How Many Times Can You Use Dash Ice Cream Maker Before You Have to Freeze the Bowl Again
The inquiry
- Why you should trust us
- Who this is for
- How nosotros picked
- How nosotros tested
- Our selection: Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker (Water ice-21)
- Flaws merely non dealbreakers
- Also cracking: Whynter ICM-201SB
- Upgrade pick: Lello 4080 Musso Lussino
- Ice cream making tips
- What is overrun?
- Care and maintenance
- Other good ice cream makers
- The competition
- Sources
Why you should trust usa
Anna Perling is a Wirecutter staff writer who has covered a variety of kitchen gear including stand up mixers, Instant Pot pressure level cookers, and common cold-brew coffee makers. For our 2021 update, she spoke with three ice cream experts: Pooja Bavishi, founder of Malai Water ice Cream; Hannah Bae, founder of Noona'south Water ice Cream; and Lokelani Alabanza, founder of Saturated Ice Cream. Both Bavishi and Bae started out making water ice cream at home before opening successful businesses to offer ice cream flavors, inspired by their cultures, that they weren't seeing in grocery stores; Alabanza helped found Hattie Jane's Creamery in Nashville, Tennessee, before going out on her own to make plant-based CBD water ice creams.
To larn almost the ice cream making process, Anna read pastry chef Fany Gerson'due south Mexican Ice Cream: Beloved Recipes and Stories, Jeni Britton Bauer's Jeni's Fantabulous Ice Cream Desserts, and David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop: Water ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sugariness Accompaniments. Previously, Wirecutter writers spoke with Brian Smith, co-owner of Aplenty Hills Creamery at the time of our interview; Billy Barlow, culinary and product manager at Blue Marble Water ice Foam at the time of our interview; and Douglas Goff, professor and food scientist at the University of Guelph.
Nosotros spent hours comparing recipes, poring over reviews of machines, and reading upwards on the science behind water ice foam, sorbets, and vegan frozen treats. Before diving into full-on testing, Anna spent a calendar week tinkering with recipes and machines to land on recipes that we thought would level the playing field. While testing, Anna also had assistance from her mom, a retired caterer and Fine art Institutes culinary schoolhouse graduate who has been making French vanilla water ice foam for over 15 years at habitation.
The original version of this guide was written by Wirecutter senior staff writer Lesley Stockton, who fabricated countless batches of ice cream and frozen yogurt over the course of her long culinary career. Marguerite Preston, who conducted testing for the 2017 and 2020 updates, is a senior editor at Wirecutter and a sometime professional person baker who has a passion for ice cream. She has also worked on guides to block pans, waffle makers, pie plates, and more than.
Who this is for
Making your own ice cream can exist magical, fun, and, often, more than satisfying than swiping pints from the frosty towers in your grocery store freezer department. With your own machine, you tin also customize desserts if you want to experiment with unique flavor combinations or adapt recipes to work for your dietary needs. An water ice cream maker isn't an essential kitchen tool, but a expert one is a worthwhile investment that will churn out amazing desserts for years to come. Blenders and DIY methods simply don't yield the same dependably creamy, dumbo, spoonable results—and tend to be harder to use and clean.
You tin can discover a few different styles of ice cream maker, which we've outlined below, but they all churn ice cream or sorbet in basically the same style. After yous make your ice cream base of operations, you pour it into the bowl of the machine, which is common cold enough to freeze the mixture. As the base freezes, a paddle—called the dasher—turns inside the bowl, scraping the sides while breaking upwards ice crystals and churning air into the mixture, producing a soft, smooth ice foam.
You can brand something that'southward tasty enough with simply about any ice cream maker. Simply in our years of testing, nosotros've establish that some machines can produce icier results—and can exist more hard to use—than others. Nosotros have recommendations for every style of water ice foam maker, but what you buy should depend largely on how oftentimes y'all plan to employ it and how high your standards are for the ice cream it produces. To help you determine, here'south a breakup of the three basic styles of ice cream maker, which fit roughly into iii price categories:
Ice-and-salt: These old-fashioned ice cream makers tend to exist the nigh affordable. Yous set the bowl filled with your ice cream base of operations into a saucepan of ice and salt, and and so y'all churn the mixture, either past paw or with a motor clamped onto the car's summit. If yous desire to make ice cream but a few times during the summertime months, and you're not as particular nearly getting the smoothest texture possible, this type might be a good option. The setup tin get pretty messy, though, so i of these machines may be all-time for people who accept some outdoor infinite and are more excited virtually doing an interactive project (we have an ice-and-salt auto we like in the section on other skilful ice cream makers at the end of this guide).
Pre-frozen bowl: This type of ice cream maker uses a liquid-filled insert bowl that you have to freeze for vi to 24 hours before you can use it to churn ice cream (check the manufacturer'due south instructions for recommended freeze times). This option is usually budget-friendly and volition make succulent desserts. Using one of these machines requires a little foresight: Yous take to make sure your freezer is set to 0 °F or colder, you may demand to rearrange your freezer to accommodate the insert bowl, and you must call back to put the bowl in well before churning your ice cream. In improver, yous can't make back-to-back batches because you'll need to refreeze the basin, but you can buy extra bowls to stash in the freezer. Likewise, if yous pull the bowl out during your freezer's automatic defrost cycle, information technology might not exist cold enough to fully freeze your ice cream, though we haven't experienced this problem in our testing. (If you own a chest freezer that requires manual defrosting, you can avoid the trouble entirely.) You can check if the bowl is gear up by shaking it: If you don't hear any liquid sloshing around, the bowl is frozen enough to use.
