These Are the 6 Best Ice Cream Makers To Help Beat the Summer Heat (2024)

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Allstar Amy Barnes likened her ice cream maker tests to Goldilocks and the Three Bears—one machine was just right. In this case, the “just right” option was Cuisinart’s Cool Creations 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker. It was Amy’s favorite, thanks to the machine’s straightforward controls, sleek design with a reasonably-sized footprint, and incredibly tasty results.

There are a grand total of five buttons on the control panel: on/off, ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and a set of arrows to adjust the timer (so if you want to get really technical, I suppose it’s six buttons). “The digital display was easy to navigate, and the presets were great—no need to keep instructions close by,” Amy said. “[It’s] very much set–it–and–forget–it until it's time to scoop out the completed ice cream.” Another big highlight for the Cuisinart model is the quiet motor—in fact, it was the quietest of all ice cream makers tested.

After 30 minutes of churning, the ice cream did come out on the softer side—a win for soft-serve enthusiasts—but those who prefer a firmer texture may want to put the ice cream in the freezer for a while to let it firm up.

The Details: 2-quart capacity; 3 presets; 13.5 pounds; 9.74 x 8.62 x 13.22 inches

If you want a lot of bang for your buck, consider the Nostalgia Ice Cream Maker. This wallet-friendly option makes up to 4 quarts of ice cream at a time, plenty for the whole family or even a party. The red bucket design evokes memories of old fashioned ice cream makers and works much the same way, adding some modern electric convenience to the mix.

Place your ingredients in a pre-frozen aluminum canister, set that in the red bucket, then layer in ice and rock salt—Amy noted that you’ll need a lot of both—and click the lid into place. It does require a bit more preparation than other models, but not an unreasonable amount.

One downside to this machine is the fairly loud volume. If you want to avoid mechanical whirrs and rattling ice drowning out conversation, maybe don’t have this running during dinner. You could always make the dessert beforehand, or leave it running in the house while grilling burgers in the backyard. If you want to crank up the nostalgia even further, there is a popular wooden bucket model as well.

The Details: 4-quart capacity; no presets; 5.15 Pounds; 22 x 17 x 17 inches

Drew Barrymore has a line of lovely appliances aptly named Beautiful. This ice cream maker is no exception, with a sleek and smooth build available in several pastel colors. The illuminated display only lights up when in use, adding to the simple yet highly elegant design.

The machine is more than just a pretty face, though. It delivered a delightfully cold and creamy ice cream in just 35 minutes. The countdown timer was a nice touch. You can let the machine run while doing other things and still keep an eye on it.

The Beautiful Ice Cream Maker got big marks in the cleaning department. All but one part can go in the dishwasher, though wiping it down with a damp cloth is just as easy. If you’re looking for a housewarming gift or a present for a real ice cream enthusiast, it’s a fantastic option. “It would be perfect for dorms, apartments, or smaller kitchens because of its smaller footprint,” Amy says.

The Details: 1.5-quart capacity; 3 presets; 7 pounds; 8.26 x 8.97 x 8.97 inches

For those who just want an occasional single-serve dessert and don’t want to deal with a big, bulky machine, there’s the Dash My Mug Ice Cream Maker. As the name implies, the appliance takes the shape of a small mug—handle and all—that can make 1 cup of ice cream at a time.

Since the capacity is on the smaller side, the My Mug can make ice cream fairly quickly. In tests, it made ice cream in just under a half hour, while the sorbet was even faster, taking only 21 minutes. The controls couldn’t be simpler—it’s literally just a power button.

There’s a spout where you can pour the ice cream base into the pre-frozen container, but the spout can double as a convenient chute for any add-ins, such as crumbled cookies or chocolate chips. The resulting dessert was more like a thick and creamy milkshake than traditional ice cream, and there were a few ice crystals in the mix, but it’s still a solid option for when you need a quick sweet treat.

The Details: 1-cup capacity; no presets; 4.81 pounds; 7.2 x 5.9 x 6.9 inches

This one is for the true ice cream aficionados. The Ninja CREAMi is a versatile powerhouse, able to make ice cream, gelato, sorbet, smoothie bowls, and milkshakes—there’s even a preset for “lite” ice cream. If you plan on adding mix-ins, there’s a button for that, too.

The Ninja was by far and away the quickest of the machines we tested, able to produce ice cream in just a minute and a half, and the sorbet only took a minute longer. It’s lightning fast, though the resulting ice cream was quite soft and melted quickly. To solve that, just pop the dessert in the freezer and it will firm up beautifully. After two hours, the ice cream had a scoopable texture while remaining creamy.

Besides the price, the main caveat is the size. The machine stands upright and slightly resembles a blender, which means it may not store easily in cabinets and cupboards. In terms of capacity, however, the CREAMi is on the smaller side, holding only a half quart (or 2 cups). If you’ve got space on your countertop and don’t mind running the machine a few times to get more ice cream (and given it’s lightning-quick churning, that wouldn’t be a big deal), it’s a splurge-worthy machine.

The Details: Half-quart capacity; 7 presets; 13.5 pounds; 12.07 x 6.52 x 15.95 inches

Many of these makers create fairly soft ice cream, but what about fans of hard-packed parlor-style ice cream? Vevor has you covered. This stainless steel machine creates thick, scoopable ice cream and sorbet in about an hour. In testing, it yielded a rich vanilla scoop that had an extra creamy taste and texture reminiscent of double-churned ice cream. Putting it in the freezer for a few hours firmed it up further, though it was still easy to scoop. Though it took a bit of finagling to find the best time to add mix-ins, the machine incorporated cookie chunks into the ice cream perfectly, without fully crushing the pieces and making the ice cream go gray. The 35-minute mark seems to be the sweet spot.

It’s a very quiet machine, which is really nice, but also a little surprising since it has a built-in cooling compressor. The compressor brings the ingredients to temperature all on its own, no need to pre-freeze metal canisters or add a bunch of ice and rock salt—just pour and go. The button and dial controls proved refreshingly straightforward.

The biggest bummer here is the weight. This appliance weighs a whopping 25 pounds. If you plan on making ice cream frequently you could definitely leave it out on your counter (seriously, who wants to lug a 25-pound machine out of storage all the time?). It’s fairly low profile and the stainless steel finish will fit with most kitchen decor, but it does take up a fair chunk of space.

The Details: 2-quart capacity; 3 presets; 25 pounds; 16.73 x 11.22 x 10.31 inches