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Ninja has a chokehold on the small kitchen appliance category, and for good reason. It’s innovative and delivers quality that consumers trust. Ninja has earned the hype. But it’s not the end-all, be-all brand when it comes to stocking your kitchen, especially if you prefer to shop on Amazon.
Whether you’re air frying dinner for the family or making frozen treats for dessert, there are other highly-rated brands and products on Amazon that can do the job well, and often at a lower price. Appliances that don’t have the Ninja brand stamped on the front can still outperform your expectations. This collection of highly rated kitchen appliances on Amazon that are not Ninja products deserves just as much attention as the Ninja products you likely already know and love. Or in some cases, maybe more. If you’re ready to upgrade your kitchen without defaulting to the usual suspects, let’s shake things up a bit.
CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine
Many people see home espresso machines as unnecessary luxuries. But if you treat your morning coffee as a survival tool, you know that an espresso machine holds just as much value as any other coffeemaker. That extra pop of caffeine in your drink means you can skip the pricey coffee shop on your commute and get the morning buzz you need to get moving.
Ninja’s espresso machine is far from your only option. The Casabrews espresso machine offers form and function in a single package. It can punch out a shot of espresso quickly and cleanly, and even steam and froth your milk on the same device. Stainless steel works well in any kitchen, and a small, narrow footprint means it doesn’t take up as much counter space as your typical coffee machine. Plus, you get to make your drink exactly how you want it, every time. The Casabrews espresso machine is $139.99 on Amazon. It has earned an average 4.4-star rating across more than 7,000 user reviews on Amazon, with users consistently mentioning simplicity, quality, and value for the money. By comparison, SharkNinja’s espresso and coffee barista systems start at $279.99.
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker
Making ice cream at home feels like more effort than it’s worth until you find a decent ice cream maker. Then it makes perfect sense, especially since you can control the ingredients. One option that makes the process easy and worthwhile is the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. It does most of the heavy lifting to make limited-ingredient ice cream, sorbet, and yogurt. Making these treats at home means you can control what goes into them, resulting in healthier options.
The Cuisinart ice cream maker has earned an average 4.6-star rating across more than 18,000 user reviews. It says it can turn your raw ingredients into a ready-to-eat dessert in under 30 minutes. The container is big enough to make up to two quarts at a time. Ninja offers a similar appliance, called the Creami. It compares to the Cuisinart in size and function, but Ninja Creami ice cream makers start at $199.99, almost $100 more than the Cuisinart.
BKPPM Slushie Maker
A slushie maker sounds like one of those cool kitchen gadgets you’re excited to buy, use a few times, and then forget you have it. That may be true for some slushie machines, but the ones that make the process easy and delicious are less likely to become cabinet clutter. The good thing about the BKPPM Slushie Maker on Amazon is that you don’t need special mixes or learn lots of steps to use it. You can add your favorite juice, wine, or even soda, then let the machine work its magic.
The Ninja Slushi offers a similar experience. It comes with multiple preset modes for one-touch operation and can make a variety of drinks, including slushies, milkshakes, frappes, and spiked drinks. Neither machine requires ice, and both promote dishwasher-safe parts for easy cleanup. One of the most notable differences is price: The Ninja version starts at $349.99 and goes up from there, while the BKPPM Slushie Maker on Amazon retails for $269.99. The BKPPM Slushie Maker has also earned an average 4.4-star rating over more than 1,000 customer reviews.
Cosori Air Fryer
Air fryers get a lot of attention from home chefs. There’s a good reason for that: they’re among the most versatile and most recommended small kitchen appliances you can get. Air fryers let you get crispy, fried-style food without drenching it in oil first. There are tons of air fryers on the market right now, including Ninja’s popular Crispi line of glass air fryers. But if you’re not looking to shell out $179.99 or more for one, you might want to check out the Cosori Air Fryer on Amazon.
The Cosori retails for $119.99 (regular price) and has an impressive 4.8-star rating over more than 15,000 reviews. Customers consistently mention the cooking performance, ease of cleaning, quality, and noise level of this air fryer. Ultimately, a good air fryer should cook your food evenly, keep it crisp, and do both quickly and easily. The Cosori checks all of these boxes, according to its users. It can reach temperatures of up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and runs at a fairly quiet 53 decibels. The basket types are the biggest difference (along with price), but if you’re not picky about what your food actually cooks in, the Cosori might make a great alternative.
Nutribullet Blender System
The only thing better than a good blender is a whole blending system. While a blender covers the basics, a full blending system changes how often you actually use it. A single powerful base comes with multiple blending blades and attachments, including a drink pitcher, food processor, and single-serve containers for on-the-go drinks or small batches of soups. You need different containers and blades for different jobs, and a solid kitchen system can do them all.
Ninja offers a line of kitchen blending systems, but so do plenty of other kitchen brands. One comparable example is the Nutribullet Triple Prep System on Amazon. It includes a mix of full-size and single-serve containers, along with a food processor container and various accessories. The smart base recognizes each container when you attach it, and you can choose from several pre-programmed settings to get ideal blends for specific ingredients. The Nutribullet system has garnered a 4.5-star rating across more than 700 reviews. Pricewise, the Nutribullet system retails on Amazon for $219.99, which is also the starting price for Ninja’s lineup.
Hamilton Beach Countertop Grill
Getting a good sear indoors usually comes with tradeoffs. Indoor countertop grills can be a bit smoky. Heat might be uneven, and results don’t often compare to those of a real grill. Still, countertop grills are becoming more popular since they don’t require a dedicated space outdoors and don’t take up much room to begin with. In the classic Ninja style, the brand offers several models to choose from, starting at $149.99. But one option from Hamilton Beach can help you save money without compromising on quality.
Hamilton Beach’s Electric Indoor Searing Grill is compact and simple to use. There’s one temperature control switch, a drip tray, and not much else. Since it’s made for indoors, you can enjoy your favorite grilled foods year-round in any type of weather. Even better, the Hamilton Beach option is listed at $98.57 on Amazon, significantly less than Ninja’s cheapest indoor grill. More than 31,000 customers have rated the Hamilton Beach indoor grill, resulting in a 4.5-star rating. Users say it’s easy to clean, and its performance compares to that of an outdoor grill.
How We Chose These Top-Rated Appliances on Amazon
The title gives away most of the requirements. We’re looking for items that fall under the kitchen appliance category and are available for sale on Amazon. Also, they have to be from a brand other than Ninja, which also includes the Shark name. We focused our search on the kitchen appliances that Ninja offers, then found a comparable brand and product that users seem to love. As the title suggests, they need to be highly rated. That means hundreds of four-star and five-star reviews with similar themes in quality, value, function, and usefulness. In other words, are most people happy with their purchase?
Only kitchen appliances that meet all of the above made it to the list. There are tons of great kitchen appliances out there that can comfortably compete with Ninja. This list focuses on just six of those options.