Compressor: This type—a self-refrigerating ice cream maker—is the easiest to use. Merely flip a switch (which turns on the cooling mechanism, the compressor, to chill the basin well beneath freezing), and you can plow out batch later batch of ice cream. These machines can be simple to use, whether they're equipped with only a few buttons to operate or loaded with automatic settings. Compressor models are the near expensive way of ice cream maker—good ones typically toll more than $200. Just they're the closest yous can get to professionally spun ice cream at abode.
Making ice cream is an practise in delayed gratification: The steps involve multiple rounds of chilling and freezing the base, and if y'all opt for an insert-bowl model, you also demand to freeze the basin well ahead of time. There's something captivating about undertaking the process and learning how to do information technology yourself, though. "When you bear upon something with your own easily and y'all spend the fourth dimension making information technology, I think yous merely take a amend appreciation for information technology," said Lokelani Alabanza, founder of Saturated Ice Foam, a line of institute-based, CBD ice creams.
The best part about ice foam making is the inventiveness information technology allows. The base is a blank slate for fruits, nuts, cookies, vegetables, spices, then much more than. And whether you're whipping up bases of French custard, egg-gratuitous Philadelphia, or vegan coconut water ice cream, virtually recipes are simple to master. "Information technology's a fairly easy procedure—I don't think people necessarily know that," said Pooja Bavishi, founder of Malai Ice Cream. Watching milky liquid whip around and stiffen into a glittery, frozen mass is mesmerizing—and unlike the proverbial pot of h2o set to boil, a watched ice cream will definitely freeze if yous have a decent automobile. You tin can eat your dessert straight away if yous want a softer texture (alike to a Dairy Queen Blizzard), or yous can wait a few hours after storing it in the freezer to pull a solid, satisfying scoop. Although you tin can dive deep into the science of ice cream making (Penn State offers a famous water ice foam making course that many ice foam makers have attended), y'all can too find enough of ice foam cookbooks and online recipes that are piece of cake to utilize and not overwhelming. "That's why ice foam makers have written books for y'all," said Alabanza. "I never want anyone to feel overwhelmed. It'south supposed to exist fun."
While this guide is for domicile cooks, the experts we spoke with have used several of our picks to develop their own water ice cream businesses. (Food & Vino has written about how the founders of brands such as Common salt & Straw and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams used the ICE-21 as they got started; Jeni Britton Bauer still recommends the machine in her volume.) No abode automobile freezes as fast as a professional person ane (fast freezing means fewer ice crystals and creamier ice cream) or yields as much water ice cream. That said, they're a fraction of the cost. You may be able to use one of our picks for recipe evolution or employ our upgrade pick for cottage-industry food production.
How we picked
An water ice cream maker is a specialized machine: Its main job is to produce creamy water ice foam that has few ice crystals. Over the years, nosotros've found that compressor-cooled models usually do the best job of that because they generally freeze ice cream faster than other styles do. Plus, such models are the easiest to use since they don't crave as much preplanning. We've tested merely near every compressor model for home use out there, but for the 2021 update to this guide we likewise wanted to include several models that use a frozen bowl insert, which are less expensive than compressor machines but easier to use than water ice-and-salt models. These ice cream makers take more foresight to use since yous need to pre-freeze the insert bowl, and the bowl takes up space in your freezer. Merely we think the trade-offs may be worth information technology for the financial savings—and these machines tin can still make amazing ice cream.
To choose what to test for our 2021 update, we looked at every ice cream maker you tin can become from a retail store today (and nosotros considered a few from restaurant-supply stores, also). That meant scoping out Amazon, Sur La Table, Target, and Williams Sonoma. We read editorial reviews from Food & Wine, Practiced Housekeeping, Kitchn, Reviewed, Serious Eats, The Bandbox, and The Strategist (like Wirecutter, many of these sites use affiliate links). Nosotros as well looked at customer reviews of unlike models, read reader comments on the previous version of this guide, and asked the experts we interviewed almost the machines they've used.
Based on our inquiry and prior testing experience, we looked for water ice foam machines that met the following criteria:
Freezes fast: The faster the mixture freezes, the less time ice crystals have to form. That's why compressor machines tend to produce smoother textures (and besides why you should chill your ice cream base of operations before freezing). A machine that uses ice and salt or a frozen bowl just gets warmer equally the mixture freezes. A skillful compressor auto, in contrast, can get as cold as -31 degrees Fahrenheit and can maintain that temperature until the end of the cycle. And although virtually manuals won't tell you exactly how long it should have to make ice cream, we found that our favorite machines took around 20 to twoscore minutes.
Churns apace and efficiently: While the ice cream freezes, the dasher—a paddle in the motorcar—stirs the mixture. As it turns, information technology should scrape the insides of the bowl to break up the icy layer that forms in that location, and information technology should spin quickly enough to prevent large crystals from forming. The rate at which the dasher turns also determines, in part, the overrun (the corporeality of air whipped into ice cream, measured equally a percentage), which helps make the ice cream smoothen and silky rather than dense and icy. The necessity of speed is also why, afterwards trying some paw-crank models in 2014, nosotros dismissed those entirely: They're just too much work.
Piece of cake to use: Even loftier-end compressor machines don't require much more than an on/off switch to operate, so nosotros looked for models with a simple interface. Very few machines we've found volition tell you lot when your water ice cream is done, but it's helpful for a compressor machine to at least include a timer that you can set once you get a sense of how long it takes to churn your favorite recipes. In compressor machines, an auto-off office paired with a keep-cool setting is nice to have for making the procedure foolproof: It shuts off the dasher if the water ice cream freezes as well difficult to churn—which could damage the motor—only keeps your water ice foam from melting. Across that, extra features, such equally a cooling office to arctic your base before churning, are nice but non necessary. Most recipes recommend storing the base in the fridge for multiple hours anyway.
