When you think about ice cream makers – the first thing that may come to your mind is summer!
Are you looking for an ice maker? Read our comprehensive guide to buying an ice maker.
We love summer too! Summer is great for grabbing those cold treats and relaxing by the pool. But ice cream is not just for summer – it’s for any time.
There is never a wrong time to have an ice cream cone, an ice cream sundae, or some other frozen treat. We love ice coffee, but ice cream is in a class all to itself.
The best way to make your own ice cream is by purchasing an ice cream maker. With the advancement in household appliances, we can quickly and easily make ice cream within the comfort of our own home.
Related: Ice Cream Ball Review
What are the best ice cream makers that are available on the market today? We have put together a comprehensive buyer’s guide that will guide you through the buying process.
To make the right decision, we have divided this list into three categories: Attachments, Frozen Bowls, and a compressor unit.
TOP ATTACHMENT ICE CREAM MAKERS
Ice cream attachments that you add to an appliance that you already own
1. The KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment
If you have a KitchenAid mixer, then this is an excellent choice for you.
The KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker attachment produces two quarts of fantastic soft ice cream in as little as 20 minutes. It’s super easy to use and set up, and cleaning is a snap.
When we purchased this attachment for our KitchenAid mixer, it was really simple to get started. We washed down the bowl with warm water and soap, and then placed it in the freezer overnight. We then placed the attachment in our mixer and added the ice cream mix.
It didn’t take long before it started to get thick and creamy.
Before purchasing this attachment, you want to make sure that you get the correct one for your KitchenAid Mixer. Just double check that the ice cream attachment will fit your model.
This attachment allows you to create some unbelievable frozen treats, and because you already have a KitchenAid mixer, you don’t have to store another small appliance on your countertop.
TOP FROZEN BOWL ICE CREAM MAKERS:
The home ice cream makers listed below all need to freeze the bowl overnight before you can start making ice cream. This can be frustrating if you want to make some ice cream but forgot to freeze the bowl the night before.
Check out our top picks below.
1. Cuisinart ICE-30R Pure Indulgence Frozen Yogurt-Sorbet & Ice Cream Maker
The Cuisinart ICE-30R has a double-insulated freezer bowl, can hold up to 2 quarts of frozen deliciousness, and can be ready in as little as 25 minutes.
With its brushed nickel housing and its embossed logo, this ice cream maker is as sexy as it is practical. The price point for this machine is fantastic, but also its heavy-duty motor and large ingredient spout makes this ice cream maker a home run in both quality and value.
Did we also mention that it has a three-year limited warranty? No wonder this is one of the top-selling ice cream makers on the internet.
We have provided a link above so that you can take advantage of the lowest price we could find online.
2. The Cuisinart ICE-21R Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker, With its Sexy Red Design
Another great ice cream maker available on Amazon is the Cuisinart ICE-21R.
This ice cream maker has several features that are worth noting.
First, the design of the mixing paddle allows your frozen dessert to be ready in 20 minutes.
Second, the large spout with its secure lock and transparency makes adding your favorite ingredients so simple and without any mess.
Its price is also really hard to beat. With all of these great features and with Its low price- no wonder this home ice cream maker has made our list.
We’ve found you the best price, so click on the link above and head over to Amazon for more information.
3. The Hamilton Beach 68330N 4-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Maker
The Hamilton Beach, ice cream maker, is an awesome solution to that “no having ice cream” problem. With this ice cream maker, you can now make cool treats in your own kitchen in 20-40 minutes.
This ice cream maker produces 4 quarts of ice cream, and with its fully automatic operation – you don’t have to sweat it to get the sweet stuff.
All you have to do is add your ingredients: ice, rock salt, and this ice maker will do all the rest for you.
The Hamilton Beach ice cream maker is an excellent ice cream maker for those family gatherings – gather together as a family and create some ice cream memories.
Build some superb ice cream sundaes together – and smile and laugh the night away.
