Why didn't my Slushi slush?

Nine times out of ten this is alcohol too high or sugar too low. The Ninja Slushi freezes drinks between roughly 8–14% ABV and 11–13% Brix. Over 14% ABV the ethanol depresses the freezing point so far the auger can never get below it. Run your recipe through the Slush Calculator — if it says "won't freeze", dilute with water (for high ABV) or add sugar / 2:1 simple syrup (for low Brix).

Diet sodas have zero sugar, so there's nothing to suspend the ice crystals. They freeze into a solid block instead of a slush. Fix: dissolve 60–80 g of allulose (or erythritol+allulose blend) per litre of soda before pouring in. Allulose freezes almost exactly like sucrose but is keto-friendly. See the Diet Dr Pepper recipe for the exact ratios.

Beer is too low in alcohol AND too low in sugar — both targets miss. Wine sits around 12–14% ABV but has almost no sugar. Add a sweet mixer: frozen lemonade concentrate for beer (see the Turbo Shandy), or 2:1 simple syrup + a splash of brandy for wine (the Red Wine Slush recipe).

Yes. Bubbles get trapped in the auger and either foam over the top of the hopper or wear out the motor faster. Pour your soda into a bowl, whisk it a few times, and let it sit 5–10 minutes until visibly flat before adding it to the Slushi.

Not enough fat. Milkshake mode wants at least 4–6% fat content across the whole mix. Swap 2% milk for whole milk, or add 2–4 oz of heavy cream. Sugar matters too — keep Brix at 14–18% for milkshakes (higher than the slush target).

Yes, but pick the barista / full-fat versions. Skim plant milks are mostly water and freeze into ice. Oat barista milk works best — its fat and stabiliser content are closest to whole dairy milk.

Either ABV is below the minimum (alcohol acts as antifreeze in the target range) or sugar is below the minimum. For non-alcoholic drinks, sugar is doing all the work — bump Brix to 12% before running. Adding 2 tbsp of sugar or 2 oz of simple syrup to a 1-litre batch usually rescues it.

Brix is above 13%. Dilute with water — start with 1 oz at a time and let the machine churn for 5 minutes between additions. The calculator tells you the exact amount.

45–75 minutes for most recipes once the hopper is cold. First batch of the day adds 10–15 minutes because the machine starts at room temp. Spiked slush takes longer than alcohol-free because ethanol slows freezing.

It helps a lot — adding warm liquid means the machine spends the first 20 minutes just cooling it down. Fridge-cold (not frozen) ingredients cut total time by ~15 minutes.

Run the Clean cycle with warm water and a drop of dish soap, then a clear rinse cycle. Wipe the auger seal weekly — sugar residue is what kills the motor over time, not the alcohol.

Usually yes, but most bottled mixes are already at the high end of the sugar range. Cut with 30–40% water and add your tequila on top. Check the result in the calculator — store mixes vary wildly.