Buying guide for Best ice cream makers

Ice cream is one of those rare childhood treats that we still get excited about. There are few things in life that are as satisfying as digging into a bowl of cold, creamy comfort. The only way it can get better is if you craft your own. It's not hard, but it is immensely rewarding. Especially with the right ice cream maker.

Choosing the best ice cream maker comes down to how hands-on you want to be, how much you want to make, and how patient you are. Old-fashioned, rock salt, ice, and hand-crank models produce creamy ice cream, but you'll have to work for it. Conversely, a modern unit allows you to toss in the ingredients and enjoy.

Perhaps the most popular type of ice cream maker is the frozen bowl ice cream maker. You add ingredients to the empty frozen bowl and place the bowl in the ice cream machine. We evaluate many models of this design to find the top performers.

When evaluating ice cream makers, we assess their overall ease of operation, paying particular attention to those that are intuitive and easy to use.

Some ice cream makers are compact and suitable for small spaces. Others are large and take up a fair amount of counter space. In our evaluation process, we consider each ice cream maker’s footprint in the kitchen.

Ice cream makers vary in the amount of ice cream they can make at once. We look at machines that produce different quantities, from 1 quart to 1 gallon or more.

We research entry-level ice cream makers with one basic function — making ice cream — and high-end, heavy-duty ice cream makers that can create a variety of desserts.

Old-fashioned manual ice cream machines require time and labor, but many modern ice cream machines require little time and effort. Some models don’t even require a pre-frozen bowl. In our evaluation process, we consider how much time and effort is needed to operate each model.

Because some people love soft serve while others prefer hard ice cream, we look for machines that offer different firmness settings.

Consistent, high-quality results is one of the primary characteristics we look for in an ice cream maker.

Some ice cream makers can crank out a batch in under 30 minutes. Others take much longer. When assessing value and performance, we factor in how long each model takes to complete a batch.

For many shoppers, brand is an important consideration when choosing a kitchen appliance. We thoroughly research and evaluate ice cream makers from top brands to find superior picks.

How does an ice cream maker work?

To make ice cream, you need to slowly churn your chilled ingredients while simultaneously freezing them. The churning works plenty of air into the mixture — this gives the dessert its creamy, smooth texture — and the freezing, of course, is what defines ice cream.

You can make ice cream entirely by hand. Combine your ingredients in a bowl, place it in the freezer, remove to stir, return to freezer, take out and stir, place back in the freezer, and so on until the ice cream is done.

This is can be tedious, however. An ice cream maker greatly simplifies and speeds up the process.

Types of ice cream makers

There are three basic types of ice cream makers for use at home. There are a few specialty types as well.

Traditional ice cream maker

This is the old-fashioned ice cream maker you might remember from childhood. It’s a bucket that you fill with a mixture of rock salt and ice, which acts as a refrigerant to freeze the ice cream while you work. An inner container holds the ice cream ingredients.

Once you’ve added your ingredients, you crank the handle … and crank, and crank, and crank for half an hour or so until the ice cream sets. If you don’t want to give your arm such an intense workout, there are traditional ice cream machines with an electric churner to do the hard part for you.

Pros:

• Traditional machines crank out a lot of super creamy ice cream, often a gallon or more per session, making them a good choice for a large family.
• Nothing needs to be pre-frozen, and they are the least expensive type of ice cream maker.
• You can buy a good one for less than $50.

Cons:

• You need to have plenty of rock salt and ice on hand, and these machines can be messy.
• If you are using a manual machine, your arm is going to get very tired before the ice cream is done.

Frozen bowl ice cream maker

This is the most popular type of home ice cream maker today. After freezing the empty ingredient bowl overnight, you add your ingredients and place the bowl in the machine. The machine churns the ingredients until the ice cream is ready. There’s no fuss with rock salt and ice and far less mess to contend with.

On the downside, you can’t make ice cream on a whim; you need to freeze the bowl in advance. You can solve this problem by storing the bowl in the freezer between uses. Expect to spend $50 to $100 for a frozen bowl machine.

Pros:

• There is no need for salt and no cranking by hand. Very little cleanup is required with a frozen bowl machine.

Cons:

• You need to freeze the bowl in advance. These machines don’t crank out a lot of ice cream per session; most produce one to two quarts.

Compressor ice cream maker

These machines have their own built-in freezer, so there’s no need to pre-freeze any of the components. Just add your ingredients and flip the switch; the machine will take care of the rest.

Compressor ice cream makers tend to produce the creamiest results with the least risk of ice crystals or coarse texture, as they keep the ingredients consistently cold throughout the entire process. These machines generally have quite a few bells and whistles as well: digital countdown timers, “keep cool” functions, and various settings for different types of frozen desserts, such as sorbet, frozen yogurt, or gelato.