Easy to make clean: Making ice foam is a sticky business, so we preferred machines that made the cleanup process easier. A removable bowl and paddle are best considering they're easy to wash in the sink. (Machines that have built-in bowls, or many nooks and crannies, are harder to wipe out.) We liked wider bowls instead of taller, narrower ones because they were easier to scrape the ice cream out of and also easier to add mix-ins to without spilling ingredients everywhere.
Easy to shop: Some ice foam makers, peculiarly compressor models, are large and heavy. We measured models to annotation how much infinite they took upwardly on a counter or in a cabinet as well as how much they weighed, and we considered how much space the inserts or bowls took up within a freezer.
Warranty: Since the best ice cream machines can be expensive, we looked at each machine's warranty and whether a company offered replacement parts. Our picks take at least a one-year warranty.
How we tested
Nosotros tested seven machines for our 2021 update. First, nosotros made a batch of David Lebovitz's rich vanilla custard water ice cream in each machine. Higher-fatty ice foam bases are more forgiving because they incorporate a lower per centum of water, which can crystallize and ruin the creamy texture. If a test car ended up making icy ice cream from this luxurious base of operations, we figured it wouldn't be worth buying.
Though we've skipped testing sorbet making in recent years (since we institute that all of the machines created similar results in that regard), we wanted to examination a vegan recipe for the 2021 update. We used a coconut milk and cream base recipe from Serious Eats, based on communication from the experts nosotros spoke with indicating that ice cream needs fatty to create a flossy texture. (This vegan recipe also has some bourbon to make it easier to scoop, just you tin can simply leave the alcohol out.)
While testing each ice cream maker, we noted how easy information technology was to use, scrape out, and clean. Nosotros ready a base timer for 20 minutes and and then checked each batch every 5 minutes after that for doneness, looking for a thicker, frozen-yogurt-like texture and checking whether a spatula left a valley behind when we dragged information technology through the base.
To summate overrun, or how much air each auto whipped into the ice cream, we weighed a pint of each base of operations before freezing, and and so we weighed a pint of the frozen dessert. And after the ice foam sabbatum overnight in the freezer, we tasted information technology, assessing texture and mouthfeel, sense of taste, iciness, and density. Anna's mom, a culinary school graduate and retired caterer, also weighed in. At this indicate we were able to eliminate some machines that fabricated icy ice foam or were finicky to use.
With the finalists, we fabricated a batch of Philadelphia-style water ice foam (which doesn't accept eggs) with Oreos as mix-ins (these cookies are vegan, kosher, and bachelor in a gluten-free selection). Nosotros considered how easy it was to cascade the crumbly crushed cookies into the base and whether the machine could handle the extra strain of mixing a chunkier base. Finally, nosotros measured each machine to make annotation of how much space information technology took up on the counter.
In previous rounds of testing, nosotros made chocolate and vanilla custard ice cream following the aforementioned process outlined above, using crushed graham crackers as a mix-in. In 2015, we also made a elementary lemon sorbet, without added glucose or corn syrup to polish out the texture, only all the ice cream makers produced indistinguishable sorbet, so we did not echo this test for other updates. Our conclusion: If you're interested mainly in making basic sorbets using but granulated sugar, water, and fruit, our priciest picks may not exist worth investing in, since without other ingredients—such equally fats, stabilizers, and other sugars—even a great machine will yield somewhat icy results.
Our pick: Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker (Ice-21)
Our pick
Ice cream from the Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker (ICE-21) ranked among the best we tasted: Custard was creamy, silky, and dense, with a texture on a par with the output of machines costing nearly 10 times as much. Philadelphia-style Oreo ice foam was lighter and similar to ice cream from our also-cracking compressor pick, the Whynter ICM-201SB, with a footling crunch from the cookies. Its vegan kokosnoot batch was smooth, nutty, and rich—some of the best we tasted, and just barely icy. Though you have to pre-freeze the basin for this machine, you can simply get an actress bowl if yous'd like to make a couple of recipes at a fourth dimension. The ICE-21 is elementary to use, with just one on/off button, and that's really all y'all need. If storage or lifting is an issue for you, note that this machine is smaller and lighter than a compressor model. Plus, the Water ice-21 has a three-year warranty and a dandy reputation among the experts we spoke with and big-league ice cream makers: Lokelani Alabanza and Hannah Bae recommend it, as does Jeni Britton Bauer in her volume.
In our tests, the Water ice-21 consistently fabricated some of the all-time-tasting, creamiest ice cream. Custard was thick and creamy, not at all icy. It was slightly firmer and denser than the water ice cream from the Musso Lussino, just we don't think that'southward a bad thing (plus, it's ice cream—information technology will yet deliquesce on your tongue). At 48%, the overrun of the frozen custard (meaning, the percent by which the volume of the base increased with churning, generally from whipped-in air) was centre-of-the-route compared with that of ice foam from other machines. And the flavors were blended and well balanced, better than the ice cream from the freezer-bowl attachment for KitchenAid stand mixers, which tasted chalky. Vegan ice foam was also infrequent: firm but smoothen and luscious, with simply a footling grittiness from water ice crystals. When Anna was trying out recipes to choose for our 2021 testing, she experimented past using the ICE-21 and our long-standing upgrade pick, the Lello 4080 Musso Lussino, bold that the ICE-21, as one of the cheapest machines, would brand worse results. She made various Philadelphia-style recipes, as well as the vegan and custard recipes we ended up using. She could barely tell the deviation between batches of ice cream from the two machines, however, and that proved true again every bit she formally tested them against five other models. With the residuum of the machines, there was a more pronounced difference: Ice cream from the ice-and-table salt Nostalgia, for example, was icier and grittier, while ice cream from the Whynter ICM-201SB was fluffier.
