Why is the Ninja Creami spindle grinding into the paddle? Is it broken?

Reasons why this may happen…

There are various reasons that this can happen, none that have been confirmed by the manufacturer.

1. Sometimes the paddle disconnects from the spindle when the ice cream is processing.  The paddle is connected to the spindle with a tiny magnet.  If the paddle gets off center or knocked loose from the spindle while processing, for any reason, the spindle can drill down into the paddle.
2. You are not using the proper ingredients in your mixture. Most Ninja Creami mixtures need to have some sugar, fat, dairy, or thickeners added. The machine cannot process ice (just water). It’s not recommended to use anything that is close to just water. You can use some water in your mixture, but it’s recommended to add sugar, fat, dairy, or thickeners like guar gum so that it’s easier on the machine.
3. The spindle is no longer perfectly straight which causes the paddle to process the ice cream at a slight angle.  When this happens, the spindle can start to drill into the paddle.
4. The paddle is not attached to the spindle 100% correctly (magnet may no longer be strong enough to hold the paddle on correctly).
5. If the top of the frozen mixture is not level, it could cause the paddle to be off balance, causing the paddle to detach from the spindle.  When this happens, the spindle can start to drill into the paddle.
6. Using generic or knock-off accessories like paddles can cause the machine to malfunction if the accessory is not a perfect fit.

How to resolve the issue…

When this happens, it’s usually a bigger issue with the entire machine. 

Do not buy new paddles as it’s possible and quite likely that it will continue to happen and get worse. 

Do not continue to use the machine.  If you continue to use the machine, the following can happen.

1. The paddle can get damaged.
2. The spindle can get damaged and bent.
3. The magnet that connects the spindle to the paddle can get damaged.
4. The motor can get damaged and can cause the machine to overheat, smoke, or start on fire.
5. The containers can get scraped.