The 7 Best Ice Cream Makers of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

The Criteria: What to Look for in an Ice Cream Maker

We obviously wanted to pick winners that made the smoothest and creamiest ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt. Since many models performed equally well in those regards, we narrowed the list down by taking into account factors such as ease of use and cleanup, price point, and additional features.

We found that these seven winners were the easiest to operate, with wide openings for pouring in the base and toppings and clear buttons and interfaces. We also took into account each model’s weight and footprint. Although we have one top pick, the best unit for you depends on many factors, such as how avid of an ice cream maker you are and how much space and money you can commit in exchange for added convenience.

Our Favorite Ice Cream Makers

What we liked: The small, lightweight model freezes the ice cream base with the assistance of a coolant-lined canister. The canister must be frozen solid before it’s set onto the motor’s housing, which spins the canister while a stationary paddle scrapes the sides of the bowl and churns the ice cream.

It has one of the fastest churn times, at an average of 20 minutes, resulting in a smooth-textured ice cream. The Cuisinart also had a high overrun, at about 30% for American-style ice cream bases. The asymmetrical style of the paddle promotes even folding and mixing, leaving minimal un-scraped base frozen along the canister walls. It features a simple one-touch operation with a wide opening for a full view of the churning action, and so you can easily add mix-ins of any size. The canister has a one-and-a-half-quart capacity; however, for ice creams with a lot of overrun, we don’t recommend churning more than a quart of base at a time.

What we didn’t like: The canister should be frozen until fully solid; the manufacturer recommends a minimum of 16 to 24 hours in a freezer set to 0°F (-18°C). It’s also important to keep in mind that all freezers go through thaw cycles, so if you attempt to churn ice cream immediately after a thaw cycle, it’s possible the canister is not chilled enough, regardless of how long it’s been in the freezer. 

Key Specs

• Stated max capacity: 1.5 quarts
• Canister pre-freeze requirement: 16 to 24 hours
• Average churn time: About 20 minutes
• Dimensions: 9.5 x 9 x 11.25 inches
• Colors: White, pink, red
• Included components: Motor, lid, blade, bowl
• Warranty: 3-year limited

What we liked: If you’re looking for a slightly larger, sturdier version of our top ice cream maker, the Pure Indulgence has a two-quart capacity and a stainless steel body. It uses the same pre-frozen bowl setup to freeze your liquid base, and it was able to churn creamy, airy, ice cream in around 30 minutes. Even after some time in the freezer, the ice cream’s texture held up well in taste tests, with only a slight loss in its creaminess. To top it off, all of its parts are easy to assemble and hand-wash, and the stainless steel body can be quickly wiped down with a damp cloth. 

What we didn’t like: Like any ice cream maker with a pre-frozen bowl, you really need to make sure it’s frozen solid before attempting to make ice cream. This machine also produced a lot of overrun, so if you’re planning on adding mix-ins you might want to limit your liquid base to just a single quart.

Key Specs:

• Style: Canister
• Stated max capacity: 2 quarts
• Canister pre-freeze requirement: 16 to 24 hours
• Average churn time: About 30 minutes
• Dimensions: 8.25 x 8 x 11.25 inches
• Colors: Stainless steel
• Included components: Motor, lid, blade, bowl
• Warranty: Limited 3-year warranty

What we liked: This model from Cuisinart has a compressor that chills the ice cream base without the need to pre-freeze an insert or use a mixture of salt and ice. That means you can churn back-to-back batches of ice cream without needing to chill a canister. A batch of ice cream takes 40 minutes on average to churn, and there is also a “Cool” function that will hold the ice cream for up to 10 minutes.

Just like the canister model from Cuisinart, this one features a minimalist design and simple operation. The interface includes three buttons: one to turn the unit off and on, one to set the churning time, and another to start churning. By default, the timer is set to 60 minutes, but it’s easily adjustable to your desired churn time, and churning can be stopped at any time. The locking lid has clearly marked arrows, making it quick to attach and remove.

