What is the best ice cream maker?

If you want one recommendation for most people, I’d buy the Ninja CREAMi. Recent 2026 testing from Bon Appétit found it produced the best texture among the newer frozen-dessert machines they tested, while Food Network also highlights its versatility and quick processing.

• Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker - $229.99 (Staples)

My picks

• 🥇 Best overall: Ninja CREAMi — Excellent texture, very easy to customize, and fantastic for ice cream, sorbet, gelato, milkshakes and mix-ins. Downside: you have to freeze the base for about 24 hours before processing, and it's fairly loud.

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Best for families: Ninja CREAMi Deluxe/XL — Larger 24-oz containers and more programs.

• 💰 Best traditional/value choice: Cuisinart ICE-21 — If you want actual churned ice cream rather than the CREAMi-style processing, this is an excellent inexpensive choice. Forbes and Bon Appétit both rank it as their overall traditional pick.

• Cuisinart 1.5-Qt Ice Cream Maker - $71.48 (Walmart)

• ❄️ Best if you don't want to pre-freeze anything: a compressor machine such as the Whynter 2.1-qt. It freezes while it churns, so you can make consecutive batches, but it's considerably larger and more expensive.

• Whynter 2.1-qt Automatic Ice Cream Maker - $255.99 (The Home Depot)

Bottom line: If you're mainly after really creamy homemade ice cream with minimal fuss, get the Ninja CREAMi. If you're a traditionalist who wants to pour in a chilled custard and have the machine churn it like an ice-cream shop, get the Cuisinart.

If you tell me your budget (e.g. under $100, $200, $300) and whether you want regular ice cream, protein ice cream, or soft serve, I can narrow it to the exact model.

The best overall ice cream maker for most home cooks is the Cuisinart ICE-21 , a highly reliable canister-style machine praised by experts at Wirecutter and Serious Eats for its affordability, ease of use, and ultra-fast 20-minute churning time.

If you prefer non-dairy alternatives, seek advanced customization, or want a high-end built-in freezer that requires zero advance planning, other specialized models excel in those categories.

Top Ice Cream Makers Compared

In-Depth Product Recommendations

• Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt - Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker Go to product viewer dialog for this item.:
  • Best Overall : Consistently outperforms machines five times its price in expert blind taste tests.
  • Texture : Asymmetrical paddle minimizes ice crystals for an airy, easily scoopable result.
  • Consideration : The 1.5-quart double-insulated bowl requires 16–24 hours of pre-freezing.
• Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream and Frozen Treat Maker:
  • Most Versatile : Ideal for transforming high-protein, low-sugar, or dairy-free bases into smooth textures.
  • How it Works : You freeze a solid liquid block for 24 hours, then a powerful blade shaves it down instantly.
  • Consideration : It operates loudly like a blender and cannot incorporate large, intact mix-in chunks well.
• Breville the Smart Scoop:
  • Best Compressor : Built-in self-refrigeration means no pre-freezing canisters or waiting between batches.
  • Smart Controls : Features 12 hardness presets and automatically senses when the mixture is perfectly churned.
  • Consideration : Expensive luxury appliance with a large countertop footprint.
• Lello Musso Lussino 4080:
  • Best Luxury Upgrade : Heavy-duty Italian stainless steel machine built for professional, artisan quality at home.
  • Gelato Master : Churns exceptionally slowly to prevent excess air, creating dense, velvety gelato.
  • Consideration : Extremely heavy (over 30 lbs) and significantly more expensive than standard kitchen appliances.

To help narrow down the perfect match, what is your budget range ? It would also help to know how much freezer space you have available, and if you plan to make healthy/protein recipes or traditional ice cream.

If you mean the best ice cream maker for home use, I’d narrow it to two:

• Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Compressor - $599.95 (Williams-Sonoma)
• Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 - $279.99 (Staples)
• Cuisinart 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker - $69.99 (Walmart)
• Cuisinart ICE-100 Compressor - $330.00 (The Home Depot)

🏆 Best overall for serious ice cream: Breville Smart Scoop

• Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Compressor - $599.95 (Williams-Sonoma)

This is my pick if your priority is really good traditional ice cream. It has a built-in compressor, so you don't have to freeze a bowl or base overnight, and it automatically handles ice cream, gelato, sorbet and frozen yogurt. Food Network rated it its best overall ice cream maker in its 2026 testing.

Downside: it's expensive—currently around $600—and fairly large.

⭐ Best for most people: Ninja CREAMi Deluxe

• Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 - $279.99 (Staples)

I'd actually recommend this to most households. It's much more versatile and particularly good for protein ice cream, low-calorie recipes, dairy-free desserts, sorbet, smoothie bowls and lots of mix-ins. The Deluxe uses larger 24-oz containers.

