Ice Cream Makers: Expert and User Reviews

Our AssessmentEditors at RachaelRayMag.com say they tested dozens of ice cream makers, but they don't tell us which ones, only identifying the top five. They also don't describe their testing methodology, but both pros and cons of each of the top five are discussed. Of the five recommended ice cream makers, each have downsides and none stands out as the clear winner.

Our AssessmentEditors at Real Simple magazine test 14 ice cream makers and recommend their top three picks. Testers say the Cuisinart ICE-20 is easy to use and easy to clean, earning it the title of best ice cream maker overall. The best ice cream maker for mix-ins, the Deni Automatic Ice Cream Maker with Candy Crusher, earns props for its ability to chop and mix M&Ms, pretzels and other goodies right into the ice cream. The Cuisinart ICE-50BC is the quickest, because it doesn't require pre-freezing a canister, but it has a price tag to match at $300. This article doesn't list all the models tested, nor does it include a description of rating criteria or testing methodology.

Our AssessmentCooking.com allows consumers to post reviews of products they own or have purchased from the site. There are a number of ice cream makers that have accumulated several dozen reviews; among them, the stainless-steel Lussino Ice Cream Maker 4080 maintains a perfect 5-star average rating, based on nearly 40 owner-written reviews. The Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker has an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5, based on more than 205 reviews, and the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment has more than 160 reviews and an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.

Our AssessmentShopping experts and hosts of two Canadian television shows, Anna Wallner and Kristina Matisic test three ice cream makers in their test lab by mixing a strawberry gelato in each. Their top pick is the Donvier Ice Cream Maker, because it produced the "smoothest, best-tasting gelato," but they do note that as a hand-crank model, it required a bit more elbow grease. It's not clear which specific Cuisinart or Musso models were included in this roundup.

Our AssessmentViewpoints.com is a consumer-review website that provides a review snapshot of each reviewed product, with an overall summary of review comments and a breakdown of the ratings. While the volume of reviews is less than that found on Amazon.com, a number of models have a few dozen reviews. Among them, the highest-rated ice cream makers include the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment for Stand Mixers (with an average rating of 4.47 stars out of 5, based on more than 50 owner-written reviews), the Cuisinart Pure Indulgence 2 Quart Frozen Yogurt Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker ICE-30 (rated with an average of 4.58 stars out of 5, based on nearly 75 reviews) and the Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt & Sorbet Maker (with an average rating of 4.45 out of 5, based on nearly 30 reviews). The Hamilton Beach 68330R 4-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Maker averages 4.69 stars out of 5, based on nearly 15 reviews. The now-discontinued Cuisinart ICE-20 maintains an average rating of 4.49 stars out of 5, based on over 200 reviews.

Our AssessmentThis forum for the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters includes a lengthy discussion, spanning several years, on the best ice cream makers and tips for using them. Participants in this forum are generally culinary students or professional chefs. While the feedback is valuable, it's necessary to read through many posts in order to find information on specific models.

Our AssessmentWhile this review covers only one model, the Cuisinart ICE-21 Ice Cream Maker, we found it useful because it details the improvements made to the ICE-21 model over the previous Cuisinart ICE-20. The author says the Cuisinart ICE-21 has definite improvements over the ICE-20, including a new paddle design that delivers on its promise to reduce prep time. On the downside, the canisters are tough to clean.

Our AssessmentAbout.com's Desserts and Baking Guide gives the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment a rating of 4 stars out of 5. She says the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment is easy to use and convenient, because storage is limited to a few small parts rather than an entire machine. On the downside, some preplanning is required; the bowl must be frozen for at least 15 hours prior to use. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)