Updated April 17, 2024 But first, you’ll need one of the best ice cream makers. Whether you’re a classic vanilla fan or want to experiment with making Avocado Ice Cream, with the right ice cream maker you can create your own frozen treats at home. I love ice cream so much that I own TWO ice cream makers: the Cuisinart Pure Indulgence and the Cuisinart Ice-100. If you think making delicious ice cream sounds too complicated, let me stop you right there. These ice cream makers make it SUPER easy, and I’ve rounded up my favorite ones, including the best ice cream maker with compressor and the best soft serve ice cream machine for your home! So clear some freezer space, and let’s get shopping! Here are my top picks for the 6 best ice cream makers.
My Top Picks:
Reviews of The Best Ice Cream Makers
1. What’s in My Kitchen: Cuisinart Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker
I LOVE this ice cream maker!! It works so well, and I’ve had no issues with it, so long as I remember to chill the mixing bowl in the freezer the night before. The mixing paddle can crank out up to 2 quarts of creamy goodness in 20 minutes or less, and you can store your creation in the mixing bowl in the freezer for minimal cleanup. I love that the clear lid lets you watch the process, which is super fun for kids to see, and the easy-lock lid and pour spout make adding ingredients simple. Every time I use it, my ice cream comes out smooth and creamy, and it’s not too expensive, even if you only use it occasionally. The Specs:
Type: Automatic Capacity: 2 quarts Speed: 20 minutes Care: Hand wash Uses: Ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet
The Pros:
Inexpensive Incredibly fast Easy-lock lid Large spout makes adding ingredients easy
The Cons:
Bowl must be frozen ahead of time
What Others are Saying: Buy the Cuisinart Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker:
2. My Favorite Compressor Ice Cream Maker: Cuisinart Ice-100 Compressor Ice Cream Maker
A compressor ice cream maker has a built-in cooler — meaning you don’t have to freeze the bowl in advance! To me, that is totally worth the splurge, which is why I also LOVE my Cuisinart Ice-100. And you barely have to lift a finger! Just pour your mixture, press a few buttons, and come back with a spoon about 40 minutes later. Plus, the see-through lid makes it easy to add ingredients and check in on their progress without having to stop the churning process. Plus, if you want to make creamy gelato, there’s an additional paddle for that. The Specs:
Type: Compressor Capacity: 1.5 quarts Speed: 60 minutes or less Care: Wipe clean Uses: Ice cream and gelato
The Pros:
Self-freezing No pre-planning required High quality Saves freezer space
The Cons:
Expensive Lid is tricky No pre-cool function
What Others are Saying: Buy the Cuisinart Ice-100 Compressor Ice Cream Maker:
3. Best Electric: Hamilton Beach Electric Automatic Ice Cream Maker
This traditional rock salt ice cream maker looks like one of those old-fashioned ones from the movies, but it’s automatic and does all of the cranking for you. Just pour in your ice cream mixture and ingredients, add ice and rock salt to the bucket, plug it in, and wait. The fully automated machine will churn for 20 to 40 minutes and stop when the ice cream is ready! I love that you can make 4 whole quarts of ice cream at once, which makes it great for special occasions where you’ll have a lot of mouths to feed. Plus, it’s WAY easier than shaking a bag of ice and salt to make ice cream! The Specs:
Type: Ice and rock salt Capacity: 4 quarts Speed: 20 to 40 minutes Care: Hand wash Uses: Ice cream, frozen yogurt, custard, sorbet, gelato, and sherbet
The Pros:
Makes big batches Auto-stops when done Fully automatic Easy-to-read manual
The Cons:
Noisy Takes up a lot of countertop space
What Others are Saying: Buy the Hamilton Beach Electric Automatic Ice Cream Maker:
4. Most Versatile Ice Cream Maker: Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream Maker
The Ninja CREAMi Deluxe can make delicious creamy ice cream and then some! It also has the ability to make Italian ice, slushies, frozen yogurt, and even frozen drinks. is a compact option that comes with pint containers to prep and stash away in the freezer. Just prepare your base with the mix-ins of your choice and freeze it overnight. Then, when a craving hits, you can pop one in and dial one of the 11 settings to make ice cream, gelato, or a milkshake in 5 minutes or less. The pint-size containers also mean you can play around with customizations. The brand claims you can even make two flavors at once by adding different mix-ins to the top and bottom of the pint and letting the machine do it’s thing. But it is super tall, making it a bit harder to store. The Specs:
Type: Electric Capacity: 24 ounces per pint Speed: 5 minutes Care: Pint is dishwasher safe Use: Ice cream, milkshake, sorbet, gelato, frozen drink, slushi, frozen yogurt, creamiccino, italian ice
The Pros:
Creates a variety of frozen treats Can do two mix-ins at once Easy to operate Creaminess is adjustable
The Cons:
Tall to store
What Others are Saying: Buy the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream Maker:
5. Best for Soft Serve: Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker
Soft serve lovers, rejoice! The Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker turns your counter into your own soft serve creamery. It not only churns ice cream to a perfectly soft and creamy 25 degree Fahrenheit in just 20 to 30 minutes, but it also has includes a stand to display and serve ice cream cones, a pull-down handle for dispensing, and three clear display cases for you to fill with your favorite mix-ins like sprinkles, cookies, candies, or cereals. How great is that? It does, however, require hand washing of all its parts, and it’s a large unit to store, but it’s worth it for the cuteness factor as well as the experience of serving ice cream like your favorite ice cream parlor. The Specs:
Type: Electric Capacity: 1.5 quarts Speed: 20 minutes Care: Hand wash Uses: Soft serve ice cream
The Pros:
Fun for kids Easy to assemble ice cream Three condiment containers
The Cons:
Hard to clean Difficult to store
What Others are Saying: Buy the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker:
6. Best for Single Serving: Dash My Pint Ice Cream Maker
The little Dash ice cream maker is just so stinking cute. It’s best for single servings and makes a pint of ice cream in 30 minutes or less! It’s great fun for kids who want to roll up their sleeves to mix up their own frozen concoctions, and NO one will judge you for eating the whole pint. It weighs less than a pound, and it is compact in size, so it’s easy for them to pull it out, assemble, and operate on their own. Note that the parts are hand wash only, but they are self-stacking and easy to clean. The Specs:
Type: Electric Capacity: 1.6 cups Speed: 30 minutes or less Care: Hand wash Uses: Ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt
The Pros:
Quick and easy Easy to assemble Easy to store Fun for kids
The Cons:
Must pre-freeze the bowl Hand wash only
What Others are Saying: Buy the DASH My Pint Ice Cream Maker:
Other Ice Cream Makers to Consider
There are two ways to make ice cream in this machine: hand crank and electric! It’s a fantastic hand crank option — but you can always plug it in and switch to automatic if you get tuckered out. It’s something fun to involve kids with as everyone could take a turn at the crank, but it’s a relief to know you don’t have to hand crank it every time. It makes 4 whole quarts of ice cream to share, but it does require adding salt and ice to use. Buy the Elite Gourmet Old Fashioned Ice Cream Maker at Walmart for $62.94.
