For almost as long as human history has been written, iPads have dominated the tablet space, and for very good reason. They look sleek, perform amazingly, integrate well with other Apple devices, and, most importantly, run an OS that supports all the apps. These metrics have, for the better part of a decade, made Android tablets almost irrelevant. A niche that only a few want. However, the brand we all know for its flagship killers, OnePlus, has been quietly reviving the Android tablet world with devices that encapsulate that OnePlus feeling without Apple’s pricetag. The latest entry in the lineup is the OnePlus Pad Go 2, which comes with a big, bright display, four speakers, and new multitasking abilities, all for just INR 23,999.
As soon as I heard about those features and the price, I called my friends over at OnePlus and got the tablet in for review. It’s been over a week since that phone call, and I’ve been using the OnePlus Pad Go 2 as my everyday multimedia and document-editing machine. This review will culminate my experience with the tablet and help you decide whether it’s worth the hard-earned money. Spoiler alert, it’s a tablet that’s hard to fault.
OnePlus Pad Go 2 Review
Hisan Kidwai
Summary
At INR 23,999, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a tablet that’s really hard to fault. That’s because, despite the price, you get a big, crisp, and beautiful display that supports HDR, speakers that can fill a party room, performance that can handle any task, stylus support, helpful AI features, and insane battery life. Honestly, the Pad Go 2 is one of, if not the best, mid-range tablet I’ve ever tested
Design & Hardware
Compared to smartphones, expectations for tablet design differ. Most people don’t want flashy or gimmicky designs that hinder the practicality of using a device for both work and multimedia consumption. If you’re in this camp, then the OnePlus Pad Go 2 would feel right at home. It doesn’t do anything new, but sticks with the basics that work. The tablet is made of aluminium, which not only adds durability but also gives the finish a premium feel. There’s a single camera cutout at the back that doesn’t protrude much, so working with the device lying down is possible. The sides are flat, which adds a bit more grip, and also makes the 6.28mm thickness feel almost nothing.
The Pad Go 2 comes in two finishes: understated black or lavish lavender. Both colors carry the same storage, but if you want 5G connectivity, it’s only available in the black version. The weight for both models is pretty respectable, hovering around 599g. I had no issues carrying the tablet every day in a backpack or holding it just above my face to watch content. The only gripe with the design is the number of fingerprints it picks up, which made taking review photos quite a challenge.
Beyond that, there’s no fingerprint scanner for unlocking. Instead, the Go 2 uses facial recognition, which isn’t as safe but works every time. While I did not drop the tablet by accident or on purpose, it should handle minor scuffs just fine thanks to its construction. Also, there’s no IP rating, so please keep the device away from any liquids. OnePlus sells a folio case for the tablet, which does a really good job of protecting the device from the elements.
Pen Support
For all my drawing friends out there, the Pad Go 2 has stylus support. Specifically, the tablet supports the new Pad Go 2 Stylo, which offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. The stylus lasts for 20 hours on a single charge, and can be recharged in under 25 minutes using the Type-C port. Unfortunately, I’m no artist, but in my experience, it worked really well for taking notes and had decent palm rejection. Beyond that, OnePlus has also bundled features to make the writing experience even better. There’s handwriting recognition, which, as the name suggests, analyzes your handwriting and converts it into digital text. In practice, it’s honestly magic because it understands my handwriting, which sometimes even I struggle with.
Display & Speakers
If all you need is one reason to choose the OnePlus Pad Go 2 over the base model iPad, it’s the display. OnePlus has nailed it out of the park with a 12.1-inch 2.8K (2800×1980) IPS display that runs at 120Hz. The panel also supports Dolby Vision and has a peak brightness of 900 nits. Honestly, displays, especially at this price, won’t get any better. The picture quality is exceptional, with crisp details, really aesthetic colors, and HDR performance that tackles the very best of premium laptops. I had heaps of fun watching The Studio on the Pad Go 2.
It’s not just about content, though, as the panel covers 98% of the DCI-P3 color space, making it plenty accurate for some Photoshop work as well. OnePlus’ 7:5 is something that I loved more than I thought, simply because it makes for a more productive environment for scrolling the web or editing documents. Beyond that, there’s TÜV Rheinland Smart Care 4.0 that promises to reduce eye strain in darker environments, though if you’re like me and doomscroll reels late at night, the certification won’t help much.
If you asked me for two reasons to recommend the OnePlus Pad Go 2, the first would obviously be the screen, and the second would be the speakers. The tablet has four of them in total, and oh boy, they are fantastic. I’ve never heard speakers sound better than the ones on my MacBook, but it finally happened. The four on the Pad Go 2 sound really full, capable of filling the entire room, with really nice bass, accurate highs, and mids. Honestly, if you just want a multimedia device to watch movies on, look no further than this.
Performance & Software
Under the hood, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 7300 Ultra, which features eight cores and the Mali-G615 MP2 GPU. In addition, my review unit came with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage. Keeping the specs out of the way, the everyday performance of the Pad Go 2 has been really good. Apps open in a jiffy, there’s not even a hint of lag when switching between apps, and everything stays in memory. As you may already know, OxygenOS is perhaps my favourite Android skin, simply because it’s just so refined. Every little thing you do has an animation tied to it, which makes using any device a lot more premium. Also, love the animations, which come out beautifully on the large display.
OnePlus has also optimized the software for better multitasking capabilities. Swiping down with two fingers opens split-screen mode, allowing you to take notes while reading a lesson plan. Beyond that, the tablet has all the AI bells and whistles, including an AI writing assistant, AI image editing tools, and an AI speaker that helps you read articles and books. OnePlus also has an App Relay feature, where you can control your OnePlus phone directly from the tablet. I tried it with my Nord 5, and it worked pretty sweet.
To push the Dimensity 7300 to its limits, I also ran a series of benchmarks. In Geekbench, the Pad Go 2 scored 939 in the single-core test and 2345 in the multi-core test. On the other hand, in AnTuTu, the device reached a respectable 1,035,000 points. For the price, these numbers are really good.
Moving things over to gaming, I played a lot of BGMI (PUBG) and Clash Royale during my testing period. In BGMI, the Pad Go 2 delivers a solid 60FPS gameplay at the Smooth and Extreme settings, which is not bad at all. Sure, I’d have wished for some higher frame rates, but it’s not a complaint by any means. For lighter titles like Clash Royale, the experience was pretty amazing.
Battery Life
The OnePlus Pad Go 2 features a 10,050 mAh battery and lasts more than a test cricket match. For context, I primarily used the tablet to consume content and browse the web, and it lasted about 3-4 days before needing a recharge, with screen-on-time up to 15 hours. When it was time to recharge, OnePlus’s 33W SUPERVOOC came to the rescue, fully charging the tablet from 0% in about 2 hours.
Verdict
At INR 23,999, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is a tablet that’s really hard to fault. That’s because, despite the price, you get a big, crisp, and beautiful display that supports HDR, speakers that can fill a party room, performance that can handle any task, stylus support, helpful AI features, and insane battery life. Honestly, the Pad Go 2 is one of, if not the best, mid-range tablet I’ve ever tested, and if you’re in the market for such a device, it’s hard to ignore.
