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If you’re interested in DIY-ing your own homemade soft-serve ice cream, a classic ice cream maker might not be up to the task. For that ultra-creamy goodness, you’ll want one of the best soft serve ice cream machines. Meggan is known for her make-your-own ice cream sundae bar, as well as her homemade toppings like caramel sauce and chocolate sauce, so it’s about time we delve deeper into everybody’s favorite dessert: ice cream. With the help of the best soft serve ice cream machines, you can churn your own soft serve (without even physically churning anything) in a matter of minutes.
As big-time ice cream aficionados, Meggan and I researched the best soft serve ice cream makers for making soft serve at home. Some of our top picks include popular brands like Cuisinar and Nostalgia. Thanks to this carefully curated list, you’ll be enjoying Meggan’s banana split recipe and fried ice cream with your own DIY soft serve in no time.
Keep reading for the standout five that made our list of the best soft serve ice cream machines, and while not every machine on our list requires pre-made mix, stock up on pre-made soft serve mix from brands like Triple Scoop or Junket before you shop.
Table of Contents
Our Top Picks
- What’s In Meggan’s Kitchen: Cuisinart Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker – $179.95 at Amazon
- Best Professional Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: Nostalgia Easy-Dispensing Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine – $599.99 at Amazon
- Best Vegan Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine: Yonanas 902 Fruit Soft Serve Maker – $31.69 at Amazon
- Most Versatile Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: Breville The Smart Scoop – $483.99 at Williams Sonoma
Reviews of The Best Soft Serve Ice Cream Machines
1. What’s In Meggan’s Kitchen: Cuisinart Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker
Our top pick for the best soft-serve ice cream machine is the one in Meggan’s kitchen: the Cuisinart Mix It In model. “I love it because it’s very easy to use and fun for the kids,” Meggan says. “It’s almost fully assembled right out of the box, too.”
In addition to making 1.5 quarts of soft serve ice cream in about 20 minutes, it also makes yogurt, sorbet, sherbet, frozen drinks, and regular ice cream — and without the “help” of salt, mix, or ice. “By combining just heavy cream, sugar, and milk, you have homemade soft serve that is better than any store-bought ice cream or restaurant soft serve. It works better when your ingredients and equipment are chilled! Always use heavy cream — NOT heavy whipping cream,” Meggan adds.
On one side of the machine, you’ll find three condiment dispensers with levers, which can hold up to three different toppings, and on the other side, an ice cream cone holder for both flat- and pointed-bottom cones. Because Cuisinart has thought of everything, this machine also includes a removable drip tray, as well as a 4-ounce warming cup and heating plate for those extra toppings like hot fudge.
The Specs:
- Dimensions: 11 by 9.4 by 17.7 inches
- Material: Plastic
- Weight: 14.7 pounds
- Capacity: 1.5 quarts
- Freeze time: 20-30 minutes
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
The Pros:
- Affordable price point
- Easy to add toppings or mix-ins
- Keeps liquid toppings warm
- Easy to clean
The Cons:
- Heavy and bulky
- Takes up a lot of counter space
- No built-in freezer
What Others Are Saying
The Cuisinart Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker has a 4.1-star overall rating from more than 7,500 reviews on Amazon and was tested and positively reviewed by The Kitchn.
Buy the Cuisinart Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker:
2. Best Professional Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine: Nostalgia Easy-Dispensing Soft Ice Cream Machine
Want the real deal ice cream maker like they have in the shops? This machine by Nostalgia may be one of the best home soft serve ice cream machines, but it’s also technically a professional machine. With an easy-to-use LED display featuring 30 different functions and a 1-quart capacity, it makes smooth, even soft serve every time.
It has a pull-down dispensing handle that’s reminiscent of the ones you’ll find in do-it-yourself frozen yogurt shops. Plus, it can also make milkshakes, gelato, and more, thanks to its impressive built-in compressor and refrigeration system. That said, it’s very bulky, so make sure you have room for it!
The Specs:
- Dimensions: 18.23 by 12.6 by 15.67 inches
- Material: Plastic
- Weight: 42.8 pounds
- Capacity: 1 quart
- Freeze time: 30 minutes
- Dishwasher safe: No
The Pros:
- LED control panel with 30 modes
- Professional grade
- Easy to set up and use
The Cons:
- Expensive
- Takes up a lot of counter space
- Tough to clean
- Heavy
What Others Are Saying:
The Nostalgia Easy-Dispensing Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine has an overall Amazon rating of 4.5 stars from more than 1,700 reviews.
Buy the Nostalgia Easy-Dispensing Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine:
3. Best Vegan Serve Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine: Yonanas 902 Fruit Soft Serve Maker
The Yonanas 902 Fruit Soft Serve Maker is a great option for vegans and plant-based people since it only makes “nice” cream. It’s not quite the same caliber as the other ice cream makers on this list, but it’s still certainly one of the best soft serve ice cream machines for home use there is available.