The Water ice-21 was repeatedly one of the fastest machines to make ice foam, besides, taking about xx minutes for every style of recipe. Apart from shortening your water ice cream making process, a fast churning speed also means the ice cream freezes faster, resulting in fewer ice crystals. In our almost contempo tests, the Whynter ICM-201SB was the slowest machine, taking over 35 minutes to brand each batch. (Information technology made slightly icy desserts, only not equally icy as what we got from machines like the Nostalgia; various factors can affect iciness, though, and churn fourth dimension can vary a flake.) The ICE-21 won't tell you when your ice cream is done, only y'all'll quickly learn to judge when it'south ready by sight: The results should wait like soft-serve ice cream, and when you drag a spatula through the mixture, the tool should create a valley.
1 of the all-time parts nigh making water ice foam is that for something so delectable, information technology's relatively simple to make. And amid the machines we tested, the ICE-21 is one of the easiest to use. It has just 1 on/off button, and that'due south actually all y'all need. There's no screwing in, assembling, or attaching of parts—you simply put the frozen bowl on the base, ready the dasher in the bowl, place the plastic dome-similar comprehend over information technology all, press the on button, and pour in your base. Some more expensive compressor models have extra features such as a keep-cool part or a timer, which are nice perks, only they aren't necessary for the essential function of the machine.
The ICE-21'southward domed plastic lid has a pigsty without a comprehend, so adding mix-ins is easy: You just pour them through the opening. Notation that this car has a smaller chapters (one.5 quarts) than another models we tested, so you may need to suit your base accordingly, especially if you desire to add toppings. Each batch we made overflowed always and so slightly, seeping out of the bowl beyond the dasher. We ultimately had to swirl in the Oreos with a spatula, but it was easy to do, and nosotros would have had to dirty that utensil to scrape the machine clean anyway.
With its removable basin insert, the Ice-21 is easy to clean in the sink. The double-walled basin contains a layer of liquid that freezes, and so information technology'south slightly heavier than a glass mixing bowl. Information technology's easy plenty to scrape the squared corners of the container and hand-wash information technology with hot water to melt any remaining frozen ice foam. The dasher doesn't have every bit many rungs as the ane that comes with the Nostalgia car, and then maneuvering with a spatula to scrape information technology make clean is easier. Cuisinart recommends hand-washing all parts and then wiping downward the base. Yous should also dry the bowl thoroughly before refreezing it. Fortunately, unlike some of the compressor machines we tested, this machine doesn't have open up grates or nooks and crannies to trap filmy dried milk.
The ICE-21 is smaller and lighter than other machines nosotros tested, which is a plus if yous accept limited storage space and desire to stash the machine away and and so pull information technology out when you demand it. The auto measures about 12 inches tall, 8 inches wide, and 8.5 inches deep, and it weighs about 10 pounds. The basin takes up freezer infinite, however, so keep that in listen when opting for any insert model—particularly if you'd like to invest in an extra bowl, also.
Emitting just a gentle hum during operation, the Ice-21 isn't as loud as the whiny Cuisinart Ice-30 or the roaring Nostalgia motorcar, merely information technology'due south less repose than the Whynter ICM-201SB or Musso Lussino. All water ice cream machines make some noise, however.
The Ice-21 comes with a three-yr warranty, one of the longest coverage periods we plant.
Multiple experts we spoke with recommended this motorcar: Hannah Bae, the founder of Noona'due south Ice Cream, started making ice foam with this machine, used it to develop flavors, and nonetheless has information technology, while Saturated Water ice Cream's Lokelani Alabanza told the states she recommends this machine beyond the board to people who want to outset making their own ice cream because it's so like shooting fish in a barrel to utilise. It also has multiple endorsements from other big-proper noun creamery founders, including Jeni Britton Bauer, who recommends it in her book, and Tyler Malek, the founder of Salt & Harbinger, who recommends it in a Food & Wine article.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The i.5-quart Ice-21 has a smaller chapters than Cuisinart's 2-quart Ice-xxx and ICE-70 models, and in our tests it slightly overflowed during mixing. Nosotros easily scraped the excess frozen mixture off, nonetheless, and information technology didn't drip down the sides of the automobile or stop the machine from churning. When nosotros added mix-ins, they did stop the churning, just this was true for all of the ice cream makers in our 2021 testing. If you want to brand more than ice cream at once, the Cuisinart Ice-30 or Ice-70 volition work, equally will a few options in the Contest section. With any canister model, you too take to make sure that your basin is thoroughly frozen earlier y'all utilise it—otherwise, you may be left with a milkshake and heartbreak.
Also great: Whynter ICM-201SB
Also great
Whynter ICM-201SB
The all-time compressor model
Of all the compressor machines nosotros've tested over four years, the larger-capacity ICM-201SB is ane of the easiest to utilise, scoop from, and clean. And compared with far pricier options, this model tin can't exist beat for the smooth water ice cream it produces.
If you want a machine that volition churn out batch afterwards batch without your having to pre-freeze a basin, the Whynter ICM-201SB is the best compressor machine you can get. Since 2014, we've tested merely virtually every compressor machine for dwelling use, and Whynter machines consistently brand non-icy desserts, though in our 2021 testing, nosotros found that the water ice foam from the ICM-201SB was fluffier than the results from other machines. That's non a bad thing—you may like a lighter frozen care for. Only if you want denser ice cream, yous may adopt one of our other picks.
