We Tested 30+ Ice Cream Makers — These Turned Out Superior Scoops, Soft Serve, and Sorbet (2024)

Adding a pint of ice cream to your grocery cart is easy. Making ice cream at home takes more effort and a specialized appliance, but in our opinion, the results are worth it. The best ice cream makers simplify the process, and some fancier models can even customize the frozen yogurt, sorbet, gelato, and frozen desserts you can make at home to satisfy any sweet tooth.

"You can stay simple and make vanilla or chocolate, but you can be creative and make a flavor you can’t find in the store," says Ryan O'Hara, co-owner of Alabama's Big Spoon Creamery.

To find the best ice cream makers, we tested more than 30 models including freezer canisters, compressors, and manual churns. Here are the best ice cream makers we found. Now, you'll need the perfect ice cream scoop.

Our Favorite Ice Cream Maker

Thanks to a built-in compressor, the Whynter Automatic 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker chills all by itself, giving you freedom to make all sorts of frozen treats at the drop of a hat. For a less expensive canister-style machine, we're big fans of the classic Cuisinart Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker.

How We Tested Ice Cream Makers

This story incorporates results from two sets of testing that included 32 different ice cream makers. We tested 12 canister-style machines, 11 compressor machines, and nine assorted other models, evaluating overall design and ease of use via head-to-head tests.

• Ice cream test: We followed each machine's directions to make one batch of basic vanilla ice cream, in the maximum possible size. Toward the end of the process, we added pieces of Oreo cookies to see how well the machines incorporated mix-ins without crushing them. We measured the time required for freezing (including overnight pre-chilling) and compared the initial amount of ingredients to the volume of finished ice cream. Of course, we ran group taste tests on the finished product — straight out of the machine and after hardening in the freezer for a few hours.
• Sorbet test: We made a batch of non-dairy strawberry sorbet in each machine, using the sorbet-specific setting and instructions if available. We paid special attention to the texture of the sorbet when it got close to done, as over-churning can create unpleasant icy bits. As with the ice creams, we tasted the sorbets immediately and again after a night in the freezer.
• Specialty tests: For ice cream makers with additional functions or unique methods of operation, we tested each one by following the included directions and using the most basic recipe provided. This included everything from traditional manual churners to soft serve makers to a device that extrudes whole frozen fruit into sorbet. We tasted everything and rated flavor, too.
• Cleaning test: Between each round of testing, we disassembled and cleaned each machine following the included directions. We ran all dishwasher-safe parts through the dishwasher at least once to check for damage but subsequently hand-washed them if it seemed easier. We rated ease of cleaning as well as ease of disassembly and reassembly.

After completing all the other tests, we revealed the retail prices of the ice cream makers to consider value. At the time of testing, the machines varied widely in price, from $22 to $1,200, with an average of $229.

Canister vs. Compressor Ice Cream Makers

To make ice cream, you need cold. For ice cream makers there are two main cold sources. The canister variety uses a pre-chilled insulated bowl to freeze the base mixture, while a compressor model has built-in machinery to cool itself, like a miniature refrigerator.

Canister machines are cheaper, lighter, and more space-efficient than compressor ones. The downside of the style is that you need to plan well ahead and start the bowl freezing 24 hours or more in advance. Making multiple batches in a row is difficult, as the bowl will heat up and need hours of re-chilling between churning sessions.

With a compressor machine, you can pour in the ice cream base and get started at the drop of a hat. "Compressors require less freezer space and less planning," says Jacqueline Dole, founder of The Parlor Ice Cream Co. in Biddeford, Maine. "In my experience, the product is generally much better, as the mixture freezes faster." Compressor models also tend to give you more control over texture, with different speed and even temperature settings that affect overrun, or the amount of air whipped into the ice cream as it churns.

The popular Ninja Creami is a bit of an exception. It's similar to the canister style in that you have to chill things in advance, but you freeze the ingredients rather than just the bowl. After that, fast-spinning blades whip the frozen mix into its final texture. Other designs include old-school models that use a bucket full of ice cubes and salt to chill ingredients, machines that shave frozen fruit into sorbet, churning attachments for stand mixers, and more.

Factors to Consider

Capacity

When it comes to size, you should try to match the maximum capacity of your ice cream maker with the amount of ice cream you want to make at once. Most machines don't work well if they're less than full because the churn doesn't mix them as efficiently. You don't have to finish a batch of homemade ice cream in one sitting, however; it should last up to a month in the freezer if well-sealed.

