Is the Ninja CREAMi ice cream maker worth it?

Here's the trick, and it's a genuine reversal of how ice cream makers usually work. You don't churn the base while it's liquid. You mix it, pour it into the pint, and freeze it completely solid for a full day, like a block of ice. Then the machine's paddle drops down and shaves through that solid block, layer by layer, at speed, turning it into fine, fluffy shavings that pack back together as soft, dense ice cream. Because the base freezes solid first, there's no ice crystal problem the way there is with churn machines that never fully harden, and that's why the texture ends up closer to gelato than to soft-serve. The seven programs (gelato, sorbet, milkshake, smoothie bowl, mix-in, and so on) just change how long and how aggressively it shaves for that base. The mix-in program folds in your chocolate chips or fruit afterward, evenly, without you stirring by hand. If the first pass comes out a bit powdery, the re-spin function runs it again for a smoother result, no separate setting to hunt for. The pints and paddle go straight in the dishwasher, so cleanup is not the part that talks you out of using it.