Ice cream from the ICM-201SB wasn't icy—it was airy with a silky mouthfeel. Nosotros made ii batches of custard in the ICM-201SB and got slightly unlike results depending on the churn time. The kickoff batch, which spun for twoscore minutes, had a texture like a frozen Cool Whip, more like whipped topping than thicker, spoonable ice foam. The second batch, which churned for 35 minutes, was heftier but still not as dumbo equally ice foam from our other picks. The Oreo-flavour batch from the Whynter was one of our favorites, though, as the blusterous texture contrasted nicely with the chunky cookie $.25. Vegan ice foam was e'er so slightly icy—the ice crystals felt similar fine sand that dissolved quickly on the tongue, versus the grittier, more gravelly ice cream from the Nostalgia motorcar—and had more than of a chew than the vegan ice cream from the Lello 4080 Musso Lussino.
In our 2021 tests, the ICM-201SB took the longest to churn ice cream, though the timeframe was in line with the instructions in the manual, which recommended a thirty- to 60-minute churn time. Our batches consistently took at least 35 minutes to make (in past years, we've made water ice cream in the ICM-201SB in about 32 minutes, but that'due south still longer than our other picks have taken). We churned the first batch we made in the ICM-201SB for 40 minutes, which produced the airiest ice cream with the highest overrun; at 35 minutes, the second batch we fabricated was denser and had an overrun percentage of 66%, lower than that of ice cream from the KitchenAid mixer's zipper but notwithstanding one of the higher percentages among the machines we tested. That overrun percent aligned with the comparatively fluffier texture of the ice cream. By comparison, in our 2020 tests, the similar but smaller-capacity Whynter ICM-15LS produced a somewhat denser ice cream, with an overrun of about 49%. These ii machines fluctuate in price, and you may be able to become the ICM-15LS for less; nosotros think either machine is a cracking choice for a compressor model. Only keep in mind that the water ice cream from the ICM-201SB may exist fluffier.
Like all of the models we tested, the ICM-201SB is pretty easy to operate. In addition to the ice cream making part, the ICM-201SB has 2 other modes that are dainty only not necessary—1 for freezing just (useful if you can't transfer your ice cream to the freezer immediately, because ice foam starts to melt quickly in the uninsulated bowl), and another for mixing only (which allows you to mix certain simple, no-cook bases directly in the motorcar). You can also pause churning to add mix-ins or check the texture for doneness. The ICM-201SB has a timer on an LCD panel that chimes and stops the machine's churning when the time is upward, before switching it over to cooling mode. This model won't tell you when your water ice cream is washed, only if you lot do let it go too long, the machine has a kill switch that stops its churning (but not its freezing) when the motor starts to strain against the thick mixture. Although we found it easy to add mix-ins to the wide, 2.ane-quart bowl, the kill switch shut the machine off when we added Oreos. (We didn't run into this consequence when adding graham crackers in past rounds of testing.)
The ICM-201SB has a shallow, lightweight metal bowl that you lot tin can easily remove from the machine for cleaning. It has a thin handle, as on a pail, that flopped down when we scraped out ice cream, which fabricated it slightly more than annoying to wrangle compared with the elementary basin of the Cuisinart Ice-21. And the hole in the middle of the Whynter model has some crannies that are hard to go totally make clean—we recommend using a rolled-up paper towel or straw brush. Because the bowl is shallow, information technology doesn't take upward as much infinite in the freezer if you desire to pre-freeze it. (Technically you don't have to since this is a compressor model that will freeze the water ice cream straight in the machine, but it's however a good idea to proceed everything every bit cold every bit possible earlier churning.) Unfortunately, the bowl and plastic paddle aren't dishwasher prophylactic, only they are easy enough to wash past mitt.
Nosotros constitute that the ICM-201SB was i of the quietest machines we tested, running at a gentle hum. The audio was noticeable, just it was not irritating like the high-pitched whine of the Nostalgia or the Cuisinart ICE-xxx. And the beep of the timer was loud enough for us to hear.
While the ICM-201SB is non as heavy every bit the Musso Lussino, it still weighs a fairly substantial 24 pounds. It'south taller but has a smaller footprint, measuring virtually ten.v inches wide, 12 inches deep, and 13.vi inches high. The machine is nearly cube-like, with an attractively modern stainless steel housing with black accents. It can be a hurting to lug in and out of a cabinet every fourth dimension y'all want to use it. If your kitchen infinite is limited, you may take trouble finding a place to store this matter, but the aforementioned could exist said for all of the compressor models we tested; you merely need to decide whether committing to 1 of these hulking machines is worth the effort. The Whynter ICM-201SB has a ane-twelvemonth warranty, which is on a par with the Musso Lussino'south coverage but is shorter than the Cuisinart Ice-21'due south warranty.
Upgrade pick: Lello 4080 Musso Lussino
Upgrade pick
Lello 4080 Musso Lussino
A premium machine
This machine makes the absolute smoothest homemade ice cream we've tasted in years of testing. Y'all may find it harder to clean than our primary pick because it doesn't have a removable bowl, and information technology'south large and heavy. The huge price tag may dissuade casual dessert-makers, but it'southward worth the investment for ice cream aficionados.
The Lello 4080 Musso Lussino is truly the most luxurious home water ice foam maker we've ever used. Since 2015, it has consistently made the best ice cream in our tests. With such a high price, notwithstanding, information technology'due south worth the investment only if you're a serious connoisseur or want the accented best. Musso is an Italian company that sells home and commercial ice cream and gelato makers, and the experts we spoke with have also used this machine in professional settings. The design of the Musso Lussino is sleek and uncomplicated, with no bells and whistles, but it'south heavier and harder to clean than other machines we tested.