Rockstar Games has confirmed several new combat features for GTA 6, making the game’s weapon system more detailed than ever before. Official trailers and promotional material have already revealed more than 30 weapons across different categories, including pistols, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, launchers, melee weapons, and throwables. This guide covers all the GTA 6 weapons revealed so far and highlights the new gameplay features that make combat more immersive.
GTA 6 Handguns List
Image Credit: Rockstar Games
Handguns play an important role in GTA 6, offering a balance of speed, accuracy, and convenience. Rockstar has already showcased multiple sidearms through official trailers and screenshots, including both pistols and revolvers. Here’s a complete list of the confirmed handguns in GTA 6.
GTA 6 includes powerful shotguns for close-quarters combat. These weapons are useful during indoor fights and high-action missions. Rockstar has already showcased two shotguns in official trailers and screenshots. Below are the confirmed shotgun weapons in GTA 6.
Assault rifles are among the most versatile weapons in GTA 6. They perform well in both close- and long-range combat. Rockstar has confirmed several rifles through trailers and screenshots. Here’s every confirmed assault rifle in the game.
GTA 6 includes several SMGs and machine guns for intense firefights. These weapons are useful during missions, chases, and vehicle combat. Rockstar has already showcased multiple models in official trailers and screenshots. Below are all the confirmed weapons.
SMG / Machine Gun
Real-World Inspiration
Notable Customization
Heckler & Koch SMG (MP5)
HK MP5
Scope, suppressor, foregrip
Compact SMG
Scorpion Mini SMG
Suppressor, extended magazine
Micro SMG
Mini Uzi
Drum magazine, weapon skins
Combat MG (Heavy MG)
M249 SAW
Box magazine, optics, barrel upgrades
GTA 6 Sniper Rifles List
Players who prefer long-range combat will find several sniper rifles in GTA 6. These weapons are designed for precision and serious damage. Official gameplay footage has showcased multiple sniper rifle models. Here’s every confirmed sniper rifle revealed so far.
Sniper Rifle
Real-World Inspiration
Notable Customization
Bolt Action Sniper
Remington 700
Heavy barrel, bipod, camouflage skins
Assault Sniper (L129A1)
L129A1
Variable zoom scope, suppressor
Ruger-inspired Rifle
Ruger 10/22
Lightweight attachments
GTA 6 Launchers List
Launchers deliver the most serious explosive damage in GTA 6. They are the best choice for destroying vehicles and heavily armored targets. Players can also use them during large-scale combat. Below are all the confirmed launchers in GTA 6.
Launcher
Real-World Inspiration
Notable Customization
Grenade Launcher
Milkor MGL
Alternative ammunition types
RPG (Rocket Launcher)
RPG-7
Cosmetic finishes
GTA 6 Throwable Weapons List
Not every combat situation requires a gun in GTA 6. Throwables give players another way to attack enemies or create an opening. Each weapon has its own strengths and uses. Below are all the confirmed throwable weapons in GTA 6.
Thrown Weapon
Primary Use
Fire Bottle
Fire damage
Flashbang
Crowd control
Golf Ball
Improvised weapon
Grenade
Explosive damage
Molotov
Area denial
Smoke Grenade
Smoke cover
Speargun
Underwater combat
GTA 6 Melee Weapons List
Melee weapons remain an important part of combat in GTA 6. They offer a quiet and reliable way to deal with nearby enemies. Different weapons suit different combat styles. Here’s every confirmed melee weapon revealed so far.
Baseball Bat
Crowbar
Golf Club
Hammer
Knife
Pool Cue
Fists (Unarmed)
GTA 6 Equipment and Utility Item List
GTA 6 includes more than just guns and melee weapons. Players can use different equipment to complete missions in creative ways. These items add more flexibility to gameplay. Here’s the complete list of confirmed equipment.
Rockstar Games has confirmed several new combat features for GTA 6, making the game’s weapon system more detailed than ever before. Official trailers and promotional material have already revealed more than 30 weapons across different categories, including pistols, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, launchers, melee weapons, and throwables. This guide covers all the GTA 6 weapons revealed so far and highlights the new gameplay features that make combat more immersive.
GTA 6 Handguns List
Image Credit: Rockstar Games
Handguns play an important role in GTA 6, offering a balance of speed, accuracy, and convenience. Rockstar has already showcased multiple sidearms through official trailers and screenshots, including both pistols and revolvers. Here’s a complete list of the confirmed handguns in GTA 6.
GTA 6 includes powerful shotguns for close-quarters combat. These weapons are useful during indoor fights and high-action missions. Rockstar has already showcased two shotguns in official trailers and screenshots. Below are the confirmed shotgun weapons in GTA 6.
Assault rifles are among the most versatile weapons in GTA 6. They perform well in both close- and long-range combat. Rockstar has confirmed several rifles through trailers and screenshots. Here’s every confirmed assault rifle in the game.
GTA 6 includes several SMGs and machine guns for intense firefights. These weapons are useful during missions, chases, and vehicle combat. Rockstar has already showcased multiple models in official trailers and screenshots. Below are all the confirmed weapons.
SMG / Machine Gun
Real-World Inspiration
Notable Customization
Heckler & Koch SMG (MP5)
HK MP5
Scope, suppressor, foregrip
Compact SMG
Scorpion Mini SMG
Suppressor, extended magazine
Micro SMG
Mini Uzi
Drum magazine, weapon skins
Combat MG (Heavy MG)
M249 SAW
Box magazine, optics, barrel upgrades
GTA 6 Sniper Rifles List
Players who prefer long-range combat will find several sniper rifles in GTA 6. These weapons are designed for precision and serious damage. Official gameplay footage has showcased multiple sniper rifle models. Here’s every confirmed sniper rifle revealed so far.
Sniper Rifle
Real-World Inspiration
Notable Customization
Bolt Action Sniper
Remington 700
Heavy barrel, bipod, camouflage skins
Assault Sniper (L129A1)
L129A1
Variable zoom scope, suppressor
Ruger-inspired Rifle
Ruger 10/22
Lightweight attachments
GTA 6 Launchers List
Launchers deliver the most serious explosive damage in GTA 6. They are the best choice for destroying vehicles and heavily armored targets. Players can also use them during large-scale combat. Below are all the confirmed launchers in GTA 6.
Launcher
Real-World Inspiration
Notable Customization
Grenade Launcher
Milkor MGL
Alternative ammunition types
RPG (Rocket Launcher)
RPG-7
Cosmetic finishes
GTA 6 Throwable Weapons List
Not every combat situation requires a gun in GTA 6. Throwables give players another way to attack enemies or create an opening. Each weapon has its own strengths and uses. Below are all the confirmed throwable weapons in GTA 6.
Thrown Weapon
Primary Use
Fire Bottle
Fire damage
Flashbang
Crowd control
Golf Ball
Improvised weapon
Grenade
Explosive damage
Molotov
Area denial
Smoke Grenade
Smoke cover
Speargun
Underwater combat
GTA 6 Melee Weapons List
Melee weapons remain an important part of combat in GTA 6. They offer a quiet and reliable way to deal with nearby enemies. Different weapons suit different combat styles. Here’s every confirmed melee weapon revealed so far.