Why You Can Trust Me
I’m Maria and I run Two Peas and Their Pod with my husband Josh. We love creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly — but my favorite ones would have to be all the ice cream I make all summer long! For this list, I shared my picks for the best ice cream makers that I personally love and used while making ice cream as a sweet treat. For the ice cream makers I haven’t personally used, I also researched trusted online reviews to narrow down the best ones based on design, performance, and quality. I hope you use this list to find a new ice cream maker that will satisfy your sweet tooth and help you beat the heat this summer!
Everything to Know Before Buying an Ice Cream Maker
What to Consider Before Buying an Ice Cream Maker
Homemade ice cream does take a little more effort and time than cracking open a pint from the grocery store, but with the right ice cream maker the freshness and quality is so unbelievably good you might ditch the pre-made stuff for good! These are the most important to finding the right ice cream maker for you. Type: There are three main kinds of ice cream makers: hand crank, electric, and compression. Each has their own unique list of pros and cons.
Hand crank: If you want a throwback experience, a hand crank that uses the old-fashioned ice and salt method can be a ton of fun. These machines are typically the most affordable and they can yield a ton of ice cream! Fans of the hand crank love that you have more control over the final texture of your ice cream. But keep in mind that it requires extra time and effort. Plus, it’s literally manual labor (unless you choose the Elite Gourmet Old Fashioned Ice Cream Maker, which also has a fully automated option). Electric: Electric ice cream makers with a frozen bowl are great for families because kids can really get in on the fun. Some electric models require the addition of salt and ice to the machine while others require you to freeze the bowl. You’ll also want to prepare to wait anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes for the machine to churn, so you might get a little antsy waiting! Compression: Compression machines are as close to professional as you can get, but they are pretty pricey. It’s worth the jump in upfront cost if you are an ice cream fanatic who plans to make a lot of ice cream and wants the bells and whistles like digital displays that control the temperature and texture. It also comes with an internal freezer so you don’t have to freeze the bowl or deal with ice or salt.
Capacity: To enjoy your ice cream for multiple days or to feed a crowd, you’ll want to have a machine that makes at least 4-quarts of ice cream. Anything larger than 6-quarts might be too large to store. There are also single serve ice cream makers that make single pints at once. Texture: The consistency of the final product can be a big deal! High-end compressor machines yield superbly creamy ice cream. Some ice and salt and eclectic ice cream makers allow you to control the texture by using slower speeds for a creamier texture and fast speeds for a thinner one closer to a soft serve ice cream that’s so deliciously refreshing.
How Do You Make Homemade Ice Cream?
Traditional at-home ice cream starts with a custard base made from milk, cream, and egg yolk. If done right, it produces a thick and decadent texture. But you can also play with the proportions to make ice cream that is a little lighter. After the custard has been made (which requires a lot of attention to detail to get it just right) you’ll need to strain it and allow the mixture to cool at room temperature before adding it to your machine.
Can You Make Soft Serve Ice Cream at Home?
The Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker does a great job but believe it or not, you can make soft serve ice cream at home with an electric stand mixer and dry ice. You’ll get authentic results, but it can be a pain to purchase and transfer the dry ice.
How Do You Make Ice Cream in a Bag?
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can use a quality plastic freezer bag to create ice cream at home. All you need to do is combine the ingredients in the bag, mix it up, and set it in the freezer. Kids think it’s a ton of fun and can’t believe their eyes when they see the final product! The drawback is that it can get a bit messy and doesn’t yield much ice cream. Instead, I recommend trying my No-Churn Biscoff Ice Cream recipe because it’s basically heaven on a spoon. You only need a mixer and some freezer space to make this decadently creamy treat and it tastes a lot more fancy than it is!
How Do You Clean an Ice Cream Maker?
All of the best ice cream makers on this list are super easy to clean. The removable parts can all be easily washed by hand with a little soap and warm water and then all that’s left to do is to wipe the unit down.
The Best Ice Cream Recipes
There are so many ice cream recipes that I consider the BEST! Here are a few recipes for frozen treats to get you started with your new ice cream maker:
Avocado Ice Cream Lime & Coconut Ice Cream 2-Ingredient Strawberry Banana Ice Cream 2-Ingredient Banana Nutella Ice Cream
Prices were accurate at time of publication.
