10 Best At-Home Ice Cream Makers in 2019

Ice cream found in the supermarket often contains additives, preservatives and more sugar than is necessary. However, an electric ice cream maker allows you to control the ingredients that go into your ice cream so you can enjoy a satisfying sweet treat without destroying your diet.

In fact, homemade ice cream can be loaded with vitamins, minerals, protein and other nutrients. There are a great deal of manual, automatic and hybrid home ice cream machines which can make it difficult to pick the best one. Rest assured, you will find the best homemade ice cream makers for your family’s needs on this list.

Best Ice Cream Makers: Comparison Table

10. Cuisinart ICE-70 Electronic Ice Cream Maker

This electronic ice cream maker is the best overall. It can be used to make anything from ice cream to sorbet and gelato. Cuisinart revolutionized the homemade ice cream industry by developing electronic ice cream and gelato makers and continues to improve on their products based on customer feedback and rigorous quality control testing.

This particular model produces a decent two quarts of great ice cream per batch and features an easy-to-read LCD screen and easy-to-use control panel.

PROS 

• Countdown timer
• Auto shutoff
• Fast processing time
• Integrated measuring cup

CONS

• Lid may pop off while making thick ice cream 
• Significant overflow problems

Warranty

3 years

9. Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker

The Smart Scoop is simple to operate. This ice cream and sorbet maker emits a tone to alert you when it is ready to receive additional ingredients and another tone to revolutionize your frozen treats. However, while in operation, it is nearly silent. The major downside to this appliance is batches take about 45 minutes to complete.

PROS 

• Superior quality desserts
• 12 hardness settings
• Self refrigerating compressor model
• Keeps dessert cool for up to three hours

CONS

• Not the fastest batch completion time
• 1-liter capacity

Warranty

1 year

8. Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5 Quart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream Maker

This Cuisinart product comes with a double-insulated freezer bowl that eliminates the need for ice or ice crystals and a transparent easy-lock lid which eliminates spills and allows you to watch as your ice cream is made. It also comes with a “keep cool” feature which keeps the ice cream frozen at the proper temperature for up to 10 minutes after the ice cream is finished.

PROS 

• Even mixing and folding
• 20-minute churn time
• Affordable
• Transparent easy-lock lid
• Quickly and easily cleaned

CONS

• Only a 1.5-quart capacity
• Significant overrun
• Not ideal for small cabinets and countertops

Warranty

3 years

7. KLARSTEIN Sweet Dreams Ice Cream Maker

The KLARSTEIN ice cream machine has a removable motor to rotate the paddle. This makes it much easier to clean the machine. However, since it is located at the top of the unit, it makes it harder to see your ice cream’s progress.

You can make lots of ice cream in 10 to 60 minutes without having to freeze any ingredients or the container ahead of time. This makes it perfect for those who have limited freezer space.

PROS 

• Safe and child-friendly
• Easy to operate
• Requires only 150 watts of power

CONS

• Only makes 1.5 quarts
• Power adapter gets hot
• Plastic churning attachment
• Difficult to clean

Warranty

60-Day back guarantee

6. DELLA Ice Cream Maker 2.2 Quart

The DELLA ice cream machine is truly an all-in-one appliance. Many ice cream machines can make frozen yogurt, but this appliance can also make Greek yogurt. In fact, this appliance allows you to make hard or soft ice cream, Italian gelato and sorbet. A recipe manual and measuring cup are included.

PROS 

• Great for making frozen or Greek yogurt
• Transparent lid
• Hard or soft-serve ice cream
• Mix-in opening does not disturb the freezing process
• Mixing paddles aerate your dessert
• Intense flavors
• Smooth textures

CONS

• 2.2-quart capacity
• No built-in measuring cup

Warranty

One-year limited warranty

5. Lello 4080 Musso Lussino 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker

This ice cream machine has a disappointing warranty for its price, but many online reviews indicate it can last a decade before needing any maintenance. The component most likely to fail is the R234 refrigerant.

While most ice cream machines are made of cheap plastic parts, this appliance is constructed with durable stainless steel. This includes the dasher, freezing bowl and outside frame. The built-in compressor freezes while it churns so you need not worry about manual churning, rock salt and ice or freezing the bowl for 24 hours ahead of time.