Thanks to a more powerful compressor that allows this machine to freeze the mixture faster than other compressor models we tested, the ice cream we made in the Musso Lussino had an intense creaminess reminiscent of store-bought premium versions. The difference was evident when we scooped out the finished product: It was stretchy, like gelato, and visually smoother, with not a trace of gritty water ice crystals in a spoonful. All of the recipes we tested—custard, Oreo, and vegan kokosnoot—were outstanding from the Musso Lussino. This car was one of the fastest of all the models we tested, taking twenty to 22 minutes to churn. As with the Cuisinart Ice-21, that speed resulted in fewer ice crystals and a silkier texture.
Like most of the machines we tested, the Musso Lussino is simple to use. Its design is super sleek, with gleaming stainless steel housing and parts plus a built-in bowl with a 1.5-quart chapters. Y'all gather the auto by screwing on a nut that secures a metal dasher in the center of the bowl and then placing the domed plastic lid on top. The Musso Lussino'southward all-metallic parts are unique amongst the machines we tested, and they're likely to last longer than a plastic dasher or freezer bowl, which can scratch or ding over time. The machine is an elliptical shape with curved corners, a design that gives it a mid-century modern vibe. Information technology has separate buttons for freezing and churning that illuminate when on, and you have to switch both of them on to actually make water ice cream. Yous can suspension churning to add mix-ins or check the doneness of your ice cream. There's also a knob-dial timer, though information technology isn't exact to the minute and has to run to the end (you can't turn it dorsum to zero to complete timing early).
We do have a few pocket-sized gripes virtually the Musso Lussino's build. Information technology's not as piece of cake to clean as models with removable bowls. You need to wipe the machine out with a little warm soapy water, existence certain to wipe it over again with water to rinse it completely. Lastly and optionally, you tin sanitize the machine with a restaurant-grade or food-service sanitizer spray (these may exist hard to find online in small quantities, but you may be able to pick up a bottle in a restaurant-supply shop). The experts nosotros spoke with, however, don't mind maintaining their Musso machines. Saturated Water ice Foam'south Lokelani Alabanza, who has a larger (2-quart) version, the Lello Musso Pola 5030, said, "I don't feel cleaning and sanitizing the small bowl is that bad," especially compared with cleaning a larger industrial machine that you have to disassemble. Hannah Bae of Noona'south Ice Foam also thinks the Musso Lussino is easy to clean because of the streamlined design. Armed with two bowls and a few absorbent bar mops, we found that cleaning the Musso Lussino took only a few minutes, but the task was still a little awkward compared with washing a bowl in the sink.
The Musso Lussino is also huge and heavy. It weighs near xl pounds and measures well-nigh 12 inches wide, 17 inches long, and ten.5 inches tall, taking up more counter infinite than any other machine we've tested. This model isn't something you can easily stash on a shelf, so if yous don't accept room to keep information technology permanently on your counter, exist aware that it will be a chore to pull this thing out when you desire to brand water ice cream.
And again, the Musso Lussino is expensive. For the aforementioned price, you could easily purchase over 100 pints of premium ice cream, at $v per pint, from a store—if you factor in the cost of the Musso Lussino plus quality ingredients (and why use anything else in such a car?). But if you like to make ice cream for family unit and friends on the regular, or if you want to up your ice cream production, this car is the best you can become for abode employ.
The Musso Lussino comes with a one-twelvemonth warranty, which is a bit short given the hefty price tag. The company does sell spare parts, and it has a breakdown of what's what so you tin repair the machine (if you can notice this auto used, we recommend testing it out and asking the previous owner how they used and maintained the machine before purchasing). Alabanza suggests finding a local repairperson who can help prepare a compressor auto if you have bug downward the line. Malai Ice Cream'south Pooja Bavishi, who also has the Lello Musso Pola 5030, told us that the machine has worked well for the by six years. Alabanza said of the Musso Pola: "It is an astonishing machine. Everything's dissimilar [with plant-based ice cream]: time, temp, whatever. But information technology's produced some really great water ice cream."
Water ice foam making tips
Even the best dwelling house ice foam machine volition never make ice foam that'due south quite equally polish every bit the stuff you can buy in the store. Professional machines churn ice foam more than quickly at lower temperatures, preventing water ice crystals from forming. Just yous tin can have some steps to greatly increase the quality of your bootleg ice cream, mostly by making sure it stays as cold equally possible through every part of the process.
The almost important affair to exercise is to chill everything—your tools, ice foam base, mix-ins, and even storage containers—before churning, because when water ice cream freezes faster, fewer ice crystals course. If you can, set your freezer to 0 °F or lower. The colder your freezer, the quicker your ice cream sets, which helps reduce the formation of large water ice crystals. Make certain to thoroughly arctic your base in an ice bath or in the fridge overnight before churning, besides. And if yous want to add mix-ins, arctic them in the freezer commencement so they don't melt your freshly spun ice cream. Be sure to add them when the water ice foam is near finished churning, to prevent them from getting soggy and sinking to the lesser.
Keep in mind that ice cream expands equally it churns and you lot whip air into it. You may need to adjust your base of operations recipe to work with the chapters of your motorcar so the ice cream doesn't overflow (most recipes should tell y'all how much ice foam they yield). Virtually machines, including our picks, don't tell yous when the ice cream is done, so you'll have to use your best judgment. Our picks took 20 to 45 minutes to churn our chilled base, so kickoff checking on your ice foam later on 20 minutes. It should exist thick, and well-nigh the consistency of soft-serve ice foam, when it's done. If yous elevate a spoon through the base, the spoon should exit a valley behind.