Baseball Bat
Crowbar
Golf Club
Hammer
Knife
Pool Cue
Fists (Unarmed)
GTA 6 Equipment and Utility Item List
GTA 6 includes more than just guns and melee weapons. Players can use different equipment to complete missions in creative ways. These items add more flexibility to gameplay. Here’s the complete list of confirmed equipment.
Auto Dialer
Backpack
Binoculars
Body Armor
Cigarettes
Cut-off Tool
Flashlight
Food & Drinks
Immobilizer Bypass
Lock Pick
Loot Bag / Duffel Bag
Painkillers
Slim Jim
Soda
Taser
Torch Flashlight
Tracker Jammer
Trauma Kit
USB Drive
Wine
Zipties
#GTA #Weapons #Guide #Guns #Weapons #RevealedGTA 6">GTA 6 Weapons Guide: All Guns and Weapons Revealed
Rockstar Games has confirmed several new combat features for GTA 6, making the game’s weapon system more detailed than ever before. Official trailers and promotional material have already revealed more than 30 weapons across different categories, including pistols, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, launchers, melee weapons, and throwables. This guide covers all the GTA 6 weapons revealed so far and highlights the new gameplay features that make combat more immersive.
GTA 6 Handguns List
Image Credit: Rockstar Games
Handguns play an important role in GTA 6, offering a balance of speed, accuracy, and convenience. Rockstar has already showcased multiple sidearms through official trailers and screenshots, including both pistols and revolvers. Here’s a complete list of the confirmed handguns in GTA 6.
GTA 6 includes powerful shotguns for close-quarters combat. These weapons are useful during indoor fights and high-action missions. Rockstar has already showcased two shotguns in official trailers and screenshots. Below are the confirmed shotgun weapons in GTA 6.
Assault rifles are among the most versatile weapons in GTA 6. They perform well in both close- and long-range combat. Rockstar has confirmed several rifles through trailers and screenshots. Here’s every confirmed assault rifle in the game.
GTA 6 includes several SMGs and machine guns for intense firefights. These weapons are useful during missions, chases, and vehicle combat. Rockstar has already showcased multiple models in official trailers and screenshots. Below are all the confirmed weapons.
SMG / Machine Gun
Real-World Inspiration
Notable Customization
Heckler & Koch SMG (MP5)
HK MP5
Scope, suppressor, foregrip
Compact SMG
Scorpion Mini SMG
Suppressor, extended magazine
Micro SMG
Mini Uzi
Drum magazine, weapon skins
Combat MG (Heavy MG)
M249 SAW
Box magazine, optics, barrel upgrades
GTA 6 Sniper Rifles List
Players who prefer long-range combat will find several sniper rifles in GTA 6. These weapons are designed for precision and serious damage. Official gameplay footage has showcased multiple sniper rifle models. Here’s every confirmed sniper rifle revealed so far.
Sniper Rifle
Real-World Inspiration
Notable Customization
Bolt Action Sniper
Remington 700
Heavy barrel, bipod, camouflage skins
Assault Sniper (L129A1)
L129A1
Variable zoom scope, suppressor
Ruger-inspired Rifle
Ruger 10/22
Lightweight attachments
GTA 6 Launchers List
Launchers deliver the most serious explosive damage in GTA 6. They are the best choice for destroying vehicles and heavily armored targets. Players can also use them during large-scale combat. Below are all the confirmed launchers in GTA 6.
Launcher
Real-World Inspiration
Notable Customization
Grenade Launcher
Milkor MGL
Alternative ammunition types
RPG (Rocket Launcher)
RPG-7
Cosmetic finishes
GTA 6 Throwable Weapons List
Not every combat situation requires a gun in GTA 6. Throwables give players another way to attack enemies or create an opening. Each weapon has its own strengths and uses. Below are all the confirmed throwable weapons in GTA 6.
Thrown Weapon
Primary Use
Fire Bottle
Fire damage
Flashbang
Crowd control
Golf Ball
Improvised weapon
Grenade
Explosive damage
Molotov
Area denial
Smoke Grenade
Smoke cover
Speargun
Underwater combat
GTA 6 Melee Weapons List
Melee weapons remain an important part of combat in GTA 6. They offer a quiet and reliable way to deal with nearby enemies. Different weapons suit different combat styles. Here’s every confirmed melee weapon revealed so far.
Baseball Bat
Crowbar
Golf Club
Hammer
Knife
Pool Cue
Fists (Unarmed)
GTA 6 Equipment and Utility Item List
GTA 6 includes more than just guns and melee weapons. Players can use different equipment to complete missions in creative ways. These items add more flexibility to gameplay. Here’s the complete list of confirmed equipment.
Beef jerky can be a delicious treat. But a recent report illustrates why you should be cautious about biting into a piece of homemade jerky made from wild bear meat—it just might be teeming with parasitic worms.
Last week, federal and local health officials in North Carolina detailed an unusual outbreak of Trichinella roundworms in 2024 traced back to undercooked jerky from the same infected bear. At least three people were likely sickened by the cursed jerky, one of whom ended up hospitalized with severe illness. Though such cases are rare, they can be entirely prevented by cooking bear and other game meat to the recommended internal temperature, the authors say.
“Low-cost safety measures and prevention efforts regarding safe wild game preparation are needed to avoid future outbreaks,” they wrote in their paper, published June 24 in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
A bear of a time
The outbreak was first detected in November 2024 by a clinician who treated the hospitalized patient and notified health officials. The Graham County Health Department and North Carolina Division of Public Health then conducted an investigation.
The patient had killed a bear at the start of the hunting season in October. The person froze half of the meat as various cuts and prepared the rest into jerky; they then shared the jerky with five other people.
By the time officials began probing, no jerky was left, but four remaining pieces of the frozen bear meat were sent off for testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; all the meat subsequently came back positive for Trichinella larvae. It’s likely the person’s jerky preparation, which only involved a marinade and drying, did not heat the meat sufficiently to kill off the worms nestled inside.
Of the six people who ate the jerky, three developed symptoms characteristic of Trichinellainfection. The hospitalized patient developed severe symptoms, including muscle weakness, swelling around the eyes, and eosinophilia (a high level of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell). The hospitalized case eventually tested positive for antibodies to the infection, but the other two cases declined testing because they lacked health insurance and balked at the out-of-pocket costs for such a test (roughly $200). All three were given a standard deworming medication and made a full recovery.
A growing trend?
Trichinellosis used to be commonly caused by undercooked pork but is now very rare in the U.S. due to better food safety. Most cases these days are instead tied to infected game meat, including bears. According to the CDC, only about 15 cases on average are reported annually.
Still, there are some signs this disease could become more common in some places like North Carolina. In November 2023, 10 people were likely infected by eating the undercooked meat of a wild bear hunted in western North Carolina; it was the first major outbreak recorded in the state since 1991, with only three isolated cases reported during that same time period.
Officials weren’t able to test the meat implicated in the 2023 outbreak and identify the specific species that caused it. This time around, testing identified a species known as Trichinella spiralis. That’s a potentially worrying discovery, the report authors note, since T. spiralis is rarely ever found in bears. So it’s possible that infection patterns might be changing among the wildlife in North Carolina and elsewhere.
“Wildlife disease surveillance is needed to update our knowledge of Trichinella prevalence, host affinities, and associated public health risks,” the researchers wrote.
