The 2 Best Slushie Machines for Parties, Margs, and Soft-Serve Ice Cream We live in the golden age of the home slushie machine. It's a new age brought upon us in 2024 after the virally popular Ninja Slushi brought the bar slushie into American kitchen—and with it a new world of frozen margaritas and Bapple slushies. But this year Ninja's original slushie machine has been supplanted.

The Ninja Slushi dropped to record low prices during Prime Day, likely in part because the new best slushie machines are a couple of newer models by Ninja. Both of the new Ninja slushie machines in 2026 have leapfrogged the rest of the competition. The Ninja Slushi XL ($350) is the best frozen drink maker I'd recommend to most for its faster freezing times, smarter controls, higher capacity, greater flexibility on ABV and sugar content, and ability to make satisfying soft-serve ice cream.

For those prone to hosting parties, I'll take this year's Ninja Slushi Twist ($400), a two-chamber device whose marketing gimmick is frankly silly, but which solves a real problem for hosts. The Twist lets you keep one chamber of slush always flowing, while the other one re-freezes. And so I am happy to report the state of the home slushie remains strong.

Boozy slushies are maybe the one thing I miss from that first Covid-19 pandemic summer—the days when “supporting local business” meant sucking down whiskey slush by parked cars, like some John Cougar Mellencamp character. These days, I’m like the king of daiquiris. I am the sultan of slushed tamarind micheladas and the friar of frosé.

These frozen drink machines can, of course, also make normal slushies without booze in them, for parents and lovers of 7-Elevens. Frozen juice is delicious. Everything frozen is slightly more delicious.

There is also the promise (but not quite the reality) of frappés and milkshakes. Prefer ice cream? Former WIRED reviewer Adrienne So had her spring and summer changed last year by a rainbow of soft serve and tart froyo from the delightful Ninja Swirl by Creami (9/10, WIRED Recommends).

For other summer refreshment, see our guide to the Best Cold-Brew Coffee Makers and the Best Pod Coffee Makers for Cold or Hot Brew. Updated June 2026: After a new round of testing, I've added Ninja Slushi XL and Ninja Slushi Twist as my two new top picks. Greenpan Frost is added to the honorable mentions.

I also newly tested a Vibofrost machine. Prices and discontinued items have been updated and/or noted. Other Slushie Machines I Liked The slushie machine from Belgian-founded kitchen and wellness brand GreenPan is maybe the only slushie machine I'd describe as being even slightly attractive, or pleasant on a countertop—available in a trendy pistachio color scheme that a 21-year-old co-tester called “cute.” The slush produced by this device also had quite a nice consistency, perhaps due to a tighter auger around the cylinder that roiled the slush a little more.

My colleague Martin Cizmar, who also tested this device, was able to recreate a Philly recipe for Italian-style water ice with Meyer lemons, and declared himself an unending fan. The GreenPan slushed admirably, making a full chamber's worth of spiked slush in about 25 minutes.