As you can see, the clear winner here is the Cuisinart. Quite frankly, I was surprised at the total ineffectiveness of the other two ice cream makers. All the bowls had spent the exact same amount of time in the freezer prior to the experiment, and each ice cream mixture (the Classic Vanilla) was exactly the same. However, the Oster and Hamilton Beach both failed miserably at creating ice cream. Both of these ice cream makers were brand new, while my Cuisinart is over two years old. However, it performed perfectly.
My advice: Don’t even think about getting a Hamilton Beach or Oster ice cream maker. Yes, they only run about $30 whereas the Cuisinart runs about $60. But do you want to be out $30 and have a piece of useless junk and no ice cream? Or would you rather pay $60 and get an appliance that will perform well, time after time, and make perfect ice cream?
Note: (My Cuisinart is an old model. The newer models have lids without the wavy part at the bottom. This is just cosmetic, so there is nothing to worry about in terms of functionality).
So order a Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker today! It doesn’t cost you any more than normal (and is the same price as on Amazon), and you get free two-day shipping! This is a perfect gift for yourself or anyone you love. Summer is just around the corner, and you will get tons of use out of it. (Plus, you will be the most popular person on your block!)
When you get your new Cuisinart, be sure to try out many of the fantastic ice cream recipes on my blog! Visit Ice Cream Central for fun, delicious flavors to get you started!
Note: I have not been compensated by Cuisinart in any way for this review. Cuisinart has no idea who I am. My review is completely unbiased and based on my personal research.
Has anybody had a different experience with any of these ice cream makers? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
I am a baker and have a kitchen aid stand mixer. Have you ever tried the ice cream make attachment for this.
Kim, I have not tried the ice cream bowl for the Kitchen Aid. I would like to, though! If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!
Thanks for your honest feed back. I have been thinking about the kitchen aid ice cream attachment too. I really enjoyed reading your expert opinion. I scored an used ice cream maker at a thrift score that was been lovely, but lately it’s not working . 🙁
Thanks for the great post!!!
Hi Kristie! I’m so glad you found this article. I was totally shocked at how poorly-made most consumer-grade ice cream makers are! If you get the Cuisinart, I would love to hear what you make with it!