5 Best Ice Cream Makers for Home Kitchens in 2025
Whether you’re craving creamy ice cream, gelato or sorbet – we’ve rounded up the best ice cream makers that will satisfy your sweet cravings.
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If you’ve ever daydreamed about a crazy ice cream flavour that you think would taste so good but haven’t been able to try or test out – you’re in luck.
Making your own ice cream at home has become the new norm for many Aussie households and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Now, we’re not talking about making ice cream in a zip lock bag over a bag of ice (flashback to high school science class), we’re talking about ice cream that’s conveniently made at-home and churned by a machine – meaning you won’t have to lift a finger.
So if you’re interested in making your own ice cream at home, we’ve rounded up the best machines to invest in including the ever-so popular Ninja CREAMi Deluxe Ice Cream Maker that our Senior Shopping Writer, Marina Tatas says has her “hooked” – further dubbing it a “genius” invention that can “support healthy lifestyles”. Plus, when compared to other ice cream makers, the Ninja CREAMi is far superior in terms of versatility.
If you’re balling on a budget though, there’s also the Cuisinart Custom Scoops Ice Cream Maker that will set you back $65 (it’s currently on sale). Satisfied shoppers say it’s a “game changer” appliance that’s “hassle-free” and “saves a lot of money”.
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OUR TOP PICKS
BEST ICE CREAM MAKER OVERALL
Ninja CREAMi Deluxe Ice Cream Maker, $263 (down from $299) at Amazon Australia
Ninaj CREAMi Deluxe Ice Cream Maker
Tried & Tested by Marina Tatas, Senior Shopping Writer
If you love playing around with different recipes in the kitchen, can’t say no to a frozen treat and have the cash to splurge, the Ninja Creami Deluxe is sure to become your new best friend.
I was eyeing it off for a few months and now that I own it, I can’t see myself ever not using it.
One of the most common misconceptions about the Ninja Creami Deluxe is that it works like a blender. This is not true, and something that I was pretty surprised to find out.
The Ninja Creami Deluxe works by making a pre-mixed base, freezing it for 24 hours and then spinning it in the machine to create your delicious frozen treat.
The beauty of this machine is that everything is personalised completely to you – so you can follow any dietary requirements you have with complete ease.
And don’t fret if you’re stuck for recipes – Ninja provides you with a handy booklet chock full of ideas. Or you can also just have a search on TikTok – it’s going crazy viral over there with so many people invested in creating new and exciting flavours and treats.
Obviously it’s not a necessity in your kitchen like a kettle or toaster, but the Ninja Creami Deluxe is a great addition to help you have fun with your healthy lifestyle.
Read the full review of the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe Ice Cream Maker here.
BEST BUDGET ICE CREAM MAKER
Cuisinart Custom Scoops Ice Cream Maker, $65 (down from $79) at Myer
Cuisinart Custom Scoops Ice Cream Maker
What You Need To Know
If you’re after a small but mighty ice cream maker that won’t take up too much counter space, this budget-friendly model from Cuisinart is perfect. Designed with a 0.5L capacity, this machine comes with a removable freezer bowl and an easy-to-follow recipe booklet.
A great unit for making traditional dairy ice cream or protein packed vegan or dairy-free ice cream and sorbet — five-star reviewers say it’s “compact”, “easy-to-use” and a “game changer”.
“This ice cream maker is such a great product. It’s compact, easy to use, and gives amazing results. If you’re new to making ice cream from scratch, this is the perfect machine to start with. Plus, you can have homemade ice cream in just minutes, such a game-changer!” one five-star reviewer wrote.
“This product is high quality, compact so it doesn’t take up a huge amount of space in your kitchen, so simple to use and it’s hassle-free as all the pieces are easy to clean after use. I’ve made many different ice cream combinations using the maker at home and it’s also saved a lot of money! Highly recommend.” another wrote.
BEST HIGH-END ICE CREAM MAKER
Breville the Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker, $421 (down from $529) at Amazon Australia
Breville the Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker
What You Need To Know
Willing to spend a little more on an ice cream maker? This Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker will do the trick.
This high-tech unit is said to be the first ice cream maker that can automatically sense the hardness of your mixture based on your selection. It has a 1L capacity, 12 hardness settings including ice cream, sorbet, frozen yoghurt and gelato, and features a built-in compressor, pre-cool function and a keep-cool setting to maintain the ice cream’s texture after it’s done churning for up to three hours.
Despite the high price tag, shoppers say it’s “well worth it” as it “makes perfect ice cream” and “saves a lot of time and money”.
“I bought this on an impulse. My husband loves ice cream but commercially produced ice creams have a lot of additives. This machine makes it possible to make wonderful creamy ice cream-rum and raisin is still favourite – but I’ve concocted some low fat alternatives which this machine makes effortlessly. Frozen yoghurt, granitas and sorbets are excellent. You do have to put them in the freezer for a while if you don’t want a softer product. I now have small containers for individual servings (this stops us eating a whole litre at a time),” one satisfied shopper wrote.
