Ice Cream Makers: The Best and the Cheapest
77The following is the tale of two ice cream makers. On one hand, we have the Musso Lussino which is generally regarded as the single best home ice cream maker. It costs around $700. It is surely for the die-hards.
On the other hand we have the Cuisinart ICE-20. This is a much, much more affordable ice cream maker and it is also known as one of the best cheap machines there is. Its price is more like $50 or less.
The major difference between all superior electric ice cream makers and their budget counterparts is that you will have to pre-freeze with the cheaper ones; in this case that is our Cuisinart. But of course the price gap is quite wide, and with both you are getting ice cream that is sure to be better than anything you can buy at the grocery store.
Anyone purchasing Musso's best should be prepared to make top-dollar use of it. This is really for the ice cream hobbyist: the Martha Stewart's of the dessert world. If you go with this one, you will want to read the manual and really know what you're doing.
Best And Cheapest Ice Cream Makers at Amazon
 | Amazon Price: $669.99 List Price: $699.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $51.93 List Price: $110.00 |
Now let's have a look at the positives and negatives of each model alone and versus each other. I am always highly sensitive to price points, so you will find that coming through in my reviews, maybe in a biased way. As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But the kids are sure to love the finished product from either of them!
Cuisinart ICE 20: Cheap but Good
Technically, you can make a batch (1.5 quarts) of ice cream even quicker with this less expensive model. It is probably the most popular Cuisinart ice cream maker on the market today, and for good reason.
The Cuisinart Ice 20 is also an electric ice cream maker, no hand churning. It doesn't require salt or ice which is really nice, making it cleaner and an easier process. Instead it has a gel canister that needs to be pre-frozen.
The problem with the apparent quick preparation time is that in reality you will need to pre-freeze the gel canister for a half-a-day before actually making the luscious dessert. It's a little unappealing to have to think about it so far beforehand -- at least if you have sudden impulses for homemade ice cream. But it can also be fun to plan an evening of homemade ice cream.
In the end the ICE-20 is a great way to make your own ice cream at home. And who can argue with the low price tag or ease of use?
Best Ice Cream Maker: Musso Lussino
The Musso ice cream makers have definitely earned their right to charge a lot. This electric ice cream maker produces French style ice cream which is deliciously rich and creamy. You could even call it soft. Sometimes, with other ice cream makers, if you do something wrong they will end up giving a finished product that isn't firm enough. How are you supposed to put that on an ice cream cone, let alone enjoy its taste the way it was meant?
This is self-cooling ice cream maker (i.e. no gel canister) which speeds up the whole process. It only takes about a half-hour to make a batch of 1.5 quarts, which is capacity of its tank.
It is also a fully automatic ice cream maker -- you probably won't find one that is easier to use. You simply pour the ingredients into the bowl and press a couple of buttons. Because you don't have to pre-freeze the mix first you can easily make batch after batch for a homemade ice cream-filled event. In the realm of homemade ice cream makers that can be a fun advantage.
This isn't the cheapest ice cream maker; it is the best ice cream maker. But like what I say to people asking me about my P90X hub when they ask does P90x work: you get what you pay for.
Other Ice Cream Makers
 | Amazon Price: $66.99 List Price: $145.00 |
| Amazon Price: $51.93 List Price: $110.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $36.00 List Price: $90.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $39.95 List Price: $39.99 |
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