That said, human trichinellosis is easily preventable with some proactive measures. However it’s prepared, officials say, game meat should always be cooked to an internal temperature above 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) to ensure all larvae are killed off. Freezing meat prior to making it into jerky might help as well, though some Trichinella species are known to be freeze-resistant. Other safe food handling practices, like keeping raw or undercooked meat away from other foods, can also prevent cross-contamination.
Beef jerky can be a delicious treat. But a recent report illustrates why you should be cautious about biting into a piece of homemade jerky made from wild bear meat—it just might be teeming with parasitic worms.
Last week, federal and local health officials in North Carolina detailed an unusual outbreak of Trichinella roundworms in 2024 traced back to undercooked jerky from the same infected bear. At least three people were likely sickened by the cursed jerky, one of whom ended up hospitalized with severe illness. Though such cases are rare, they can be entirely prevented by cooking bear and other game meat to the recommended internal temperature, the authors say.
“Low-cost safety measures and prevention efforts regarding safe wild game preparation are needed to avoid future outbreaks,” they wrote in their paper, published June 24 in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
A bear of a time
The outbreak was first detected in November 2024 by a clinician who treated the hospitalized patient and notified health officials. The Graham County Health Department and North Carolina Division of Public Health then conducted an investigation.
The patient had killed a bear at the start of the hunting season in October. The person froze half of the meat as various cuts and prepared the rest into jerky; they then shared the jerky with five other people.
By the time officials began probing, no jerky was left, but four remaining pieces of the frozen bear meat were sent off for testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; all the meat subsequently came back positive for Trichinella larvae. It’s likely the person’s jerky preparation, which only involved a marinade and drying, did not heat the meat sufficiently to kill off the worms nestled inside.
Of the six people who ate the jerky, three developed symptoms characteristic of Trichinellainfection. The hospitalized patient developed severe symptoms, including muscle weakness, swelling around the eyes, and eosinophilia (a high level of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell). The hospitalized case eventually tested positive for antibodies to the infection, but the other two cases declined testing because they lacked health insurance and balked at the out-of-pocket costs for such a test (roughly $200). All three were given a standard deworming medication and made a full recovery.
A growing trend?
Trichinellosis used to be commonly caused by undercooked pork but is now very rare in the U.S. due to better food safety. Most cases these days are instead tied to infected game meat, including bears. According to the CDC, only about 15 cases on average are reported annually.
Still, there are some signs this disease could become more common in some places like North Carolina. In November 2023, 10 people were likely infected by eating the undercooked meat of a wild bear hunted in western North Carolina; it was the first major outbreak recorded in the state since 1991, with only three isolated cases reported during that same time period.
Officials weren’t able to test the meat implicated in the 2023 outbreak and identify the specific species that caused it. This time around, testing identified a species known as Trichinella spiralis. That’s a potentially worrying discovery, the report authors note, since T. spiralis is rarely ever found in bears. So it’s possible that infection patterns might be changing among the wildlife in North Carolina and elsewhere.
“Wildlife disease surveillance is needed to update our knowledge of Trichinella prevalence, host affinities, and associated public health risks,” the researchers wrote.
That said, human trichinellosis is easily preventable with some proactive measures. However it’s prepared, officials say, game meat should always be cooked to an internal temperature above 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) to ensure all larvae are killed off. Freezing meat prior to making it into jerky might help as well, though some Trichinella species are known to be freeze-resistant. Other safe food handling practices, like keeping raw or undercooked meat away from other foods, can also prevent cross-contamination.
#Tainted #Beef #Jerky #Caused #Outbreak #Bear #Wormsbears,foodborne illnesses,Parasites,Weird medicine">Tainted Beef Jerky Caused an Outbreak of Bear Worms
Beef jerky can be a delicious treat. But a recent report illustrates why you should be cautious about biting into a piece of homemade jerky made from wild bear meat—it just might be teeming with parasitic worms.
Last week, federal and local health officials in North Carolina detailed an unusual outbreak of Trichinella roundworms in 2024 traced back to undercooked jerky from the same infected bear. At least three people were likely sickened by the cursed jerky, one of whom ended up hospitalized with severe illness. Though such cases are rare, they can be entirely prevented by cooking bear and other game meat to the recommended internal temperature, the authors say.
“Low-cost safety measures and prevention efforts regarding safe wild game preparation are needed to avoid future outbreaks,” they wrote in their paper, published June 24 in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
A bear of a time
The outbreak was first detected in November 2024 by a clinician who treated the hospitalized patient and notified health officials. The Graham County Health Department and North Carolina Division of Public Health then conducted an investigation.
The patient had killed a bear at the start of the hunting season in October. The person froze half of the meat as various cuts and prepared the rest into jerky; they then shared the jerky with five other people.
By the time officials began probing, no jerky was left, but four remaining pieces of the frozen bear meat were sent off for testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; all the meat subsequently came back positive for Trichinella larvae. It’s likely the person’s jerky preparation, which only involved a marinade and drying, did not heat the meat sufficiently to kill off the worms nestled inside.
Of the six people who ate the jerky, three developed symptoms characteristic of Trichinellainfection. The hospitalized patient developed severe symptoms, including muscle weakness, swelling around the eyes, and eosinophilia (a high level of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell). The hospitalized case eventually tested positive for antibodies to the infection, but the other two cases declined testing because they lacked health insurance and balked at the out-of-pocket costs for such a test (roughly $200). All three were given a standard deworming medication and made a full recovery.
A growing trend?
Trichinellosis used to be commonly caused by undercooked pork but is now very rare in the U.S. due to better food safety. Most cases these days are instead tied to infected game meat, including bears. According to the CDC, only about 15 cases on average are reported annually.
Still, there are some signs this disease could become more common in some places like North Carolina. In November 2023, 10 people were likely infected by eating the undercooked meat of a wild bear hunted in western North Carolina; it was the first major outbreak recorded in the state since 1991, with only three isolated cases reported during that same time period.
Officials weren’t able to test the meat implicated in the 2023 outbreak and identify the specific species that caused it. This time around, testing identified a species known as Trichinella spiralis. That’s a potentially worrying discovery, the report authors note, since T. spiralis is rarely ever found in bears. So it’s possible that infection patterns might be changing among the wildlife in North Carolina and elsewhere.
“Wildlife disease surveillance is needed to update our knowledge of Trichinella prevalence, host affinities, and associated public health risks,” the researchers wrote.
That said, human trichinellosis is easily preventable with some proactive measures. However it’s prepared, officials say, game meat should always be cooked to an internal temperature above 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) to ensure all larvae are killed off. Freezing meat prior to making it into jerky might help as well, though some Trichinella species are known to be freeze-resistant. Other safe food handling practices, like keeping raw or undercooked meat away from other foods, can also prevent cross-contamination.