Although it’s more like a juicer in terms of design, the Yonanas machine makes it easy for people with allergies and dietary restrictions like keto or dairy-free to “indulge.” All of its removable parts are top-rack dishwasher safe for convenient cleaning, too (although cleaning the inner chute can be annoying if a fruit chunk gets caught). It’s also super lightweight, so you can leave it out on the counter or store it away easily.
The Specs:
- Dimensions: 6.15 by 7.52 by 13.78 inches
- Material: Stainless steel and plastic
- Weight: 3 pounds
- Capacity: 0.5 liters
- Freeze time: 24 hours, soft serve in 2 minutes
- Dishwasher safe: Top rack
The Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Ideal for 1-2 people
- Perfect for vegans and vegetarians
- Light and compact
The Cons:
- Not ideal for bigger families
- Have to add one fruit at a time
- Hard to clean inner chute
What Others Are Saying
The Yonanas 902 Fruit Soft Serve Maker was tested and named the best vegan ice cream maker by The Spruce Eats, and other brands like Mashable, USA Today Reviewed, Food & Wine. It also has a 4.3-star rating from more than 19,000 reviews on Amazon.
Buy the Yonanas 902 Fruit Soft Serve Maker:
4. Most Versatile Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: Breville The Smart Scoop
One of the more expensive at-home soft serve ice cream makers, this option has 12 hardness settings from super soft to extra-firm, including sorbet, frozen yogurt, gelato, and traditional ice cream. That means you can make soft serve in it! It makes 1.5 quarts of ice cream at a time, has “pre-cool” and “keep cool” settings that bring the machine to its optimal operating temperature faster and keep ice cream cold for up to three hours, respectively. Plus, we think it looks quite pretty.
The Specs:
- Dimensions: 16 by 11 by 9 1/2 inches
- Material: Stainless steel
- Weight: 30 pounds
- Capacity: 1.5 quarts
- Freeze time: Under an hour
- Dishwasher safe: No
The Pros:
- Makes multiple hardness of ice cream
- Keep ice cream cold for a while
- Sleek aesthetic
- Works for sorbet and frozen yogurt
The Cons:
- Pricey
- Doesn’t dispense like traditional soft serve
- Hand wash only
What Others Are Saying:
The Breville The Smart Scoop was named the best splurge ice cream maker by Food and Wine and the best investment by People.
Buy the Breville The Smart Scoop:
Other Ice Cream Machines to Consider
TASTY by Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker
If you’re serving ice cream for a party of one, this teeny-tiny maker with a 1.5-quart capacity is more than enough. The top includes a large fill spout and an automatic mixing paddle that churns your dessert in 20 to 30 minutes. In addition to how easy it is to use (and then clean), you’ll also enjoy how it comes in dainty pastel colors. However, if you’re trying to feed more than two mouths, this mini maker probably isn’t going to cut it. The TASTY by Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker is available at Amazon for $59.95.
Whynther Automatic Ice Cream Maker
This stainless steel ice cream maker makes up to 2.1 quarts of soft serve ice cream in a single batch. It’s electric, self-cooling, and has a built-in compressor that doesn’t require any pre-freezing. It also features a safe motor protection function that automatically stops churning if it’s in danger of overheating or other damage. While it’s one of the largest soft serve ice cream machines we researched, it’s also more expensive than most. The Whynther Automatic Ice Cream Maker is available at Amazon for $283.33.
NutriChef Electric Frozen Fruit Dessert Maker
The NutriChef Electric Frozen Fruit Dessert Maker is as concise and easy to use as it is affordable. To use, feed each thawed piece of frozen fruit into the chute just like you would with a juicer, using the plastic plunger to push it through, one by one. Unfortunately, it is a bit on the tedious side, but it makes fresh, fruit-based soft serve that’s vegan, dairy-free, fat-free, and without any preservatives or added sugar. It’s an awesome option for health-conscious people with allergies or dietary restrictions. The NutriChef Electric Fruit Dessert Maker is available on Amazon for $29.99.
Why You Can Trust Us
Hi, I’m Stephanie, a food, lifestyle, and sustainability writer who specializes in product reviews. As someone who once made ice cream by kicking around a frozen “soccer ball” full of rock salt, ice, and vanilla mix for more than two hours, I know a thing or two about DIY-ing ice cream at home.
I worked on this roundup of the best soft serve ice cream machines with Meggan, the executive chef behind Culinary Hill. No stranger to delicious desserts, Meggan doesn’t just make ice cream at home with her Cuisinart. She’s also known for making ice cream toppings like caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, and toasted coconut from scratch.
