Do you love eating ice cream? With an electric ice cream maker, you can create your own delicious home-made creamy, thick ice cream and lots of other decadent iced desserts right in the comfort of your kitchen.
The 9 Best Ice Cream Maker
- Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5 Quart Frozen Yoghurt Cream Maker
- Hamilton Beach 68330N 4-Quart Automatic Ice-Cream Maker
- Nostalgia 4-Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker
- White Mountain 6-Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker
- Lello Musso Lussino Fully-automatic 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker
- Ariete – DeLonghi Fully-automatic 2.1-Quart Ice Cream Maker
- Whynter ICM-200LS Fully-automatic 2.1-Quart Ice Cream Maker
- Mr. Freeze EIM-700 Maxi-Matic 1.5 Pint Thermoelectric Ice Cream Maker
- Gourmia Automatic Ice Cream Maker Frozen Yoghurt & Sorbet Maker
Our Top Pick for the Best Ice Cream Maker
Our top pick for the best ice cream maker is the Whynter ICM-200LS Ice Cream Maker. The Whynter ice cream maker is a smart looking and highly functional premium style appliance that produces delicious tasting ice cream and other decadent frozen desserts in the comfort of your kitchen. At just a press of a button, your favorite frozen dessert fantasies will come to life.
Create Your Own Favorite Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts
On a hot summer's day or night, nothing keeps you fresh like a large dish that is brimming over with ice cream or an ice cream cone and the best way to make this delectable creamy, and icy treat is with an electric ice cream maker.
Besides its incredible versatility at making traditional or soft serve ice cream, healthy frozen yogurt, authentic Italian gelato, fruity sorbets, fizzy sherbets or even frozen drinks, there are a few highly significant reasons why an ice cream maker is an excellent investment for any home.
- An ice cream maker is very cost effective over the long term. Instead of having to buy expensive ice cream every week, an ice cream maker produces great tasting ice cream-on-demand in your kitchen.
- If you are concerned about the number of extra additives like sugar and preservatives that store-bought ice cream brands can contain, an ice cream maker gives you complete control over the ingredients that go into your ice cream.
- You can tailor your homemade ice cream to suit individual food allergies like dairy-free ice cream or yogurt for a lactose intolerance diet or cater for a vegan lifestyle.
- Instead of coming away disappointed from the shop when your favorite ice cream flavor has been taken from the shelf, you can add all the flavors and toppings that you love to your ice cream creation or explore new tantalizing recipes.
How to Choose an Ice Cream Maker
Electric ice cream makers come in two types: an ice cream maker with a freezer-bowl or an ice cream maker with an inbuilt-freezer compressor.
Ice Cream Maker With a Freezer-bowl
Semi or fully-automatic ice cream makers, like the Nostalgia, White Mountain, Cuisinart ICE-21, or Hamilton Beach, have a freezer bowl that needs to be pre-frozen. They use a traditional paddle method of churning the ice cream, and you may have to pack the unit with rock salt and ice, to facilitate the freezing process.
If you are new to ice-cream making, have a small family, or you need to stick to a strict budget, these types of appliances are very affordable, simple to use and they make very good quality ice cream. To get the best results, you have to pre-freeze the special insulated freezing bowl, from 12 to 24 hours before you use the machine, which means the whole pre- ice-cream making process will be slower.
The machine's aerating and mixing process can take up to an hour, depending on how you like your ice cream, and most models can only make one batch at a time. Also, you may have to put the bowl into the freezer if the ice cream is not hard enough.
Ice Cream Maker with a Built-in Compressor-freezer
If you have a large family or host a lot of parties, a high tech ice cream maker that has a commercial style built-in compressor-freezer, like the Whynter, Delonghi or Musso Lussino, is the gadget for you.
These powerful ice cream makers have a commercial-style compressor which eliminates the need to pre-freeze the mixing bowl or canister or pack the unit with rock salt and ice. They can make multiple batches and produce fantastic ice cream in just 20 to 40 minutes. While these professional models give you more control over the final consistency and texture of your ice cream, they can be costly, bulky and noisy.
Capacity
If you have a small family, an ice cream maker that can produce 1.5-quarts or pints or 2.1-quarts is sufficient. For a large family of 4 or if you need to make ice cream for a social event, a 4 or 6-quart machine will make the amount of ice cream you need.