#Tainted #Beef #Jerky #Caused #Outbreak #Bear #Wormsbears,foodborne illnesses,Parasites,Weird medicine
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
GreenPan
Frost Slushie Machine
The slushie machine from Belgian-founded 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. This is nowhere near as fast as the XL or the Twist on slushing speeds, alas. The fill chamber is a little shallow, which means you have to pour slowly or you’ll make a mess. If you accidentally leave the handle down, you’ll also make a mess. Some reports online of cracks in the cylinder over use are also reason for pause. But if aesthetics are a prime consideration, this will slush handily. And look a little better while doing it.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
The original Ninja Slushi was quite simply a triumph of industrial design when it arrived in 2024—the machine that managed to bring the cocktail bar or convenience-store slushie to the home kitchen countertop. Among many imitators, Ninja’s original design remained the most user-friendly and reliable until the next-generation Ninjas supplanted it.
I’ve made coconut-lime daiquiris for a family of visiting Brazilians, who joked that they planned to take the machine back with them on the airplane. I’ve entertained a party full of children with the nonalcoholic version of slushie. And I’ve made silly frozen cocktails at home, whether lime Jarritos slushies or tamarind michelada slushies. Everything frozen is better, it turns out. Freezing a cocktail adds fun and removes shame.
But it’s been replaced. I consider the original Slushi a good value model, but it’s no longer the top of the market. The original Slushi doesn’t slush as well on higher-alcohol slushies as the newer XL and Twist, even for ABV below 16 percent. (Really, with an OG Ninja Slushi, the sweet spot is around 10 to 12 percent ABV if you want good consistency.) Milkshakes/soft-serve are not really feasible on the original Ninja either, always either foamy or ice-gritty.
Which is all to say, buy the Slushi when it’s on a good sale at $250 or less—or when it’s updated with a compressor as good as the one on the XL or Twist.
Other Slushie Machines Tested
Ever since Ninja took slushies to the home market, the Amazon directories have filled with newer brands you’ve likely never heard of and whose names sometimes seem subject to a randomizer engine: Inoviva, Chivalz, Vibofrost, Friwest, Aekda, Syintao, Vischic, Ranvaira, Rinvotio, and the list goes on. Most are available at discounts compared to Ninja or other more recognizable brands.
I’ve tested three such brands: Chivalz, Invoviva, and Vibofrost. All three have had one form of reliability issue or another: basic design defects, inconsistency of performance, or simply disappearing from the market.
Chivalz Slushie Machine (no longer in stock): This was previously WIRED’s budget pick, which my co-tester Kat Merck called, without insult, “a quite respectable Ninja Slushi knockoff.” The device arrived with a welcome digital temp readout and a removable back panel that made cleaning easier on the slush chamber. Performance was comparable to the original Ninja, though the user interface was a bit janky. But since last year, the brand’s slushie machines seem to have disappeared, as the brand’s focus moved to air purifiers and humidifiers.
Vibofrost Slushie Machine ($235, sold out after Prime Day): This Vibofrost, like the Chivalz, freezes slushies comparably to the original Ninja Slushi. And like the Chivalz, it has a somewhat irritating child-lock feature, and a timed feature that seems of limited utility. Though it will slush within around 20 to 30 minutes, the oddly designed spout can spray wildly if there’s any liquid in the machine, the drip tray does not attach securely, and it kinda moans like a dying tauntaun while in operation.
Inoviva Slushie Machine for $120: I tested this Inoviva slushie machine twice. The first time, the device registered much louder than competitors, the drip tray arrived stuck to the machine, and the compressor began to fail after a week’s testing. The second time, it was still loud, and the user interface had a difficult-to-navigate locking feature, but freezing was indeed more consistent. The inconsistency in quality control makes this device difficult to recommend. But maybe you’re willing to brave this for a steeply discounted price. The Inoviva also has one terrific feature: The ability to adjust thickness for each drink setting.
My co-tester Kat Merck (on the now-discontinued Chivalz) and I made so very many slushies with each machine, from dairy to nondairy to coffee slushies to straight-up bottles of wine. Specifically, we tested every version of slush that a machine advertised. If Ninja or GreenPan says a machine can make frappés and milkshakes and frozen juices, we made frappés and milkshakes and frozen juices, tinkering where necessary. I froze orange juice and strawberry juice, slushed a bouquet’s worth of rosé, and made slushies from daiquiri to margarita to whiskey Coke. I slushed tamarind micheladas (an excellent idea) and Twisted Tea (a terrible idea).
Photograph: Kat Merck
I also raced the freezing capabilities of all three machines by pouring a 16-ounce can of delicious Mango Mike’s Harder Lemonade in each, then seeing which machine was fastest. (For the XL, I used a 24-ounce can.) And I made smooth and dense coconut-lime daiquiris with coconut milk, according to Ninja’s recipe, to test how well each machine’s dispenser handled a genuine dense-textured challenge.
How Do Home Slushie Machines Work?
The tech is pretty simple, almost ingeniously so: A beefy cylindrical freezing core in the center of the drink chamber continually cools any liquid in contact with it. It’s encircled by a plastic spiral auger attached to a motor. The auger mixes the drink, keeps it slushing instead of freezing solid, and also pushes the resulting slush toward the dispenser nozzle so you can have some. The resolute simplicity of this design allowed Ninja and others to scale down the commercial slushie maker for home consumers thirsty for frozen treats.
The main requirement is that the frozen beverage have more than 4 percent sugar—or between 3 percent and 16 percent alcohol—in order to lower the freezing point of the resulting concoction and make slushing possible. Some slushie machine vendors recommend percentages more like 15 percent sugar, for perfect consistency. But I often balk at this. Coca-Cola and orange juice are each around 11 percent sugar—so that’s very sweet. Some hero of the internet has made a slush calculator for easy reference.
A minimum of 16 ounces of liquid is required for most 88-ounce home machines, for simple reasons: The liquid needs to be in physical contact with the core in order to slush up and also to keep ice from forming on the central cylinder’s surface. The Slushi XL requires a 24-ounce minimum, because it’s bigger.
Can You Put Diet Soda in a Slushie Machine?
No and yes. Slushies rely on a helpful property of water: Sugar (or salt) dissolved in water lowers its freezing point below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Why? Solubles like sugar are chaos agents. Sugar molecules move randomly, refuse to dissolve into ice, and interfere with water’s ability to form hydrogen bonds and turn crystalline. Some water molecules freeze, but sugar water doesn’t. Tada! Slush.
If you try to make a slushie out of sugar-free soda, or sugar-free anything, ice crystals will instead form easily. The stainless steel freezing core will ice over and scrape on the auger, and ice cubes or hunks will gather mass in the slushie machine. The cylinder will start to shake, then the machine will clunk, then eventually you’ll probably break your machine: Low-sugar fail-safes on these devices have not been overly reliable, alas. So don’t try this at home!
This doesn’t mean you’re doomed to massive calories if you want to make a slushie. Not every artificial sweetener lowers the freezing point appropriately, but the one that Ninja recommends for diet slushies is allulose, a rare but naturally occurring sugar that’s 70 percent as sweet as basic sugar but is not metabolized effectively by the human digestive system. This means it’s low in calories and doesn’t cause insulin spikes—but as with a lot of indigestibles, note that side effects can include bloating or GI distress for some.
For easiest use in a slushie, buy liquid allulose. Powdered versions also exist, but to use them, you’ll need to make a simple syrup by heating up the powder in water to help it dissolve, then let it cool. If you just try to drop the allulose powder into your machine with some Diet Coke, it might not dissolve, and you might still get ice formation. Or at least, I definitely still got ice formation when I tried this on the OG Ninja, and had to stop my machine.
