Fridge Buying Guide: Which Refrigerator Is Best? Tips to Choose and Enjoy Fresh Homemade Ice Cream This Summer

There’s nothing quite like the taste of a good homemade ice cream. It’s the perfect way to cool off in the summer (even though it’s equally delicious all year round) by controlling the ingredients, avoiding industrial additives, and playing with a thousand flavors, from classic chocolate to combinations with seasonal fresh fruit. Making our own recipes is possible even without a freezer, but if we want that creamy texture and no ice crystals we love so much, it’s best to have one of these machines.

Ice creams have evolved from the first simple combinations of ice and juice to modern formulas that require a technical balance between flavor and creaminess, achieving an impeccable texture through the industrial aeration process. To replicate this level of quality at home, a freezer is essential to trap air bubbles and ensure lightness, making it the best ally for summer desserts.

Our selection of ice cream makers for home, at a glance:

• JOCCA Ice Cream Maker, a bucket-style ice cream maker capable of preparing up to 1.6 litres of ice cream.
• SilverCrest Bucket Ice Cream Maker, with a refreshed design, Lidl’s classic ice cream maker for preparing up to 1 litre of ice cream or sorbet.
• Cuisinart Solo Scoops, another bucket-style model to have homemade ice creams, sorbets or frozen yogurt in just 25 minutes.
• Sogo FDM-SS-5245, a different ice cream maker for the best sugar-free fruit ice creams.
• WMF Kitchenminis, a 3-in-1 ice cream maker with a digital display and stainless steel finish.
• KitchenAid 5KSMICM Ice Cream Attachment, makes ice cream easily with your KitchenAid mixer using this attachment.
• Springlane Eni, compressor-powered ice cream maker that also serves to make ice
• Ariete 693 Gran Gelato, a compressor-powered ice cream maker with LCD display for professional-style ice cream at home.
• Ninja Creami, the most versatile multifunction ice cream maker with included tubs
• Cecotec Gelatec 2100, with large capacity and power, three tubs included and a digital recipe book

What to consider when choosing an ice cream maker

A freezer-friendly appliance that works by mixing ingredients in a cold container with motorized blades, a process called churning which aims to incorporate air into the mixture to prevent large ice crystals and ensure a smooth texture and volume. The blades ensure the mixture doesn’t freeze into a solid block, achieving a creamy consistency different from industrial ones.

Today’s market offers bucket-style ice cream makers (which require pre-frozen bowls) or compressor ice cream makers (which cool themselves), or the more modern pre-freezing ice cream makers, which grind a previously frozen block. Whichever you opt for, the most advisable approach is to choose machines with spare parts or brands that sell individual pieces, hand-wash the bowl to prolong its life, and assess whether they include a recipe book (especially if you’re buying a high-priced unit).

Compressor ice cream makers

They are home-use professional devices that generate their own cold instantly thanks to an integrated motor. They feature higher power, generally between 135 and 180 watts, which allows them to cool the bowl to -35ºC in minutes and to churn several preparations in a row without waiting.

This system guarantees that the churning always happens at the right temperature, as it remains stable throughout the process. They offer a large capacity that often reaches 2 litres, but in return are large, heavy appliances that require a substantial financial investment. For this reason, it’s always better to opt for models with lots of stainless-steel parts rather than plastic, for greater durability.

Bucket-style or canister ice cream makers

These ice cream makers are the most affordable and compact, ideal for small kitchens. Their key component is a double-walled bowl containing a refrigerant liquid, which requires pre-freezing in a powerful freezer for at least 12 or 24 hours before use. They have low power, typically between 6 and 15 watts, since the motor only needs to move the blades to mix the ingredients, and they offer a standard capacity of between 1 and 1.5 litres per batch.

Its clear advantage is its affordable price and ease of use, making it simple to whip up delicious homemade ice creams for the kids. The downsides are that the temperature isn’t stable or controlled, which means you need to be more vigilant during the making process. Also, some bowls can be too bulky for the drawers of certain freezers (especially in combo units). An important detail to check when buying your model.

Pre-freezing ice cream maker

They represent the market’s most modern technology and work in the opposite way by grinding blocks of previously frozen ingredients (such as bananas, mangoes, strawberries, etc) at around -20ºC to transform them into frozen yogurt or even the best homemade sugar-free ice creams. In fact, they are among the most versatile devices, letting you prepare from the five most searched ice creams on the internet (classics like chocolate, vanilla, banana, yogurt or cream ice creams), to coffee frappé, sorbet, or granitas.

They stand out for their very high power, usually over 800 watts, needed to spin their blades at high speed and turn ice into a smooth cream in under five minutes. They use individual tubs with capacities of about 500 to 700 milliliters, which makes it easy to prepare and store different flavors in single-portion servings. The best part? Since you get to choose the fruit, you can create 100% natural and healthy alternatives (perfect for vegans or lactose-intolerant people). Plus, the process takes only a few minutes, ideal for those who don’t like to wait. The downside? They aren’t usually budget-friendly and can be quite noisy.

What ice cream maker should you buy?

Although this question has a lot to do with how much money you want to spend, you should first consider how you’ll use the appliance. You don’t need the most expensive machine on the market to enjoy a good homemade dessert, but the one that best fits your cooking routines.

