Lately I have been reading a bunch of ice cream maker reviews.  Why, because I love ice cream so much that it’s fun to stay on top of the best ice cream technology out there.

When I first starting making ice cream I read reviews of ice cream machines and bought this machine: the Cuisinart Ice 30bc. It was a good machine and I can’t complain too much about it — especially given the price.  It worked well.  But, the down side of the machine was that you had to pre freeze the ice cream canister.  This was a problem.  Another unfortunate thing about this machine was that because of the pre freezing of the canister you couldn’t make back to back batches.  (Unless you bought a second canister.)

Then for a wedding present we got this maker.  We read all the ice cream maker reviews and registered for this one because it is a fully automatic (no pre freezing required) ice cream and gelato maker.  Honestly, I couldn’t be happier.  The Lello gelato maker junior doesn’t require pre freezing and you can make back to back batches.

Another ice cream maker that gets rave reviews is the Cuisinart ice cream maker — like this one here.  It is similar to the Lello in that there is no pre freezing of the canister.  It gets high marks for it’s looks too as it’s a stainless steel ice cream maker.

Perhaps someday I’ll upgrade to this ice cream maker.  It’s practically a professional ice cream maker and the reviews I’ve read of it say that they use it in many pastry schools.

Lastly, I thought I’d comment on some of the complaints that are frequent in ice cream maker reviews.

It seems to me that the ice cream maker reviews have several things in common.  People complain about the noise.  Unfortunately, there’s not much that can be done about this.  My gut tells me that if you walk in to an ice cream making factory it’s going to be pretty noisy.

Another frequent problem cited in the reviews of ice cream makers is that it takes “too long” for the ice cream to freeze.  No matter what type of frozen dessert you’re making — whether it is ice cream or sorbet or frozen yogurt all ice cream maker recipes tell you to pre-chill the ice cream soup.  This allows it to freeze much faster.  So, as long as you pre chill it shouldn’t take to long to freeze.

I hope these ice cream maker reviews help you in choosing an awesome ice cream machine.

Again, if you’re looking for a cheap ice cream maker – my recommendation would be this one.  This ice cream machine gets top marks for ease of use.  Just remember that you’ll have to think ahead and put the canister in the freezer.

If you’re looking for a no pre freezing required ice cream maker (like a professional ice cream maker) check out this one or this one.  (I use the later and love it.)

If if you can afford to splurge, this one is beautiful. The ice cream maker reviewers say it works wonders.  Just because it’s a gelato maker — remember that you can use it for sorbet, frozen yogurt, and ice cream too.