The bowl where the churning action happens has a wire handle, which allows you to lift it out. Once the bowl is emptied and washed out, you can immediately churn the next batch without delay—just be sure to thoroughly dry the sides, or the water can freeze the bowl to the unit.

After you’ve removed the paddle, there is no dowel running through the center of the bowl (something present in many of the other models), so your spatula has clear access to scrape out the finished ice cream. The paddle design is similar to that of the canister-style Cuisinart ICE-21 model and therefore yields ice cream with a comparable amount of overrun and a similar final texture. While most ice cream machines warn you not to fill the canister more than 60%, this model tells you not to fill above the top bar on the paddle—a clearly demarcated max-fill line that reduces user error.

The model comes equipped with two paddles, one for gelato bases and another that is supposed to incorporate more air into ice cream bases. After making batches of high- and low-fat ice cream with both paddles, we found that they created ice creams with equal textures and overrun.

What we didn’t like: Both paddles had high, squared shoulders in which ice cream would get stuck, which required stopping the machine intermittently and scraping the ice cream back into the bowl for even churning.

Key Specs

• Style: Compressor
• Stated max capacity: 1.5 quarts
• Canister pre-freeze requirement: N/A
• Average churn time: 40 minutes
• Dimensions: 16.73 x 12 x 9.33 inches
• Colors: Black, silver
• Included components: Bowl, gelato blade, ice cream blade, motor base, recipe booklet
• Warranty: 3-year limited

What we liked: Just like the Cuisinart ICE-100, the Breville Smart Scoop has a compressor for self-freezing capabilities, but what sets this unit apart is its fully automated churning. The model has 12 hardness settings, ranging from softer, spun sorbets to hard, scooped ice cream. 

The Breville automatically stops churning once the ice cream has reached your selected texture by sensing the level of resistance against the paddle as the ice cream freezes and thickens. Once the ice cream is ready, the unit alerts you with (optional) classic ice cream truck jingles. The churned ice cream can be held at the chosen texture for up to three hours, making it perfect for dinner parties and soft-serve ice cream fans. If you prefer to take control over your ice cream churning, the Breville also has a manual option.

Most bases take an average of 40 minutes to complete churning, but if you choose the 10-minute “Precool” option to chill down the machine before adding the base, that churning time can be cut in half (saving you about 10 minutes in total). This unit also has a maximum capacity of one and a half quarts, but, once again, for high-overrun bases, it’s best to churn no more than a quart at a time.

The bowl on this model is easily removable via its sturdy metal handle, allowing for quick cleanup. The lid is also clearly marked, making it easy and to slide into place. The wide opening on the lid lets you easily add mix-ins and keep an eye on the ice cream’s progress.

What we didn’t like: The shape of the paddle results in the ice cream spinning along the center dowel, unlike the folding and sweeping motion produced by the Cuisinart’s paddle. This motion resulted in unevenly distributed mix-ins and left a layer of un-spun, hardened ice cream base along the inside of the bowl. This model is also big, heavy, and expensive, requiring an investment of both money and counter space.

Key Specs

• Style: Compressor
• Stated max capacity: 1.5 quarts
• Canister pre-freeze requirement: N/A
• Average churn time: About 40 minutes
• Dimensions: 15.75 x 11 x 11 inches
• Colors: Silver
• Included components: Cleaning brush, bowl, paddle, motor base
• Warranty: 1-year limited

What we liked: Slightly more expensive than the Cuisinart compressor model, the Whynter is a half-quart larger. It made excellent ice cream and sorbet, the quality of which our taste testers thought was better than anything you could buy in a store. We liked its digital control panel that was illuminated in bright blue, its clearly labeled buttons, and its built-in timer.

What we didn’t like: It’s hard to justify its price bump from the Cuisinart unless the 1/2-quart larger capacity will mean something to you. We did like its snazzy champagne color, though.

Key Specs

• Style: Compressor
• Stated max capacity: 2.1 quarts
• Canister pre-freeze requirement: N/A
• Average churn time: About 39 minutes
• Dimensions: 11.25 x 16.75 x 10.25 inches
• Colors: Champagne
• Included components: Bowl, paddle, motor base
• Warranty: 1-year limited

What we liked: All we can say is: Wow, this machine made exceptional ice cream. With just two switches (on and chill), the Lello Musso was easy to use and we liked its well-made, sleek stainless steel construction. It was also about as whisper-quiet as an ice cream maker could be. 

