Best Ice Cream Makers in 2020: My Top 5 Picks Based on Experience

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Something is quite fulfilling about making ice cream on your own. For this reason, I’ve tried out various tools to be in a position to inform you objectively about the best ice cream makers you can get in the mall or online right now. The appliances I will review are quite advanced, meaning you’ll be spared from the tasking endeavor of turning the churning paddle until you break a sweat during the already hot summer days.

After all, you want to be lounging in the summer, not struggling with making ice cream. Right?

It is essential to note that with the best ice cream makers, everything is pretty much-taken care of. You won`t have to mix the contents manually, freeze the ice cream vessel, post-freeze your ice cream, and stay stirring throughout to ensure that you attain the light and fluffy consistency we all love. Instead, you’ll toss your contents into the appliance and wait for anywhere between one-and-a-half to two hours to get a natural, thick, delightful ice cream.

What Are the Best Ice Cream Makers: Comparison Table

Technical Details

Brand Name

Lello

Item Weight

38 pounds

Product Dimensions

17.7 x 11.8 x 10.6 inches

Capacity

1 quart

Installation Type

freestanding

Special Features

timer controls operation for different frozen confections

Color

silver

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Technical Details

Brand Name

Breville

Item Weight

30 pounds

Product Dimensions

15.8 x 11 x 11 inches

Capacity

1.5 quart

Installation Type

freestanding

Special Features

fully automatic or manual functionality: Keep cool setting for up to 3 hours

Color

silver

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Technical Details

Brand Name

Whynter

Item Weight

25 pounds

Product Dimensions

10.8 x 12.5 x 14.2 inches

Capacity

2.1 quarts

Installation Type

freestanding

Special Features 

LCD timer control. Reliable built-in audible timer

Color

silver/black

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Technical Details

Brand Name

Cuisinart

Item Weight

23.7 pounds

Product Dimensions

16.7 x 12 x 9.3 inches

Capacity

1.5 quarts 

Installation Type

freestanding

Special Features

60-minute countdown timer with touchpad controls and a blue LCD readout

Color

silver/black

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Technical Details

Brand Name

Espressione

Item Weight

23.8 pounds

Product Dimensions

12 x 16 x 13 inches

Capacity

1 liter

Installation Type

freestanding

Special Features

digital LCD display and control buttons make operation easy and provides temperature information with time remaining

Color

silver

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Advice on Picking the Best Home Ice Cream Makers

What is best ice cream makers, and how do you get your hands on the right one?

Before you start shortlisting ice cream makers, you should know that these devices essentially come in two varieties. The first category is those that you freeze the bowl of the machine before you begin churning your ice cream. With this type of device, you must first place the bowl in the freezer until it is entirely frozen (mostly overnight) for it to work. Bowl machines come in smaller sizes and cost less. However, they need more attention from the user as they run manually. You will need to turn it off yourself when churning time is up. If you do opt for a bowling machine, be sure that the bowl will fit inside your freezer.

ice cream homemade

The other type is an ice cream machine that has an inbuilt freezer unit. This type of device is usually larger size-wise and is intended for placement on kitchen countertops. With this one, you do not remove the bowl. It freezes the bowl before use. If you have this maker, you don’t need to be there to switch it off once your treat is ready. It stops automatically after the inputted time is over. Then, it switches to storage mode and can keep the ice cream fresh for hours. However, these machines will cost significantly more than bowl ice cream makers.

Now that you know the two available types of ice cream makers, here are a few tips for selecting the best ice cream makers for home:

  • Capacity
    The amount of ice cream you will be making at a go should be a critical factor when deciding what ice cream maker to buy. So, read the machine description to know if it can make enough ice cream for everyone in your home. A small bowl ice cream maker will be ideal if you are planning to make small-sized batches every once in a while. But, for higher and more frequent demands, you might want to go for a compressor unit.
  • Ease of use
    Ease of use simply refers to how comfortable you feel when using particular equipment. Most times, how easy a machine is to get used to depends on the technology it is built on. The best home ice cream makers in usability are the automatic electric ones. They eliminate most of the manual effort and allows you to do other activities while the ice cream churns.
  • Efficiency & time
    When picking the equipment to make ice cream on your own, you should figure out how much time it will take to produce the ice cream. Details to look for include whether the machine needs bowl pre-freezing, how much time it takes to make one batch, and if it can make many batches at once. Some machines can make ice cream in a couple of minutes while others can take up to a whole day.
  • Price
    Finally, you will want to decide how much you are ready to use on an ice cream maker. So, you can pick something that is within your budget. Prices vary significantly, as do the appliances. Expect to pay a premium for the best ice cream makers for home use.