Everything You Need to Know About Soft Serve Ice Cream Machines
What to Consider When Choosing a Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine
While many of us opt to outsource our ice cream — either by buying it at a local parlor or by gallon at the nearby grocery store — there are a surprising amount of ways to make the delicious dessert at home. When looking for an at-home soft serve ice cream machine, consider the churning mechanism, size, freezing type, and ease of use.
Churning mechanism: Spinning — or churning — is crucial because it’s what gives soft serve its, well, soft consistency. As the ice cream maker’s paddles churn, they add a bunch of air, which contributes to that creamy texture soft serve is known for. There are two main ways to spin (or churn): a motor or a hand-crank.
All of the soft serve ice cream machines on this list are powered by a motor in lieu of a hand-crank mechanism (though if you’re looking for a more authentic ice cream-churning experience, you might want to try the hand-crank option at least once.) An ice cream machine with a motor makes for a creamier, finer texture that’s reminiscent of the “real thing” you might find from the ice cream truck or shop. A hand-cranking machine is fun (at first), but a lot of work, and it can result in a texture that’s chunkier and a little more home-grown.
Size: Consider whether you will store this machine away or keep it on your countertop and whether it’s too bulky for either scenario. If it contains additional parts such as insulated freezer bowls, take the extra space you’ll need into consideration as well. But most importantly, think about the machine’s capacity and how many servings that will translate to. If you live solo or with one other person, a soft serve ice cream machine that makes individual servings is probably ideal, but if you’re trying to satisfy an entire family of three or more with dessert, you’ll likely want a machine that can churn more than one serving at a time.
Freezing method: Ice cream makers use one of two freezing methods: a built-in compressor or an insulated bowl. The compressor is a faster, more streamlined way of freezing your mix, and the ice cream machine basically does it on its own.
Alternatively, the insulated bowl is full of a cooling liquid that freezes the ice cream, but the bowl itself has to be frozen for about 24 hours in advance. Not only can that be tricky to time, but it also means that you have to freeze the bowl for every serving you make. Yes, the bowl method is cheaper and smaller than a big, bulky machine, but built-in compressors get the job done faster and result in multiple servings of smooth soft-serve ice cream.
Ease of use: Certain churning mechanisms (motors) and freezing methods (built-in compressors) are inherently easier and faster to use, but there’s more you should consider in terms of your soft serve ice cream maker’s ease of use, too. Are there too many buttons? Is it difficult to assemble? Is the chute wide enough to accommodate toppings, mix-ins, and a fair amount of mixture all at once? The easiest makers to use require no prep or pre-planning, allowing you to insert all the ingredients and simply turn on the machine.
How Much Is a Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine?
Soft serve ice cream machines can range widely in cost. The ice cream makers that made our list range from $30 to more than $1,500 for a commercial machine. The average person looking to add a multi-serving soft serve ice cream machine to their kitchen can expect to spend between $150 and $300, though you can find options for much more and much less.
How Do Soft Serve Ice Cream Machines Work?
Soft serve ice cream machines make ice cream through a process of freezing and spinning. Both give soft serve its signature smooth, velvety texture, but the spinning is particularly important in that it incorporates air into the mixture, which when combined with the proper temperature, results in a fluffy consistency.
Soft serve ice cream machines that use a soft serve mix have to freeze and spin the liquid mix until it converts into the soft serve consistency — about 30 minutes max. Even if you’re not using mix though, the ice cream maker still needs about the same amount of time to make sure enough air is whipped into the mix to combine the liquid ingredients — like milk, cream, and extract — and transform them into true soft serve.
How Long Does Soft Serve Ice Cream Last in a Machine?
The average shelf life of soft serve ice cream is about two weeks. However, you should clean the soft serve ice cream machine after each use and refrain from leaving any ice cream directly in the machine once it’s been made. Transport your remaining soft serve into a freezer-safe container and keep it in the freezer for up to 15 days.
How to Make Soft Serve Ice Cream Without a Machine?
While you can make soft serve ice cream without the help of a machine, the absence of the proper tools makes it significantly more difficult and time-consuming. However, with a blender and a bag of dry ice (or rock salt), it’s totally possible.
The Best Ice Cream & Dessert Recipes
If you’re already planning your next ice cream night, complete with a sundae bar full of toppings, check out some of Meggan’s favorite homemade ice cream-related recipes.
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Banana Split Recipe
Cold Desserts
Ice Cream Sundae Bar
Frosting, Sauce, and Pudding Recipes
Caramel Sauce
Frosting, Sauce, and Pudding Recipes
Chocolate Sauce Recipe
Cake Recipes
Easy Ice Cream Cake (DQ Copycat)
Prices were accurate at the time of publication.
