showing the temperature of my drink (Kerry Law/The Independent)A successful freeze is dependent on ingredients (for instance, a sugary squash freezes at a different temperature than an alcoholic drink) and the desired texture. By following Salter’s recipe booklet, making a drink was extremely easy: I poured my premixed liquid (no ice required) into the tank, selected a program, and away it went, churning the liquid around the central cylinder, which chilled it to the appropriate sub-zero temperature. I liked the large numerical display showing the drink’s temperature decreasing. It will take some experimentation, but if you prefer a thicker or thinner slush, you can customise the temperature along a horizontal sliding scale.My kids were fascinated watching it in action. It occasionally created a worrying juddery noise when the auger scraped chunks of ice from the cylinder, but it was fleeting and all part of the process. A squash-based slushie took about 20 minutes. I was expecting it to stop when ready, but you have to judge when it’s at your desired texture, and dispense while it’s still in motion. Serving is fun and done by pulling down the chunky handle and releasing to stop: mess-free enough for the kids to serve themselves (a useful child lock button stops unauthorised serves). A frappé was also successful, particularly as it worked surprisingly well without sugar (I’m not a fan of sweet coffee). My frozen margarita had a lovely smooth texture and was ready in about 20 minutes (quicker than the suggested 35 minutes) – depending on ingredients and quantity, some cocktails can take up to an hour. There’s also a function to keep frozen drinks cool for up to 12 hours, which is perhaps useful for an all-day gathering, but my test proved that drinks are pretty quick to create on demand.You can easily rinse the machine between recipes by filling it with warm water to melt any remaining ice, pressing the rinse function to churn, then dispensing the liquid. For a full clean, the tank comes away with one swift click of a lever, and the auger and condensation catcher slide off, ready for a quick wipe down in the sink (the parts are not dishwasher-safe).Simply pour your premixed liquid (no ice required) into the tank then select a program to get started (Kerry Law/The Independent)Getting a consistent texture wasn’t always a given, though. A couple of times, I failed to create a basic slushie and an error message appeared: once to indicate too little sugar (hard to believe when I used the same previously successful squash); and once when a lump of ice had formed, automatically stopping the machine, but this was easily rectified by raising the temperature. A reminder to follow recipes to the letter.Key specificationsCapacity: 1.9l (max drink fill); 2.5l (rinse capacity) Preset programmes: Slushie, frosted cocktail, frappé, milkshake and chilled juiceDimensions: 42.5cm x 17cm x 42cmWeight: 11kgPower: 200WBack to top2Ninja slushi frozen drink makerWhy we love it Can make smaller batches than the Salter machineEasy to cleanEasy to useTake note ExpensiveHeavy and bulkyShow moreNinja’s best-seller is marginally more stylish than Salter’s slushie maker. There’s no numerical temperature display or pictures, just the same five preset programs, rinse and 12-hour “keep cool” functions as Salter’s machine. The customisable sliding temperature scale is vertical (compared with Salter’s horizontal one), which is a tiny detail but one I found more intuitive when working out whether I was making a drink colder or warmer. Frozen margaritas were as smooth in the Ninja as they were in the Salter (Kerry Law/The Independent)Creating a frozen drink with the Ninja slushi is as straightforward as using Salter’s appliance: no ice is needed, as you can just pour in your premixed liquid and press your required program. You can batch make the same amount of frozen drinks as with Salter’s slushie maker (1.9l), but the minimum fill line is lower (475ml compared with Salter’s 555ml), so it’s handy for making just one or two drinks and minimising waste.The Ninja slushi produced a much better milkshake than Salter’s machine (Kerry Law/The Independent)It produced a much better milkshake than Salter’s machine (which made it too icy after running it for too long). The frozen margarita was as smooth as the Salter version, and a soft-drink slushie posed no problem. Serving is the same across both appliances: pull down the chunky handle while the auger is still swirling and release to stop. Once everyone had been served from the Ninja slushi, it was reassuring to simply press the program button again to stop the machine – something that I couldn’t work out how to do on the Salter slushie maker without switching off the whole thing.Cleaning the Ninja slushi is also a doddle: the tank is released with a light pull on the chunky handle before you slide off the auger and condensation catcher for rinsing or popping in the dishwasher (on the bottom rack). Like the Salter slushie maker, a basic rinse function enables you to clean between different drinks.I can see why this machine is so popular, but at nearly £300 at full price, it’s an expensive and rather cumbersome gadget that, like Salter’s slushie maker, may not see the light of day much beyond the hot summer months and perhaps a Christmas party. Key specificationsCapacity: 1.9l (max drink fill); 2.5l (rinse capacity)Preset programmes: Slush, frozen cocktail, frappé, milkshake, frozen juiceDimensions: 52.4cm x 27.4cm x 53.2cmWeight: 13.6kgPower: 200WBack to topSalter slushie maker vs Ninja slushi: Which one is best?There is very little separating these two slushie makers. They are both extremely easy and great fun to use, and picturing a summer of frozen drinks on tap is very appealing. However much of a fan you may be of frappés and frozen cocktails, you must ensure you’ve got ample storage room, as these bulky machines won’t be living on your countertop year-round.It comes down to minor details, but the Ninja slushi just nudges ahead in the race for best slushie maker. The results were consistently great, and the machine looks good. However, the minor flaws of Salter’s slushie maker really are minor and easily overcome by playing around with the temperature settings.How I tested the Salter slushie maker and Ninja slushiI used both machines to make a range of drinks from the brands’ own recipe cards, including soft-drink slushies, frappés, milkshakes and frozen cocktails. The perfect frozen drink requires a bit of chemistry – too little sugar or too much alcohol and the liquid won’t freeze – so it helps to follow the recipes, although you can still create a basic soft-drink slushie straight from the bottle or carton (luckily that doesn’t mean only sugar-laden colas and squashes, as pure fruit juice contains enough natural sugars to make a good slushie, too).When testing, I considered the following criteria.Ease of use: Making frozen drinks shouldn’t be complicated, so I looked for clear preset programs with easily customisable options and fewer instances of errors. Quality of drinks: Following the recipes for slushies, frozen juices, milkshakes, frappés and frozen cocktails, I noted how quick and easy it was to make a drink of a good, consistent texture. Cleaning: I noted whether it was easy to rinse any liquid residue when switching between drinks, and for a full clean, whether parts are easily removed and suitable for the dishwasher. Size: This isn’t the kind of gadget you’ll be using every day, so I compared them both for weight and dimensions, determining how easy they are (or not) to manoeuvre and store away. Why you can trust IndyBest reviewsOver the years, lifestyle writer Kerry Law has tested and scrutinised the marketing claims of all kinds of home appliances, including the best juicers, hand blenders, vacuum cleaners, and bread makers. She frequently writes about nutrition, and she knows what makes a decent domestic kitchen appliance. For this review, Kerry but both slushie makers through their paces in her own kitchen, with the help of her children.With the weather warming up, we’ve tested the best portable barbecues for grilling on the go