The best…ice cream makers

Hamilton Beach 68660

This small, battery-operated ice cream maker lets you create frozen desserts on the go. It makes only three servings, but “does a particularly nice job on sorbet.”

$25, amazon.com

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Cuisinart ICE-30BC

The “top-choice churner” among home ice cream makers we tested produces “velvety-smooth ice cream or sorbet in about 45 minutes.” A cord compartment in the base allows for easy storage.

$90, cuisinart.com

KitchenAid Ice Cream Attachment

KitchenAid makes a special mixing attachment and freezer bowl that turn any of its post-1990 standing mixers into an ice cream maker.

$100 (mixer not included), kitchenaid.com

Cuisinart ICE-50BC

The priciest machine on this list “hogs counter space” but doesn’t require you to pre-freeze an insert because it has a built-in compressor/freezer. It also turns off automatically.

$299, cuisinart.com

Hamilton Beach 68320

The top “budget buy” produces a “well-mixed though somewhat less rich ice cream.” Still, this “no-frills” machine is “simple to assemble, operate, and clean.”

$30, hamiltonbeach.com