“Works amazingly well! We’re thrilled to own this Breville ice cream maker as my son has recently become lactose intolerant and we have limited space in our freezer. It’s very easy to use and works great, so much so my 13 year old son enjoys making ice cream himself for the entire family. It’s on the expensive side but worth every penny!” another wrote.
BEST SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM MAKER
Cuisinart The Soft Serve, $195 (down from $249) at Myer
Cuisinart The Soft Serve
What You Need To Know
You’ll no longer be disappointed when you’re told the “ice cream machine is broken” at McDonald’s thanks to this handy Cuisinart The Soft Serve machine. It has been thoughtfully designed with three condiment dispensers for any toppings of your choice, a built-in cone holder, cup storage holder, removable drip tray for easy cleaning and a removable freezer bowl.
It makes a great soft serve station as it has all the features you could possibly need to enjoy a cup or cone of homemade ice cream with your favourite toppings.
“Love this handy machine. Makes it so easy to make soft serves at home with no added extra nasties. Kids love it!” one five-star reviewer wrote.
“Great soft serve ice cream maker. Easy to use. Quick to clean up. Delicious smooth ice cream that you can make to your taste and flavour. Adding sprinkle topping for the kids and me is a breeze,” another wrote.
BEST GELATO MAKER
Magimix Gelato Expert, $1149.95 (down from $1399) at Kitchen Warehouse
Magimix Gelato Expert
What You Need To Know
Get a taste of premium Italian gelato at home with this game-changer machine from Magimix. Designed to whip up your favourite frozen desserts like gelato, ice cream, sorbet, frozen yoghurt and granita – this versatile machine is quite literally a jack of all trades.
It features three automatic programs as well as a manual mode and a storage mode – which helps maintain the consistency and keeps your frozen dessert at optimum temperature for up to two hours. It also comes with two large capacity 2L stainless steel bowls which is perfect for making two batches.
Garnering a 4.8-star rating on ProductReview.com, shoppers say it’s “superb” and a “gelato lover’s dream machine”.
“I’ve been using the Magimix for making gelato, and it’s fantastic! The machine is efficient, easy to use, and produces creamy, smooth gelato every time. It allows you to experiment with flavours and consistently delivers high-quality results. Highly recommend for any gelato lover!” one wrote.
“An ice-cream making dream come true … Well made, this easy-to-use machine allows me to consistently make good quality ice creams, gelatos, and granitas quickly and easily … I started with recipes from the free Magimix app, but now that I have more confidence, I am enjoying converting recipes found on the web. Controlling what goes into the ice-creams I make allows me to enjoy frozen treats more often with much less hassle with my new Gelato Expert,” another wrote.
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING AN ICE CREAM MAKER
Before hitting purchase on an ice cream maker, these are a few factors you should consider.
Size: Are you after a small and portable ice cream maker that won’t take up space or a large ice cream maker that will make larger quantities?
Functions: If you’re someone that is a fiend for any frozen sweet treat – you might want to consider a machine that does more than just make ice cream. There are multiple machines out there that are incredibly versatile and can make gelato, sorbet, frozen yoghurt, soft serve and everything in-between.
Type: There are two types of ice cream makers – canister and compressor. Canister ice cream makers are typically cheaper and more space-efficient, and require pre-freezing the bowl at least 24-hours in advance which makes it hard to whip up multiple batches. On the other hand, compressor ice cream makers don’t necessarily require pre-freezing as they’ll have a built-in compressor that self-cools – so all you need to do is add your ice cream base and ingredients, and watch the magic happen.
Price: Most ice cream makers vary greatly in price – so you should consider whether you want to spend more or less on one.
HOW WE CHOOSE PRODUCTS
To help you find the perfect ice cream maker that’ll quickly and easily satisfy your sweet treat cravings, our experienced team of writers discovered what factors make a great ice cream maker by talking to experts, reviewing test results and analysing thousands or customer reviews.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
IS IT WORTH BUYING AN ICE CREAM MAKER?
There’s no straight answer – it truly depends on you and your needs. If you’re a massive ice cream fiend that regularly enjoys the frozen dessert, is willing to put in the time and effort to make your own tub, simply loves to experiment and create special desserts or wants to create ice cream that suits a specific dietary need — an ice cream maker would definitely be worth it for you.
Ice cream makers work great as an outlet for satisfying your sweet cravings minus the extra nasties and additives – so it will definitely be worth it for your health especially.
However, if you’re the complete opposite that doesn’t often consume ice cream or someone that will probably get tired of the amount of effort it takes to make your own ice cream — an ice cream maker will be another appliance shoved in a cupboard collecting dust.
IS IT CHEAPER TO MAKE YOUR OWN ICE CREAM?
Yes and no. Depending on the ingredients you use and how often you make ice cream, it can definitely save you money while also costing you money for more ingredients. So it definitely depends on how fancy of an ice cream you decide to make — does your ice cream have fancy toppings and mix-ins? Is it made from premium ingredients?
Those are the factors that would make making your ice cream run more expensive than store bought – however, if you like to keep it simple with plain vanilla ice cream etc. it would be cheaper and probably taste even better as it will be made to your exact liking and preference.
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