Do you prefer homemade ice cream over store-bought ice cream? If you do, you’d be delighted to know that there are many ice cream makers depending on your needs. The best ice cream maker should have bowls to fit in your freezer.
There are automatic (with built-in freezers) and manual (pre-freezing the bowl) ice cream makers. You may be confused when it comes to getting your ice cream maker. Study the pros and cons of each ice cream maker before buying one.
Ice Cream Maker Reviews
Lello 4080
Lello 4080 by Musso is a fully automatic, stainless steel ice cream maker. You can easily make 3 quarts of frozen confection in an hour with its 1.5-quart bowl. Its bowl, paddle and housing are made of durable stainless steel.
Whynter ICM-200LS
Whynter’s ICM-200LS lets you make up to 2.1 quarts ice cream, gelato and sorbet per batch. It uses a powerful compressor for continuous preparation. Its extended cooling feature effectively prevents melting. Its motor automatically stops when the mixture is solid.
Breville BCI600XL
Breville’s BCI600XL 1.5-Qt. Ice Cream Maker features automatic hardness settings and monitoring and a self-refrigerating compressor. It has a heavy duty motor, which is great for making smooth and creamy frozen desserts. It features a metal container and plastic paddle.
Cuisinart ICE-100
Cuisinart ICE-100 is a fully automatic ice cream and gelato maker. It features a commercial quality compressor for continuous and fast preparation of frozen desserts. It has separate mixing paddle for ice cream and gelato.
Whynter ICM-15LS
Whynter’s ICM-15LS comes with a powerful compressor freezer for uninterrupted preparation and freezing. It lets you prepare professional quality ice cream, sorbets, sherbets, gelato and other frozen desserts fast and easy. It features a temperature display and electronic timer.
Vonshef Ice Cream Maker
Vonshef’s ice cream maker is fully automatic and comes with a built-in compressor. It lets you mix and freeze 1.6 quarts of ice cream in an hour. It comes with an LCD display, digital timer and a stainless steel bowl.
White Mountain Ice Cream Maker
White Mountain’s ice cream machine can make 6 quarts ice cream per batch. It is equipped with a powerful motor and a three motion dasher system for perfect quality homemade ice cream. It comes in a durable wooden bucket design.
Cuisinart ICE-30BC
Cuisinart’s ICE-30B is an automatic frozen yogurt, ice cream and sorbet maker. Its heavy-duty motor and automatic mixing paddle produce consistently smooth frozen desserts. It has a large, 2-quart capacity freezer bowl, which is double insulated for lasting coolness.
Nostalgia ICMP600WD Vintage Collection
Nostalgia ICMP600WD lets you make 6 quarts of ice cream, gelato, and frozen yogurt in a few minutes. It comes with a powerful motor, which is surprisingly quiet. It uses a durable churning paddle and plastic canister.
Cuisinart ICE-21
ICE-21 1.5-Quart Frozen Yogurt Ice Cream Maker by Cuisinart uses a modern mixing paddle designed to make frozen desserts in less than two minutes. It has a large spout which minimizes spills. Its tight, easy lock lid fully secures content.
Types of Ice Cream Maker
If you plan to create your own delicious and unique ice cream and other frozen desserts, then investing in an ice maker can help. Here are some types that are worth checking out:
Manual – This resembles the hand-crank ice cream maker back when you were still a kid. It requires you to add rock salt and ice between two buckets then crank the handle. This helps in churning the ice cream.
Freezer Bowl – This is a more modern machine, which features a special container or bowl that you need to store in your freezer overnight. After freezing, put it into the machine, pour your ingredients then let it stir everything.
Compressor – This top-of-the-line machine makes use of a compressor. It does not require ice. You don’t also need to freeze anything. It works automatically that you just need to put the ingredients then let it do its job.
Soft Serve – This ice cream maker requires you to use either powdered mix and water combination or liquid mix. It is ideal in making vanilla and chocolate ice creams.
Because there are different kinds of ice cream makers and frozen desserts, it is crucial to be specific when it comes to what you really want. This helps you pick the right one despite the many choices.
Benefits of Owning an Ice Cream Maker
Investing in a high quality ice cream maker with all the features you need can provide numerous benefits. This section will provide more information about these benefits.
Gets the job done fast – This is especially true for electric ice cream machines. Expect your frozen dessert to be ready in less than thirty minutes. You can even leave it alone to do its job if it has its own timer.
Small and handy – Most ice cream makers are small and have a more compact design. This makes them more convenient and easier to operate and store.
Allows you to choose your own ingredients – You can also freely choose fresh and clean ingredients if you have an ice cream maker. You can create your own healthy desserts.
Truly versatile – You can’t just make frozen desserts for your small family. You can also use it to prepare ice cream in bulk for parties and large get-togethers.
Time saver – You no longer need to spend too much time looking for the flavor you want in other places. Just whip your own based on your preferred flavors and ingredients.
How to Choose the Best Ice Cream Maker?
If you get overwhelmed with your many choices for an ice cream maker, then just consider checking out the following factors first. This will guide you in making the most informed choice.
Capacity – Decide on how often you intend to use the machine and how many you plan to serve each time. Since it is available in different sizes, you need to know exactly how much you need frequently.
Ease of Use – No need to buy highly advanced ice cream makers with features that you can’t understand. Check the parts and features of the machine, and find out if they are easy enough to use, especially for beginners like you.
Quality – Learn about the quality of each ice cream maker by reading reviews and studying its parts and features. For instance, compressors can produce high quality ice cream due to their self-cooling ability.
Churning and freezing time – You also need to determine how long it takes for the machine to prepare ice cream by checking both its churning and freezing time. Good ones can churn ice cream within fifteen to twenty minutes. Freezing time shouldn’t take too many hours – max should be overnight.
Additional Capabilities – Find out if the machine is versatile enough that it can perform other functions aside from preparing ice cream. Go for one, which can also produce other desserts like frozen yogurt, sorbets, sherbet and gelato.
How to Maintain your Ice Cream Maker?
You can prolong the life of your ice cream maker by ensuring that you take good care of it. The following are just some of the best ways to maintain its excellent condition:
Empty the machine before cleaning it. The freezing chamber should be free from any unused mix. Wipe out hardened, impacted ice cream in the scraping blades. There should be a clear pathway designed for water to pass through. Flush the machine several times until the water is already clear.
Wash the coils correctly. To do so, ensure that the condenser fan motor, as well as other electrical components are covered. For coils with dry dust and lint, you can clean them thoroughly with water.
Rinse then dry the wood bucket. This tip is crucial in preventing salt from corroding the bucket’s metal parts. The canister should also be washed using soapy water. Let it dry completely.
Use damp cloth in cleaning. This is crucial, especially when cleaning up electric motor housing and hand crank machine. Just wipe the dirt off the damp cloth. It shouldn’t be immersed in water and other forms of liquid.
Disassemble when necessary. You can refer to the manual when doing this tip because it is usually indicated there which parts you should remove when cleaning. Disassemble the machine completely and remove all detachable parts that were in contact with the ingredients.