Customer reviews from cuisinart.com
Cuisinart - Ice Cream and Gelato Maker - Stainless Steel
Average customer rating
4.7
(439 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 439 reviews
5 Stars
358
4 Stars
57
3 Stars
14
2 Stars
2
1 Star
8
95%of customers recommend this product.
(
343 out of
360)
Customer Reviews for Cuisinart - Ice Cream and Gelato Maker - Stainless Steel
Customer Rating
5
Well worth the cost for a high quality machine.
on October 25, 2025
Posted by: yodli
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
I had always wanted an ice cream maker with a compressor as we make a lot of ice cream but only can do so through the hot summer months. Neither of us likes store bought ice cream and, too, it's gotten so expensive. Upon much research and also watching Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) use this model, I decided to gift myself with it.
Best decision I could have made! I read the instructions twice just to make sure of what I was doing and mixed up my first batch of ice cream from the included booklet. My husband wanted fresh raspberry so this is the one I made first. It was delicious. The only thing I could have done any better was to really crush up the raspberries better. I only mashed them a little thinking they would break up on their own as raspberries are so fragile. They didn't break apart in the mixer enough but it was really good anyway.
The bowl and paddle are very simple to get ready and the lid is easy to lock in. It even has a little door that can be opened to add nuts, etc. in the last five minutes of freezing. The really BIG rule is to not put in too much mix. If you do, as it freezes, it will go over the rim of the basket and then you will really have a mess. But the nice thing about the maker is that after a batch is done, wait 10 minutes and then you can make another batch. This you can do all day long if you choose.
A recipe from the booklet makes just the right amount for the freezer. But in saying that, if you are a big ice cream eater or have very many people to serve then you will need to make more than one batch. As there are only two of us, this is the perfect amount to make as it last several days, depending how big a bowl my husband gets.
I've made several ice creams, vanilla, chocolate (delicious) black walnut, butter pecan and several vanillas with the addition of items toward the end. One of my really favorite things to make are the sorbets. If the fruit is really ripe and sweet, much less sugar can be used in the recipe. Strawberry sorbet is my favorite. Unbelievably fresh tasting. And frozen fruit can be purchased all year around which are much better than the insipid fruits I'm able to purchase out of season.
The machine freezes the contents pretty firmly and even has a 10 minute cycle at the end of the churning cycle to keep on chilling. The machine will shut off the churn cycle when it can go no further and then go to the chill cycle, beeping to tell you what is happening. Cuisinart has thought of everything in their design and produced a superior product here.
A few hints: always have your mix well chilled before putting into the machine. I even set the mixing bowl in the freezer for twenty minutes before putting in the machine. Thoroughly chill the storage container to have it ready to put the finished ice cream. There's not much melting doing it this way. Have a small silicone spatula handy to scrape out the finished ice cream from the machine bowl. This gets all the ice cream out and the silicone is non scratch. You do not want to scratch the machine's bowl because it would damage the Teflon coating. And last but not least, just take an extra minute and hand wash the bowl, paddles and lid. So much gentler on everything.
I found out that the Cuisinart does not churn in as much air as a White Mountain or similar out door maker does which makes the frozen product freeze harder. No problem though, just let it sit out of the freezer for a minute or two or microwave the container for 7 or 8 seconds to thaw it up a bit. Also, I noticed that several reviewers complained about how loud the machine is when churning. We haven't been bothered by it as it's quieter than our dishwasher...hmm...maybe I need a new dishwasher?????
Well, now on to many trials and experiments with different recipes...can't wait.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting cuisinart.com
Posted by: Dei (like 'day')
Verified Purchase:Yes
Last year I got into home made ice cream, using a gifted "old school" Cuisinart machine. It was awesome and fun - until I had to wait a WHOLE DAY for the bowl to refreeze.
This lil guy made all that go away! I can prepare a mix, "churn" it into ice cream, wash the bowl* and make another mix almost immediately! Is there such a thing as too much ice cream? No. There is not.
Tips:
DO NOT OVERFILL. That will dump liquid down the outside of the bowl, which will make it freeze into the machine. Not good
Turn the machine on, set the timer & let it run for maybe 1-2 minutes before adding your mix. It gets the sides of the bowl nice & chilled so the liquid gets cold faster.
DO NOT OVERFILL. That will dump liquid down the outside of the bowl, which will make it freeze into the machine. Not good
Turn the machine on, set the timer & let it run for maybe 1-2 minutes before adding your mix. It gets the sides of the bowl nice & chilled so the liquid gets cold faster.