How Can You Stop Milkshakes From Getting Foamy in a Slushie Machine?
Bet you didn’t expect a lesson in milk proteins today! But here’s the deal: Milk proteins start to separate when agitated. Churning milk is, in fact, how butter gets made. Proteins separate out, and you get butter on the one side and buttermilk on the other. Both are delicious, but neither is wanted in a milkshake.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
If you try to make a milkshake in a churning slushie machine using just milk, you’ll eventually start to see the effects of these milk proteins separating out from buttermilk—which will manifest first as an undesirable foaminess. To avoid this, Ninja recommends also adding heavy cream or half-and-half to any milkshake recipe. The higher fat content will keep things smoother.
Note it’s easiest to use fruit syrups, rather than just juice, and add vanillin, or it’ll be a bit boring: The heavy fat tends to overwhelm any subtle fruit flavors. Another deep secret of the tasty milkshake? Salt. Add a tiiiinny pinch; it’ll help bring out flavor. A 16-ounce McDonald’s milkshake has 260 milligrams of sodium—about 1/16th of a teaspoon of table salt, or approximately the amount that fits between your index finger and your thumb.
But temper your expectations here. None of the slushie machines we tested made a texture comparable to a classic milkshake. On most machines, which don’t have compressors as powerful as the new-model Ninjas that are now our top picks, the texture is often a little ice-gritty and not as richly textured or integrated as the milkshake you’ll get from your local burger joint, let alone the soft serve from the famously broken ice cream machines at McDonald’s. Slushie machines also can’t handle chunks of frozen fruit, often the best part of a milkshake.
On the newer Ninjas, with their more powerful freezing power, I was able to get the smoothness and freeze I wanted. But because most recipes call for a high-fat mix of 2:1 milk and heavy cream in order ot avoid churning foam and butter, the results still weren’t quite a light milkshake. It was more like a dense, rich, quite tasty soft serve.
Now, do I like being able to make 20-minute soft-serve in my home? From milk and heavy cream and sugar and a dash of vanilla? Heck yes, I do.
#Ninja #Quietly #Drastically #Improved #Slushie #Machineskitchen,shopping,household,food and drink,amazon">
The slushie machine from Belgian-founded 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. This is nowhere near as fast as the XL or the Twist on slushing speeds, alas. The fill chamber is a little shallow, which means you have to pour slowly or you’ll make a mess. If you accidentally leave the handle down, you’ll also make a mess. Some reports online of cracks in the cylinder over use are also reason for pause. But if aesthetics are a prime consideration, this will slush handily. And look a little better while doing it.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
The original Ninja Slushi was quite simply a triumph of industrial design when it arrived in 2024—the machine that managed to bring the cocktail bar or convenience-store slushie to the home kitchen countertop. Among many imitators, Ninja’s original design remained the most user-friendly and reliable until the next-generation Ninjas supplanted it.
I’ve made coconut-lime daiquiris for a family of visiting Brazilians, who joked that they planned to take the machine back with them on the airplane. I’ve entertained a party full of children with the nonalcoholic version of slushie. And I’ve made silly frozen cocktails at home, whether lime Jarritos slushies or tamarind michelada slushies. Everything frozen is better, it turns out. Freezing a cocktail adds fun and removes shame.
But it’s been replaced. I consider the original Slushi a good value model, but it’s no longer the top of the market. The original Slushi doesn’t slush as well on higher-alcohol slushies as the newer XL and Twist, even for ABV below 16 percent. (Really, with an OG Ninja Slushi, the sweet spot is around 10 to 12 percent ABV if you want good consistency.) Milkshakes/soft-serve are not really feasible on the original Ninja either, always either foamy or ice-gritty.
Which is all to say, buy the Slushi when it’s on a good sale at $250 or less—or when it’s updated with a compressor as good as the one on the XL or Twist.
Other Slushie Machines Tested
Ever since Ninja took slushies to the home market, the Amazon directories have filled with newer brands you’ve likely never heard of and whose names sometimes seem subject to a randomizer engine: Inoviva, Chivalz, Vibofrost, Friwest, Aekda, Syintao, Vischic, Ranvaira, Rinvotio, and the list goes on. Most are available at discounts compared to Ninja or other more recognizable brands.
I’ve tested three such brands: Chivalz, Invoviva, and Vibofrost. All three have had one form of reliability issue or another: basic design defects, inconsistency of performance, or simply disappearing from the market.
Chivalz Slushie Machine (no longer in stock): This was previously WIRED’s budget pick, which my co-tester Kat Merck called, without insult, “a quite respectable Ninja Slushi knockoff.” The device arrived with a welcome digital temp readout and a removable back panel that made cleaning easier on the slush chamber. Performance was comparable to the original Ninja, though the user interface was a bit janky. But since last year, the brand’s slushie machines seem to have disappeared, as the brand’s focus moved to air purifiers and humidifiers.
Vibofrost Slushie Machine ($235, sold out after Prime Day): This Vibofrost, like the Chivalz, freezes slushies comparably to the original Ninja Slushi. And like the Chivalz, it has a somewhat irritating child-lock feature, and a timed feature that seems of limited utility. Though it will slush within around 20 to 30 minutes, the oddly designed spout can spray wildly if there’s any liquid in the machine, the drip tray does not attach securely, and it kinda moans like a dying tauntaun while in operation.
Inoviva Slushie Machine for $120: I tested this Inoviva slushie machine twice. The first time, the device registered much louder than competitors, the drip tray arrived stuck to the machine, and the compressor began to fail after a week’s testing. The second time, it was still loud, and the user interface had a difficult-to-navigate locking feature, but freezing was indeed more consistent. The inconsistency in quality control makes this device difficult to recommend. But maybe you’re willing to brave this for a steeply discounted price. The Inoviva also has one terrific feature: The ability to adjust thickness for each drink setting.
My co-tester Kat Merck (on the now-discontinued Chivalz) and I made so very many slushies with each machine, from dairy to nondairy to coffee slushies to straight-up bottles of wine. Specifically, we tested every version of slush that a machine advertised. If Ninja or GreenPan says a machine can make frappés and milkshakes and frozen juices, we made frappés and milkshakes and frozen juices, tinkering where necessary. I froze orange juice and strawberry juice, slushed a bouquet’s worth of rosé, and made slushies from daiquiri to margarita to whiskey Coke. I slushed tamarind micheladas (an excellent idea) and Twisted Tea (a terrible idea).
Photograph: Kat Merck
I also raced the freezing capabilities of all three machines by pouring a 16-ounce can of delicious Mango Mike’s Harder Lemonade in each, then seeing which machine was fastest. (For the XL, I used a 24-ounce can.) And I made smooth and dense coconut-lime daiquiris with coconut milk, according to Ninja’s recipe, to test how well each machine’s dispenser handled a genuine dense-textured challenge.
How Do Home Slushie Machines Work?
The tech is pretty simple, almost ingeniously so: A beefy cylindrical freezing core in the center of the drink chamber continually cools any liquid in contact with it. It’s encircled by a plastic spiral auger attached to a motor. The auger mixes the drink, keeps it slushing instead of freezing solid, and also pushes the resulting slush toward the dispenser nozzle so you can have some. The resolute simplicity of this design allowed Ninja and others to scale down the commercial slushie maker for home consumers thirsty for frozen treats.
