This Ice Cream Maker Review has everything you need to know to choose the perfect ice cream machine!

UPDATED 6/20/22 to reflect current pricing and additional review information for these machines.

There are so many different ice cream makers on the market, it can be hard to even know where to begin. With the information here, you can find the best ice cream maker for your needs and start making your favorite frozen treats at home.

I have personally tested all of these machines, basing my choices for testing on customer reviews, and choosing the highest-rated machines in each category.

The same homemade ice cream recipe was used for every batch tested in these machines.

From ice cream compressors to making ice cream in a bag, I’ve got your frozen treats covered so that you can make the best purchase decision to satisfy all of your ice cream cravings!

Ice Cream Maker Reviews

• Electric Ice Cream Makers – frozen bowl, no ice required
• Electric Ice Cream Makers – add ice and salt
• Hand Crank Ice Cream Makers – add ice and salt
• Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine, Instant Ice Cream Maker, Ice Cream Ball, and Ice Cream In A Bag
• Compressor Ice Cream Makers – freezer compressor unit, no ice or frozen bowl required

Best Ice Cream Maker Results

Summer Blueberry Cobbler

Warm blueberry cobbler topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is comfort food dessert at its finest! It is an easy summer dessert that is moist, sweet and always a hit!

So when I was testing (aka obsessing over making the very, very best blueberry muffin recipe), I started to play around with other blueberry recipes. I had overflowing containers of blueberries so how could I not?

I had originally planned on making a perfect blueberry crisp like our marionberry version but the whole fluffy muffin tops had me intrigued. Here’s the thing, cobblers are often have a topping that is way too heavy and sometimes gummy and I just was not a fan. After lots of testing I decided a cross between a delicious crumble and fluffy cake-like cobbler topping was the way to go.

So yes, you’ll prepare this by cutting in the butter but then a small amount of cream will be added along with baking powder to add the light and airy rise of a cake. It still gets crumbled all over those gorgeous berries and it ends up the most delicious summer blueberry dessert.

And if blueberries aren’t your jam, then any of these comfort food desserts should cure your cravings… peach cobbler, lemon blackberry cobbler, or apple crisp.

Read more

Asian Steak Marinade

We love our steak fajitas marinade recipe but I couldn’t stop thinking about putting an Asian twist on it, and thus, our Asian steak marinade was born!

We have a little secret with the steak too, so keep reading to get all the dets.

The Secret is in the Steak

I couldn’t find plain skirt or flank steak at the store, so I bought carne asada instead. Just the store brand raw meat but it was already flavored. Worked amazing!!! So if you’re short on time, definitely go with this option. If you want to go totally homemade, I’ll include our own spice rub recipe in the recipe card below. You’ll apply the rub before putting the steak in the marinade.

Ingredients for Asian Steak Marinade

This dry rub and marinade is so easy! All you do is combine everything together and rub it on the steak and then pour the marinade on the steak in a plastic bag.

• Skirt or Flank Steak – either one will work, and look for a pre-seasoned one for extra easy cooking

For the Rub

For the Marinade

• Rice Vinegar – adds acidity
• Pineapple Juice – adds a little sweetness and tang
• Soy Sauce – low sodium, great for tenderizing the meat because it breaks down the tough proteins
• Garlic – freshly minced
• Ginger – adds that signature Asian flavor
• Light Brown Sugar – adds sweetness and richness
• Red Chili Flakes – adds a little heat, feel free to add more if you like it spicy
• Scallions – for garnish

The full recipe with the measurements and complete instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Summer is in full swing over here and I’m super excited about all the ice cream recipes that I’ve been working on this past month.

I’m kicking off Ice Cream Season on the blog this week with three delicious weeks of ice cream recipes. I can hardly wait. Can you ever have enough ice cream??

You won’t want to miss any of the emails, because there will be a few very cool giveaways just for email subscribers.

ON THE BLOG this week: Sweet blueberries and bananas combine with tart grapes in this Blueberry Grape Banana Smoothie without any added sugar. It is one of my favorite smoothie combinations.

Spicy sausage and tender shrimp make this Jambalaya Pasta a dinner that’ll leave everyone asking for seconds. This saucy one-pot pasta is a weeknight dinner you are going to love.

This Southwest Ranch fills my family’s need for a little bit of heat. This quick dipping sauce is fantastic with chicken or fresh vegetables.

Chocolate and peanut butter are mixed with crunchy cereal to make these super easy No Bake Chocolate Crunch Bars.

Crunchy pretzels and a creamy filling are topped with piles of strawberries and blueberries making this red, white, and blue Strawberry and Blueberry Pretzel Salad our favorite dessert for summer!

What I’m CRAVING: Fried Chicken! Oh my goodness, Sean mentioned fried chicken the other night and I’ve been craving it ever since. This recipe from Bake it with Love looks fantastic.

My FAVORITE THING this week is this ice cream scoop. You may remember that I tested a whole lot of ice cream scoops two years ago and go figure that this scoop (at just $13) wound up being my favorite.

This scoop has been getting a whole lot of use lately and I love it more than ever. This is a terrific scoop that keeps working smoothly even after the scoop is ice cold.

What I’m WATCHING: Lost Season 3. The kids and I just started Season 3 and they’re more hooked than ever. It’s been so much fun watching them experience the show for the first time.

What I’m READING: He Who Fights with Monsters 2 by Shirtaloon and Travis Deverell

Crunchy pretzels and a creamy filling are topped with piles of strawberries and blueberries making this Strawberry and Blueberry Pretzel Salad our favorite dessert for summer!

Several years ago, my aunt introduced me to the ever-popular Strawberry Pretzel Salad. I’d never even heard of it before and I fell in love with it from the very first bite.

I think I may have eaten 3 servings that day, including choosing it over pie for dessert!

Strawberry Pretzel “Salad” isn’t a salad at all. It’s a layered dessert that starts with a pretzel crust, then a sweet cream cheese and cool whip layer, and it’s topped with a strawberry jello layer.

Strawberry and Blueberry Pretzel Salad

Aunt Judy’s Strawberry Pretzel Salad is absolutely delicious and no one can ever resist a slice of it. This Berry Pretzel Dessert is my twist on that recipe.

Made without cool whip or jello, this dessert is a much less sweet, but still completely irresistible cousin to the original.

It starts with a pretzel crust that is layered with a lightly sweetened creamy filling. Topped with an abundance of fresh berries, I found myself going back for sliver after sliver all night long.

No Bake Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Kitchen Tip: I use this spatula and this dish to make this recipe.

1. Finely crush the pretzels in a food processor, blender, or with a rolling pin in a heavy zip-close bag. Place the crumbs in a medium-size mixing bowl.
2. Add the melted butter and brown sugar and stir to combine. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of an 8×8 pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Beat until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt.
4. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Pour over the crust and smooth with a spatula.
5. Top generously with berries. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. 

I loved the crumbling crust with bits of crunchy pretzels throughout, but if you prefer a more traditional crumb crust (that will also be more easily sliced) be sure to grind every bit of the pretzels into fine crumbs.

Read more