POUR SLOWLY - this also helps get a nice, even chill to your ice cream as it's churning.
KEEP IT CLEAN - of course you'll wash the bowl, and lid, and blades - but don't forget to wipe down the well where the bowl sits, as well as the thin lip/rim where the bowl locks into. Those get sticky icky (I make a lot of sorbet so... sugar water) and the buildup will not only be unsanitary it could probably jam up the machine too.
*KEEP IT DRY - if you're going to make back-to-back batches, be sure the bowl is COMPLETELY dry before putting it back in the machine. IT WILL FREEZE and lock the machine up.
Consider mixing in your mix-ins by hand. I made a lovely vanilla, dropped in a handful of mini M&Ms about 2 min before the end & they got all busted up. Tasted fine but looked kinda ... tan maybe? Just not pretty.
The machine is back heavy - BE CAREFUL lifting it, this is not something you want to drop.
Only question I have: the "sorbet" blade has one smooth side & one with teeth. Except the teeth go around "backwards" when it's churning, where I assumed they'd be pushing through the mix. My sorbets are fine so I guess whatever? just seemed odd & I wonder what purpose is served by backward teeth.
Last thing:
ENJOY THE HECK OUT OF THIS!! I know I sure have and I hope I will for a good long time!!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting cuisinart.com
Posted by: EM-2
Gender:Female
Verified Purchase:Yes
I love the smooth texture of gelato made in this self-freezing machine. It helps me make two batches of gelato in a row without re-freezing the container like in my previous machine. The recipe uses 1 quart of milk, and 1 pint of cream. It's so much easier to cook the custard base with these two full containers, rather than cooking two small batches. I'm enjoying getting the process done with only one day cooking the base. The machine seems strong and durable. I think the one place they could have made it better, is the gear that turns the dasher or paddle is plastic and metal would have a longer life.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting cuisinart.com
Customer Rating
5
Perfect machine!!
on September 13, 2025
Posted by: Moose29
Gender:Female
Received this machine for 35 years of service when I retired. It is wonderful and easy to use. I now can make up my own recipes with success!!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting cuisinart.com
Posted by: PalisadeGal
from Connecticut
Gender:Female
Verified Purchase:Yes
I wasn't aware that ice cream makers had come so far since the old hand crank rock salt variety! I started researching the ones where you have to freeze the bowl, but my freezer space is limited, then i found this one. It's more pricey then the frozen bowl ones, but I can make one batch right after another with no waiting. Some people complained about how hard it is to clean off the ice cream spills over. You just need to follow the instructions and don't overfill it. I take the bucket out of the machine to fill it so i don't spill, and keep an eye on it while it's churning. If it starts to come up too high that's a good indication that it's done.
I love that it has 2 different paddles, for both ice cream and gelato. I've made both and they've come out great! I started with a simple recipe that came with the instruction book, and have made several batches from recipes I've found online. The machine is bigger and heavier than I expected, but I have room for it on my kitchen cart. I highly recommend this product!
I love that it has 2 different paddles, for both ice cream and gelato. I've made both and they've come out great! I started with a simple recipe that came with the instruction book, and have made several batches from recipes I've found online. The machine is bigger and heavier than I expected, but I have room for it on my kitchen cart. I highly recommend this product!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting cuisinart.com
Posted by: RicoSuave
Verified Purchase:Yes
I was not happy with the design, needed routine cleaning maintenance and end result quality of the ice cream and gelato. As the half filled canister churns and freezes the mixture spills over into the machine gears. If you don’t disassemble it and clean this out it smells like spoiled milk. In use the gelato I made according to their recipe was not smooth and has noticeable ice crystals right out of the churn.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting cuisinart.com
Posted by: Timo
from Phoenix
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
Cuisinart says, ‘Savor the Good Life,’ and that’s what it is when you can make ice cream and gelato at home. I made the Strawberry ice cream to break the machine in. Wow, the family was thrilled with the results. Everyone commented on how good it tasted. Since, I’ve made vanilla, chocolate and peanut butter cup. All delicious. I’m making lemon gelato as I write this review. It’s more of a process to make gelato, but just enjoy the process and look forward to the results. The appliance itself is built like a tank. It has a 3 year warranty which is outstanding. It’s a simple design and not complicated with unnecessary features.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting cuisinart.com
Posted by: Bradley S
from Olney, MD
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
It didn’t work so I returned it and bought a different brand
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting cuisinart.com