If you’re going to make ice cream occasionally or want to try this world without spending a lot, the ideal option is a bucket-style ice cream maker. It will also be ideal if you have a small kitchen with little counter space, but you do have a large freezer to leave the bowl in for an entire day. It’s also fantastic for fun weekend plans with kids, since planning the recipe in advance is part of the fun.

For ice cream lovers who enjoy it year-round, the best option is a compressor ice cream maker. With it you can prepare a dessert in about half an hour without needing to plan the day before. It’s also the best choice for large families or when you have guests, as it lets you churn several flavors continuously and go from one liter of ice cream to another without stopping. That said, you’ll need a good amount of space in the kitchen because it’s a large appliance.

And for those seeking ultra-creamy texture along with great versatility, opt for pre-freezing ice cream makers. It’s the perfect machine for people who want to look after their health, as it turns frozen fruit into cold desserts without adding a gram of fat or sugar. It’s also ideal if you enjoy variety and prefer to keep several small tubs of different flavors in the freezer ready to blend and enjoy at any time of day.

10 ice cream makers for home, for every taste

Jocca Home & Life Ice Cream Maker

With a 700 ml bowl capacity and a compact size that makes it perfect for smaller kitchens, this bucket-style ice cream maker allows you to prepare in just 30 minutes (after 24 hours of pre-chilling) up to 1.6 litres of delicious ice cream. Easy to clean and store. We found it on AliExpress for 34.99 euros.

SilverCrest Bucket Ice Cream Maker

Like the previous model, this is a bucket-style ice cream maker, so you need to pre-freeze the container the day before. With it you can make up to one litre of ice cream or sorbet, and you can add ingredients like chocolate chips, nuts or mint leaves while it’s running. It includes a basic recipe book, and the removable parts are dishwasher-safe. Now at Lidl for 12.99 euros. It consumes only 12 W, and its capacity is approximately 1.65 litres. It works just as well year after year, I can vouch for that.

Cuisinart Solo Scoops

The Cuisinart Solo Scoops is so easy to use that you just press a button after adding the ingredients to its bowl (which you will have frozen beforehand). It’s equally easy to clean, and it features a compact design that allows it to be stored in any free space and fits in the freezer without issue. The lid and paddle are dishwasher-safe, and it allows preparing tubs of 475 ml. Its price? 39.90 euros on Amazon.

Sogo dessert, ice cream and sorbet maker

A distinct model is the Sogo ice cream maker, for enjoying very creamy soft-serve style ice creams based on fruit. It is small, compact and very easy to use, requiring only that you add the fruit you want previously frozen. This way you can treat yourself to a much healthier option without added sugars or fats, and if someone at home is lactose intolerant it’s ideal for a treat. Now from 49.30 euros on Amazon.

WMF Kitchenminis

If durability is what you’re after, this WMF bucket ice cream maker certainly delivers: with an exterior made from the Cromargan stainless steel alloy that has made the German brand famous, it includes a 300 ml bowl with a lid. Notably it also includes a stainless steel and silicone scoop. The maker can produce ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt, and features a digital display showing the remaining processing time. It now costs 70.99 euros on Amazon.

Accesorio heladera KitchenAid 5KSMICM

Get even more use out of your stand mixer KitchenAid with this ice cream attachment that makes ice cream in 1.9 litres, with removable parts that are dishwasher-safe. It fits all KitchenAid stand mixers (except models 5KSM3310X-5KSM3311X) and those with a tilt-head (except models 5KPM and 5K5). With it, creamy ice cream is a breeze. On Amazon, 141.90 euros.

Springlane Eni

This German brand is very popular in its country and offers good quality guarantees. Among its compressor ice cream makers, the Eni stands out as the most affordable and compact, but ideal for small kitchens. It has a power of 100 W and allows you to prepare up to one litre of ice cream in just 30 minutes. Ice creams, sorbets, and frozen yogurt with all kinds of toppings in a flash. Now on Amazon for 116,09 euros.

Ariete 693 Gran Gelato

The Ariete 693 or Ariete Gran Gelato is a compressor ice cream maker of 135 W with a removable one-litre basket that features a digital timer and automatic shut-off, so you can completely relax while your favorite dessert is being prepared. It keeps the temperature stable for up to an hour, has an LCD display, and you can make any flavor of ice cream, frozen yogurt or fruit sorbet. We found it on Amazon for 268.62 euros.

Ninja Creami Deluxe

This pre-freezing ice cream maker will let you turn almost any food into ice cream, sorbet, gelato or any other frozen delight. It includes two Deluxe tubs of 710 ml and offers ten different functions, even allowing you to blend flavors. If you follow a keto, low-sugar or vegan diet, it’s a perfect device for you as it lets you customize ingredients to the millimeter achieving delicious results. Now on Amazon for 249.01 euros.

Cecotec Gelatec 2100

The Cecotec Gelatec 2100 is a pre-freezing ice cream maker, like the previous one, with a powerful 500 W motor and a capacity of no less than 2.1 litres. It offers six programs to prepare cold desserts quickly and easily (Gelato, light ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt, shaved ice…), and four for cold beverages (Frappés, iced drinks, granitas and shakes). It features a Re-spin function to increase the creaminess of the ice cream and a mixing function to add ingredients while it’s being prepared. It includes three BPA-free tubs of 700 ml each. What’s its price? 139 euros.

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Photos | Micheile Henderson |Amazon

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