The main requirement is that the frozen beverage have more than 4 percent sugar—or between 3 percent and 16 percent alcohol—in order to lower the freezing point of the resulting concoction and make slushing possible. Some slushie machine vendors recommend percentages more like 15 percent sugar, for perfect consistency. But I often balk at this. Coca-Cola and orange juice are each around 11 percent sugar—so that’s very sweet. Some hero of the internet has made a slush calculator for easy reference.
A minimum of 16 ounces of liquid is required for most 88-ounce home machines, for simple reasons: The liquid needs to be in physical contact with the core in order to slush up and also to keep ice from forming on the central cylinder’s surface. The Slushi XL requires a 24-ounce minimum, because it’s bigger.
Can You Put Diet Soda in a Slushie Machine?
No and yes. Slushies rely on a helpful property of water: Sugar (or salt) dissolved in water lowers its freezing point below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Why? Solubles like sugar are chaos agents. Sugar molecules move randomly, refuse to dissolve into ice, and interfere with water’s ability to form hydrogen bonds and turn crystalline. Some water molecules freeze, but sugar water doesn’t. Tada! Slush.
If you try to make a slushie out of sugar-free soda, or sugar-free anything, ice crystals will instead form easily. The stainless steel freezing core will ice over and scrape on the auger, and ice cubes or hunks will gather mass in the slushie machine. The cylinder will start to shake, then the machine will clunk, then eventually you’ll probably break your machine: Low-sugar fail-safes on these devices have not been overly reliable, alas. So don’t try this at home!
This doesn’t mean you’re doomed to massive calories if you want to make a slushie. Not every artificial sweetener lowers the freezing point appropriately, but the one that Ninja recommends for diet slushies is allulose, a rare but naturally occurring sugar that’s 70 percent as sweet as basic sugar but is not metabolized effectively by the human digestive system. This means it’s low in calories and doesn’t cause insulin spikes—but as with a lot of indigestibles, note that side effects can include bloating or GI distress for some.
For easiest use in a slushie, buy liquid allulose. Powdered versions also exist, but to use them, you’ll need to make a simple syrup by heating up the powder in water to help it dissolve, then let it cool. If you just try to drop the allulose powder into your machine with some Diet Coke, it might not dissolve, and you might still get ice formation. Or at least, I definitely still got ice formation when I tried this on the OG Ninja, and had to stop my machine.
How Can You Stop Milkshakes From Getting Foamy in a Slushie Machine?
Bet you didn’t expect a lesson in milk proteins today! But here’s the deal: Milk proteins start to separate when agitated. Churning milk is, in fact, how butter gets made. Proteins separate out, and you get butter on the one side and buttermilk on the other. Both are delicious, but neither is wanted in a milkshake.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
If you try to make a milkshake in a churning slushie machine using just milk, you’ll eventually start to see the effects of these milk proteins separating out from buttermilk—which will manifest first as an undesirable foaminess. To avoid this, Ninja recommends also adding heavy cream or half-and-half to any milkshake recipe. The higher fat content will keep things smoother.
Note it’s easiest to use fruit syrups, rather than just juice, and add vanillin, or it’ll be a bit boring: The heavy fat tends to overwhelm any subtle fruit flavors. Another deep secret of the tasty milkshake? Salt. Add a tiiiinny pinch; it’ll help bring out flavor. A 16-ounce McDonald’s milkshake has 260 milligrams of sodium—about 1/16th of a teaspoon of table salt, or approximately the amount that fits between your index finger and your thumb.
But temper your expectations here. None of the slushie machines we tested made a texture comparable to a classic milkshake. On most machines, which don’t have compressors as powerful as the new-model Ninjas that are now our top picks, the texture is often a little ice-gritty and not as richly textured or integrated as the milkshake you’ll get from your local burger joint, let alone the soft serve from the famously broken ice cream machines at McDonald’s. Slushie machines also can’t handle chunks of frozen fruit, often the best part of a milkshake.
On the newer Ninjas, with their more powerful freezing power, I was able to get the smoothness and freeze I wanted. But because most recipes call for a high-fat mix of 2:1 milk and heavy cream in order ot avoid churning foam and butter, the results still weren’t quite a light milkshake. It was more like a dense, rich, quite tasty soft serve.
Now, do I like being able to make 20-minute soft-serve in my home? From milk and heavy cream and sugar and a dash of vanilla? Heck yes, I do.
#Ninja #Quietly #Drastically #Improved #Slushie #Machineskitchen,shopping,household,food and drink,amazon">Ninja Quietly but Drastically Improved Its Slushie Machines
Other Slushie Machines I Liked
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
GreenPan
Frost Slushie Machine
The slushie machine from Belgian-founded 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. This is nowhere near as fast as the XL or the Twist on slushing speeds, alas. The fill chamber is a little shallow, which means you have to pour slowly or you’ll make a mess. If you accidentally leave the handle down, you’ll also make a mess. Some reports online of cracks in the cylinder over use are also reason for pause. But if aesthetics are a prime consideration, this will slush handily. And look a little better while doing it.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
The original Ninja Slushi was quite simply a triumph of industrial design when it arrived in 2024—the machine that managed to bring the cocktail bar or convenience-store slushie to the home kitchen countertop. Among many imitators, Ninja’s original design remained the most user-friendly and reliable until the next-generation Ninjas supplanted it.
I’ve made coconut-lime daiquiris for a family of visiting Brazilians, who joked that they planned to take the machine back with them on the airplane. I’ve entertained a party full of children with the nonalcoholic version of slushie. And I’ve made silly frozen cocktails at home, whether lime Jarritos slushies or tamarind michelada slushies. Everything frozen is better, it turns out. Freezing a cocktail adds fun and removes shame.
But it’s been replaced. I consider the original Slushi a good value model, but it’s no longer the top of the market. The original Slushi doesn’t slush as well on higher-alcohol slushies as the newer XL and Twist, even for ABV below 16 percent. (Really, with an OG Ninja Slushi, the sweet spot is around 10 to 12 percent ABV if you want good consistency.) Milkshakes/soft-serve are not really feasible on the original Ninja either, always either foamy or ice-gritty.
Which is all to say, buy the Slushi when it’s on a good sale at $250 or less—or when it’s updated with a compressor as good as the one on the XL or Twist.
Other Slushie Machines Tested
Ever since Ninja took slushies to the home market, the Amazon directories have filled with newer brands you’ve likely never heard of and whose names sometimes seem subject to a randomizer engine: Inoviva, Chivalz, Vibofrost, Friwest, Aekda, Syintao, Vischic, Ranvaira, Rinvotio, and the list goes on. Most are available at discounts compared to Ninja or other more recognizable brands.
I’ve tested three such brands: Chivalz, Invoviva, and Vibofrost. All three have had one form of reliability issue or another: basic design defects, inconsistency of performance, or simply disappearing from the market.
