11 Best Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine – Updated for 2022!
Ice cream is a dessert that everyone loves to indulge in. But the problem with ice cream is that it is difficult to make it perfectly at home. You need to buy a special ice cream machine that makes soft-serve ice cream. You can buy a soft-serve ice cream machine from a variety of online stores. However, it is not always easy to find the best soft-serve ice cream machine.
Below in this article, we have reviewed the best soft-serve ice cream machines that are easy to use and have all the necessary features to make the soft-serve ice cream of your choice.
Related: Best Ice Cream Maker for Home
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List Of Best Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine in 2022!
- Best Overall Ice Cream Machine: Cuisinart ICE-45P1
- Best Runner-up Ice Cream Machine: Cuisinart ICE-30BC
- Best Budget Ice Cream Machine: Cuisinart ICE-20 Automatic
- Best Versatile Ice Cream Machine: Lello 4080 Musso
- Best Energy Efficient Ice Cream Machine: Breville BCI600XL
- Best Ice Cream Machine with Built-in Compressor:Lopie Ice Cream Machine
- Best Ice Cream Machine with Multi Functions:Northair Ice Cream Maker
- Best Automatic Ice Cream Machine: Lopie Automatic Ice Cream Maker
- Best Ice Cream Machine for Gelato: Whynter ICM-220CGY
- Best Capacity Ice Cream Machine: Whynter ICM-201SB
- Best Bucket Style Ice Cream Machine: Nostalgia
Best Soft-Serve Ice Cram Machine Reviews
1. Best Overall Ice Cream Machine: Cuisinart ICE-45P1
Your kids will love Cuisinart ICE-45P1 soft serve ice cream machine, Why? Because of how pretty it is.
Plus, you can add multiple toppings on your ice cream.
Cuisinart ICE-45P1,the best soft serve ice cream machine for home use features three seasoning compartments and allows you to dispense the mix-ins you prefer.
The front container is suitable for smaller ingredients, while the other two distributes larger ones.
You can pull out the corresponding levers of the mix-ins you want.
Other features include a mixing arm and an easy-lock lid with a window.
Apart from this, Cuisinart ICE-45P1 features a drip tray, a cone holder, and an on/off power dial.
The holder is suitable for both flat and pointy cones.
Cuisinart ICE-45P1 ice cream maker for home is fully automatic and comes with a double-insulated freezer bowl.
The bowl has a capacity of 1 ½ quart.
The machine works on 120 volts and comes with an instruction manual with steps for troubleshooting.
- First of all, you get to choose from two different color choices, including pink and white.
- Both of these color options are equally beautiful and stylish.
- Plus, the ingredient window lets you pour your ingredients directly into the machine and monitor the process.
- Furthermore, the condiment chute is removable, which makes it easy to wash.
- The drip tray is also removable so that you can clean it easily.
- The machine has BPA-free components and weighs only 16.7 pounds.
If the mix-ins are too large, they will not fit through and will clog the ice cream maker.
2. Best Runner-up Ice Cream Machine: Cuisinart ICE-30BC
With dimensions of 8.25 X 8.00 X 11.5 inches, Cuisinart ICE-30BC stainless steel ice cream machine consists of a heavy-duty motor.
This motor and a double-insulated 2-quart freezer bowl are perfect for making automatic frozen yogurt, ice cream, and sorbets.
The machine comes with cold storage and an instruction book with manuals and recipes to make all of these delicious items.
The item weighs approximately 12 pounds.
You can choose from two different designs, including a brushed metal red and silver stainless steel.
Depending on your likes, preferences, and the interior of your kitchen, you can choose one that works efficiently and looks good on the countertop.
- The machine features a large spout for easy addition of ingredients and mix-ins.
- This feature, along with cord storage, avoids a mess and keeps your countertops free of clutter.
- The machine’s fast motor and construction takes less than 25 minutes to complete frozen desserts and drinks.
- Plus, all parts of the ice cream maker are BPA-free and entirely safe to use.
- Customers sometimes seem to have a problem with the freezing capabilities of the machine.
3. Best Budget Ice Cream Machine: Cuisinart ICE-20 Automatic
If you want a compact and aesthetically pleasing ice cream maker, consider this one as a candidate.
Cuisinart ICE-20, the best home soft serve ice cream maker, can make up to 1 ½ quart of ice cream for you in less than 20 minutes.
The design is easy to use, you don’t need any salt or ice, and you can chill your ice cream to your desired consistency.