PROS 

• Easy to clean
• Durable

CONS

• Weighs 38 pounds
• Makes only three quarts of ice cream per hour
• Not very affordable
• Hard to make thick ice cream
• Motor not very reliable

Warranty

One-year limited warranty against defects.

4. Elite Gourmet EIM-506 6 quart Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Maker

This old-fashioned ice cream maker marries the best of both worlds for making ice cream at home. It includes an electric paddle which you can use to do most of the work, but you can also the hand crank to get the thick, creamy texture that can only be achieved with a manual machine.

With the electric paddle, making six quarts of ice cream will take 40 minutes, but the manufacturer recommends using the electric paddle for only 15 to 20 minutes before using the hand crank. This makes the ice cream making process take an exceptionally long time, but the quality of the ice cream is incomparable.

PROS 

• Rich, flavorful ice cream
• Thick and creamy texture
• Easy to operate
• Makes many kinds of frozen desserts

CONS

• Wooden barrel leaks
• Making the ice cream takes a long time
• Poor-quality motor

Warranty

1 year warranty

3. Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker

This affordable ice cream and frozen yogurt maker is made of durable stainless steel and features a heavy-duty motor. Its limitation lies in that the bowl must be pre-frozen and freezers go through thaw cycles.

Not only do you have to freeze the double-insulated bowl in advance, but you must time this to ensure that you do not pull the freezer bowl out of the freezer immediately after one of its thaw cycles. While we weren’t impressed by the limited two-quart capacity, the ice cream can be done in only 25 minutes.

PROS 

• Large ingredient spout
• Beautiful design
• Fully automatic
• Less plastic than the ICE-21

CONS

• 2-quart capacity
• Freezer must be set to 0 degrees Fahrenheit
• Lid sometimes pops off

Warranty

3 years

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2. Cuisinart ICE-100 Compressor Ice Cream and Gelato Maker

The Cuisinart ICE-100 compressor has two separate paddles. One is specifically designed for ice cream, and the other is specifically designed for gelato. This means your gelato comes out better than if you made it with an all-in-one kitchen appliance. There is no need to freeze a bowl, so you can make several batches back-to-back with no downtime.

This appliance is much larger than many other ice cream machines on the market today, but the convenience of no downtime more than makes up for its size.

PROS 

• BPA-free
• Transparent lid
• Mix-in opening
• Two unique mixing paddles

CONS

• 1.5-quart capacity
• Weighs 32 pounds

Warranty

3 years

1. Hamilton Beach 68330N 4-Quart Automatic Ice-Cream Maker

This electronic ice cream maker does not come with a freezer bowl, so using it takes a little planning. To achieve the chilling effect you must use rock salt and ice.

 If your freezer’s in-door ice maker cannot produce enough ice to make four quarts of ice cream, you will need to purchase ice from your local convenience store or grocery store.

PROS 

• 4-quart capacity
• Takes only 20 to 40 minutes
• Lid locks securely in place
• User manual includes 20 recipes
• Makes ice cream, sorbets and frozen yogurt

CONS

• Not dishwasher safe
• Aluminum paddle

Warranty

1 year

Types of Ice Cream Makers

• Old-fashioned ice cream machines are manually operated with a hand crank
• Countertop ice cream machines use a double-walled bowl that must be frozen for up to 24 hours before making your ice cream
• Other ice cream machines use an electric paddle to churn the ice cream but do not have a removable bowl that must be pre-frozen

Types of Frozen Desserts

Ice cream and frozen yogurt makers can make up to five types of frozen desserts: sherbets, sorbets, American-style ice cream, frozen yogurt, and gelato.

Benefits of Homemade Ice Cream

There are numerous benefits of homemade ice cream. One of the biggest benefits is you know the ice cream you are eating is fresh. You also control not only the ingredients but also the quality of the ingredients.

Homemade ice cream can be a significant source of protein which is helpful if you are trying to lose or maintain weight and it can also be much lower in sugar than what you find at the supermarket or gas station.

The Verdict

After thorough research, we have determined the best ice cream maker on our list is the Hamilton Beach 68330N 4-quart automatic ice cream machine.

We chose it for overall great performance and value even though it does not have 12 hardness settings like more expensive ice cream machines on the market and it is not dishwasher safe.

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Though it has a great brand reputation, a common performance flaw we found with the Cuisinart automatic ice cream machines is the lid pops off frequently while the ice cream is being made, particularly when you are making thick ice cream.