Which Ice Cream maker to buy?

Making frozen desserts at home is really fun and easy provided you have the right tools aka ice cream maker. But I knew absolutely zilch about the various makers available today. So I started my crusade to learn about them by scouring several product sites and reviews. After spending many hours of research spread across several days, I did find the 'One' which suited my needs and budget.

Are you looking to find out which ice cream maker is the best or best buy for your family? There is no one answer and is based on multiple factors. Below are my findings on the various options available today from an in-house usage perspective. I hope this might help and give a better insight to others in making the right decision.

Ice cream makers which use salt and ice

The first type of ice cream maker available is the one which uses layers of ice and salt. This requires ice cream mixture to be placed in the container which is placed in the middle of the bucket. Ice and salt layers are added around the container and the machine will do the rest.

Check out these options for ice cream makers using salt and ice.

Pros:

This kind of machine is cost effective (around $50) compared to other options available.
It is available in larger capacity and can make more ice cream in one cycle but of same flavor.

Cons:

Layers of ice and salt need to be managed and this increases the overall effort to be done while making ice cream.

Ice cream makers with freezer bowls

The second type of makers comes with a freezer bowl which needs to be placed in the freezer for about 24 hours prior to making the ice cream. Since the bowl needs to be kept in freezer, they are smaller in capacity compared to the salt and ice ones.

Check out these ice cream makers with freezer bowls.

Pros:

No need to add layers of ice and salt.
They are moderately priced (around $100)
The machine is quite compact and does not take much counter space.

Cons:

The bowl needs to be kept in freezer for 24 hours before making ice cream hence more planning is needed.
It can make only one batch of ice cream unless there are multiple bowls. But having more than one bowl means more space needed in the freezer.
Bowl has to be frozen at lower temperature (-5 °C) than the usual freezer (0 °C) compartment temperature.

Ice cream makers with compressors

The third kind is the one which has an in built compressor. It neither requires freezing the bowl for 24 hours before use nor does it require any layers of ice and salt. It is ready to use when you are. All you need to do is pour in the prepared mixture and turn the machine on. The compressor will cool the container to the required temperature while churning.

Check out these ice cream makers with compressors.

Pros:

No need of ice and salt layers
No need to refrigerate the bowl for 24 hours before use
You can make batch after batch of your favorite flavors of frozen desserts.
Less hassle, convenience and flexibility

Cons:

Pricier (over $200) compared to other options available.
Containers are comparatively smaller than the other type of ice cream maker containers.
Heavier and has larger footprint on the counter.

If you are wondering which one did I choose, well, I went for less hassle, the compressor one - Cuisinart ICE-100 Compressor Ice Cream and Gelato Maker. I am highly satisfied with my decision as it gives peace of mind and its really fun to churn out different flavors the same day and make kids happy. Happy kids is happy mom 🙂

I hope the above information is useful enough to help you in making the right choice, best suited for your needs.