Cuisinart ICE-20 is an automatic soft serve ice cream machine, perfect for small families with transparent top and 3 year limited warranty.
It also arrives with a recipe booklet that you can use to make different types of ice creams, frozen drinks, sorbets, and frozen yogurt.
You can add whatever mix-ins and additional ingredients you want, including chocolate chips, nuts, chopped fruits, etc.
- The top has an interlocking system that ensures maximum safety and a spill-free experience.
- Plus, your countertop stay clean.
- Also, because the head is transparent, you can monitor the progress of the product very easily.
- The chamber is non-stick, so it is effortless to clean as well.
You might need a sharper or more precise spatula to scrape down the ice cream and clean the bowl properly.
4. Best Versatile Ice Cream Machine: Lello 4080 Musso
You can’t go wrong with Lello Musso Lussino, the best home soft serve ice cream machine, if you want to make delicious tasting ice-cream at home.
Among other best home soft serve ice cream machine, Lello Musso makes high quality soft serves every time. You can make mouth-watering deserts in just minutes with Musso Lussino ice-cream maker.
This ice-cream machine has a large, sleek appearance. It churns out creamy batches of soft serve in less than 30 minutes.
The stainless-steel construction means this home ice cream maker is built to last. With the automatic shutdown mode, you do not have to worry about making hard ice-cream. Musso Lussino home ice-cream maker is durable and easy to use.
It has two buttons, one for freezing and the other for churning. However, you can only make 1.5 quarts of ice-cream, but it should still be enough for an after dinner treat for the family.
Now simply pour in your ingredients and make an incredible tasting dessert with the press of a button.
- Makes good quality ice-cream
- Tank like built
- Separately functioning compressor and paddle
- Stainless casting
- Expensive
- Timer is not very accurate
5. Best Energy Efficient Ice Cream Machine: Breville BCI600XL
For ice cream lovers looking for something more heavy-duty, Breville BC1600XL ice cream maker could be a good option.
Breville BC1600XL soft ice cream machine for home comes with 12 different hardiness settings, including ice creams, Gelato, frozen yogurt, and sorbets.
The machine’s bowl has a capacity of 1.5 quarts and can make enough ice cream for a family sitting.
Breville BC1600XL soft ice cream maker has a self-refrigerator compressor that works on 110 to 120 volts and 165 Watts of power.
Furthermore, it offers two modes, namely, fully automatic and manual functionality.
The entire item weighs approximately 30 lbs.
- The silver exterior is professionally designed and looks very chic displayed in a stylish kitchen.
- The controls and buttons on the machine make the whole process of ice cream making very customizable.
There have been a few past complaints associated with the durability of the product.
6. Best Ice Cream Machine with Built-in Compressor: Lopie Ice Cream Machine
Lopie soft serve ice cream machine comes with silver exterior and 1.6-quart capacity to make smooth, soft-serve ice cream that make this soft serve ice cream machine a popular choice among ice cream lovers.
While many soft serve ice cream makers require a pre-cooling time to freeze the bowl in a freezer for hours before you can use it, Lopie soft serve ice cream maker comes with a built-in compressor.
The built-in compressor of Lopie soft serve ice cream maker saves you a lot of time and freezes the ingredients and ensures perfect ice cream at the end of the process.
Plus, the fast motor and convenient design can prepare delicious frozen desserts in less than 60 minutes.
Lopie soft serve ice cream machine comes with a transparent lid, a silver steel body, control buttons, and LCD digital display.
The mixing bowl of Lopie soft serve ice cream maker is removable, and the churning blade is BPA-free.
This machine’s unique and highlighting feature is that it automatically shuts off when the mixture freezes solid. This feature aims and works to prevent damage.
- You do not need any pre-cooling time before you can make your ice cream.
- Lopie ice cream maker is versatile, so you can create multiple flavors without using any preservatives or additives.
- Plus, you can make soft as well as hard ice cream, among other frozen items.
- The transparency of the lid also allows you to monitor the progress visually.
- Furthermore, the mixing bowl and blade are very easy to store, clean, and safe to use.
- The machine can sometimes be noisy.
- The bin is made of aluminum rather than stainless steel.
7. Best Ice Cream Machine with Multi Functions: Northair Ice Cream Maker
Northair soft serve ice cream maker comes with an LCD screen, a countdown timer, separate settings, and a recipe booklet.
After considering all these features, ice cream lovers are bound to love this particular product.