Ice Cream Makers Reviews

Right below is my pick of the five best ice cream makers. Each review contains an in-depth description, and a list of the key features for each product.

Technical Details

Brand Name

Lello

Item Weight

38 pounds

Product Dimensions

17.7 x 11.8 x 10.6 inches

Capacity

1 quart

Installation Type

freestanding

Special Features

timer controls operation for different frozen confections

Color

silver

Pros

  • It’s easy to tidy, given the stainless-steel exterior.
  • Plus, it enables you to monitor your ice cream to the minute.
  • Best of all, it is automatic.

Cons


  • It is somewhat costly.

The Musso Lussino is one of the best ice cream makers brands available today. With this appliance, you can make a frozen dessert to enjoy on a summer afternoon without much hassle. And although it’s all about ice cream here, this appliance also helps you make other delicious desserts such as Italian gelato, iced drinks, silky sherbets, and froyos.

Manufactured by Lello in Italy, the Musso Lussino is automatic and timer-controlled. See, all you have to do is to put your components into the maker’s bowl, set your time by pressing two buttons, and then after thirty minutes you’ll have your one-and-a-half quarts of a cold dessert ready to be eaten.

Worth mentioning is that this kitchen machine is often among the best-rated ice cream makers as you do not have to freeze its ice cream vessel for hours in the freezer. Therefore, you can start making another batch of ice-cream right after you finish the preceding one. Another reason it is one of the best ice cream makers around its ability to power off automatically when the dessert gets very hard.

lello musso ice makers with ice cream

Regarding appearance, the Lussino boasts of an excellent look, with a stainless-steel bowl, paddle, and housing. Due to this external cover, cleaning the machine is quite simple. It weighs 39.7 lbs., has a size of one-and-a-half quarts, and dimensions of 17.7 by 10.6 by 11.8 inches.

If you run into any issues while using the appliance during the first year, you can request for free repairs since the item has a one-year warranty. Furthermore, there is a manual as well as several recipes in the packaging. All that said, the machine has one of the best reviews of ice cream makers among users.

The following are the item’s key features:

  • One to the one-and-a-half-quart capacity vessel
  • Fully automatic
  • Timer-controlled
  • Stainless steel paddle, bowl, and casing

Technical Details

Brand Name

Breville

Item Weight

30 pounds

Product Dimensions

15.8 x 11 x 11 inches

Capacity

1.5 quart

Installation Type

freestanding

Installation Type

fully automatic or manual functionality: Keep cool setting for up to 3 hours

Color

silver

Pros


  • It can tell the firmness of ice-cream on auto mode.

Cons


It is among the best automatic ice cream makers you can get in retail stores, malls, or the internet. It is one of the best ice cream makers for beginners as it is entirely uncomplicated. This frozen delicacy appliance has an auto firmness setting that makes it sense the rigidity of the ice cream against your preference. Then, it maintains the required solidity until the time of indulgence.

This kitchen machine has a kid lock, it is manufactured using plastics without bisphenol A, and has a sound notification to inform you when your chilled delight is ready. Moreover, you can pick one among 3 musical tones as your alert.

Manufactured by Breville Co. headquartered in California, USA, this iced treat appliance has dimensions of 15.8 by 11 by 11 inches. The item weighs about 30 pounds and can thus be put on any kitchen surface. It is silver in color and is covered by a one-year warranty. As such, you can always take the item for a free repair, request for it to replaced, or access any other suitable remedy if your product presents artistry or material issues before the specified warranty duration elapses.

You’ll come across a user guide that assists you to comprehend how to use the product effectively. Essential issues in the document include safety practices, the appliance’s components, functions, usage instructions, maintenance and cleaning, and troubleshooting information. The directions contained in the user guide are also available in French.

What makes Smart Scoop rank among the best electric ice cream makers? Check out its features:

  • A self-freezing compressor
  • Manual and auto capability
  • Twelve firmness options
  • Pre-cooling capability

Technical Details

Brand Name

Whynter

Item Weight

25 pounds

Product Dimensions

10.8 x 12.5 x 14.2 inches

Capacity

2.1 quarts

Installation Type

freestanding

Special Features 

LCD timer control. Reliable built-in audible timer

Color

silver/black

Pros


  • Bisphenol A-free material.