The tradeoff is that you freeze the base beforehand, typically overnight, and its texture is produced differently from traditionally churned ice cream.

💰 Best inexpensive traditional option: Cuisinart

• Cuisinart 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker - $69.99 (Walmart)

At roughly $70, this is an excellent choice if you just want good homemade ice cream without spending hundreds. It makes a batch in about 20 minutes once the freezer bowl is frozen. Food Network also selected this style of Cuisinart as its budget pick.

My quick verdict:

• Best ice cream quality: Breville Smart Scoop
• Best for most people: Ninja CREAMi Deluxe
• Best value: Cuisinart 1.5-qt
• Best if you make lots of classic ice cream/gelato: Cuisinart ICE-100

If you tell me your budget (e.g. under $100, $200, $300+) and whether you want regular ice cream or protein/low-calorie ice cream, I can pick the exact one I'd buy.

The right ice cream maker depends heavily on how much kitchen space you have, your budget, and whether you want to plan your desserts a day in advance.

According to product testers at publications like Bon Appétit and Serious Eats , the absolute top options on the market span three distinct styles: pre-frozen bowls for value, built-in compressors for spontaneous multi-batch churning, and shaving/emulsifying appliances for customized mix-ins.

Best Overall Value (Freezer Bowl Style)

• Widely rated as the best entry-level machine overall by experts at Bon Appétit.
• Yields a 1.5-quart batch of smooth ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet in under 20 minutes.
• Relies on a double-insulated gel bowl that you must keep frozen for 16 to 24 hours before churning.
• Features a fully submerged paddle that mixes smoothly to minimize the ice crystal formulation that often plagues cheaper units.

Best Mid-Range Compressor (No Pre-Freezing Needed)

• Highly recommended by culinary authorities like Ice Cream Science for home cooks looking to upgrade.
• Built-in commercial-quality compressor freezer chills itself automatically, eliminating the need to pre-freeze any bowls.
• Allows you to make continuous, back-to-back batches of desserts on a whim.
• Features a 60-minute countdown timer, an easy-to-read LCD display, and includes two unique, specialized paddles tailored separately for ice cream and dense Italian-style gelato.

Best Premium Compressor (Feature-Rich)

• Features 12 distinct hardness/consistency settings that adjust automatically, ensuring you get perfect textures for soft-serve, sorbet, gelato, or hard-pack ice cream.
• Employs a smart sensor that detects the resistance of the churning base and automatically turns off the motor when the dessert achieves the perfect thickness.
• Boasts a clever "Hold" setting that preserves your frozen treats at the perfect scoopable consistency for up to three hours.
• Sounds an auditory alert (including a nostalgic ice cream truck tune option) when it is time to drop in your favorite chocolate chips or fruit mix-ins.

Best for Custom Textures & Novelty (The Shaving Method)

• Relies on a fundamentally different technology than traditional makers by utilizing a powerful dual-drive motor and a "Creamerizer" paddle to finely shave a solid block of pre-frozen liquid into an ultra-smooth emulsion.
• Excellent for high-protein, low-sugar, dairy-free, or custom-diet recipes that usually turn icy or separate in normal churn style machines.
• Delivers 11 one-touch programs that yield customized results for milkshakes, sorbets, frozen yogurt, and mix-in styles.
• Requires you to mix your base liquid and freeze it completely flat in their proprietary pints for a strict 24 hours prior to processing.

To help narrow down the search, please let me know:

• What is your target budget?
• Do you have the freezer space to store a removable bowl ahead of time, or do you prefer a self-chilling compressor machine?
• Are you prioritizing traditional ice cream or alternative options like gelato, sorbet, or low-sugar treats?

If you want one recommendation for most people, I’d get the Cuisinart ICE-21. It’s simple, inexpensive, makes traditional churned ice cream in about 20 minutes, and multiple 2026 tests/reviews rank it at or near the top.

Cuisinart ICE-21

$69.99

My picks by type

The Ninja CREAMi is particularly good if you like experimenting with high-protein, low-sugar, fruit-based or unusual frozen desserts. Unlike a traditional churner, you freeze the base first and then process it; testing has found it produces exceptionally creamy results.

Cuisinart ICE-21

$69.99

Ninja CREAMi Deluxe

$249.99

Whynter ICM-201SB

$309.99

Breville Smart Scoop

$599.95

Bottom line:

• Want classic homemade ice cream without spending much? → Cuisinart ICE-21.
• Want maximum versatility and lots of flavors/mix-ins? → Ninja CREAMi Deluxe.
• Want the best traditional machine without freezing anything beforehand? → Whynter.

