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VonShef ice cream maker with compressor

Pros: solidly built, cooling extension
Cons: missing promised feature

Star rating: 4/5

Available from:

VonShef (£147.99)
Amazon (£149.99)

Read our full review of the best ice cream makers

The VonShef ice cream maker is a professional looking machine with its stainless steel housing and digital display.

Setting up the machine couldn’t be easier – with a simple display and no pre-freezing required, it takes just a few minutes.

It’s a bulky machine and heavy to move around, but this isn’t uncommon in devices with built-in freezing units. Concern over the weight was quickly offset by the effortless churning of up to 1.2 litres of ice cream with the powerful compressor, usually only found in more expensive machines, even it was a little noisier.

We especially liked the cooling extension – once the ice cream is made, it’ll hold for up to one hour at a creamy, yet firm consistency.

Once you’re ready to serve, the removable, non-stick bowl has a handy carrying handle and is stylish enough to bring straight to the table.

VonShef ice cream maker from above containing vanilla ice cream

The resulting ice cream was excellent, it also held up exceptionally well after 24 and 48 hours (with a 15 minute pause out of the freezer).

The only downside was the confusing instruction booklet. It makes a significant point of the ice cream maker's process of churning for 10 minutes, followed by 10 minutes freezing, followed by more churning. This didn’t happen.

However, after 40 minutes we still had a tub of lovely ice cream. VonShef replaced the machine but the second one didn’t stop-start either. Nonetheless, we made three batches of excellent ice cream without the promised feature.

The solidity and good looks of this machine, the simplicity of use and the speed with which it makes delicious ice cream, plus the exceptional price, meant it comfortably made our list of the best ice cream makers. Had it not been for the mysteriously missing on-off feature, it would have been a 5/5.

Available from:

VonShef (£147.99)
Amazon (£149.99)

VonShef ice cream maker specifications
Type: built in freezer
Capacity: 1.2 litre
Size: 40cm x 26cm x 20cm
Noise: a little noisy
Settings: on/off, timer adjustments
Functions: makes ice cream, sorbet and frozen fruit desserts
Lid: transparent
Extras: non-stick bowl
Guarantee: 2 years
Cleaning: paddles and lid dishwasher safe
Instruction manual: yes
Recipes: yes but only three

Read our full review of the best ice cream makers

Ice cream maker recipes

Browse some of our popular ice cream recipes and give them a try in your ice cream machine.

Real vanilla ice cream
Honeycomb ice cream
Pistachio ice cream
Quick banana ice cream
Lemon sorbet
Chocolate sorbet
Ice cream maker recipes and tips

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This review was last updated in May 2020. 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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