Making your own ice cream can be great, but what are the best makers? This guide shows the 5 best ice cream makers we tested in 2021.
We all love ice cream. On a sweltering summer day, it’s a joy. Ice cream is practically a necessity in many parts of the world, and with good reason.
Yet, what if you want to make it at home? Then what are the top ice cream makers for your kitchen?
Whether you’re looking for the most reasonably priced option or want something that will do the job hands-free, we have the perfect picks for you. What’s more, making ice cream at home is super easy with these five ice cream makers.
Read on as we look at the five best ice cream makers around.
1. Cuisinart ICE-21 (~US $70.00)
The Cuisinart ICE-21 is a reasonably priced pint-sized ice cream maker machine for creating your favorite pint. With it, you can create a smooth batch of classic vanilla or a well-blended mini-vat of rocky road.
What’s more, this ice cream maker is as simple as it gets. It has two settings—on and off.
Pros
When it comes to ice cream makers, it doesn’t get any easier than this. The Cuisinart ICE-21 ice cream maker feeds easily from the top. Also, it will make your favorite frozen treats in about 20 minutes.
Cons
It’s great that this unit doesn’t take up much counter space, but there’s a trade-off. It only makes a quart and a half of ice cream at a time
2. Breville Smart Scoop (~US $700.00)
The Breville Smart Scoop is the Cadillac of ice cream makers—if you will, which is why it made our list. You can use it to make several batches of ice cream in the same evening, and it even allows you to set various hardness levels.
Pros
With this ice cream maker, there’s no need to pre-freeze the canister. Also, it has a keep cool mode if you want to enjoy your ice cream straight from the vat.
Cons
This unit is heavy and big. What’s more, it will leave a hefty footprint on your counter.
Yet, it produces the same amount of ice cream as our previous entry, although, it will do so with many more conveniences. Also, did you see the price tag for this thing? Yikes!
3. Nostalgia 4-Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker (~US $40.00)
Unlike the luxury wonder of technology above, Nostalgia’s 4-Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker has a wonderfully reasonable price tag. The Nostalgia unit is the kind of ice cream maker that’s perfect for summer fun with the kids. However, its resulting product isn’t top-notch, so I wouldn’t use this ice cream maker if I wanted to impress my in-laws with my kitchen prowess.
Pros
It’s super cheap.
Cons
It doesn’t have a cooling function, so you’ll need a lot of ice to get your ice cream party started—a lot.
4. Whynter 2.1 Quart Upright (~US $325.00)
The Whynter 2.1 Quart Upright ice cream maker is a moderately priced unit, and it’s one of our favorites. You can count on it to make delightfully delicious frozen treats—as long as you don’t get too fancy.
Pros
The Whynter 2.1 Quart Upright ice cream maker blends delicious ice cream. Like our other pricer units, there’s no need to pre-freeze the canister.
Cons
It takes a long time to make ice cream—read an hour or more for a batch. Also, this ice cream maker struggles with more complex recipes such as Rocky Road ice cream and frozen yogurt recipes.
5. Cuisinart Cool Creations ICE-70 (~US $150.00)
If you want Cuisinart quality without mortgaging your home, this is the ice cream maker for you. The price tag of the Cuisinart Cool Creations ICE-70 ice cream maker comes in at the middle of the road.
However, its resulting product is comparable to its super-powered cousin, the Cuisinart ICE-21. It even has separate modes for ice cream, gelato and sorbets.
Pros
Despite its perks, the Cuisinart Cool Creations ICE-70 ice cream maker is easy to use. It also features a handy countdown timer.
Cons
An ice cream maker machine isn’t a must-have appliance. With this in mind, its price tag might prove a little high for some peoples’ tastes.
Getting the Most out of the Best Ice Cream Makers Around
There’s a place for healthy eating in all parts of our diets—except when it comes to homemade ice cream. With homemade ice cream, getting the best results relies heavily on using a dairy product with high-fat content, such as heavy cream. (Sorry. Maybe make your homemade ice cream on your diet cheat day?)
Also, you’ll want to plan ahead for the best results. If you’re going to churn up a frozen treat, don’t even think about giving it a try unless you’ve totally chilled the base.
Make sure you put the bowl in the freezer the day before you plan to use your ice cream maker. Even better, you can keep the bowl stored in a bag in your freezer so that it’s ready to go whenever the urge hits you to whip up a batch.
Also, give your recipe room to breathe. Your ice cream mixture needs room to aerate in the vat. It will only spill over the sides if you overfill the machine anyway.
Finally, don’t expect DIY ice cream to come out just like your favorite frozen treat at the grocery store. You’ll want to churn it until it has the consistency of soft serve. Then, you can place it in the freezer and give it a little more time to transform into the hardened, iced treat that you crave.
What’s the Scoop? Should You Make Your Own Ice Cream?
Anyone who prepares recipes from scratch wants to know if the extra work is worth the trade-off. When it comes to ice cream, the answer is a big “Yes.”
You won’t sculpt your summer body eating homemade ice cream, but it’s still much healthier than the store-bought variety. Mass-produced ice cream is full of preservatives. However, there’s no need for preservatives in homemade ice cream because it most likely won’t last long enough to spoil (😉, 😉).
Indulge in Delicious Homemade Goodies
We hope you’ve enjoyed our peek at five of the best ice cream makers around and get to make the most of your summer with one of them.
One of the best ways to enjoy the summer is with the sweet flavor of ice cream made in your own home. You deserve a break from the heat, and there few better ways to enjoy a summertime break than with a batch of homemade ice cream.
Still, your sweet indulgence doesn’t have to end there. If this post has stirred up your sweet tooth, not to worry. Check out our baking and dessert section for the inside scoop on more sweet treats.
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