Cons

  • It churns very fast.

The Whynter is ice cream makers best buy. In addition to helping you make an iced treat hassle-free; this home appliance allows you to make velvety gelato and sherbets in line with your preferences. This kitchen machine is uncomplicated and will catch you with its excellent build. There is a tiny footprint which makes putting the machine on any kitchen surface possible. It is among the best brands of ice cream makers available since you can use it in three distinct modes. These are ice cream, mixing only, and cooling only.

This machine is among the ice cream makers best rated for their customization ability. You are at liberty to halt the cycle temporarily by hitting the “Pause” button at any time. This way, you can proceed to assess the fluidity of your mix, sprinkle chopped fruits to enrich the taste or pour in essence.

The exterior of the Whynter chilled delight maker is stainless steel and has an LCD control panel for setting your preferences. Furthermore, this kitchen appliance can keep the mixture from liquefying. Also, there is a motor protection function that bars the machine from churning, thus, avoiding the destruction of the motor or overheating when the chilled contents solidify. Furthermore, it has an integrated compressor freezer that makes non-stop use possible without the need to pre-freeze the vessel.

whynter icm 201sb upright stainless steel ice cream maker

This appliance has one of the best ice cream makers reviews among users due to tons of reasons. First, it weighs about 25 pounds, which makes it easy to fit it in any kitchen top. Regarding dimensions, the appliance measures 10.8 by 12.5 by 14.2 inches. It is entirely easy on the eye, given its stainless-steel casing and quite easy to wipe for the same reason. It effortlessly makes it to the list of the best electric ice cream makers because it is quite safe to use when connected to an AC power source.

That said, be sure to request for a warranty from customer service to ensure that you are covered for any defects within the first year of use.

The following features are what make Whynter the best brand of ice cream makers:

  • 2.1 quarts or two-liter capacity
  • 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit to -31 degrees Fahrenheit cooling capability
  • LCD timer and temperature display
  • Great compressor cooling

Technical Details

Brand Name

Cuisinart

Item Weight

23.7 pounds

Product Dimensions

16.7 x 12 x 9.3 inches

Capacity

1.5 quarts 

Installation Type

freestanding

Special Features

60-minute countdown timer with touchpad controls and a blue LCD readout

Color

silver/black

Pros


  • Very quiet.
  • It makes ice cream in under one hour.
  • Can be utilized frequently or back-to-back with consistent results.

Cons


  • The capacity is rather small. 

Commonly mentioned in lists 10 best ice cream makers, the Cuisinart is an automatic compressor that is mostly used at home for ice cream/gelato making. It can produce one-and-a-half-quart ice cream in a single round. It’s silver in color, weighs approx. 32 lb., and measures 18 by 14.25 by 14.25 in inches. The paddles (for mixing) on this product help you to achieve perfect consistency: one for gelato and the second for ice cream.

This product would work well for anyone searching for something that they can use to make ice cream without the hassle of freezing your bowl overnight. To make your treat, you lift the see-through lid, put your mixed items in and set your time.

The Cuisinart has a timer that can go up to one hour. You can adjust it using the touch controls. When the time you set is over, it immediately goes off. This ice cream maker then stores your gelato or ice cream at the cool temperature for another ten minutes after that time is finished. You will notice that it is pretty quiet too though it does make some sound to let you know that it is on. Plus, it not as bulky. You can carry it to another place without trouble though as it’s built for countertop placement.

Since its compressor is built with a commercial in mind, it won’t give you a problem if you decide to make back-to-back ice cream batches without breaks in between. This ice cream maker also gives you room to get innovative with your frozen delicacies. Overall, Cuisinart is among the best ice cream makers available for its price and is definitely one of the powerful appliances you will get.

The key features of this ice cream maker include:

  • Two paddles
  • One-hour timer
  • Touchpad & LCD screen
  • 10 minutes post-churn cooling time

Technical Details

Brand Name

Espressione

Item Weight

23.8 pounds

Product Dimensions

12 x 16 x 13 inches

Capacity

1 liter

Installation Type

freestanding

Special Features

digital LCD display and control buttons make operation easy and provides temperature information with time remaining

Color

silver

Pros


  • Easy to clean
  • Shows the temperature plus time 
  • Achieves a perfect consistency.

Cons


  • It is heavy to carry.