When you remove the ice cream from the machine, information technology will be edible but also soft to scoop. To "ripen" information technology, transfer it to a container and put information technology in the freezer for at least a few hours. Try to move apace to avoid melting, which can crusade ice crystals to form. Tightly pack your ice cream in a container to prevent whatsoever air bubbling from forming.
What is overrun?
The term "overrun" refers to the amount of air whipped into the ice cream as information technology'southward churned, and is usually given every bit the percentage by which the volume of an ice cream base increases when churned. In other words, an ice cream with 60% overrun, for case, has a volume that'southward 60% larger than its volume in unfrozen form, mostly from added air. That air plays a role in both texture and season delivery. It helps give ice cream a lighter, smoother mouthfeel, and it can heighten the flavour. As Billy Barlow, culinary and product director at Blue Marble Ice Foam at the time of our interview, explained, "If you have mint or vanilla in your ice foam, something that'south effluvious, those air capsules really concord the odor of whatever it is you're flavoring with."
Commercial ice foam overrun tin can range from the super dumbo to the lite and fluffy. Brands defined as "super-premium" are typically denser, with an overrun of less than 50%, while cheap brands can take an overrun of 100% or more. Douglas Goff, a food scientist with extensive experience in water ice cream, told us that overrun is "ane of the defining characteristics of quality" for store-bought water ice cream. "Too low and it is very dense, heavy, and rich (Häagen-Dazs as the quintessential instance), and as well high and it is also marshmallowy/fluffy, the inexpensive supermarket no-name brands being a proficient example."
If you lot're making ice cream at home and using good foam, chocolate, or other flavorings, low and high overrun can both be desirable, depending on your preference. Think of the difference between low and high overrun equally that between pudding and mousse—they're both stirred custard desserts, and they're both delicious. Many factors can touch on your ice cream's overrun, including the speed at which the dasher in your ice cream maker turns, the addition of stabilizers, and even the type of sugar you apply. But in practise, it's hard to control overrun when you are making ice cream at home. Your best bet is to get a skilful ice cream maker that churns fast enough to produce smooth, aerated ice foam.
Care and maintenance
Water ice foam is frozen milk; when information technology melts, information technology can get out a sticky film that becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. Brand sure to clean and dry your machine thoroughly afterwards each use, wiping downwardly the base, knobs, and dials, and getting into any nooks and crannies. And clean it right away to brand the procedure easier: "Don't wait until the milk hardens upwardly and dries," said Hannah Bae of Noona's Ice Cream.
If you're experimenting with powdery or aromatic ingredients, have actress care. Malai Ice Foam'south Pooja Bavishi said that when she was developing flavors with coffee or masala chai, which accept fine particles, she preferred "taking a Q-tip or rolling a paper towel really thin and trying to clean the exterior edges to make sure that [the machine] would stay equally kind of pristine every bit possible." Saturated Water ice Cream's Lokelani Alabanza prefers to employ a straw-cleaning brush (we like the one included in this OXO castor set up) to get into the crevices around a dasher; Bae recommends a toothbrush.
The experts we spoke with recommended spraying machines with a restaurant-grade sanitizer spray to be extra safe, but such sprays tin be difficult to find in small quantities online (you might accept better luck at a restaurant-supply store). You lot can as well hand-launder with warm, soapy water. You can wipe down the machine with h2o afterward to remove any lingering smells or tastes that could bear on your next batch, and then dry the machine.
You don't accept to store inserts in the freezer permanently, merely call back to put them in well before y'all want to churn a batch of ice foam. Bae recommends wrapping a bowl with plastic wrap to keep it clean and to prevent whatever nutrient or water ice particles from affecting your ice cream. If inserts kickoff leaking or get scratched, you may need to replace them. You should mitt-launder these bowls and the other parts of an ice cream machine post-obit the manufacturer's instructions. To scrape out water ice cream, Bavishi advises against using a metal spoon, which can scratch insulated bowls. "Use something soft, similar a condom spatula, or a wooden spoon," she said.
Other good ice cream makers
If y'all prefer an ice-and-salt option, the Nostalgia Electric Water ice Cream Maker With Easy-Acquit Handle is more affordable than our other picks and finer makes ice cream, though it may take longer and create icier desserts. We found this machine harder to use than our picks since it requires breaking upwardly water ice before adding it to a bucket layered with table salt. The taller, narrower canister was a little harder for us to scrape out and shop in the freezer. And considering the motor attachment rests on top of the machine, checking for doneness is more than difficult. The old-school pattern and more than involved procedure may make the Nostalgia a amend bet for a fun outdoor activity versus producing multiple batches of ice foam.
The Whynter ICM-15LS was our runner-up choice in 2020 and a previous elevation pick. It'southward a good selection if you're looking for a compressor automobile that's normally a niggling less expensive than the ICM-201SB, or 1 that makes somewhat denser ice cream. Information technology makes great ice cream and has almost of the same features we like in the ICM-201SB, including a timer, a keep-cool function, and an automatic shutoff (to keep the motor from burning out if your ice cream gets too thick to churn). Information technology has a smaller capacity (1.half-dozen quarts instead of two.1 quarts) but a larger footprint. Over the years, we've noticed that prices fluctuate for both of these Whynter models; either one is a solid pick if you tin can find it for a lot less than the other.
