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Ice Cream Makers: Ratings of Sources
Total of 11 Sources

For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.

1. Slate.com
June 28, 2005
The Inside Scoop
by Stephen Metcalf
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Although the review in Gourmet (below) covers more ice cream makers, Stephen Metcalf is a self-confessed ice-cream obsessive. He explains how Philadelphia- and French-style ice creams differ and prepares… cookies 'n' cream (Philly style) and cinnamon gelato (French style) in seven ice cream makers. He rates each machine for ease of use, time to completion, elegance of design and ice-cream quality. Lussino by Musso gets the highest ratings for the "exponentially" superior ice cream it produced. Metcalf also liked the Cuisinart ICE-50BC and the KitchenAid gel-canister stand mixer attachment, although the latter's price strikes him as "absurdly high." We wish this review was more recently written, however.

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2. Gourmet
Apr. 2005
Meet Your Makers
by Editors of Gourmet magazine
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Gourmet reviews four gel-canister and six self-cooling ice cream makers, concluding that the "primary issues were price, storage space and ease of use." All the models it tested made good ice cream. The… KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment gets high marks for the quality of its ice cream and ease of cleanup. The Cuisinart ICE-20 and ICE-30 perform equally well, but the latter has a larger capacity. Among self-cooling models, The Cuisinart ICE-50BC and Lussino ice cream makers receive good ratings for their well aerated, creamy ice cream. We wish this good review was more recently written, however.

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3. Cook's Illustrated Magazine
Apr./May 2008
Inexpensive Ice Cream Makers
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Editors at Cook's Illustrated test seven inexpensive canister-style ice cream makers, choosing four as their favorites.
4. Cook's Illustrated Magazine
July/Aug. 2003
Equipment Testing: Ice Cream Machines
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Cook's Illustrated tests seven ice cream machines in this older review: two canister-free and five gel-canister ice cream models. Editors ask rhetorically why anyone would pay as much as $70 for a… hand-crank ice cream maker when electric models make better ice cream. This article is shorter than most equipment write-ups here, and we'd like to see editors discuss clean-up and design in greater detail.

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5. Fine Cooking
Aug./Sept. 2005
The Scoop on Ice Cream Makers
by Maryellen Driscoll
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Fine Cooking tests eight ice cream makers that cost less than $100, rating each for quality of finished product, how long the canister or disk stayed cold, ease of use and noise. Editors prepared vanilla and Oreo ice cream, as well as lemon sorbet. They include some helpful preparation tips, but the editors don't discuss cleanup.
6. Cuisine
Aug. 2003
Wares: Ice Cream Makers
by Editors of Cuisine
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Cuisine editors tested eight automatic ice cream makers with a vanilla ice cream base. They focused on ice cream quality and ease of assembly, operation and storage. Editors also explain differences in design and operation. The Cuisinart ICE-20, Krups La Glaciere, Girmi and Salton Big Chill all "churned their way to the top." Editors don't identify machines that weren't rated as well.
7. Amazon.com
As of Apr. 2008
Ice-Cream Machines
by Contributors to Amazon.com
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Owners are invited to rate their ice cream makers at Amazon.com, and most models sold here have at least a few reviews. We found mixed reviews for some ice cream makers, but many receive an average rating… in the neighborhood of four stars (out of a possible five). It's hard to gauge which models might be favorites, but this is a good place to check once you've narrowed down your choice to a few models.

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8. Epinions.com
As of Apr. 2008
Ice Cream Maker Reviews
by Contributors to Epinions
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Epinions makes it easier to sort ratings than Amazon.com, and you can easily see how many people have written reviews for a given model. Ice cream makers receive fewer ratings here than at Amazon.com, however. Feedback for the Cuisinart ICE-20 is overwhelmingly positive.
9. San Francisco Chronicle
July 21, 2004
Recommended Ice Cream Makers
by Amanda Berne and Lynne Char Bennett
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This article devotes very little text to three recommended ice cream makers: the Cuisinart ICE-20, Rival 8706 P and Rival F69206-X White Mountain Electric Ice Cream Freezer. Editors liked two machines that use ice and rock salt. Testers don't discuss their methodology, and they don't mention cleanup or identify underperforming models.
10. ConsumerReports.org
July 2005
You Can Have a Ball With This Ice Cream Maker
by Editors of Consumer Reports
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Consumer Reports tests the "entertaining" UCO Play & Freeze Ice Cream Maker, but they don't discuss what type of ice cream they made, and they don't mention cleanup. We wish Consumer Reports had rated more than just one novelty ice cream maker.
11. Los Angeles Times
June 23, 2003
Ice Cream, Meet Your Makers
by Cindy Dorn
1 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Cindy Dorn tests several ice cream makers, but fails to provide model information for any of them, identifying only price and maker (and, in one case, color). She makes one batch of vanilla ice cream and… rates the machines for ease of assembly, use and cleanup, noise level, time to completion and texture. She gave a Cuisinart model, probably the ICE-20, her top rating, calling it "quick, easy, and dependable."

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