The best machine for
making ice cream with a compressor
We will help you with the part that is hardest when you are starting out with homemade ice cream.
We have seen and tested a lot of compressor machines, and every one has its ups and downs. We are going to help you settle on one according to what you are actually after.
What is a
compressor ice cream maker?
Compressor ice cream makers, also called batch freezers, are machines used to make ice cream: their job is to churn our liquid mix and turn it into ice cream. That happens through cold and agitation together.
Professional workshops have large, high-output batch freezers that let them make ice cream quickly and efficiently. The home and more affordable option is these compressor machines: the same idea as their big sisters, with less power and less capacity.
The minimum we
ask of it
We think the minimum a home compressor machine needs is 150 watts of power and a capacity of at least 1.5 litres. Anything below that, such as the Lidl compressor machine, does not make it into this comparison.
Another feature we keep seeing on these machines is the option to make yoghurt (not frozen yoghurt, real yoghurt). For that, the machine has to hold the mix at a steady 40 °C to activate the cultures. So from now on we take that into account, and it is well worth having if you don't own a yoghurt maker.
The four machines for making
ice cream that we recommend
Cuisinart FreezeEase
Cuisinart ICE-100
Springlane ERIKA
Klarstein Dolce Bacio Smart
Compressor ice cream makers,
head to head
Swipe the table to see them all →
| Model | For gelatoCuisinart ICE-100Cuisinart | The adjustable oneCuisinart FreezeEase ProCuisinart · ICE150E | The entry modelCuisinart FreezeEaseCuisinart · ICE90E | ★ Our pickSpringlane ERIKASpringlane | The Wi-Fi oneKlarstein Dolce Bacio SmartKlarstein | The small oneWhynter ICM-128WSWhynter |
| Who it is for | The paddle made for gelato | Fourteen texture and time settings | Getting into compressors without buying two litres | The largest bowl | Nine hardness levels, from your phone | Just over a litre |
| Power | 120 W | n/d | n/d | 250 W | 180 W | 135 W |
| Capacity | 1,5 L | 1,5 L | 950 ml | 2,5 L | 2 L | 1,28 qt (1,2 L) |
| Ice cream ready in | 40 min | 40 min | 40 min | 50 min | 40 min | 40 min |
| Bowl | Removable | Removable | Removable | Stainless steel, removable | Removable | Removable |
| Makes yoghurt | No | Frozen yoghurt | Frozen yoghurt | Yes, 8 h | Frozen yoghurt | No |
| Weight | 10,7 kg | n/d | n/d | 14,3 kg | 12 kg | 8,8 kg |
| Our rating | 4,3★★★★½ | 3,9★★★★ | 4,1★★★★ | 3,9★★★★ | 4,3★★★★½ | 4,5★★★★½ |
| Price today |
n/d A figure we could not confirm.Amazon prices as of today; they may change.
Two that do not
appear in the comparison table
Every home ice cream maker
we have reviewed
Every one we have reviewed, from the smallest to the most serious. Above we compare the six sold on amazon.com.au; here they all are, each with its own review.
Some people don't want
a compressor machine
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference from a frozen-bowl machine?
The compressor one freezes on its own: it chills while it churns, so nothing goes in the freezer the night before and there is no waiting between batches. The bowl type has a tub you have to freeze first, and once that cold runs out you are done.
How much capacity do I actually need?
Less than the box says. The capacity they advertise is the bowl's, but ice cream grows as it churns, so it never fills right up: in a 2 L machine you work comfortably with a litre and a half of mix. For home, two litres is plenty; below a litre and a half you fall short the moment you have people over.
Can I run several batches back to back?
Yes, and that is the great advantage of a compressor. It is worth leaving a few minutes between batches so the motor rests, and cleaning the bowl properly, but there is no waiting for hours as with a frozen bowl.
Is the yoghurt function worth having?
It depends on whether you will use it. The function holds the mix at temperature for hours so it ferments; if you already make yoghurt at home, it saves you an appliance. If you don't, don't pay for it: it does nothing for the ice cream.
How long until the ice cream is ready?
Between thirty and forty minutes of churning, depending on the machine and the temperature of the mix. The trick that shortens it most is not in the machine: it is put the mix in properly chilled, aged in the fridge since the day before.
Do I need an expensive machine to make good ice cream?
No. The machine matters less than you would think: what decides the texture is the mix — the balance of sugars, fat and solids. A two-litre machine used well, with a balanced recipe, gives a better result than an expensive one with a badly calculated mix.
Are an ice cream maker, a batch freezer and a sorbetière the same thing?
They are the same family under three names. Batch freezer is what the trade calls the machine that chills and churns at once, and it is the correct technical term. Ice cream maker is what we call it at home. Sorbetiere is used for both, though it often gets reserved for frozen-bowl machines, the ones that go in the freezer the night before. Everything we compare on this page is a home batch freezer: they carry their own compressor and nothing needs pre-freezing.
How much does an ice cream maker cost?
It depends on the league it plays in. The home compressor machines that reach amazon.com.au run from the Cuisinart FreezeEase, at under a litre, up to the Springlane ERIKA at two and a half litres. The comparison above carries today’s price for each one because it updates itself.
Where do you buy them?
Most of the ones we have reviewed are sold on Amazon, and that is where buying them makes sense: there is a price comparison, thirty-day returns and enough reviews to read before you decide. The two Cube machines are not there: they are Italian and ordered from the maker. Second-hand we would not recommend without seeing one run, because the compressor is the expensive part and the first to suffer.
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