If you desire a machine with a little more capacity than the ane.5-quart Cuisinart Water ice-21 offers, besides every bit a few extra features, the 2-quart Cuisinart Absurd Creations Water ice Cream Maker (Ice-seventy) is a swell selection. It fabricated delicious ice cream in our tests, and we appreciated the addition features: It has a timer, as well as a wider opening to add together mix-ins. Compared with the ICE-21, it's similarly like shooting fish in a barrel to use and clean, simply it has iii modes (for gelato, ice foam, and sorbet) that yous aren't likely to demand. It's as well more expensive. If you desire to brand multiple batches back-to-back in this model, nosotros recommend getting an extra insert.
The competition
Slightly larger than the ICE-21, the ii-quart Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Ice Cream Maker (ICE-30BCP1) fabricated icier water ice cream than our picks. It was louder and slower, as well. Simply if you want to make more ice foam at once than you tin can with the ICE-21, which has a 1.5-quart capacity, the Water ice-30 will do the job. Since this is also an insert model, if you desire to make multiple batches of ice cream in a day, we recommend getting an additional bowl.
We tested the Cuisinart Water ice-100 Ice Cream and Gelato Maker in 2017. Pitted against other compressor models, information technology couldn't compete and came in dead terminal in our gustatory modality tests. Information technology took the longest to churn ice cream—42 minutes—and the result was the iciest in our test grouping. We decided not to retest information technology considering reviewers reported various problems with icy water ice foam, noise, and assembling and cleaning the machine.
In our 2020 tests, nosotros found that the Whynter ICM-220SSY made denser and icier ice cream than our picks. It has a unique yogurt-making role, but in our tests that way was unreliable: More than than once, the machine close off before finishing the yogurt-making plan. (You lot can also brand yogurt in an Instant Pot or in a regular pot, for what information technology'south worth.)
The Whynter ICM-200LS is like a cross between our also-great option, the Whynter ICM-201SB, and the ICM-15LS. It has the aforementioned chapters every bit the ICM-201SB but sports the same depression, wide contour as the ICM-15LS, besides equally the aforementioned motor and compressor (according to a sales rep). The toll is usually closer to that of the ICM-201SB, but we found the performance more similar to that of the less expensive ICM-15LS, so we call back it'southward a skilful pick only if yous tin find it on sale, or if the other options are sold out.
The KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment (KICA0WH) works, but the design doesn't inspire confidence that the device will terminal as long as the make'southward stalwart mixers. KitchenAid inverse the design of the attachment since our concluding update in 2020: The adapter at present lightly grips the base of the beater shaft and rests atop the dasher, which sits in a liquid-lined bowl that you freeze beforehand. The whole contraption stays in place due to pressure—when you put the mixer head down, it presses down on top of the adapter. In our 2021 tests, nosotros tried the attachment on 4 unlike KitchenAid mixers of various ages with mixed results; when we did get it to work, information technology barely stayed on. This attachment also made the worst custard ice cream, which turned out chalkier and mealier than ice cream from our picks. The KitchenAid freezer bowl doesn't take up much less space than that of a regular machine like the Cuisinart ICE-21, but if y'all actually don't want to buy a full ice cream machine and already own a KitchenAid mixer, this zipper will create frozen desserts.
A onetime runner-upwardly option, the Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop Water ice Cream Maker fabricated great ice foam that was near as creamy equally anything we fabricated with the Whynter ICM-201SB, and it comes with some fun bells and whistles. It's the only machine we tried that automatically tells yous when your ice foam is done and chimes when it's time to add mix-ins. It also includes a pre-arctic function that cools your base down before beginning to churn (starting from a common cold base of operations helps make your ice cream less icy). Just none of these features are essential, and nosotros don't recollect they're worth the automobile'due south steep cost (which is at least $150 more than the ICM-201SB's price tag at this writing).
Nosotros realize that the White Mount Electrical Ice Cream Maker may have a special place in some people'due south hearts.Though it's electric, this large machine needs water ice and table salt, making it a footling messier to use and make clean (and requiring you to become some ice before churning). It also makes a lot of ice foam: iv quarts, or eight pints, or about 32 servings. Nosotros decided to skip testing information technology later on reading multiple reviews claiming that grease from the automobile leaks into the water ice cream (non the kind of swirl nosotros're looking for).
The Sunpentown KI-15 was an underperformer. It churned our vanilla ice cream base with ease, and our tasters liked its results a lot. Merely that'south where the skilful news ends: It stopped churning our lemon sorbet and chocolate ice cream before the mixtures were completely prepare, producing icy and uneven textures.
Sources
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Pooja Bavishi, founder of Malai Water ice Cream, phone interview , March 31, 2021
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Hannah Bae, founder of Noona's Water ice Cream, phone interview , April 6, 2021
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Lokelani Alabanza, founder of Saturated Ice Cream, phone interview , April 2, 2021
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Brian Smith, co-owner of Ample Hills Creamery, phone interview , May 9, 2014
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Billy Barlow, culinary and production director at Blue Marble Ice Cream, phone interview , May 8, 2014
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Douglas Goff, professor and food scientist at the Academy of Guelph, phone interview, 2014
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Jeni Britton Bauer, Jeni'southward Fantabulous Ice Cream Desserts, May twenty, 2014
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Fany Gerson, Mexican Ice Cream: Beloved Recipes and Stories, June xiii, 2017
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David Lebovitz, The Perfect Scoop: Water ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments, May 4, 2010
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Max Falkowitz, Foolproof Vegan Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream Recipe, Serious Eats , April 15, 2020
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Melissa Clark, Philadelphia-Manner Ice Cream Base, The New York Times
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-ice-cream-maker/
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