nutribullet Chill
nutribullet's frozen-block machine: 500 watts, five programmes and, in the version sold in Spain, three 500-millilitre tubs. You freeze the base for 24 hours and the machine breaks it up and churns it in three or four minutes.
The alternative to the Ninja, with three tubs and fewer programmes
It works like a CREAMi: the base is frozen for 24 hours in the tub and the blade shaves it from above until it turns creamy. Five programmes instead of seven, and a blade nutribullet calls 360DoubleCream because it attacks from several angles.
Our score, after reading the reviews one by one.
Creamy from the first pass. As with any block machine, it is the formula that rules: if the base is short on sugar, it comes out floury.
Five buttons and little else. Freeze it, slot the tub in and press.
500 ml per tub: one generous serving or two normal ones. Three are included.
The 24 hours of freezing are not negotiable: it is the system, not a flaw.
Four things you notice
in use, not on the box
How the ice cream comes out
Creamy and with body. The blade shaves the block in successive passes and leaves it fine, with no large crystals.
How long it really takes
The churning takes between 3 and 4 and a half minutes depending on the programme. What really takes time is the 24 hours of freezing beforehand.
Day to day
Everything that touches the ice cream is dishwasher-safe except the base. No PTFE or PFOA.
Footprint
43.1 × 19.6 × 20.5 cm and 5.27 kilos: narrow and light, it stores in a cupboard with no fuss.
Freeze first and break it up after
Here there is no compressor and no bowl to chill: the base is frozen whole and the machine breaks it down. That changes how you formulate, because the ice cream is not aerated while it chills, but afterwards.
To break up the block
Per tub, and it comes with three
How long the churn takes
Pre-freeze type
What it wins and what you have to accept
- Five programmes: ice cream, sorbet, gelato, smoothie bowl and frozen yoghurt
- Churning from 3 to 4.5 minutes, depending on the programme
- nutribullet's own 360DoubleCream blade
- Everything except the base is dishwasher-safe, and free of PTFE and PFOA
- Narrow and light, 5.27 kilos: it fits in a cupboard
- 24 hours of pre-freezing: the machine does not chill
- Five programmes, two fewer than the basic CREAMi
- It needs a recipe designed for a frozen block
nutribullet Chill specifications
The nutribullet Chill against its rivals
En su franja compiten estas tres. La Chill cuesta hoy —: these reviews tell you what you gain and what you lose with each one.
Ninja CREAMi
Two more programmes and the most well-worn recipe book of them all.
Ninja CREAMi Deluxe
710 ml tub and two flavours at once.
Taurus Gelato Flow
Nine programmes for less money.
Moulinex Dolci
Three tubs and ten programmes.
Would we buy it? Yes, if you do not mind losing two programmes
It does the same as a CREAMi with two fewer programmes. If what you want is the frozen-block system and not the brand, it does the job. If you are going to make two flavours at once or big tubs, the Deluxe is the one.
Frequently asked questions
Does the base have to be frozen first for the nutribullet Chill?
Yes, 24 hours. That is the whole system: the machine does not chill, it breaks up a block that is already frozen.
How is it different from a CREAMi?
In two fewer programmes, in coming with three 500 ml tubs and in the price. The principle is the same.
How long does the churn take?
From 3 to 4 and a half minutes, depending on the programme you pick.
Does any recipe work?
No. Frozen-block formulas call for more solids and a well-set antifreeze, or it comes out floury. In the calculator you have the version of every recipe for this system.
Is it dishwasher safe?
Everything except the base with the motor. And it contains neither PTFE nor PFOA.
What would we buy instead of the nutribullet Chill?
The Ninja CREAMi if you want the most tried-and-tested recipe collection, or the Taurus Gelato Flow if you are after more programmes for less.
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