What to Buy Appliances Small Appliances The Best Ice Cream Makers for Cold Treats, According to Our Tests Achieve parlor-approved taste and texture with our winning picks. By Julia Skinner Julia Skinner Julia Skinner is a food historian, educator, and founder of Root, an Atlanta-based company focused on fermentation and bringing historic food to the modern world. She has published several books on food and food history, including Our Fermented Lives (2022) and Afternoon Tea (2021). Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 16, 2023 In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Our top picks Reviews Our Favorite The Tests Factors to Consider FAQ Others We Tested Our Expertise We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Food & Wine / Will Dickey With hot weather on the forecast and fruit season in full swing, whipping up frozen desserts seems almost obligatory. Ice cream ranks among our favorites, and with the right appliance, making it at home is actually simple. While the old-fashioned ice cream makers that call for churning still have an appeal, newer models are up to speed with efficiency as well as presets for more customization. We tested 20 ice cream makers, from manual models to freezer bowls to compressors, to see which produced the best ice cream and sorbet. In addition to how well each performed, we considered design, user-friendliness, and value to choose the best you can buy. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Ninja Creami Deluxe XL Ice Cream Maker at Amazon Jump to Review Best Value: Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, & Sorbet Maker at Amazon Jump to Review Best Compact: Cuisinart 2-Qt. Ice Cream Maker at Amazon Jump to Review Best Soft Serve: Yonanas Classic Soft-Serve Dessert Maker at Amazon Jump to Review Best Splurge: Breville The Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker at Amazon Jump to Review Best Attachment: KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment at Amazon Jump to Review Best Overall Ninja Creami Deluxe 11-in-1 XL Ice Cream Maker Amazon View On Amazon View On Target View On Walmart Pros We found it efficient, compact, and easy to use, and we were impressed with the ice cream’s consistency. Cons It’s a loud (powerful!) appliance, and mix-ins and sauce swirls can get over-processed due to the speed of the motor and the machine’s sharp blade. Of the ice cream makers we tested, the Ninja Creami Deluxe set the standard for a simple but versatile machine that achieves a quality final product. With minimal hands-on work, this machine can whip up a range of frozen treats thanks to its 11 presets: ice cream, lite ice cream, sorbet, gelato, frozen yogurt, Italian ice, milkshake, frozen drink, Creamiccino, re-spin, and mix-ins. It comes with a recipe booklet for inspiration, and we like how much customization it allows – non-dairy milk and yogurt still yield exceptionally creamy results. The ice cream-making process is simple: just freeze your base in a Creami pint for 24 hours before popping it into the machine and selecting a preset. While ice cream and frozen yogurt turned out creamy in our testing lab, we have also gotten a powdery final product when testing the Creami at home. According to Ninja, this happens when the freezer is too cold. “Everything I make in the Creami turns out powdery at first. But, it's an easy fix with the re-spin button. to make it creamier, and that resolves it.” Cleanup is easy, as the bowl and paddle are dishwasher-safe. The components weren’t as messy as those of other models we tested and were all easy to clean by hand. The base is easy to wipe down with a damp cloth after use. Price at time of publish: $400 Type: ElectricMax Capacity: 24 ouncesWarranty: One year Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Best Value Cuisinart 1.5-Quart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, & Sorbet Maker Amazon View On Amazon View On Target View On Walmart Pros It aced our tests for texture, and it incorporates mix-ins well. It’s also so simple to use that kids can help, if not use it themselves. Cons It takes up more space on the countertop than some other models. The quality of the ice cream we made in this machine wowed us: it was dense and easy to scoop, held its shape well after we scooped it, and remained smooth and creamy (not icy) in the freezer overnight. We added cookies as a mix-in using the ingredient spout, which doesn’t interrupt the freezing cycle, and the pieces were neither chunky nor overly processed. While this machine may not come with all of the features of some other models, we liked how uncomplicated it was to use with a straightforward instruction manual. Price at time of publish: $70 Type: Electric (frozen bowl)Max Capacity: 1.5 quartsWarranty: 3 year Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Best Compact Cuisinart Pure Indulgence 2-Qt. Ice Cream Maker Amazon View On Amazon View On Nordstrom View On Target Pros This small but mighty machine effectively makes quality ice cream, and you can store it in a tiny kitchen. Cons Its very minimal features may not be a good fit for ice cream lovers hungry for a variety of frozen desserts. An ice cream maker doesn't have to be complicated to be effective: we found this machine efficient and easy to use during our tests. That said, the ice cream-making experience is less customizable. Its controls consist of an on/off dial, which may be a hindrance to those who need temperature controls or other ways to refine the process. Yet, it yields an impressive end result for a lack of special features, and we recommend it to those who want a basic ice cream setup. We love how compact and lightweight it is, especially for apartment kitchens and homes where space is at a premium. Though it’s small, it holds 1.5 quarts of batter, meaning it makes more ice cream at once than some other models we tested. We did, however, have a bit of an overflow when adding mix-ins like crumbled cookies, so make sure to leave some extra room if you plan to add in other ingredients. Also, like other freezer bowls, this one can't go in the dishwasher, but the machine doesn't make a mess, and the bowl is easy to clean with just warm, soapy water. Price at time of publish: $120 Type: Electric (frozen bowl)Max Capacity: 2 quartsWarranty: 1 year Food & Wine Food & Wine Food & Wine Food & Wine Best Soft Serve Yonanas Classic Soft-Serve Dessert Maker Amazon View On Amazon View On Target View On Wayfair Pros This basic machine needs nothing but frozen fruit to make desserts and smoothie bowls. Cons It’s limited to soft serve-style ice cream or sorbet, so it’s not as versatile as our other top picks. Unlike the other machines we tested, this is an extruder, meaning that frozen fruit is added to the top, compressed through the machine, and extruded like soft-serve ice cream. We like how easy the machine is to use, and the process is very fast. If you’re freezing your own fruit, however, you’ll need to account for the time it takes for it to fully freeze. We turned two frozen bananas and two cups of strawberries into vegan soft serve in just five minutes. Because it's an extruder, its capacity isn't limited to the size of a mixing bow, so you can make small or large batches of soft serve depending on your needs. It's easy to clean with dishwasher-safe parts, though this does require disassembling and reassembling some components. Overall, we loved this machine, but if we could change anything it would be adding more power to the grinder to create a smoother final product. As it took a good amount of arm strength to operate in our tests, we don’t recommend that children use it. Still, it’s a great pick for families who like making frozen fruit treats. Price at time of publish: $48 Type: Electric (extruder)Max Capacity: UnlimitedWarranty: 1 year Food & Wine / Will Dickey Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Best Splurge Breville The Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker Crate & Barrel View On Amazon View On Williams-Sonoma View On Breville.com Pros We love the convenience of using this compressor and how quiet its motor is. Cons It takes longer than most ice cream makers we tested to go from batter to ice cream. The Breville Smart Scoop was, hands down, our favorite ice cream compressor. Though automatic, the process took longer than most ice cream makers we tested at 45 minutes. Still, we consider it worth the wait for the quality and how little effort it takes. The ice cream turned out creamy and airy but firm, and the consistency held up well when we returned it to the freezer for a couple of hours and overnight, despite some ice crystals. The Smart Scoop has four firmness settings for sorbet, gelato, ice cream, and frozen yogurt, and the controls are intuitive (though we still recommend a quick read of the owner’s manual first to familiarize yourself with everything it can do). Unlike other models, compressors don’t require popping a bowl into the freezer first. Its “pre-cool” setting lets you freeze the bowl in the machine. And if you do happen to step away towards the end of the process, the “keep cool” setting will maintain your frozen dessert at temperature for 15 minutes after churning. We found it easy to clean, though the small grooves around the lid lock needed extra attention. Price at time of publish: $500 Type: Electric (compressor)Max Capacity: 1.5 quartsWarranty: 1 year Food & Wine / Will Dickey Food & Wine / Will Dickey Food & Wine / Will Dickey Best Attachment KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment Amazon View On Amazon View On Target View On Williams-Sonoma Pros For those with a KitchenAid, it’s less of an investment than many other electric ice cream makers. It’s simple to use and clean. Cons It’s only compatible with a KitchenAid stand mixer. If you already own a KitchenAid, this attachment is a great choice. Using it was easy and hands-off once set up, and we found the manual’s step-by-step photos helpful for getting good results. We ended up spending more time churning than what the manual suggests – an additional five to 10 minutes when making sorbet to get the texture we wanted. While we followed the instructions when adding cookies as a mix-in at 13 minutes into the mixing process, we found that the attachment incorporated the cookies too well, breaking the cookies down into a crumb-like consistency that gave the ice cream a gray color. We would wait to add mix-ins next time. The space between the bowl and mixer felt a bit tight for us, as scraping down the bowl or adding mix-ins was challenging while churning. Also, the bowl needs to come back to room temperature before washing. Otherwise, it’s easy to clean. Price at time of publish: $100 Type: Electric (frozen bowl)Max Capacity: 2 quartsWarranty: 1 year Food & Wine / Will Dickey Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore Food & Wine / Will Dickey Our Favorite The Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream and Frozen Treat Maker rose to the top in our tests for its versatility and ease of use, all at a comparable price point to many of the other models we tested. The Tests Food & Wine We tested 20 of the most popular ice cream makers on the market: four manual; a Kitchen-Aid attachment, and 15 electric, which included four compressors, eight using a frozen bowl, two electric using ice and salt, and an extruder that uses only fruit. After setting up each model and noting our thoughts, we followed the instructions for each model to make ice cream and sorbet. The only exception was the Yonanas soft-serve extruder, which can't be used for anything but fruit sorbet, so it was only tested with frozen fruit. We compared design, ease of use, efficiency, and performance, and strongly emphasized the quality and consistency of the ice cream, considering the texture immediately after churning and after several hours in the freezer. When we used mix-ins (like crumbled cookies), we also looked at how evenly these were distributed in the ice cream. Factors to Consider Food & Wine Type and Design With a range of ice cream makers on the market, you may not know which kind of machine you’re looking for yet. If you have a KitchenAid mixer, for example, you can get by with just an attachment. Otherwise, you’ll likely want a standalone machine. Do you want to be able to set it and forget it, or do you want to be more involved in the process? Think about features, too: do you want an ice cream maker that you can also use for fruit sorbets and drinks or a more basic machine? When it comes to design, look at the ice cream maker practically. Will it fit in the space you have? Is it easy to use and disassemble to clean? Speed and Efficiency A good ice cream maker is efficient: turning batter into ice cream in under an hour. Look for a machine that makes consistently high-quality batches of ice cream, and that’s powerful enough to do it quickly. Food & Wine Cleaning It's so easy to rush into a new love affair with a kitchen appliance that we forget one of the most important steps: cleanup. Ice cream makers vary from being easy to clean to having lots of little parts and bits that need disassembling and scrubbing. Knowing what cleanup is required (and being honest with yourself about how much cleanup you want to do!) will help you pick a machine that works for your life. Frequently Asked Questions How do ice cream makers work? "There are a couple of different styles of home ice cream machines. The most basic version utilizes a hand crank and rock salt. With this type of machine, the crank does require constant manual turning which can be difficult as the ice cream becomes more frozen," says Jacqueline Dole, founder of The Parlor Ice Cream Co.“The more affordable and most popular type of at-home machine utilizes a canister that needs to be frozen prior to churning (generally overnight), while the more expensive machines include a compressor, which allows for no pre-freezing time. In each of these models, you pour your cooled ice cream, custard, or sorbet mixture into the chamber,” says Dole.