We recommend adding some candy, or fresh fruit. Wow! I mean the sky is the limit, and you get to taste your creations as you go.
We found you the absolute best price online, so click on the link below for more information.
THE TOP COMPRESSOR ICE CREAM MAKERS
These ice cream makers have a built-in compressor, so the unit itself does all the freezing for you without any extra effort.
With these ice cream makers, you don’t have to freeze a bowl overnight. You just grab the unit and ingredients for the ice cream, and you’re ready to rock and roll.
1. Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop Ice Cream
The Breville BC1600XL Smart Scoop is one of the best.
Its self-refrigerating compressor means that it stays cold during the entire process, and pre-freezing is not required.
This ice maker also has 12 hardness settings for your frozen desserts so that you can quickly make sorbet, frozen yogurt, gelato and ice cream.
The Breville Smart Scoop has the ability to stay cool for three hours, and also features a child lock just in case your little one wants an early taste.
One big CON with the Smart Scoop is that it does have a pretty steep price. You can head over to Amazon by clicking the button above and read more about it.
If you love the idea of purchasing a self-refrigerating compressor ice cream maker, but you’re not crazy about the price. After you’ve read about the Smart Scoop and you’re excited about purchasing this type of machine, but there was no way you were going to pay that much for an ice cream maker. You may want to give the Whynter ICM-15LS a look (click on the link to head over to Amazon). The Whynter ICE-15LS is pretty close to the Smart Scoop with features, just cheaper.
For more information about the Winter ICM-15LS, you can head over to Amazon by clicking here.
2. Cuisinart ICE-50BC Supreme Ice Cream Maker
This fully automatic ice cream maker has features that are truly boast worthy.
It’s a one and a half quart, frozen dessert maker that is sexy in its design.
It also has a commercial-style compressor, so you don’t need to pre-freeze the bowl-like many of the others. All you have to do is set the timer, and the ice cream maker will automatically shut off when your ice cream is ready.
It has a removable bowl for easy cleaning and features a very powerful motor. The handy recipe book that’s included is also a nice touch.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ICE CREAM MAKER FOR YOUR HOME
Consider How Long It Takes to Make Ice Cream
Like most ice making appliances, you have to consider how long it takes to produce the end goal – ice cream. Usually, it will take 20 or so minutes to make ice cream, and that’s okay. You don’t want to wait for hours before you can enjoy all your hard work. Before you purchase your ice cream maker, make sure that you check to see how long it takes to complete the ice cream making cycle. I mean, if you’re going to wait for hours to get ice cream you might as well go to the store and buy it.
Consider How Much Ice Cream It Makes
The next important feature that you will need to consider is how much ice cream it produces in one sitting. Will it be enough for your whole family? You don’t want anyone to be left out. Plus, can you have too much ice cream? I don’t think so.
Consider Its Power
When it comes to ice cream makers, the more power the ice cream maker has, the better. It’s like Tim the Toolman Taylor always said on the Home Improvement tv show, “more power!”
I would also recommend that you invest in an electric ice cream maker and not a hand-churning one. You don’t have time to sit there and make the ice cream – it’s better to sit back and relax and know that soon you’re going to have a wonderful frozen treat.
Do You Need An Ice Cream Maker?
I’m not sure if “need” is the right word to use.
Prices are getting higher every single day. It’s becoming more and more expensive to take the family out for ice cream. Ice Cream makers are a great way to enjoy ice cream without the extra expense, and you can make your own creations. You can create and have fun!
Gather the family for ice cream tonight and make your very own ice cream desserts.
It’s also important to note that ice cream makers are also great for making slushies. We often will add fruit juice or even soda to our ice cream maker and make cool slushies on those hot summer days.
For a great time and lots of memories, choose one of the ice cream makers listed above. Again, we added the Amazon links to help you make the right decision on which ice cream maker to purchase.
If you have any questions or comments, you can use the comment section below.
