As one of the earliest inventors of the domestic food processor, Cuisinart has become synonymous with a range of kitchen gadgets over the last 40 years – even Julia Child was a fan and listed the Cuisinart food processor as one of her favourite appliances.

The brand has evolved a lot since, adding mini choppers, blenders, hand mixers and sandwich makers to its roster, but it's ice-cream makers that have become the jewel in Cuisinart's crown. Well, at least that's what our expert reviews team at Good Food thinks, having tested every model in the range.

What we love about Cuisinart's ice-cream makers is there's a model for everyone – whether you're working with a small budget and a tiny kitchen, or you want a self-freezing gadget that can churn large quantities. Cuisinart machines have also performed consistently well in our tests, scoring top marks for design features, efficiency, ease of use, and quality of ice cream.

Whichever type of ice-cream maker you're looking for, we've outlined our favourites below to help you find the right Cuisinart model for you. However, if you want more product suggestions or advice on buying these machines, you can discover more in our guides to the best ice-cream makers and the Ninja Creami vs Ninja Creami Deluxe.

Best Cuisinart ice-cream makers at a glance

Freeze-first models:

  • Best Cuisinart ice-cream maker overall: Cuisinart iced dessert maker, £69.95
  • Best large Cuisinart ice-cream maker: Cuisinart ice-cream maker ICE30BCU, £100
  • Best small Cuisinart ice-cream maker: Cuisinart Solo Scoops, £29.99
  • Best mid-sized Cuisinart ice-cream maker: Cuisinart Cool Scoops, £59.99

Self-freezing models:

  • Best Cuisinart ice-cream maker for gelato: Cuisinart ice-cream and gelato professional, £299.99

Jump to:

Best Cuisinart ice-cream makers to buy in 2025

Cuisinart iced dessert maker

Available from Amazon (£55), Harts Of Stur (£69.95)

Cuisinart iced dessert maker

Best Cuisinart ice-cream maker overall

Pros:

  • Quick to assemble
  • Quiet
  • Attractive

Cons:

  • Can be tricky to get the ice cream out

Star rating: 5/5

Wattage: 50W

Type of ice-cream maker: Freeze-first

This machine can make 1.4 litres of creamy, light ice cream in just 20 minutes (just don't forget to pre-freeze the bowl overnight), and its soft pistachio colouring looks great on the countertop. We were impressed by how effortlessly and quietly it operated, not to mention it's easy to assemble.

As well as ice cream, you can also make iced fruit desserts and sorbet. There are two distinctively different paddles, too, one of which has two angled arms for churning ice cream, while the other has six arms to mash and churn fresh fruit for smooth or chunky iced desserts.

Once churning has started, the see-through lid has a generous opening to pour in the ice-cream mixture. As we spooned it from the machine to tub, the ice cream began to stick to the walls of the bowl, but leaving it for five minutes made it easier to scrape down with a silicone spatula. Read our full Cuisinart iced dessert maker review.

Available from:

Cuisinart Ice Cream Deluxe ICE30BCU

Cuisinart ice-cream maker ICE30BCU

Best large Cuisinart ice-cream maker

Pros:

  • Paddle scrapes closely to the bowl
  • Large capacity

Cons:

  • Loud

Star rating: 4.5/5

Wattage: 25W

Type of ice-cream maker: Freeze-first

This stainless-steel machine has a generous 2-litre capacity, which makes it ideal for big households or ice-cream enthusiasts. Operating it is simple – the on/off button is located on the front of the machine, and unlike most, it's the bowl that turns rather than the paddle.

We were impressed by the robustness of the paddle, which scraped the sides of the bowl sufficiently so no ice crystals could form. The ice cream we made was creamy, soft and whipped, while our lemon sorbet was smooth with a fizzy sherbet-like mouthfeel. Read our full Cuisinart ice-cream maker ICE30BCU review.

Cuisinart Ice Cream and Gelato Professional

Cuisinart ice cream and gelato professional

Best Cuisinart ice-cream maker for gelato

Pros:

  • Clear and easy-to-use buttons
  • Different paddles for ice cream and gelato

Cons:

  • Quite noisy

Star rating: 5/5

Wattage: 150W

Type of ice-cream maker: Self-freezing

If you’re in the market for a self-freezing ice-cream maker that produces professional results, the Cuisinart model is a dream to use. It comes with two paddle types (one for ice cream and another for gelato) and there aren’t many controls to navigate either – just an on/off button, timer, and nifty stop/start button, which allows you to pause the churning process to taste or inspect your ice cream.