You’ll pay for the convenience of a compressor ice cream maker. Most quality models cost $200 or more. And you’ll typically only get one or two quarts of frozen goodness per session.

Pros:

• With a compressor machine, you don’t have to pre-freeze anything in advance. The results are very creamy and smooth with minimal mess, and there’s no hand-cranking.

Cons:

• These machines take up a lot of counter space. They are expensive.

KitchenAid ice cream bowl

If you own one of the popular KitchenAid mixers, you can buy an attachment that works as a frozen bowl ice cream maker. Freeze the bowl in advance, and then use your mixer’s blades to churn out two quarts of delicious ice cream.

Pros:

• The KitchenAid Ice Cream Bowl is a great way to multitask if you already own a KitchenAid mixer. You won’t have to store an extra appliance.

Cons:

• You have to pre-freeze the bowl. But if you already own a KitchenAid — and you really like ice cream — that’s the only con to this attachment.

Ice cream ball

This is basically an old-fashioned rock-salt-and-ice device, but instead of cranking by hand, you roll and play with the ice cream ball until your ice cream is ready. It’s a lot of fun for kids and a good way to keep them entertained on a camping trip or family night.

These quirky ice cream makers aren’t cheap, though. You’ll spend about the same amount you would for a frozen bowl machine.

Pros:

• Ice cream balls are fun for kids. They require no electricity.

Cons:

• These ice cream makers only produce about one pint of ice cream. They’re expensive for what is essentially a gadget. The ice cream isn’t nearly as smooth as that made by other types of machines.

Tips for making delicious ice cream

If you’re going to bother making your own ice cream, it makes sense to create the most delicious, creamy, frozen goodness possible. These tips will help you reach your ice cream goals.

Don’t rush

The ice cream “batter” needs to be really cold before starting the churning process. If you want good results, you’ll need to be patient.

Don’t skimp on quality

The best ice cream comes from the best ingredients. Use cream, not milk. Choose real vanilla, not imitation flavor.

Don’t worry about calories

What gives ice cream its creamy mouthfeel is milk fat, and plenty of it. So go ahead and use heavy cream, not half-and-half.

Fresh is best

You’ll enjoy the most delicious ice cream when you start with the freshest cream, eggs, and other ingredients.

Store it right

Shallow, wide containers are better than tall, fat containers for storing ice cream. It will stay softer and be less likely to develop ice crystals.

Add-ins go at the end

If you want to add fruit, nuts, chocolate chunks, coconut, or any other add-in to your ice cream, it should be folded in once the churning process is complete. And make sure to chop all add-ins into very small pieces.

Recipe for vanilla ice cream

It may be mocked as “plain vanilla,” but there’s a reason this flavor is the most popular choice for ice cream. It’s delicious on its own, yet it’s versatile enough to add sweetness to many other desserts.

Here’s how to make a basic (yet flavorful) vanilla ice cream at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 2 ¼ cups whole milk

• ¾ cup white sugar

• 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat the cream, milk, and sugar until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot. Be careful not to let the ingredients boil.

2. Pour the mixture into a storage container and stir in the vanilla extract.

3. Let cool to just warm. Then, refrigerate overnight.

4. Pour the batter into your ice cream machine and follow the machine’s standard procedure.

5. Let the ice cream chill in the freezer for a couple of hours before digging in and enjoying it. So good!

Instead of using add-ins like chocolate chips straight from bag, make your own so that you can prep them for ice cream. For example, making chocolate with extra canola oil will help keep them from hardening.

Tips for making delicious ice cream

• Don’t overfill your ice cream machine, or it’s likely to overflow. A good rule of thumb is to fill it no more than two-thirds from the top.

• Over-mixed ice cream is icy and rough. Let your machine get the ice cream to a just-done consistency, and then give the ice cream an hour or more in the freezer to finish the process. You’ll be rewarded with creamier dessert.

• For the best texture, let ice cream sit at room temperature for five minutes before serving. And then use a wet spoon – not a warm one – to scoop out the sweet goodness.

• If you’re using a frozen bowl machine, don’t skimp on the freezing time. A half-hour isn’t going to cut it. You need to leave the bowl in the freezer for several hours, preferably at least overnight. But for the very best results, freeze the bowl for 24 hours before making ice cream.

• Once you have your ice cream ingredients in the bowl, start the mixing process immediately. Otherwise, your dessert is likely to freeze into a hard chunk of sweet ice.

• The longer your ice cream is in the machine, the more likely it will develop ice crystals. As soon as your ice cream is done mixing, remove it from the machine.