Ready to buy now? Here are some key takeaways, and the full reviews are below.
Yes, you can just go out and buy a cone, but there is something so satisfying about throwing some milk, sugar and vanilla into a contraption and getting rewarded with ice cream. The truth is, we all covet the good stuff (not “frozen desserts,” but actual ice cream) and when we make it at home with our own ice cream maker, we know that it’s filled with only real ingredients.
Now I’m acting like the woman who makes her own Oreos from scratch — that is definitely not me. But homemade ice cream is just so delicious, and with the newer models of ice cream makers out there, it’s very easy to make. And when you are totally in control, you can get the texture just right.
Great ice cream makers help you prepare your favorite flavors quickly and easily and allow you to make more than just ice cream. To find the absolute best ones, we researched and tested a dozen ice cream makers to see just how well they perform. We prepared basic ice cream flavors like vanilla and chocolate, as well as some specialty flavors and vegan recipes. We also made fruit-based sorbets and tested the specialty settings on some machines for desserts like Italian ice, gelato and slushies.
Ultimately, the Ninja CREAMi earns our top spot. This versatile machine can prepare ice cream, sorbet, gelato, milkshakes and more, allowing for countless creative recipes.
Editors’ picks for 2026
Ninja Creami
Editors’ Favorite
Churning Time: 2 min | Maximum Yield: 1 pint | Dimensions: 12.07″ L x 6.52″ W x 15.95″ H | Weight: 13 lb | Ease of Cleaning: Pint containers, lids, paddle and press all dishwasher-safe
We tested the original Ninja Creami and couldn’t believe how easy it was to use compared to ice cream makers from other brands. “I have to say I was pretty impressed,” our tester said. “It seemed unlikely to me that I would get perfectly textured ice cream after such a short time — but the Ninja Creami proved me wrong.”
In addition to ice cream, it can also make sorbet, gelato, milkshakes, smoothies and light ice cream with the press of a button. And kids especially love getting creative with the Mix-in setting, which lets them blend in favorite toppings like Oreos and chocolate chips. Ice cream not soft enough after processing is complete? Just hit the Re-spin function to get a smoother, creamier texture. The Ninja Creami comes with two pint containers to store your batches in, and all its parts are dishwasher-safe, so cleanup is a breeze.
While it does take mere minutes to make the ice cream, the container of ingredients needs to go in the freezer for 24 hours before you can get started. “You’ve really gotta plan ahead in order to have ice cream on a moment’s notice,” our tester said. “But if you like frozen treats, I can see this saving money in the long run and adding some novelty and potentially healthier ingredient choices than what you would find at the grocery store.”
Cuisinart ICE-21 Automatic Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt & Sorbet Maker
Great Value
Churning Time: 25 to 30 min | Maximum Yield: 1.5 qt | Dimensions: 9.5” L x 9” W x 11.25” H | Weight: 10.12 lb | Ease of Cleaning: The lid and mixing arm are dishwasher-safe, but the freezer bowl requires hand-washing
While the Cuisinart ICE-21 Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt & Sorbet Maker is a fairly basic ice cream maker, we were able to consistently whip up delicious, creamy ice cream with it. A traditional ice cream maker, it comes with a freezer bowl that must be frozen for at least 16 hours. However, unlike other ice cream machines that typically come in neutral colors, the Cuisinart ICE-21 is available in a red option, as well as pink, so you aren’t stuck with a basic white.
It was extremely easy to set up during testing. “I didn’t even need to consult the manual to figure out how to work it,” one of our testers said. We only needed three minutes to get it out of the box and assemble it on the counter in our testing area.
The Cuisinart ICE-21’s ice cream was the softest right after churning among the models we tested. We made a batch of chocolate and then a batch of vanilla that took 21 and 26 minutes, respectively, to reach a creamy, soft-serve consistency; neither batch was scoopable right after churning.
We were very pleased with the texture after placing both ice creams in airtight containers in the freezer for an hour and a half, which allowed us to scoop them easily. The machine didn’t take up too much space on the countertop in our testing area, and it weighs just about 10 pounds, so it would be easy to store in a cabinet and take out when you want to make ice cream.
Like similar ice cream makers, the Cuisinart ICE-21 is very easy to use, with a simple on/off button and a wide opening to pour your ice cream base through. “Even those new to using ice cream makers will find it simple and intuitive to use,” our tester said. Additionally, it took us just seven minutes to clean all the components after making ice cream.
We give the ICE-21 an 8 out of 10 for its beginner-friendly design and consistent churning results.