Extra Features
To make the ice cream making process even easier, look for an easy-pour ingredient spout, where you can add your ingredients like frozen fruits, marshmallows, nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips. A transparent easy-lock lid lets you or your kids watch the freezing process as the ice cream changes from a sloppy mixture to perfectly frozen ice cream.
Rubber non-slip feet keep the unit base stationary during use, and a cord storage facility keeps the counter neat and safe. Digital touch-pad controls and multiple operating modes, soft-press buttons, and a blue-lit LCD readout allows you to fine-tune your ice cream and a timer alerts you when your dream dessert is ready.
Best Ice Cream Maker Reviews
1. Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5 Quart Frozen Yoghurt Cream Maker
Make your own delicious ice cream, yogurt, or sherbet in the comfort of your kitchen in just 20 minutes with the Cuisinart ICE-21 ice cream maker.
The high-quality ice cream maker has a heavy-duty motor and a 1.5-quart double-insulated freezer bowl and the newly designed mixing paddle thoroughly mixes and aerates your ingredients into deliciously creamy soft-serve or traditional ice cream.
Tailor your frozen dessert to suit your taste buds by adding frozen fruit, nuts, or sprinkles through the sizeable easy-pour spout without interrupting the freezing cycle, and the transparent easy-lock lid lets you watch the freezing process as it progresses to the final creation.
The ice cream maker has a robust and compact construction, and its rubber non-slip feet keep the base stationary during use. The cord storage facility keeps the power cord safe and the kitchen counter neat and tidy.
Although the mixing paddle and freezer bowl is not dishwasher safe, they are very easy to keep clean, with warm soapy water.
The freezer bowl must be completely frozen, usually between 16 to 24 hours depending on the coldness of your freezer.
There are five fun colors to choose from glossy white, matt white, pink, raspberry, and red. A 3-year warranty covers the ice cream maker. You can experiment with different flavors as Cuisinart include a recipe guide, and there are additional recipes on the Cuisinart website.
Pros
- High-quality
- Excellent value for money
- Fully automatic
- Powerful heavy-duty motor
- Can make ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, sherbet, and frozen drinks
- New mixing paddle makes frozen desserts in 20 minutes or less
- Double insulated freezer bowl eliminates the need for ice
- Easy lock transparent lid
- Easy pour ingredient spout
- Doesn't require rock salt or ice
- Rubber non-slip feet
- Solid and compact design
- Smart cord storage space
- 3-year limited warranty
- Five attractive colors
Con
- Only makes a small amount of ice cream
- Noisy
- Have to freeze the mixing bowl completely first
2. Hamilton Beach 68330N 4-Quart Automatic Ice-Cream Maker
For special occasions like birthdays or pool parties, the Hamilton Beach 4-quart ice cream maker can make up to a gallon of delicious home-made ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and gelato in 20 to 40 minutes. There is minimal work involved, just add your fresh ingredients, ice and rock salt and extra treats like nuts, sprinkles or chocolate nuts and the fully automatic high-powered motor will do all the hard work and there is no stirring involved. The motor stops once your ice cream is thick enough, so you don't have to check the mixture continually.
The ice-cream maker has a classic bucket design which is made of durable plastic, and the aluminum bowl/canister is easy to clean. The easy-locking lid fits locks into place to keep the ingredients safe inside.
For easy storage in the freezer, the aluminum canister comes with a storage lid so you can keep your amazing dessert ready, but the unit has a short cord, and there is no on and off switch, so you have to operate it via the electrical outlet.
The manual includes some ice cream and yogurt recipes, and a 1-year limited warranty covers the ice cream maker.
Pros
- Excellent price
- High-quality
- Large 4-quart capacity
- Fully automatic operation high-powered motor
- Makes homemade ice cream, frozen yogurt, custard, sherbet, and gelato
- Makes fantastic ice cream in just 20 to 40 minutes
- Strong and sturdy BPA-free plastic construction and aluminum bowl
- Easy to use
- Automatic shut-off feature
- Easy-lock lid
- Easy to clean
- User manual with 20 recipes included
- 1-year limited warranty
Cons
- Noisy
- Short cord
- Very heavy after adding the required amounts of ice and salt
- Not dishwasher safe
- Have to add layers of ice and rock salt manually
3. Nostalgia 4-Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker
Enjoy good old fashion ice cream in just 20 minutes with the 4-quart Vintage Collection Nostalgia electric ice-cream maker. The pretty blue bucket-style ice cream maker is made from solid BPA-free plastic, and the aluminum canister can hold up to a gallon of ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet or gelato.