What we didn’t like: There’s no getting around it: This machine is big (at 38 pounds) and expensive. Another huge ding against it is its bowl doesn’t come out for cleanup. Instead, the manufacturer says, “Pour l/4 to l/2 cup of hot water into the empty bowl.” Then, you wait a few minutes and wipe the bowl out with a damp sponge.

Key Specs

• Style: Compressor
• Stated max capacity: 2 quarts
• Canister pre-freeze requirement: N/A
• Average churn time: About 30 minutes
• Dimensions: 11 x 12 x 18 inches
• Colors: Silver
• Included components: Bowl, paddle, motor base
• Warranty: 1-year

What we liked: This unit by Hamilton Beach lets you experience the old-school fun of a hand-cranked ice cream maker, without requiring any elbow grease. The ice cream base is frozen by surrounding it with a solution of ice and salt, while it is churned by a motor that locks into place on the top of the unit.

This model has the largest capacity of all our winners—perfect for summer family fun—with a canister that holds up to a gallon of ice cream, sorbet, or even margarita base if you’re into making frozen cocktails. The paddle has a metal dowel running through the center for sturdy construction, while the remaining plastic construction keeps it lightweight, allowing for easy storage and use.

This unit was the lowest-priced of all the models at the time of testing, making it a good pick for someone who makes ice cream only occasionally.

What we didn’t like: It had the longest churn time, averaging about one hour, and also gave us icy results. Because this model depends on salt and ice to freeze the ice cream, it can be a messy process, best suited to backyards and patios.

Key Specs

• Style: Salt and ice
• Stated max capacity: 4 quarts
• Canister pre-freeze requirement: N/A
• Average churn time: 1 hour
• Dimensions: 15.3 x 12.5 x 11.1 inches
• Warranty: 1-year

The Competition

• Chef’n Sweet Spot Ice Cream Maker: While it’s technically not an ice cream maker, we did test it, and it did work well. Simply pour your base over the pre-frozen bowl, then use the dual spatulas to spread it thinly until it begins to freeze. You can then scrape the ice cream into rolls. We liked the experience (and the texture of the ice cream), but since it’s not introducing air we couldn’t rate it against our winners.
• Klarstein Sweet Dreams Ice Cream Maker: The Klarstein ice cream machine has a detachable motor located on the top of the unit, rather than housed within it like the others, that rotates the paddle. It can be tricky to set the motor on top and lock it into the paddle—we had to rotate the paddle with tweezers to line up the keyhole to lock the motor into place. Because the motor is on top of the unit, it’s difficult to peer inside the canister to monitor the ice cream churning. The opening for adding mix-ins is very small and located behind the motor, which makes it easy to spill sticky caramel and other mix-ins onto the motor. We worry that the combination of a detachable motor and an opening for mix-ins so close by could make this unit susceptible to breakage.
• Nostalgia Electric Ice Cream Maker: The Hamilton Beach and the Nostalgia ICMP400 operate identically, with the same paddle, capacity, and churn time. We gave a slight edge to the Hamilton Beach because the plastic paddle has a metal dowel running through it, while the Nostalgia has an all-plastic construction.
• KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment: The churning paddle on the KitchenAid stand mixer ice cream maker attachment is square, reaching the very top of the bowl while not fully scraping the bottom. This design led to spillage when adding the base as well as the mix-ins; additions would bounce or pour off the paddle itself. Also, once the base thickened, the paddle appeared to be pushing the ice cream around the bowl, with little scraping or folding motion, rather than the more cyclical, churning motion of other paddles. This resulted in portions of ice cream that appeared both over-churned and greasy, and some that appeared under-churned and icy, at the same time. We didn’t have as obvious of a consistency issue churning lower-fat bases, such as frozen yogurt and sorbet.
• Ariete Ice Cream Maker: The Ariete Ice Cream Maker by DeLonghi has a similar bowl, paddle, and lid design to the Cuisinart, our top compressor pick, and therefore performs very similarly. We ultimately went with the Cuisinart over this model because we prefer the simplicity of the control panel, smaller footprint, and lower price point of the Cuisinart.
• Della Ice Cream Maker: The Della Ice Cream Maker is equipped with a yogurt maker function, which warms the milk and culture up to set it before chilling it down to serving temperature. If you’re interested in an ice-cream-and-yogurt-machine combo, then this is your best bet. However, compared with its competition, this unit took the longest to fully churn the ice creams and sorbets, upwards of 70 minutes. The touchscreen panel is also not very sensitive; we had to press down hard to activate the buttons.
• Whynter Automatic Ice Cream Maker: The Whynter ice cream machine was the top pick for Wirecutter and performed well in our tests, producing smooth ice cream. We ultimately chose the Cuisinart ICE-100 as our top compressor model, for its smaller footprint and lower price, and another Whynter model that had a slight edge performance-wise.
• Beautiful by Drew Barrymore 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker with Touch Activated Display: We didn’t like that the top was opaque, which made it hard to monitor the ice cream’s progress.