Ninja Swirl
Best for Soft Serve
Churning Time: 3 to 5 min | Maximum Yield: 1 pint | Dimensions: 15.5” L x 10.03” W x 17.51” H | Weight: 20.8 lb | Ease of Cleaning: Pint containers, lids, paddle and press all dishwasher-safe
The original Ninja CREAMi revolutionized ice cream-making at home, but the Ninja Swirl increases that versatility with six additional soft-serve settings for a total of 13 one-touch programs. In addition to the classic ice cream, gelato, milkshake, light ice cream, sorbet and yogurt, it can make traditional soft serve, light soft serve, protein-packed soft serve, fruit whip, frozen yogurt and frozen custard. Like the original, you can use the Mix-in setting to blend candy, nuts, fruit and other add-ins into your classic recipes.
As with the original model, this ice cream maker requires freezing your ingredients for 24 hours before churning. It can produce a pint of ice cream at a time, but it includes two pint containers, so you can have two pints ready for churning at a time.
You can let your kids get in on the fun, too. The machine’s soft serve handle offers three speeds, making it easy to swirl your favorite flavors into a cone just like an ice cream shop. Cleanup afterward is also a breeze because the Swirl’s pints, lids, mixing paddle and swirl press are all dishwasher-safe.
Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream Maker
Top Pick
Churning Time: 2 to 5 min, depending on program | Maximum Yield: 1 pint | Dimensions: 12.01” L x 8.42” W x 16.69” H | Weight: 14.44 lb | Ease of Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe components
Like nearly all ice cream makers, the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe can whip up ice cream, sorbet, gelato and frozen yogurt — but then, it goes even further, making specialty treats like protein-rich light ice cream and Italian ice, as well as drinkable treats like milkshakes, slushies and frozen drinks. Its 11-in-1 functionality makes it the most versatile model we tested, so it’s an ideal option if you want to leave your ice cream maker out on the counter and get as much use out of it as possible.
Unlike other traditional ice cream makers, it does take some pre-planning the day before. Instead of freezing a bowl and pouring chilled ingredients into it, it requires freezing the ice cream base ingredients for 24 hours before churning. Though it eliminates any spontaneity, it drastically reduces the processing time.
How long it takes to churn varies based on the program chosen, but it took us just five minutes to make vanilla ice cream and seven minutes to make cookie butter ice cream when we tested, compared to the usual 20-plus minutes with other models. One of our testers noted, “I like that the display counts down the processing time for each program, so I knew how long each recipe would take to finish.”
Testing also revealed that freezing the base ingredients before churning gave the vanilla ice cream a much more scoopable texture than the ice cream we made in other machines. It was firmer than soft serve right after processing and maintained that texture even after storing it in the freezer overnight.
The CREAMi Deluxe also offers some handy features to improve your recipes. For instance, our cookie butter ice cream was slightly crumbly after its initial processing, but when we used the convenient Re-spin feature, it remixed the ice cream to give it a smooth, creamy texture. We also used the Mix-in setting to incorporate crushed cookies into the cookie butter ice cream and were impressed with how well the CREAMi Deluxe blended the pieces throughout the dessert.
Other cold treats that we made were delicious, too. Our pineapple sorbet and lemon Italian ice both had a smooth, scoopable texture. “I was pleasantly surprised by how similar they were to store-bought versions,” one of our testers said. And our blue raspberry slushie had an icy but still fluffy texture that was easy to sip through a straw, too.
One issue we ran into with the CREAMi Deluxe was its size. It’s fairly narrow but pretty tall. Our testing area had low-hanging cabinets, and it didn’t fit beneath them. It’s also quite loud when you run the machine.
Overall, we gave it a 10 out of 10 for its impressive versatility, excellent texture, user-friendly design and consistency across all the desserts we made.
Cuisinart Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Maker
Easy to Use
Churning Time: 25 to 30 min | Maximum Yield: 2 qt | Dimensions: 11.25” L x 8.25” W x 11.5” H | Weight: 13.4 lb | Ease of Cleaning: The lid and mixing arm are dishwasher-safe, but the freezer bowl requires hand-washing
The Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Automatic Ice Cream Maker is a traditional option that delivers consistent results for ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, sorbet and frozen drinks. Unlike the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe, which requires freezing your ice cream base before processing, it has a bowl that must be frozen before churning chilled ingredients.
During testing, we made one batch of ice cream with the bowl frozen for just six hours and another frozen for 24 hours. When we gave the bowl a full day in the freezer, we wound up with much thicker, firmer ice cream that didn’t melt as quickly. With the bowl frozen for six hours, our ice cream was thinner and melted faster. While their churning times were similar, the batch in the bowl that had been frozen for 24 hours only took 25 minutes, while the batch in the bowl frozen for six hours took a full half hour.
Overall, we were pleased with the texture of all the desserts we made during testing. We prepared a simple vanilla ice cream and a cookies-and-cream ice cream that both had a soft-serve texture right out of the machine. We also made a blueberry sorbet with a similar texture, but we struggled a bit with vegan coconut ice cream we prepared using canned coconut cream, which didn’t freeze as well as the other recipes. If we wanted a firmer texture, we only had to place the ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for an hour or two to make it more scoopable.
The Pure Indulgence is very easy to use, with a simple on/off switch to get things going. It was also quick and easy to hand-wash the components with a sponge, though the lid and mixing paddle are both dishwasher-safe. “Make sure the freezer bowl is completely dry before placing it into the freezer again,” one of our testers said. “When it’s placed in the freezer, it should be wrapped in a plastic bag to prevent freezer burn.”
We give it a 9 out of 10 because of its affordable price, simple, easy-to-use design and excellent ice cream texture for multiple recipes.
Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker
Best Compressor-Style Ice Cream Maker
Churning Time: 50 to 55 min | Maximum Yield: 1.5 qt. | Dimensions: 16.2” L x 7.2” W x 10.7” H | Weight: 30 lb | Ease of Cleaning: The paddle and lid are dishwasher-safe, but the ice cream bowl requires hand-washing
If you make ice cream regularly — or just want to whip up a batch whenever you want — the Breville Smart Scoop is the model for you. Unlike the other ice cream makers we tested, which all require freezing either the bowl or the ingredients themselves, it has a compressor that can chill the mixture, so you don’t have to prep beforehand. It even has a Pre-Cool function that we used to cool our mixtures before churning to reduce the overall processing time.
Though there’s minimal prep required, its churning took longer than the other models we tested. It took between 26 and 52 minutes to churn the ice cream, depending on the setting we chose. However, the longer churning times are a fair tradeoff since we didn’t have to freeze anything ahead of time.
All the desserts we made had a nice creamy texture. We made vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, mint chocolate chip gelato and lemon sorbet. The ice cream had a soft-serve consistency right after churning, while the gelato was slightly firmer and denser. We couldn’t scoop any of the recipes straight from the machine, but after an hour or two in the freezer, they were similar to store-bought ice cream in consistency.
We loved the Smart Scoop’s Keep Cool feature. It can maintain the temperature of your finished ice cream for up to three hours. This kept our ice cream from melting or changing texture, so we didn’t have to worry about eating or serving it right after churning.
The Smart Scoop also features both automatic and manual settings for the ice cream’s hardness, so you can customize it to suit your preferences. We relied on the pre-programmed settings for ice cream, sorbet and gelato and got perfect results every time.
It is the priciest option on our list, retailing for about $500. Said our tester, “You’re paying quite a bit more for that extra convenience of not freezing the bowl, but if you’re someone who makes homemade ice cream regularly or impulsively, the price may be worth it.”
Ultimately, we gave the Smart Scoop a 9 out of 10 for its convenience, customization options and creamy texture across different recipes.
KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment
Best Ice Cream Maker for Small Batches
Churning Time: 20 to 25 min | Maximum Yield: 2 qt | Dimensions: 9” L x 7” W x 11” H | Weight: 7 lb | Ease of Cleaning: The drive assembly and dasher are dishwasher-safe, but the freezer bowl requires hand-washing
If your KitchenAid stand mixer has a permanent place on your counter, the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment may be the perfect ice cream maker for your kitchen. It consists of a freezer bowl, like most traditional ice cream makers, as well as a housing assembly and dasher that attach to the mixer. It took us less than a minute to attach the assembly to the mixer, but the freezer bowl required at least 16 hours in the freezer before we could make ice cream.
The benefit of the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment’s design is that it doesn’t require as much storage space as other ice cream makers. We kept the bowl in the freezer when not in use and stored the housing assembly and dasher inside our stand mixer’s standard bowl with its whisk and other attachments. That meant we didn’t have to drag a standalone ice cream maker out of the cabinet whenever we wanted to make a batch.
Before starting each recipe with the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment, we froze the bowl for 24 hours. That may have helped with the churning time and consistency of the finished product because we found it to be on par with ice cream makers with a freezer bowl that we tested, including the Cuisinart Pure Indulgence and the Cuisinart ICE-21 Automatic Ice Cream Maker. It took 21 to 24 minutes to churn our three ice cream recipes, and the results had a creamy texture and were slightly firmer than soft-serve. “It makes delicious ice cream,” one of our testers said. “It was almost as firm as store-bought ice cream.”
The KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment was also very easy to use. “As long as you know how to turn on a stand mixer, you can use the ice cream maker attachment,” our tester said. After turning on our mixer, we only needed to pour the ice cream base into the bowl. Cleaning was quick, too, taking less than eight minutes to hand-wash all the components.
Overall, we scored it an 8 out of 10 because of its user-friendly design, convenient storage and excellent consistency and flavor across all the recipes we made.