The Nostalgia ice cream maker has a powerful electric motor that does all the churning work for you. Just add your ice cream ingredients into the aluminum canister, layer with ice and salt, and add a few indulgent extra ingredients like chocolate or fudge sauces, multicolored sprinkles, or even fresh fruit to complete your spectacular frozen dessert.
The ice cream maker's motor locks into place to keep all the parts secure and the see-through lid allow for easy viewing and keeps any leftover ice cream safely frozen in the freezer.
You will need to clear a substantial amount of space on the kitchen countertop as the unit is quite big, and there are no dishwasher-safe parts, but the aluminum canister and plastic bucket bowl are very easy to clean-wash with warm, soapy water. For easy portability, the ice cream maker has a carrying handle.
The Nostalgia ice cream maker is covered by a 90-day return and a one-year warranty, and there are recipes included in the manual.
Pros
- Great quality and value for money
- Affordable price
- Makes excellent ice cream
- Powerful electric motor
- Makes up to 4 quarts of ice cream, frozen yogurt, or gelato
- Portable with a long cord
- Vintage style blue BPA plastic bucket
- Aluminum canister
- See-through lid for easy viewing of ice cream and freezer storage
- Convenient carrying handle
- Quiet operation
- Easy-to-clean
- 90-day return policy
- 1-year limited warranty
- Recipes included in manual
Cons
- Have to add rock salt and ice
- Works best with pre-chilled ingredients
- Not dishwasher-safe
- Bulky
4. White Mountain 6-Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker
Add a unique touch of old-fashioned ice-cream-making charm into your kitchen with the White Mountain Ice Cream Maker. If you have a large family or you host a lot of events like pool parties or barbecues, the White Mountain ice cream maker has everything you need to make up to 1.5 gallons of rich ice cream in just 20 or 30 minutes.
Once you plug the ice cream maker in, grab the bucket, fetch some ice and rock salt and the powerful 12,000 rpm universal commercial-grade electric motor provides the torque needed for creating home-made ice cream. The unique patented Triple-Action Dasher system, which includes self-adjusting beech wood blades, continuously folds the ingredient mixture to create the smoothest and creamiest ice cream ever made.
The White Mountain ice cream maker is built to last with a heavy-duty cast iron warp-free dasher, and the canister and lid are made out of stainless-steel. The stunningly beautiful New England pine bucket is made of premium dark stained pine wood and is bound with strong galvanized hoops and electroplated fittings to ensure lasting durability and stability and the White Mountain logo is proudly displayed on the front.
White Mountain offers a 5-year limited warranty, and there are extra recipes included to inspire all types of ice cream creations.
Pros
- Great value for money
- High-quality
- Makes 1.5-gallon of quality creamy ice cream in 20 or 30 minutes
- New and improved 12,000 RPM commercial grade motor
- Fast and powerful
- Durable, heavy-duty cast iron patented triple-action dasher
- Self-adjusting beechwood blades
- Durable and stable premium dark wood stained New England pine bucket
- Stainless-steel canister and lid
- 5 Year limited warranty
- Recipes included
- Available in a 4-quart capacity
Cons
- Expensive
- Need to pack the salt and ice
- Noisy
- Bulky
- Requires some assembly
5. Lello Musso Lussino Fully-automatic 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker
The fully automatic 1.5-quart professional ice cream maker from Musso Lussino has everything you need to make great tasting ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, Italian gelato, and refreshing frozen drinks. Designed and made in Italy, the quality Lello ice cream maker has a powerful built-in compressor-freezer, with easy to use controls, just two buttons, and timer control. In only 30 to 45 minutes your ice cream is ready, and you can make multiple batches of ice cream as there is no need to pre-freeze the bowl.
You do not have to worry about over-mixing your ice cream because the appliance has a timer button to make sure that your ice cream is aerated and mixed to the right consistency and if a batch becomes too hard, the machine shuts off automatically. If you prefer a firmer texture, you can put the ice cream in the freezer.
You even add all types of ingredients like chocolate chips, coconut flakes, raisins and toasted almonds into the mixture after removing the rigid plastic lid to make your unique indulgent dessert.
