Hand Crank Ice Cream Maker:  If you want to feel like you are putting the work into making your ice cream, then you can buy a hand crank machine.  This Aroma Ice Cream Maker features a die-cast hand crank and a solid pine bucket to make it feel old fashioned.  It will make 6 quarts of Ice Cream and at only $89 is a very affordable option.

Affordable Automatic Model: If you are looking for a basic model that will do the work for you, consider the Cuisinart Classic which can make both Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt.  It is completely automatic, all you do is flip a switch and it will do all the work for you.  You’ll get a lot less volume than with the hand crack model, this machine makes only 1 and a half quarts at a time.  But It’s also the lowest price of the ice cream makers I looked at, only $59.95.
Soft Serve Dispenser Type: A really unique type of ice cream maker that I found, also by Cuisinart, is the Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker.  This one is really cool because it makes soft serve ice cream and dispenses it like you see in ice cream shops.  Plus it has an area to stack ice cream cones, and three condiment dispensers for sprinkles, chocolate chips or whatever else you want to top your ice cream with.  I was also surprised at the price, which is only $100.  However, this machine is also the biggest of the three and would be the hardest to store when not in use.

Ice Cream Maker Attachment: While not the cheapest option, this one was intriguing to me – Kitchen Aid makes an ice cream maker attachment for their mixer.  For $79, you get a mixer attachment freeze bowl that fits any Kitchen Aid stand mixer made after 1990.  It will make two and a half quarts of ice cream and is the easiest to store.

I’m pretty torn on which of the four to get because they are all so diverse.  Which one do you think I should get?

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I love this soft serve ice cream maker! It’s so cool looking and there’s meaning behind the reason for the pink. It’s part of Cuisinart‘s line to help breast cancer research. It’s easy to use and comes with recipes for sorbet and frozen yoghart as well. What a fun choice for an ice cream social this summer!

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