“Upon starting the machine, a paddle will churn and chill the mixture, which incorporates air into the base. This causes overrun, which is the percentage of the ice cream's expansion from the amount of air incorporated into the base during the churning process. Some at-home ice cream machines that have compressors include the ability to control overrun, allowing users to make gelato (which has a lower overrun) in addition to sorbets and ice creams," says Dole. How long does it take to make ice cream at home? "Hand-crank machines take roughly 20 minutes to use. Models that utilize a pre-frozen canister take roughly 20 to 30 minutes. Models with a compressor can take anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes, depending on the amount of overrun desired. In all of these models, it’s best to remove the ice cream from the canister and scrape it into a container to firm up in the freezer for several hours before serving," says Dole. What is the difference between a compressor and other ice cream makers? "Models that include a compressor require less freezer space and less advanced planning. The user is able to control the overrun of the ice cream, and in my experience, the product is generally much better as the mixture freezes faster," says Dole. What tips do you have for someone making ice cream for the first time? "Be sure to plan ahead! Making ice cream at home can be a multi-day process, from freezing the canister overnight (if applicable) to making and cooling the base before spinning," says Dole. What makes quality ice cream? "I find that using local ingredients whenever possible always makes things taste better. There’s nothing like stopping by the farmers market in the Summer and seeing what’s in season and going from there. Making small batches at home allows you the freedom to take chances on flavor combinations that you don’t see anywhere else,” says Dole.“Love mint chip ice cream but want something a little more savory? Try making an infusion using basil! When I started my ice cream company, I used a Breville Smart Scoop to test all of my flavors on family and friends before developing the recipes on a bigger machine. That little appliance spun – no exaggeration – thousands and thousands of batches and never gave me an issue." Other Ice Cream Makers We Tested Strong Contenders Chef’n Sweet Spot Ice Cream Maker ($51 at Amazon) We loved almost everything about this easy-to-use manual ice cream maker, including the ice cream itself, which rivaled batches we made in electric models. Yet, we knocked it off our list due to capacity, as making just three cups of ice cream by hand would take about 30 minutes. Nostalgia Vintage Electric Ice Cream Maker, 4 Quarts ($50 at Amazon) We love the old-fashioned look of this machine, which churns batches of ice cream with a motor in about 30 minutes. It’s easy to use, and we can see how it would appeal for families, but it made too much of a mess for us to recommend it. Cuisinart ICE-100 Compressor Ice Cream and Gelato Maker ($300 at Amazon) This compressor-style machine offered high-quality final products, yielding smooth ice cream with a soft-serve consistency and smooth frozen yogurt. Instead of presets, it has separate paddles for gelato and ice cream. Its simplicity would make it a great entry-level choice, but it didn't make our final list because it has fewer features than the Breville compressor. What Didn’t Make the List While we found pros and cons to all of the ice cream makers we tested, we can’t recommend them all. For example, the Immergood Stainless Steel Ice Cream Maker ($406 at Amazon) made excellent ice cream, but we found the manual churning process too time-consuming and involved compared to the convenience of electric models, especially considering its price. Comparing ice cream makers costing just under $40 and upwards of $400, it became clear that some are overpriced. Another manual option, the Donvier Manual Ice Cream Maker ($100 at Amazon) didn’t achieve the same quality as the Immergood, and it too seemed too expensive for what you get. Cost became our main con against the Whynter Upright Automatic Ice Cream Maker ($219 at Amazon) and the Whynter Automatic Ice Cream Maker ($222 at Amazon), though we liked that these models didn’t require freezing ingredients first. On the ther hand, a low cost does not mean a good value. We found the Yonanas Classic Soft Serve Maker ($40 at Amazon) not powerful enough to produce a smooth final product. Our Expertise Julia Skinner, Ph.D., is a food writer, historian, and culinary educator based in Atlanta. You can follow her work on social media (@bookishjulia and @rootkitchens) or in her weekly newsletter. Jacqueline Dole is a pastry chef and founder of The Parlor Ice Cream Co., a small batch ice cream company based in Biddeford, Maine. Parlor can be found in retail stores and restaurants throughout New England and has been named best ice cream in the state by Yankee Magazine, DownEast Magazine and Decor Maine. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit