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Best ice-cream makers: the top 10

Ranked by how many of the 9 lists include each pick.

  1. 1

    Cuisinart ICE-21

    $70Shop
    On 7 of 9 lists

    A compact, affordable canister ice cream maker that churns dense, smooth ice cream in about 20 minutes with simple one-button operation and a double-insulated bowl that needs no ice. The bowl must be frozen for 16 to 24 hours beforehand, the paddle feels flimsy, there is no timer, and it runs loud.

  2. 2

    Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop

    $600Shop
    On 5 of 9 lists

    The Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop is a fully automated compressor ice cream maker that churns without pre-freezing and includes a keep-cool mode. It is expensive, heavy and bulky, and batches can be inconsistent.

  3. 3

    Cuisinart ICE-70 Cool Creations

    $185Shop
    On 5 of 9 lists

    The ICE-70 makes smooth, creamy ice cream and adds a digital display, timer and preset programs for larger batches. It is tall, heavy, extremely loud, and its large bowl needs 24 hours of freezing and is hard to store.

  4. 4

    Hamilton Beach 68330N

    $53Shop
    On 5 of 9 lists

    An old-school, budget-priced ice cream maker with a simple one-button design and four-quart capacity that uses ice and rock salt. It runs loudly, takes up counter space, and cannot take mix-ins while churning.

  5. 5

    KitchenAid KICA0WH Ice Cream Maker Attachment

    $100Shop
    On 5 of 9 lists

    A space-saving attachment that turns a KitchenAid stand mixer into an ice cream maker with 2-quart capacity. The bowl must be frozen 24 hours ahead, it costs more than standalone machines, and pouring in the base can be messy.

  6. 6

    Cuisinart ICE-100

    $285Shop
    On 4 of 9 lists

    A compressor ice cream maker that skips pre-freezing and churns quickly with intuitive controls. It is large, heavy, and loud, the ice cream comes out slightly icy, and cleaning is difficult.

  7. 7

    Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence

    $100Shop
    On 4 of 9 lists

    The Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence makes 2 quarts of smooth, creamy ice cream with a simple on/off switch and a good pour-in opening. It can produce icy bits, especially in sorbet, and churning can be loud.

  8. 8

    DASH My Pint

    $37Shop
    On 4 of 9 lists

    A tiny, lightweight ice cream maker that produces up to a pint of soft ice cream in about half an hour and suits small apartments or gifting. Its pint capacity requires recipe adjustments, the bowl can't be seen while churning, and the results can be icy.

  9. 9

    Lello 4080 Musso Lussino

    $800Visit
    On 4 of 9 lists

    A fully automatic Italian-made compressor machine that produces exceptionally smooth, dense, creamy ice cream in 20–30 minutes. It is very large, heavy, expensive, and its bowl is not removable for cleaning.

  10. 10

    Ninja CREAMi NC301

    $229Shop
    On 4 of 9 lists

    A compact, lightweight blade-style machine that is quick and hands-off, handling sorbet, smoothie bowls and custom recipes with easy cleaning. Conventional ice cream can come out soft or icy, it runs loudly, and it is heavy to move.

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Lists we read

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Who recommends what

A number is the pick's rank on that list. means recommended without a rank.

Pickcnn.comreviewed.comamericastestkitchen.comfoodnetwork.comicecreamscience.combonappetit.comeverythingkitchens.comyahoo.comdreamscoops.comLists
1. Cuisinart ICE-21RecommendedRanked 2RecommendedRecommendedNot mentionedRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedNot mentioned7
2. Breville BCI600XL Smart ScoopRecommendedRanked 3RecommendedRecommendedRecommendedNot mentionedNot mentionedNot mentionedNot mentioned5
3. Cuisinart ICE-70 Cool CreationsRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedNot mentionedRecommendedNot mentionedRecommendedNot mentionedNot mentioned5
4. Hamilton Beach 68330NRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedNot mentionedNot mentionedNot mentionedRecommendedNot mentioned5
5. KitchenAid KICA0WH Ice Cream Maker AttachmentRecommendedRecommendedNot mentionedRecommendedNot mentionedRecommendedRecommendedNot mentionedNot mentioned5
6. Cuisinart ICE-100RecommendedRecommendedRecommendedNot mentionedNot mentionedNot mentionedNot mentionedNot mentionedRanked 24
7. Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure IndulgenceRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedNot mentionedRecommendedNot mentionedNot mentionedNot mentionedNot mentioned4
8. DASH My PintRecommendedNot mentionedNot mentionedRecommendedNot mentionedRecommendedNot mentionedRecommendedNot mentioned4
9. Lello 4080 Musso LussinoNot mentionedNot mentionedNot mentionedNot mentionedRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedNot mentionedRanked 14
10. Ninja CREAMi NC301RecommendedRanked 1RecommendedNot mentionedRecommendedNot mentionedNot mentionedNot mentionedNot mentioned4