The appliance has a sleek, stylish design and its high-quality stainless steel housing, bowl, and paddle are just right for heavy-duty use and are easy to clean. The ice cream maker is bulky so you will need to clear a good amount of space on the kitchen countertop to accommodate it. The mixing bowl cannot be detached, but it can be easily cleaned with a warm soapy cloth.
The Lello 4080 Musso Lussino is covered by a one year warranty and comes with an instruction booklet with some ice cream recipes to kickstart your ice cream making creativity.
Pros
- Excellent quality
- Very good value for money
- Sleek and stylish design
- Stainless steel construction
- Fully-automatic
- Powerful built-in compressor-freezer
- Makes ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbets, Italian gelato & frozen drinks.
- Creates delicious ice cream with just the right texture and consistency
- Easy to use controls
- Timer controls operation for different frozen confections
- Aluminum mixing bowl does not have to be pre-chilled
- Automatic shut-off system
- Strong and rigid plastic lid
- Easy to clean
- One-year warranty
- Instruction booklet with recipes is included
Cons
- Expensive
- Bulky and heavy
- Non-detachable mixing bowl
6. Ariete – DeLonghi Fully-automatic 2.1-Quart Ice Cream Maker
Featuring a modem stainless-steel design, state-of-the-art technology, a heavy-duty motor and built-in powerful compressor freezer, the 2.1-quart DeLonghi Ariete ice cream maker is an excellent choice for making ice cream, refreshing sorbet, authentic Italian gelato or creamy yogurt.
The multi-purpose machine can make multiple batches of ice cream without having to pre-freeze the mixing bowl and its unique paddle mixes and aerates the ingredients to perfection. You have complete control over the final consistency and texture of your ice cream as there are three modes: 1. cooling mode 2. mixing mode, and 3. ice cream mode. In just 20 to 40 minutes, your ice cream will be tailor-made to your taste buds.
The blue LCD has soft touch buttons and the 60-minute countdown electronic timer has a 10-minute keep-cool feature that keeps your frozen treat at the perfect temperature until you are ready to serve it.
The ice cream maker is quite heavy at 29.5 lbs but it has a compact size, and the aluminum bowl and churn blade are removable for easy cleaning. The ice cream maker includes a free measuring cup, and a 1-year limited warranty covers the machine.
Pros
- Excellent design
- Great value for money
- State-of-the-art technology
- Brushed stainless-steel housing
- Heavy-duty motor
- Built-in fully automatic commercial compressor freezer
- Digital blue-lit LCD
- Three preparation modes: cooling, mixing and ice cream mode
- Soft touch buttons
- Compact design
- Perfect for ice cream, Italian gelato, sorbet, and Greek yogurt
- Easy to operate
- No need to pre-freeze the bowl
- Makes great tasting ice cream that is smooth and creamy
- 60-minute countdown timer rotate controls
- 10-minute keep-cool feature
- Removable 2.1-quart aluminum bowl and churn blade
- 1-year limited warranty
Cons
- Can be bulky in a small kitchen
- No recipe book
7. Whynter ICM-200LS Fully-automatic 2.1-Quart Ice Cream Maker
For the best tasting ice cream, Italian gelato or sorbet, the Whynter ICM-200LS ice cream maker can make up to 2.1 quarts of your favorite frozen dessert at just one press of a button.
Built to last, the ice cream maker has a sturdy stainless steel housing, a strong motor, and a powerful compressor freezer. It delivers the power that is needed for the churning blade to mix and aerate the ingredients and in just 30-60 minutes, depending on how hard you want the ice cream to be, you and your family and friends will marvel at the quality of the ice cream. The ice cream it produces is delicious and has the perfect consistency and texture.
The Whynter ice cream maker includes extra smart features like a motor protection function that shuts the motor off once the mixing process has been done to perfection. This is so you don’t have to worry about the engine overheating. The large LCD features all the functions you need, temperature, mode selection and the built-in audible electric timer alerts you when your ice cream is ready.
The removable aluminum bowl and the BPA-free churn blade are easy to clean and can be easily stored, but the unit is quite bulky and can take up a lot of space on the kitchen countertop.
Whynter also includes a bonus ice cream scoop and a recipe guide to inspire you to create professional style frozen desserts, and a 1-year warranty covers the unit.
