As much as we love heading to our neighborhood creamery or fro-yo joint, there’s nothing like making your very own ice cream at home. And since we’ve already shown you our picks for other amazing frozen treat gadgets, and given you the scoop on how to throw an epic ice cream social, we figured it’s an obvious must that we share with you the best ice cream makers on the market. They range from classy and old-fashioned to high-tech and futuristic, along with everything in between. So dust off the rock salt, grab some sundae toppings and get ready to whip up all of your favorite flavors.
1. Play + Freeze Ice Cream Maker ($23 and up): If you can put in a little bit of elbow grease, this ingenious ice cream maker creates a one-of-a-kind frozen treat. The best part is that it doesn’t even feel like “elbow grease” when you’re just playing with a ball!
2. Cuisinart Pure Indulgence ($70): It ain’t called Pure Indulgence for nothin’! This ice cream maker pulls off specialty frozen blends like a champ. It makes two quarts of ice cream, frozen yogurt or sorbet in under an hour, all in a sleek package with a stowaway cord.
3. Nostalgia Electrics Ice Cream Maker ($29): Get all the nostalgia of an old-fashioned ice cream maker with the convenience of a modern machine. An electric motor does the churning and the kitschy design takes you back in time.
4. Yonanas Ice Cream Maker ($51): One of our favorite ice cream alternatives is a tasty frozen banana, but this gadget will take all frozen fruit to a new level. It’s simple to use too, so your new weeknight ritual will be turning those extra cantaloupe slices and rogue berries into tasty ice cream.
5. Hamilton Beach Half Pint Ice Cream Maker ($23): Take your make sesh outside with this stellar portable piece. Bring it on your next picnic (or to the office, we won’t tell) and try out your favorite recipe on the go. It only makes three servings at a time, but at just $23, the sweet price makes up for it.
6. Wooden Bucket Hand Cranked Ice Cream Maker ($167): Machines are great, but there’s something so charming about cranking the ice cream maker yourself. Skip the power outlet and put a little work into making your very own dessert the old-fashioned way.
7. Cuisinart Soft Serve Maker ($70): Get the soft serve of your dreams with this supremely sweet soft serve maker. It packs a big punch as it whips it up in just 20 minutes, holds your cone and dispenses up to three toppings over your ice cream. Bonus: It comes in pink.
8. DeLonghi Gelato Maker ($281): The self-refrigerating compressor in this pick means you can make batches back-to-back without having to put the container in the freezer! It mixes from top to bottom to give the impressive gelato flavor you’ve been longing for.
9. Deni Fully Automatic Ice Cream Maker ($43): Leave the salt and ice behind while this automatic ice cream maker does the work. Plus, you can drop cookies and candy into the built-in crusher for easy-as-pie toppings that’ll blow everyone away.
10. Peddler’s Creamery: If you still like the idea of making your own ice cream but aren’t into investing in gadgets, you could always travel to Los Angeles to churn it with your own two legs! This fun creamery serves dozens of flavors of bicycle-churned, organic ice cream that’ll change your life. (via Peddler’s Creamery)
Will you be making your own ice cream this season? What’s your favorite summer treat? Give us a shout out with your thoughts below!
