The new Ninja Swirl hasn't been announced for release in the UK yet — luckily we've already tested an alternative you can buy now

It's no secret amongst the Ideal Home team that I'm a diehard Ninja Kitchen fan. My Ninja Creami is a particularly treasured possession, with the brand's ice-cream maker going viral again and again in the last few years.

Now, the brand behind some of the best air fryers and ice cream makers on the market is amping up the at-home ice cream experience with the Ninja Swirl, which is the first soft-serve machine from the brand. Set to launch in the US next month, there's plenty of excitement around this product online.

The bad news? The Ninja Swirl hasn't been announced for release in the UK and there's no news on when it might arrive on our shores. The good news is that we've already tested an excellent alternative that you can snap up now. Here's what we know about the Swirl so far and the details on our favourite stopgap from Cuisinart.

Our favourite Ninja Swirl alternative

The Ninja Swirl was quietly launched on Ninja's US website, with just a few sentences describing the product and a sign-up link for US customers to learn more.

It's described as a machine that can 'customize flavours, control ingredients, and create classic scooped or soft serve treats' at home. But that's not all we've learned about the Swirl, as a select few influencers in the US have received the product and been busily posting videos about the machine's capabilities.

@abbiekonnick

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In a video by one influencer @abbiekonnick, it's clear to see that some elements of the original Creami and Creami Deluxe have been integrated into this soft serve maker. The right side of the machine has very similar options for your dessert creations like 'Ice Cream' mode and a 'Sorbet' setting.

The other side of the machine is where the soft serve feature comes in, with nozzles added to to the design of the standard Creami tubs which you can then insert into the soft serve dispenser.

If you love the idea of a soft serve machine and don't want to wait for the Swirl, then I've got an excellent alternative that we've tried and tested here at Ideal Home.

In our Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker review, our expert tester Helen found that ice cream mixes were easy to turn into soft serve cones at home and that plenty of customisation was available for dairy-free options too.

The RRP of the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream maker is £199.99 from Amazon. For that price, you get an all-in-one ice cream station, including three toppings dispensers. Plus, the product's capacity is 1.42 litres, meaning that you can make up to six portions at a time.

So, if you love soft serve and don't want to wait for the UK release of the Ninja Swirl, we think this Cuisinart pick is your best bet as an alternative.