Northair soft serve ice cream maker for home has a capacity of 2.1 quarts and comes with a high-efficiency compressor.
It offers three settings to work in 3 modes. They include milkshake, hard ice cream, and soft ice cream.
Plus, you don’t have to pre freeze the bowl beforehand, thanks to the excellent quality compressor.
The control panel, along with the LCD screen, makes usability much more convenient for this soft serve ice cream maker.
The countdown timer of Northair soft serve ice cream maker comes with auto shut off, making sure that your end product turns out exactly how you want it without you having to stand by.
Additional parts of this package include an ice cream spatula, ice cream scoop, removable mixing bowl, a churn blade, a measuring cup, a user manual, and a recipe booklet.
The machine comes with a 1-year warranty and weighs 23.4 pounds.
- The machine is relatively easy to operate and saves time required for pre-freezing.
- Also, the stainless-steel exterior makes it resistant to mess and permanent stains.
- You can also switch the mode if you want.
- You can do this by simply turning the machine off and waiting for 5 seconds before changing the mode again.
- It has a noticeably slower operation than other competitive ice cream makers in the market.
8. Best Automatic Ice Cream Machine: Lopie Automatic Ice Cream Maker
If you have a large family or want to host soft serve ice-cream parties, consider Lopie soft serve ice cream maker for home use with built-in compressor and its 2.1-quart capacity.
Apart from its convenient size, Lopie soft serve ice cream machine also features a stainless-steel exterior, an LCD digital display, and a built-in compressor to eliminate pre-cooling hassle.
You can make ice creams, frozen yogurt, sorbets, and many other frozen desserts within minutes.
Lopie Automatic soft serve Ice Cream Maker comes with a removable mixing bowl and churn blade.
The machine’s body is silver, and the lid is transparent, making a complete package of convenience and aesthetics.
- The blade and bowl are both BPA-free, which makes them effortless to clean and store.
- The LCD, the large, smooth, knob, and control buttons make it easy to operate the machine without professional help.
- You can control the temperatures as well as monitor the time remaining in the completion of a process.
- The latest motor drive also comes with an auto shut off freezer to avoid damage if the mixture freezes to solid.
- Furthermore, the transparent lid allows you to watch the process in action and monitor it visually.
- Some people prefer a stainless-steel bowl instead of an aluminum one.
- Plus, you cannot fill up the bowl entirely; otherwise, it spills.
9. Best Ice Cream Machine for Gelato: Whynter ICM-220CGY
Whynter ICM-220CGY soft serve Ice Cream Maker with its 2-quart capacity and the gold stylish exterior, this ice cream maker creates waves in the market.
Whynter Gelato & soft serve ice cream maker for home is a self-contained dessert maker, which means that you don’t have to pre-freeze it.
Its yogurt incubator function allows you to make yogurt from scratch, ice cream, and other frozen desserts.
It features a convenient, stylish stainless steel housing and an in-built timer.
Plus, it offers a convenient capacity of 2 liters (2.1 quarts) suitable for a large family or gathering.
You can select a cooling temperature from -0.4 degrees Fahrenheit to -31 degrees, depending on the end product you want.
Furthermore, the mixing bowl and churning blade is entirely aluminum.
Whynter Gelato & soft serve ice cream maker has dimensions of 16.75 x 11.25 x 10.25 inches and weighs a total of 25 pounds and that can take some counter space.
- The built-in timer is audible and reliable, which means that you don’t have to stand next to the machine while making your ice cream.
- Plus, it has an LCD timer control, which makes operations and navigation very easy.
- Furthermore, the aluminum bowl and blade are BPA-free, safe to use, and suitable for storing and cleaning.
- It is quite expensive compared to other soft-serve ice-cream machines in the market.
10. Best Capacity Ice Cream Machine: Whynter ICM-201SB
Whynter ICM-201SB Ice Cream Maker is an upright stainless steel ice cream maker that gives you a capacity of 2.1 quarts to make 2 liters of ice cream for your family in one go.
This particular feature will be especially beneficial if you have a large family or want to use it for commercial purposes.
Whynter ICM-201SB comes with a CFC-free compressor with high efficiency and works on a voltage of 110 volts.
The motor has a power consumption of 180 watts.
You can choose a cooling temperature within the range of -0.4 degrees to -31 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whynter ice cream maker also comes with a motor protection function that has an auto shut off feature to avoid damage if the mixture becomes solid frozen.
As a BONUS, the Whynter ICM-201SB ice cream machine is also ETL certified.