None of the parts are dishwasher-safe, but we found everything easy to hand wash. Ice cream, sorbet and gelato take about 40 minutes to churn, but it's quality is worth waiting for – each scoop was well mixed, soft and aerated. Read our full Cuisinart ice cream and gelato professional review.

Cuisinart Solo Scoops ice-cream maker

Available from Cuisinart (£29.99), Amazon (£39.99)

Cuisinart Solo Scoops ice-cream maker

Best small Cuisinart ice-cream maker

Pros:

  • Compact footprint
  • Budget price
  • Easy to use

Cons:

  • Loud
  • Some non-recyclable packaging

Star rating: 4.5/5

Wattage: 35W

Type of ice-cream maker: Freeze-first

Small but mighty, this ice-cream maker from Cuisinart is ideal for beginners or those with limited kitchen storage. Its 475ml bowl allows for around eight scoops (approximately one tub) of ice cream, and comes with a clear lid so you can easily monitor the progress.

We found it remarkably easy to use, and the manual is packed with detail and a good range of recipes. In just 25 minutes, it produced smooth, well mixed ice cream with no visible ice crystals. It's noisy for such a small machine and lacks the versatility of other models, but if you're just after a simple, no-frills ice-cream maker that does the job well, the Solo Scoops delivers.

Cuisinart Cool Scoops ice-cream maker

Available from Cuisinart (£59.99), Amazon (£69.99)

Cuisinart Cool Scoops ice-cream maker

Best mid-sized Cuisinart ice-cream maker

Pros:

  • Easy to operate
  • BPA-free materials
  • Dishwasher-safe parts

Cons:

  • Bowl is exposed, so could defrost more quickly
  • Paddle doesn't reach sides of bowl
  • Some non-recyclable packaging

Star rating: 4/5

Wattage: 35W

Type of ice-cream maker: Freeze-first

If you like the look of the Cuisinart Ice Cream Deluxe listed above but wanted a slightly smaller machine, the Cool Scoops is a solid option. Like the Deluxe, it operates with a stationary paddle around which the bowl turns to churn the ice-cream mixture. Despite being more compact than the Deluxe, it also offers a generous 1.2-litre capacity, making it a great pick for families.

The controls are basic and leave little room for error – simply hit the on/off switch on the front of the machine and watch the liquid turn into creamy ice cream in just 20 minutes.

When finished, we found our ice cream was soft set and needed putting in the freezer straight away – perhaps because the bowl isn't particularly well insulated (versus other models), which could mean it defrosts more quickly. Still, the results from our test were smooth and well mixed, with only some very small ice crystals visible.

Other Cuisinart ice-cream makers tried and tested

  • Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice-Cream Maker, £129.99

How to choose a Cuisinart ice cream maker

If you're still deciding which model is right for you, there are a few other factors to consider that could help you with your choice. You can also find more product suggestions in our guide to the best ice-cream makers.

Budget

Selecting a rough price point is the best place to start, as you can more easily whittle down options when you know how much you have to spend. The Cuisinart ice-cream makers we've tested vary from £29.99 to £300.

Storage and space

Ice-cream makers are one of those gadgets that only tend to resurface once the weather gets warmer, so consider where you'll store it when it's not in use.

Self-freezing models in particular can be very large as they have an in-built compressor, so think about whether it can sit comfortably on your countertop. If space is limited, you may prefer one of the more compact freeze-first machines like the Cuisinart Solo Scoops, which is ideal for small kitchens.

Self-freezing vs freeze-first

Do you want to be able to whip up ice cream in a flash, without pre-freezing the bowl overnight? A self-freezing ice-cream maker is probably the right choice for you, as it will churn and freeze the mixture at the same time, sometimes offering results in just 20 minutes.

This means you can be more spontaneous with your ice-cream making, though bear in mind these machines are larger, heavier and more expensive than freeze-first models – prices vary from £150 to £500.

If you're working with a smaller budget or more compact space, consider a freeze-first model instead. These require you to freeze the ice-cream bowl between 16-24 hours before use, so you'll need to plan ahead and ensure there's room in your freezer. On the plus side, they're usually more compact, lightweight and affordable, with prices ranging from £30 to £200.

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Ice-cream recipes

Ultimate vanilla ice cream
Strawberry ice cream
Vegan vanilla ice cream
Buttermilk, brown sugar & rye bread ice cream
Malt chocolate ice cream
Cranachan ripple ice cream
Gooseberry ice cream

Sorbet recipes

Mango sorbet
Raspberry sorbet
Elderflower sorbet
Lemon sorbet
Rhubarb and star anise sorbet
Gooseberry, elderflower & sauvignon sorbet
Refreshing lychee & lime sorbet

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If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.

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