Chivalz Slushie Machine (no longer in stock): This was previously WIRED’s budget pick, which my co-tester Kat Merck called, without insult, “a quite respectable Ninja Slushi knockoff.” The device arrived with a welcome digital temp readout and a removable back panel that made cleaning easier on the slush chamber. Performance was comparable to the original Ninja, though the user interface was a bit janky. But since last year, the brand’s slushie machines seem to have disappeared, as the brand’s focus moved to air purifiers and humidifiers.
Vibofrost Slushie Machine ($235, sold out after Prime Day): This Vibofrost, like the Chivalz, freezes slushies comparably to the original Ninja Slushi. And like the Chivalz, it has a somewhat irritating child-lock feature, and a timed feature that seems of limited utility. Though it will slush within around 20 to 30 minutes, the oddly designed spout can spray wildly if there’s any liquid in the machine, the drip tray does not attach securely, and it kinda moans like a dying tauntaun while in operation.
Inoviva Slushie Machine for $120: I tested this Inoviva slushie machine twice. The first time, the device registered much louder than competitors, the drip tray arrived stuck to the machine, and the compressor began to fail after a week’s testing. The second time, it was still loud, and the user interface had a difficult-to-navigate locking feature, but freezing was indeed more consistent. The inconsistency in quality control makes this device difficult to recommend. But maybe you’re willing to brave this for a steeply discounted price. The Inoviva also has one terrific feature: The ability to adjust thickness for each drink setting.
My co-tester Kat Merck (on the now-discontinued Chivalz) and I made so very many slushies with each machine, from dairy to nondairy to coffee slushies to straight-up bottles of wine. Specifically, we tested every version of slush that a machine advertised. If Ninja or GreenPan says a machine can make frappés and milkshakes and frozen juices, we made frappés and milkshakes and frozen juices, tinkering where necessary. I froze orange juice and strawberry juice, slushed a bouquet’s worth of rosé, and made slushies from daiquiri to margarita to whiskey Coke. I slushed tamarind micheladas (an excellent idea) and Twisted Tea (a terrible idea).
Photograph: Kat Merck
I also raced the freezing capabilities of all three machines by pouring a 16-ounce can of delicious Mango Mike’s Harder Lemonade in each, then seeing which machine was fastest. (For the XL, I used a 24-ounce can.) And I made smooth and dense coconut-lime daiquiris with coconut milk, according to Ninja’s recipe, to test how well each machine’s dispenser handled a genuine dense-textured challenge.
How Do Home Slushie Machines Work?
The tech is pretty simple, almost ingeniously so: A beefy cylindrical freezing core in the center of the drink chamber continually cools any liquid in contact with it. It’s encircled by a plastic spiral auger attached to a motor. The auger mixes the drink, keeps it slushing instead of freezing solid, and also pushes the resulting slush toward the dispenser nozzle so you can have some. The resolute simplicity of this design allowed Ninja and others to scale down the commercial slushie maker for home consumers thirsty for frozen treats.
The main requirement is that the frozen beverage have more than 4 percent sugar—or between 3 percent and 16 percent alcohol—in order to lower the freezing point of the resulting concoction and make slushing possible. Some slushie machine vendors recommend percentages more like 15 percent sugar, for perfect consistency. But I often balk at this. Coca-Cola and orange juice are each around 11 percent sugar—so that’s very sweet. Some hero of the internet has made a slush calculator for easy reference.
A minimum of 16 ounces of liquid is required for most 88-ounce home machines, for simple reasons: The liquid needs to be in physical contact with the core in order to slush up and also to keep ice from forming on the central cylinder’s surface. The Slushi XL requires a 24-ounce minimum, because it’s bigger.
Can You Put Diet Soda in a Slushie Machine?
No and yes. Slushies rely on a helpful property of water: Sugar (or salt) dissolved in water lowers its freezing point below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Why? Solubles like sugar are chaos agents. Sugar molecules move randomly, refuse to dissolve into ice, and interfere with water’s ability to form hydrogen bonds and turn crystalline. Some water molecules freeze, but sugar water doesn’t. Tada! Slush.
If you try to make a slushie out of sugar-free soda, or sugar-free anything, ice crystals will instead form easily. The stainless steel freezing core will ice over and scrape on the auger, and ice cubes or hunks will gather mass in the slushie machine. The cylinder will start to shake, then the machine will clunk, then eventually you’ll probably break your machine: Low-sugar fail-safes on these devices have not been overly reliable, alas. So don’t try this at home!
This doesn’t mean you’re doomed to massive calories if you want to make a slushie. Not every artificial sweetener lowers the freezing point appropriately, but the one that Ninja recommends for diet slushies is allulose, a rare but naturally occurring sugar that’s 70 percent as sweet as basic sugar but is not metabolized effectively by the human digestive system. This means it’s low in calories and doesn’t cause insulin spikes—but as with a lot of indigestibles, note that side effects can include bloating or GI distress for some.
For easiest use in a slushie, buy liquid allulose. Powdered versions also exist, but to use them, you’ll need to make a simple syrup by heating up the powder in water to help it dissolve, then let it cool. If you just try to drop the allulose powder into your machine with some Diet Coke, it might not dissolve, and you might still get ice formation. Or at least, I definitely still got ice formation when I tried this on the OG Ninja, and had to stop my machine.
How Can You Stop Milkshakes From Getting Foamy in a Slushie Machine?
Bet you didn’t expect a lesson in milk proteins today! But here’s the deal: Milk proteins start to separate when agitated. Churning milk is, in fact, how butter gets made. Proteins separate out, and you get butter on the one side and buttermilk on the other. Both are delicious, but neither is wanted in a milkshake.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
If you try to make a milkshake in a churning slushie machine using just milk, you’ll eventually start to see the effects of these milk proteins separating out from buttermilk—which will manifest first as an undesirable foaminess. To avoid this, Ninja recommends also adding heavy cream or half-and-half to any milkshake recipe. The higher fat content will keep things smoother.
Note it’s easiest to use fruit syrups, rather than just juice, and add vanillin, or it’ll be a bit boring: The heavy fat tends to overwhelm any subtle fruit flavors. Another deep secret of the tasty milkshake? Salt. Add a tiiiinny pinch; it’ll help bring out flavor. A 16-ounce McDonald’s milkshake has 260 milligrams of sodium—about 1/16th of a teaspoon of table salt, or approximately the amount that fits between your index finger and your thumb.
But temper your expectations here. None of the slushie machines we tested made a texture comparable to a classic milkshake. On most machines, which don’t have compressors as powerful as the new-model Ninjas that are now our top picks, the texture is often a little ice-gritty and not as richly textured or integrated as the milkshake you’ll get from your local burger joint, let alone the soft serve from the famously broken ice cream machines at McDonald’s. Slushie machines also can’t handle chunks of frozen fruit, often the best part of a milkshake.
On the newer Ninjas, with their more powerful freezing power, I was able to get the smoothness and freeze I wanted. But because most recipes call for a high-fat mix of 2:1 milk and heavy cream in order ot avoid churning foam and butter, the results still weren’t quite a light milkshake. It was more like a dense, rich, quite tasty soft serve.
Now, do I like being able to make 20-minute soft-serve in my home? From milk and heavy cream and sugar and a dash of vanilla? Heck yes, I do.
#Ninja #Quietly #Drastically #Improved #Slushie #Machineskitchen,shopping,household,food and drink,amazon
Post Comment