The Espressione-Ariete Gran Gelato from De’Longhi Group is an elegant looking ice cream maker that’s made from stainless steel material. It has dimensions of 12 by 16 by 13 inches and is around 23.8 pounds in weight. Espressione-Ariete Gran Gelato is one of the best ice cream makers with a compressor that you can have in your home. It can make sorbets, frozen yogurts, and ice creams simply at home. It is incredibly straightforward, very efficient, and also powerful.

With an auto-refrigerate system, you can make your treatment and leave it in the machine for some more time to freeze to the wanted consistency. This also means that you do not have to chill your ice cream ingredients hours or a day in advance. The machine automatically chills it for you. And even if you use your ingredients when hot or at room temperature, the result will be perfectly chilled. You can scoop the ice cream and eat it immediately after removing it from the machine.

espressione ariete gran gelato metal ice cream maker

It’s also one of the best bucket ice cream makers for medium and large families as it has a large one-liter capacity. You can, therefore, make adequate ice cream for your home in a single batch. This machine also takes a short time to make one batch in about forty minutes and can be used when experimenting with a variety of flavors. You will know that your treat is ready as soon as the paddles stop mixing. It is also quite powerful, operating at approximately 135 Watts to make several batches continuously. An added advantage is that you get a few ice cream recipe suggestions you can try on your own with this machine when you purchase it.

This machine is definitely among the best electric ice cream makers for those looking for something quiet, easy to get used to, and durable.

Here are some key features of this machine:

  • Digital LCD screen
  • Self-cooling compressor
  • Stainless steel
  • Comes with a basket, scoop, and measuring container

Why You Need a Home Ice Cream Maker

With the best affordable ice cream makers, you can enjoy chilled sugary desserts without leaving the house. And apart from the health benefits (no preservatives on your ice cream) you will have control over the quantity as well as the quality of ingredients that go into your desert. You can pick out your items and get creative with flavors.

Plus, these machines are not too limited by giving you just ice creams. Most of the top ten best ice cream makers you will get in the market today can make sorbets and frozen yogurts too.

Lastly, if you buy ice cream regularly, you will find that you save significantly on costs by producing it yourself. There are a lot of brands out there, including some of the best Hamilton Beach ice cream makers. So, take time to choose one that is not likely to disappoint.

Additional Information on Choosing an Ice Cream Maker

What is the best ice cream makers for the home? Individual needs should determine the chilled treat appliance that you pick. Ponder on the number of iced delights you want to produce and the frequency of doing the procedure. For massive quantities, ice cream makers best for your specific amounts ought to be a priority. In this context, if you need to make two-liter chilled delight, then you should probably buy the Whynter ICM-201SB. For a smaller amount, the Lussino will do just fine.

Other than that, to guarantee that you find an excellent iced treat appliance, it makes sense to select one that is listed among the top ten best ice cream makers regularly. For this, you’ll have to read user feedback as well as an experts’ opinion. Case in point, since I review ice cream makers, you can compare my information with what other users are saying ahead of making your decision.

It is essential to note that the ice cream makers' best brand is one that can freeze at about 32 degrees Fahrenheit and maintain that temperature until the frozen delight is made. A chilled treat appliance that uses a frozen container is bound to get hotter as the mixture gets cold and solidifies. Nonetheless, to remedy this situation, always ensure that your ice cream base is the coldest it can get.

Conclusion on Best Ice Cream Makers with Compressor

There are many varieties machines for making ice cream at home out there. So, knowing which are the best ice cream makers can be tricky. But armed with useful information for picking the right one and some popular options, choosing a maker that is worth the investment is a lot easier.

These five machines are among the best compressor ice cream makers. They compare well in terms of performance, price, and usability. All of them are relatively easy to control and will help you achieve that creamy and smooth ice cream consistency in the comfort of your home.

Now you know what are the best ice cream makers to buy. So, take your pick and start making authentic and delicious frozen treats for you and your family. Which ice cream maker of the mentioned above in this review you would like to purchase? Feel free to share your own reviews and suggestions concerning these kitchen appliances in this article.

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 Image Credits - Amazon.com, Photo Stocks.

About the Author Yvonne Ferguson

Yvonne Ferguson is a culinary enthusiast and dedicated cooking tech reviewer. She’s constantly looking for the most up-to-date products and information to share with IceMakersHub readers. Yvonne enjoys making family-friendly recipes while sharing tips on choosing handy appliances for a healthy life.

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