Ice cream makers measure their capacity in finished ice cream. You'll use less than that amount of the base mixture, which expands when it freezes. Follow your user manual's measurements or you'll risk a messy blowout.

Prep Time

A compressor ice cream maker can start freezing as soon as you pour in your base, but most other models require a lot of planning ahead. The bowl for a canister ice cream maker has to sit in the freezer at least overnight before it's ready to go. You could keep the bowl in the freezer all the time, but that's a lot of precious space to dedicate to an appliance you're not likely to use all that often.

Cleaning

When it's time to enjoy your first batch of homemade ice cream, you'll probably be too excited to consider the final (and, arguably, most important) step: cleanup. Ice cream makers vary wildly on this front, from having a couple pieces that go in the dishwasher to needing lots of fiddly hand-wash-only bits. Ice cream and sorbet are messy, sticky foods, and an easier-to-clean machine can have serious extra value.

Other Ice Cream Makers We Tested

Strong Contenders

Ninja Creami Deluxe Ice Cream and Frozen Treat Maker ($250 at Ninja)

Our initial choice for best overall after testing, the Ninja Creami has gone viral for its unusual and super-easy ice cream-making method: You pre-freeze the bowl and base ingredients, then the blender-like blade breaks up ice crystals and whips everything into an adjustable texture. We got great results in testing, but we've seen reports online of machines smoking and even catching fire when the blade is knocked out of position. We did not encounter this issue and can't independently confirm any of these claims, but we've taken the machine off our list of winners out of an abundance of caution.

Cuisinart ICE-21P1 Ice Cream Maker ($70 at Amazon)

Our best value pick in a previous version of this story, the Cuisinart ICE-21P1 is a very standard canister-style ice cream maker, at a good price. We were most impressed by how well its ice cream and sorbet held their scoopable texture after a night in the freezer. It's a great choice, but we think the extra capacity and better performance of the Cuisinart Pure Indulgence above are well worth the increased cost.

Lella Musso Pola 5030 Dessert Maker ($1,197 at Amazon)

A commercial-style powerhouse, this is the kind of machine you might buy if you wanted to open a small gelato shop. It made 2-quart batches of beautifully smooth ice cream and gelato in about half an hour in testing, and you can keep reloading it over and over to freeze as much as you want. It's almost too much for home use, though, as it weighs nearly 70 pounds and costs over $1,000.

Chef’n Sweet Spot Ice Cream Maker ($55 at Amazon)

Nostalgia Vintage Electric Ice Cream Maker, 4 Quarts ($48 at Amazon)

This old-timey machine features an aluminum canister that attaches to a churning motor and then sits in a bucket full of ice and rock salt to freeze. It was able to churn a full gallon of ice cream in about 30 minutes, but it made too much of a mess in doing so for us to recommend it.

Whynter Upright Compressor Ice Cream Maker ($600 at Williams Sonoma)

Our second-favorite of the several Whynter models we tested, this heavy-duty machine makes a massive 2.5 quarts per batch, with a tall orientation that takes up less space on the countertop. It has essentially the same set of functions and delivers the same great results as the 2-quart Whynter above, but it costs more than twice as much.

Lello Musso Lussino 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker ($700 at Amazon)

The smaller sibling of the Lello Musso Pola, this is also a high-quality gelato maker imported from Italy that delivers incredible products. It's unfortunately way too expensive to make it worthwhile for even a dedicated homemade ice cream fanatic.

What Didn't Make the List

Making good ice cream is tricky. The base has to freeze at the right rate as the paddle whips in just the right amount of air to make a smooth, dense treat with no ice crystals or too-light fluffiness. Hand-cranked machines in general were not great at this; you want an electric one. Most of the other models toward the bottom of our list are small. We found it's not worth the trouble of busting out a whole ice cream maker to make just a cup or two of the good stuff.

Our Expertise

• Julia Skinner, Ph.D., is a food writer, historian, and culinary educator based in Atlanta. She is the author of Our Fermented Lives and founder of Root Kitchen, which offers classes and workshops on fermentation, preservation, and food history.
• Jason Horn is the senior commerce writer for Food & Wine and updated this story with additional testing data. He's been writing about food for nearly 20 years and enjoying ice cream for nearly 40. His go-to flavor is cookies and cream.