Ice Cream Makers Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Ice Cream Makers. See our ratings criteria

For recommendations of best Ice Cream Makers, see our Fast Answers page, which summarizes what these reviews say. A longer summary and analysis appears in our Full Story report for Ice Cream Makers. Our Where to Buy page contains information on retailers and Ice Cream Makers prices.

Where to Buy

Fast Answers

Full Story

All Reviews

Ice Cream Makers Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Ice Cream Makers Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Slate.com >> Details/Subscribe	The Inside Scoop Stephen Metcalf June 28, 2005		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.
2. Gourmet >> Details/Subscribe	Meet Your Makers Editors of Gourmet magazine Apr. 2005		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.
3. Cook’s Illustrated >> Details/Subscribe	Inexpensive Ice Cream Makers Editors of Cook's Illustrated Apr./May 2008		Editors at Cook's Illustrated test seven inexpensive canister-style ice cream makers, choosing models by Krups, Hamilton Beach, Cuisinart and KitchenAid as the winners. All but the Cuisinart ICE-20 have revolving beaters. The Cuisinart ICE-20's ice cream had the best texture after two days of "ripening," but editors found the machine bulky and somewhat noisy. The KitchenAid model is a stand mixer accessory that produces especially airy ice cream. The Krups model delivered "lighter, smoother, and creamier French-style ice cream than models with revolving canisters."

Ice Cream Makers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Ice Cream Makers Ratings Comments on Reviews

4. Cook’s Illustrated >> Details/Subscribe	Equipment Testing: Ice Cream Machines Editors of Cook's Illustrated July/Aug. 2003		Cook's Illustrated tests seven ice cream machines in this older review: two canister-free and five gel-canister ice cream models. Editors rate the Lussino by Musso the best performer, while the best-value rating goes to the now-discontinued (and much criticized by owners) Krups La Glaciere. 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.
5. Fine Cooking >> Details/Subscribe	The Scoop on Ice Cream Makers Maryellen Driscoll Aug./Sept. 2005		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 >> Details/Subscribe	Wares: Ice Cream Makers Editors of Cuisine Aug. 2003		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	Ice-Cream Machines Contributors to Amazon.com As of Apr. 2008		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.
8. Epinions	Ice Cream Maker Reviews Contributors to Epinions As of Apr. 2008		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.

Ice Cream Makers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Ice Cream Makers Ratings Comments on Reviews

9. San Francisco Chronicle	Recommended Ice Cream Makers Amanda Berne and Lynne Char Bennett July 21, 2004		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. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	You Can Have a Ball With This Ice Cream Maker Editors of Consumer Reports July 2005		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.

Ice Cream Makers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Ice Cream Makers Ratings Comments on Reviews

11. Los Angeles Times >> Details/Subscribe	Ice Cream, Meet Your Makers Cindy Dorn June 23, 2003		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."