If you tell me your budget (e.g. under $100, $200, $300) and whether you want traditional ice cream or Ninja-CREAMi-style desserts, I can narrow it to the single best model for you.

The best ice cream maker for most home cooks is the Cuisinart ICE-21 Go to product viewer dialog for this item. . This classic freezer-bowl model consistently beats out much more expensive machines by churning out incredibly smooth, creamy ice cream in less than 20 minutes. However, the right machine for you depends entirely on your budget, how much freezer space you have, and whether you want to make multiple batches back-to-back without waiting.

The Top Ice Cream Makers Compared

Best Freezer-Bowl & Micro-Churn Models

Freezer-bowl models are affordable and reliable, but they require you to freeze the bowl for 24 hours ahead of time. Micro-churn models require you to freeze the ingredients directly inside a pint container ahead of time.

• This machine is highly praised by testing editors at Serious Eats and Bon Appétit for its exceptional speed and consistency.

• It utilizes an open-top paddle design that efficiently reduces large ice crystals, resulting in premium, scoop-shop quality texture.

• The budget-friendly price point makes it the highest-value option for casual makers.

• Instead of churning a liquid base while it freezes, you freeze your mix-ins and base completely solid for 24 hours, then the machine uses a powerful blade to shave it into a smooth dessert.

• According to reviewers at Food & Wine , it is uniquely excellent for processing low-sugar, high-protein, or dairy-free bases that normally turn icy in traditional machines.

• It completely eliminates the need for a bulky, heavy traditional mixing bowl, using slim, easily stackable pints instead.

Best Built-In Compressor Models

Compressor models feature an integrated refrigeration unit that chills the bowl instantly. You do not need to pre-freeze anything, meaning you can make spontaneous, back-to-back batches whenever you want.

• Expert testing from Ice Cream Science shows its strong motor continues churning down to an optimal drawing temperature of -10°C, yielding incredibly dense, velvety structures.
• It comes equipped with two distinct, specialized paddles—one optimized to incorporate less air for authentic gelato, and one for traditional fluffy ice cream.
• Features a convenient 10-minute "Keep Cool" function that protects your fresh batch from melting if you cannot transfer it to the freezer immediately.

• It offers ultimate flexibility with 12 distinct hardness presets ranging from soft-serve and frozen yogurt to dense gelato and firm sorbet.

• The automated sensors stop churning the exact moment your dessert reaches the precise texture selected, preventing motor strain.

• A dedicated pre-cool button drops the machine's starting temperature down ahead of time to maximize initial ice-crystal reduction.

• Handbuilt in Italy with commercial-grade stainless steel parts and no plastic paddles, making it an heirloom-quality machine.

• Churns out restaurant-grade frozen desserts in about 20 minutes once warmed up, outperforming almost all residential machines in speed and texture.

• The machine is heavy (around 40 pounds) and features a fixed bowl, meaning cleanup requires wiping it down directly on your counter.

To narrow down the best choice, please tell me:

• What is your target budget?
• How much freezer space do you have available for pre-freezing parts?
• Do you want to make multiple batches in a single day, or just one occasional batch?

The absolute best ice cream maker for most home cooks is the Cuisinart ICE-21P1 Go to product viewer dialog for this item. , highly praised by experts for its exceptional speed, ease of use, and low price. However, because different machines cater to different workflows, the top three specific models excel at distinct tasks:

Top Product Recommendations

• Chosen by testers at Serious Eats and Wirecutter as the best overall entry-level model.

• It churns light, airy, and scoopable ice cream in about 20 minutes.

• Features a simple on/off switch and a large window for dropping in mix-ins.

• Requires freezing the 1.5-quart insulated bowl for 24 hours prior to churning.

• Best for health-conscious users, dairy-free alternatives, or multi-purpose frozen treats.

• Unlike traditional churners, it uses an 800-watt motor to finely shave completely pre-frozen solid blocks of ingredients into smooth treats.

• Features 11 one-touch presets for gelato, sorbet, mix-ins, and frozen yogurt.

• Highly customizable, but requires planning since the liquid bases must be frozen for 24 hours in the specialized XL pints before processing.

• Selected by Bon Appétit and Wirecutter as the ultimate luxury, professional-grade choice for serious enthusiasts.

• Uses a built-in compressor mechanism to chill itself, completely eliminating the need to pre-freeze any bowls or ingredients.

• Handbuilt in Italy with heavy-duty stainless steel parts and paddles rather than flimsy plastics.

• Yields dense, velvety, parlor-quality texture and allows you to make consecutive batches back-to-back.

Comparison of Top Ice Cream Makers

To help me narrow down the best machine for your kitchen, tell me:

• What is your budget range?
• Do you prefer spontaneous making or are you okay with planning 24 hours ahead?
• Are you making traditional ice cream or healthy/dairy-free alternatives?

If you want one recommendation, I’d get the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe. Recent 2026 testing is especially favorable to the CREAMi for versatility and texture, and it can make ice cream, gelato, sorbet, frozen yogurt, and other frozen treats.

Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1

$299.99

My picks

• 🏆 Best overall: Ninja CREAMi Deluxe — Best if you want lots of flavors, mix-ins, protein/low-calorie recipes, sorbet, and individual portions. Downside: you need to freeze the base ahead of time, usually overnight.
• 🍨 Best for traditional ice cream: Cuisinart ICE-21 — Forbes' 2026 overall pick; simple, compact, and produces classic churned ice cream.
• 💎 Best premium: Breville Smart Scoop — A compressor machine, so there's no pre-freezing. Excellent if you want traditional ice cream/gelato and don't mind spending around $600.
• 💰 Best budget: Cuisinart 2-qt — A straightforward traditional churner with a large capacity and much lower price.

My bottom line:
If you're making fun, highly customizable desserts → CREAMi Deluxe.
If you're a serious traditional ice-cream lover → Breville Smart Scoop.
If you just want good homemade ice cream without spending much → Cuisinart.

If you tell me your budget (e.g. under $100, $200, $300) and whether you want traditional scoop-shop ice cream or Ninja CREAMi-style desserts, I can narrow it down to the best specific model.

The absolute best ice cream maker for most home cooks is the Cuisinart ICE-21P1 Go to product viewer dialog for this item. , highly praised by experts for its exceptional speed, ease of use, and low price. However, because different machines cater to different workflows, the top three specific models excel at distinct tasks:

Top Product Recommendations

Add to list

• Chosen by testers at Serious Eats and Wirecutter as the best overall entry-level model.
• It churns light, airy, and scoopable ice cream in about 20 minutes.
• Features a simple on/off switch and a large window for dropping in mix-ins.
• Requires freezing the 1.5-quart insulated bowl for 24 hours prior to churning.

Add to list

• Best for health-conscious users, dairy-free alternatives, or multi-purpose frozen treats.
• Unlike traditional churners, it uses an 800-watt motor to finely shave completely pre-frozen solid blocks of ingredients into smooth treats.
• Features 11 one-touch presets for gelato, sorbet, mix-ins, and frozen yogurt.
• Highly customizable, but requires planning since the liquid bases must be frozen for 24 hours in the specialized XL pints before processing.

Add to list

• Selected by Bon Appétit and Wirecutter as the ultimate luxury, professional-grade choice for serious enthusiasts.
• Uses a built-in compressor mechanism to chill itself, completely eliminating the need to pre-freeze any bowls or ingredients.
• Handbuilt in Italy with heavy-duty stainless steel parts and paddles rather than flimsy plastics.
• Yields dense, velvety, parlor-quality texture and allows you to make consecutive batches back-to-back.

Comparison of Top Ice Cream Makers

To help me narrow down the best machine for your kitchen, tell me:

• What is your budget range?
• Do you prefer spontaneous making or are you okay with planning 24 hours ahead?
• Are you making traditional ice cream or healthy/dairy-free alternatives?

If you want one recommendation for most people, I’d get the Ninja CREAMi. Current 2026 testing consistently praises it for exceptionally creamy texture and versatility, especially if you want ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt, mix-ins, and higher-protein/low-sugar frozen treats.

Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Maker

$169.00

My picks by what you want

• Best overall / most versatile: Ninja CREAMi — best texture and widest range of frozen desserts. The tradeoff is that you generally need to freeze the base ahead of time, and it's fairly loud.
• Best traditional ice cream + value: Cuisinart ICE-21 — makes 1.5 quarts and churns a conventional ice-cream base in about 20 minutes once the bowl is frozen. Forbes Vetted named it its 2026 top pick.

Cuisinart ICE-21

$69.95

• Best premium traditional machine: Cuisinart ICE-100 — compressor-based, so you don't have to pre-freeze a bowl; particularly appealing if you make ice cream frequently and want classic ice cream/gelato.

Cuisinart ICE-100 Compressor Ice Cream Maker

$366.12

Bottom line: If you're asking me to spend your money, I'd choose the Ninja CREAMi for versatility and texture. If your priority is big batches of classic scoopable ice cream, I'd choose the Cuisinart ICE-21 instead.