FAQs

How long does an ice cream maker need to freeze?

This depends both on the type of ice cream maker you’re using and the temperature of your freezer. The instructions that come with our top pick ice cream maker—Cuisinart’s ICE-21—call for a 16- to 24-hour freeze at 0°F (-18°C). This means you’ll need to plan accordingly for your ice cream-making endeavors. A word to the wise: If you shake your ice cream maker’s bowl and hear any liquid sloshing around after freezing it, put it back in the freezer. It’s not yet ready to make ice cream.

Is an ice cream maker worth it?

If you love ice cream and you have the space in your kitchen to accommodate an ice cream maker, then yes, it’s worth it. Using an ice cream maker does take some planning and patience, but once you get the hang of your machine and the basic technique for making ice cream, you can go wild with flavor combinations and add-in ingredients.

How much is an ice cream machine?

Our overall top pick is about $70, while our favorite, splurge-y ice cream maker is about $500 (and we’ve got picks in between and beyond these prices). So, you can really spend what you want to.

Can you make ice cream without a machine?

No-churn ice cream recipes that don’t require an ice cream maker are definitely a thing, but don’t be surprised if the texture isn’t quite the same. The smooth, melting consistency of churned ice cream is the result of air incorporated into the creamy base, and while you can partially achieve this with a whisk attachment and a stand mixer, it’s tough to match the results of a well-designed, properly chilled ice cream maker.

Which is better: An all-in-one ice cream machine or a manual or freezer bowl ice cream machine?

While it depends on your needs and how serious you are about your ice cream, we think that all-in-one ice cream machines with built-in cooling systems tend to produce creamier, less icy ice cream. That said, the recipe you choose also affects results. So, in the end, you can still make great ice cream in a hand-churn or freezer bowl-style machine.

Is the Ninja Creami a good ice cream maker?

While it’s much-hyped on social media, we didn’t like the Ninja Creami. For starters, it’s very loud. It also made inconsistent results, was large and difficult to assemble, and, overall, was far too expensive given its usability and performance issues.

Why We’re the Experts

• Sohla El-Waylly has worked for some of New York City’s best restaurants and is a cookbook author, social media star, video personality, and recipe developer for NYT Cooking.
• Sohla has written many equipment-related stories and recipes for Serious Eats, including reviews of ice cream makers and immersion blenders.
• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the commerce associate editorial director at Serious Eats. She’s been with the site since 2021 and previously worked at America’s Test Kitchen, Food52, and EatingWell. 
• Riddley’s written numerous reviews, including air fryers. 
• For this review, we tested 15 ice cream makers. We also recently retested new models—comparing them to our favorite machines.
• This means that for about six years, our favorite ice cream makers have been continually used and re-tested—to make sure they’re still the best.
• Jesse Raub (Serious Eats’ former commerce writer) and Summer Rylander (a freelance food journalist) updated this review by adding in newly tested models and helping to answer frequently asked questions from readers.