- Along with all the other advantages and perks that Whynter ice cream maker provides, the design wins for the most part.
- The device looks stylish, compact, and easy to use.
- The LCD display allows you to monitor and control the temperature and the remaining time until your final result.
- This way, you don’t have to stay on high alert throughout the process.
- Plus, the machine components, including the blade and the bowl, are BPA-free and stainless steel, so they are easy to clean.
It weighs a total of 27 pounds, which is quite heavy for some people’s liking.
11. Best Bucket Style Ice Cream Machine: Nostalgia
Nostalgia Electric Bucket Ice Cream Maker is just what its name suggests: nostalgic.
This ice cream maker looks like the old school simple hand-crank ice cream maker and looks like a bucket made with wooden slats.
Nostalgia ice cream maker has 4 quarts of capacity and an electric motor, so you don’t have to do any manual work.
You get to select any one out of the five different color options in the same product, including second-generation light wood, original light wood, premium dark wood, and a few others.
Furthermore, the item weighs approximately 9 pounds and has dimensions of 15 x 12.6 x 15.75 inches.
- The overall structure, design, construction, and quality of the Nostalgia Ice cream maker are its biggest hits.
- It also makes maintenance and cleaning very effortless.
- Plus, it comes with a see-through lid to enjoy and monitor the process of ice cream making.
- The lock and notches make sure that the motor is secure and remains in place throughout the process.
People who are not habitual of using traditional ice cream makers such as this, have a hard time understanding how it works.
How to make homemade soft serve ice cream at your home?
What is the difference between ice cream and soft serve ice cream?
If you are an ice cream lover, you probably know that there are two types of ice creams that are served generally.
- Soft Serve Ice Cream
- Hard Serve Ice Cream
Many people prefer one over the other but there is a huge customer base, who loves them both including me.
So we are going to talk about what is actually the difference between soft serve and hard serve ice cream.
The most common difference between soft serve and hard serve is that soft serve ice cream has less amount of milk fat and utilizes more air during the process of preparation.
If the soft serve ice cream has the bright white color, it means it is of good quality and the right amount of air is added to it.
When the required amount of air is added, the ice cream becomes fluffy and the molecules extracts white light that gives the ice cream a good white color.
If the air mixture is not right, the white color will not be bright white but dull and yellowish color.
The soft serve ice cream is more smoother and creamier if the right amount of air is added during freezing.
The serving temperatures are also different in both types.
The soft serve ice cream is served at -6Degrees Celsius as compared to hard serve ice cream which is served at around -12Degrees Celsius.
“The optimum temperature is 0°F (-18°C) or colder. The temperature in the supermarket’s freezer case should not be above 10°F (-12°C). If kept at a proper temperature, ice cream will be thoroughly frozen and will feel hard to the touch.” IDFA (International Dairy Foods Association
Both soft serve and hard serve ice cream is made in the same ice cream machine but while making soft serve ice cream, the machine is programmed to incorporate more air and doesn’t allow the ice cream to get hard.
How often should a soft serve ice cream machine be cleaned?
Cleanliness of your machines and equipment is extremely important specially when dealing with perishable products like dairy products.
Often times it is clearly mentioned on the soft serve ice cream machine user manual what measures should be taken to keep the machine clean and how many times per week it should be cleaned.
When dealing with soft serve ice cream, it’s usually three times a week. Probably in your area the rules could be more strickter.
Keeping the machine clean on regular basis keeps the machine running for longer period of time.
It also helps the workers to keep a constant check on the body and machine parts for possible damages.
Constant check and cleaning can also prevent the machine from getting a major damage or loss by identifying a problem or fault in time.
Stay safe.
What is the best soft serve ice cream maker mix?
Assuming you went ahead and purchased the best ice cream machine for your home use, the soft serve ice cream mix is important.
To make it simple, below are some very popular choices.
How much does a soft serve ice cream machine cost?
The soft serve ice cream machines vary in sizes and capacity and that automatically impact on its prices.
Below you will find our carefully selected best ice cream machines for commercial and home use that are good in performance and durability.
Conclusion:
Finding the best soft-serve ice cream machine 2022 for your preferences and requirements can be a tough job, given that there are now so many options on the market.
However, this list of 10 convenient and high-quality ice cream makers will hopefully help you narrow down your options and make decisions easier.
Now, all you must do is make your decision and choose the one that fits your criteria the best.
You can then make delicious, soft, and smooth ice cream for you and your family anytime you want.