Pros
- High-quality
- Very good value for money
- Makes up to 2 liters in just 30-60 minutes
- Can be used for traditional, soft-serve ice cream, gelato or sorbet
- Makes great tasting high-quality ice cream
- Stainless steel housing
- Powerful freezer-compressor
- Strong motor
- Motor protection function
- Container does not require pre-freezing
- Removable aluminum bowl and churn blade for easy storage and effortless cleaning
- Large easy to read LCD
- Reliable built-in audible timer
- 1-year limited warranty
- Bonus ice cream scoop and recipe guide
Cons
- Expensive
- Bulky
8. Mr. Freeze EIM-700 Maxi-Matic 1.5 Pint Thermoelectric Ice Cream Maker
Using the freezing power of thermoelectrics, the Mr. Freeze ice cream maker will turn ice cream making into a fun activity for the whole family. The energy-saving 90-watt, 1.5-pint ice cream maker has a strong built-in compressor that automatically churns and freezes your prepared ingredients into a deliciously creamy frozen treat. With just three easy steps, your ice cream, frozen yogurt, Italian gelato or sorbet will be ready in about 40 minutes.
There is no need to pre-freeze the bowl or use rock salt or ice. Just press one of the two settings: soft or hard, and the ice cream maker will start churning your ingredients into deliciously fresh and creamy ice cream just the way you like it. The best thing is that you have total control over what goes into your ice cream, which means healthier frozen treats for your family without any unwanted sugar or additives. Once your ice cream is ready, you can serve it natural style or garnish it with your favorite toppings.
Although the aluminum bowl is not removable, it is quite easy to clean with a warm soapy cloth, and the large transparent lid closes securely and allows you to keep an eye on the ingredients inside.
The kids will love the fun color choices: white, berry or turquoise, and the ice cream maker is covered by a 1-year limited warranty and comes with a recipe leaflet.
Pros
- Very good quality
- Good value for money
- Ideal for two people or a small family
- Simple to operate with large buttons
- Stainless-steel
- Makes delicious ice cream with a good consistency and texture
- Includes transparent lid
- Energy-saving 90 watts
- Limited 1-year warranty
- No pre-freezing or ice or salt needed
- Securely locking transparent lid
- Aluminum bowl
- Easy to assemble and disassemble
- Three great colors: white, berry or turquoise
- 1-year limited warranty
- Recipe leaflet
Cons
- Expensive for its size
- Can only make small batches
- Paddle can get stuck when the ice cream is too thick
- Mixing bowl is not removable
9. Gourmia Automatic Ice Cream Maker Frozen Yoghurt & Sorbet Maker
Whatever your choice of dream decadent desserts is: creamy home-style ice cream, soft serve, vegan, dairy-free, refreshing sorbets and healthy yogurt and fizzy sherbets, the Gourmia ice cream maker can create a delicious dessert in just under 1 hour!
This sleek and stylish machine has a strong stainless-steel construction, a built-in digital timer, a blue-lit LCD, and the BPA-free detachable plastic paddle ensures that the ingredients are aerated and mixed smoothly in the 1.5-quart polished aluminum bowl.
You can design your particular ice cream creation by adding extra sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts through the easy-pour spout.
To keep the outer casing clean just wipe it down with a damp soapy cloth and all the detachable parts are dishwasher friendly.
The ice cream maker is covered by a 1-year limited warranty and comes with a free scoop, and a gourmet recipe book will inspire you to create ice cream desserts with mouth-watering flavors like chocolate cherry, salted caramel, strawberry shortcake, honey vanilla or blueberry cheesecake and even more.
Pros
- Very good quality
- Very good price
- Good value for money
- Elegant round shape design
- Attractive stainless-steel construction
- Removable polished aluminum bowl
- High-powered compressor
- Fantastic ice cream making performance
- Fast and easy operation
- Lightweight
- 3-pint capacity
- Blue-lit LCD with a digital timer
- Can be used for yogurt, gelato, and sorbet
- Quiet operation
- UL Listed
- Easy pour spout to minimize messes
- 1-year limited warranty
- Free recipe book
- Free scoop
Cons
- Takes a while to get the right consistency
- May need to re-freeze the bowl to get hard ice cream
Our Top Pick for the Best Ice Cream Maker
Our top pick for the best ice cream maker is the Whynter ICM-200LS Ice Cream Maker. The Whynter ice cream maker is a smart looking and highly functional premium style appliance that produces delicious tasting ice cream and other decadent frozen desserts in the comfort of your kitchen. At just a press of a button, your favorite frozen dessert fantasies will come to life.
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