4 Best Cuisinart Ice Cream Makers

Our recent round of testing put the latest model — Cool Creations — on top. It's similar to previous models but includes a built-in LED timer that counts down the minutes until your dessert is ready. It is a freezer bowl model that uses an internal motor to spin the bowl against a paddle. The company says it has improved the paddle with this version. The lid has an opening so you can easily add mix-ins during churning, and the cap for the opening includes measurement markings. The cord tucks into the base for compact storage. We found that the two-quart capacity bowl yielded about six cups of ice cream.

We loved the ice cream and sorbet we made. Both were creamy and smooth. The appliance may be on the loud side, but our Lab pros loved the resulting ice cream and sorbet too. We did find all the picks somewhat loud but on par with other ice cream makers of this style. If you choose a freezer bowl style, be sure you have enough freezer space (at least temporarily) to store it for freezing.

The classic Cuisinart Pure Indulgence is our pick for best overall ice cream maker because it's a reliable and straightforward machine. It received high marks in our Lab tests, thanks to its rich vanilla ice cream and smooth, flavorful sorbet. It has a large opening on top so that you can add mix-ins during churning, and the cord tucks into the base when it's time to store the unit.

We like the simple controls — just on and off — but that does mean you can't choose settings for different textures, like ice cream versus gelato. It yielded about six cups of ice cream in our test. Like the others on this list, it's also somewhat noisy during churning.

Soft serve at home! This fun maker uses a freezer bowl with a hole in the bottom that lets you dispense your ice cream with the pull of a lever. Our testers (and lucky tasters) were really pleased with the soft serve ice cream: It swirled into cups and cones just like it would at your favorite shop. Take note that you have to get a feel for when it’s ready to serve and that you’ll have a limited window for keeping it soft. But no worries: If it churns longer, you can just scoop it out of the freezer bowl like a traditional ice cream! In our tests, the sorbet was delicious but more like a slushie than a soft serve sorbet. But it dispensed smoothly and was a refreshing option.

This eye-catching machine has three chambers designed to hold small mix-ins, and they add some color to the experience. We loved adding texture like sprinkles and mini chocolate chips to our soft serve, but the mix-ins didn't always dispense smoothly (it sometimes took several tries to get the toppings to leave the hopper). The machine also has a built-in slot for cones (we found cake cones worked better than sugar cones, but it can hold either) so you have a receptacle at hand when you're swirling.

Ice cream makers with a built-in compressor are so simple to use: No need to freeze the bowl ahead of time. Just pour in your ice cream base and turn the machine on. It functions via an internal cooling mechanism — the compressor — that chills the ice cream as it churns. Cuisinart's model got a near-perfect score for ease of use: It's easy to set up, and testers found the controls intuitive. It includes a countdown timer so you can check how much churn time is left. The company notes that it comes with separate ice cream and gelato paddles.

Our pros were also happy with the texture of the ice cream but did find the texture of the sorbet more pleasing on initial tasting than after freezing. You do pay for the convenience of the compressor, so this model is a bit pricier. And the compressor does tend to be a little louder than the freezer-bowl models on our list.