ice cream maker guru

Best Ice Cream Makers Under $100

Shopping for the best ice cream makers under $100 is challenging because of the several options in the market to choose from. There are many factors to consider – from the style of ice cream you want to make (vegan, soft served, regular, or rolled), machine capacity and the type of ice cream maker you want to buy (compressor, rock/salt or freezer bowl machine). 

Best Ice Cream Maker under 100

Who doesn’t love the feeling of having a spoonful of ice cream melt in their mouth, especially in the summertime? That’s a wonderful feeling and even more satisfying knowing that you’ve made it yourself. It isn’t that hard to make your own ice cream at home. You only need to invest in the best ice cream machine that will always give you sweet and delicious results. 

When shopping for your ideal ice cream maker under $100, consider many factors, including star rating, awards, weight, capacity, etc. Here are our top picks for the best ice cream makers under $100. We have also included a detailed buying guide to help you buy an ice cream maker that will suit all your needs. 

Find the Best Ice Cream Maker under $100

Product
Best Overall
Cuisinart ICE-100
Cuisinart ICE-30BC
Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball
Yonanas Healthy Dessert Maker
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Machine, 1.5 Quart Sorbet, Frozen Yogurt Maker, Double Insulated, White,...
CUISINART Ice Cream Maker, Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt Machine, 2-Qt. Double-Insulated Freezer Bowl,...
Play and Freeze, Ice Cream Ball- Ice Cream Maker, (77349)
Yonanas 902 Classic Vegan, Dairy-Free Frozen Fruit Soft Serve Maker, Includes 36 Recipes, 200-Watts,...
Best For
Best Overall
Best Value
Best for Kids
Best Vegan Ice Cream Maker
Weight
10.12 pounds
12 pounds
2.15 pounds
1.4 pounds
Size
4/5
4/5
3/5
3/5
Beginner Friendly
5/5
5/5
4/5
4/5
Easy to Clean
5/5
5/5
3/5
4/5
Bottom Line
It’s a fast and affordable ice cream maker, giving you the best value for your money
Overall, this machine is fully automatic, so you don’t have to do anything by hand.
Consider buying this ice cream maker if you want to keep your children involved and entertained as they make their treats
Ideal for people on different healthy diets
Best Overall
Product
Cuisinart ICE-100
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Machine, 1.5 Quart Sorbet, Frozen Yogurt Maker, Double Insulated, White,...
Best For
Best Overall
Weight
10.12 pounds
Size
4/5
Beginner Friendly
5/5
Easy to Clean
5/5
Bottom Line
It’s a fast and affordable ice cream maker, giving you the best value for your money
More Info
Product
Cuisinart ICE-30BC
CUISINART Ice Cream Maker, Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt Machine, 2-Qt. Double-Insulated Freezer Bowl,...
Best For
Best Value
Weight
12 pounds
Size
4/5
Beginner Friendly
5/5
Easy to Clean
5/5
Bottom Line
Overall, this machine is fully automatic, so you don’t have to do anything by hand.
More Info
Product
Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball
Play and Freeze, Ice Cream Ball- Ice Cream Maker, (77349)
Best For
Best for Kids
Weight
2.15 pounds
Size
3/5
Beginner Friendly
4/5
Easy to Clean
3/5
Bottom Line
Consider buying this ice cream maker if you want to keep your children involved and entertained as they make their treats
More Info
Product
Yonanas Healthy Dessert Maker
Yonanas 902 Classic Vegan, Dairy-Free Frozen Fruit Soft Serve Maker, Includes 36 Recipes, 200-Watts,...
Best For
Best Vegan Ice Cream Maker
Weight
1.4 pounds
Size
3/5
Beginner Friendly
4/5
Easy to Clean
4/5
Bottom Line
Ideal for people on different healthy diets
More Info

Best Overall Product: Cuisinart- ICE-21

The Cuisinart ICE-21P1 ice cream maker doesn’t only offer value but performance as well. However, you’ll have to store its mixing bowl in the freezer before you start ice cream processing. 

Its capacity is relatively large and can make up to 1.5 quarts. The freezer bowl is double-insulated to remove the need for ice while processing your ice cream. Plus, this ice cream maker comes with an extra paddle specifically designed for it. This new paddle enables you to make ice cream and other frozen treats in less than twenty minutes. How fast can a machine get? 

This ice cream maker comes with a transparent lid that offers clear viewing and keeps your working space mess-free. 

Key Features of the Cuisinart ICE-21

  • An extra mixing paddle
  • Various colors
  • Freezer bowl-double insulated
  • Plastic material
  • Weighs 10.12 pounds

Read full review: Cuisinart ICE-21 Ice Cream Maker

Pros

  • It has a relatively large capacity-1.5 quarts
  • It’s fast because you can get your ice cream in twenty minutes or less
  • It can also make yogurt and other desserts
  • It’s lightweight
  • It’s durable
  • Perfect for a whole family
  • It’s relatively cheap

Cons

  • Other people may find it noisy

Verdict

Other than being noisy, this is a perfect ice cream maker for your family’s needs. Getting your favorite summertime treats done in twenty minutes or less with such an affordable machine makes it the best ice cream maker overall. 

Best Value Product: Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence

This Cuisinart ICE 30-BC is the best ice cream maker you can ever get for under $100. You can easily store it on your kitchen countertop due to its ergonomic design. 

In just a few minutes, you can use this fully automatic machine to make any frozen treat of your choice, ice cream, yogurt, and sorbet. This countertop ice cream maker comes with an easy pour spout and a measuring cup to make your work easy and clean. Also, the 2-quarts capacity freezer bowl makes it easy for you to create your ice cream batter, but it has to be frozen first. 

Key Features of the Cuisinart ICE-30BC

  • Double-insulated freezer bowl- 2-quarts
  • Large spout
  • Weighs 12 pounds
  • Stainless steel material
  • Comes in silver

Read Full Review – Cuisinart ICE-30 Review

Pros

    • It has a larger capacity than Cuisinart ICE21P1
    • It’s fully automatic
    • Can make ice cream, sorbet, and yogurt
    • It’s durable due to its stainless steel
    • It gives you quick and excellent results
    • It’s easy to clean and store

Cons

  • Other people may find it expensive
  • A bit noisy

Verdict

Though a bit expensive, this Cuisinart ice cream maker has everything needed to make the best ice cream for your family. Plus, it can serve you for a more extended period than other ice cream makers, making it the best value product. 

Best Ice Cream Maker for Kids: Play and Freeze, Ice Cream Ball

Beginner Friendly: 4/5

Easy to Clean: 3/5

Affordability: 4/5

Size: 2/5

Want to keep your children outdoors playing? This play and freeze ice cream maker ball will keep your children entertained all through the ice cream-making time. It comes with two interior containers to put all the required contents. In one container, you’ll put ice and salt while the other holds your ice cream mixture. 

Once you load all the contents in the containers, give your children to shake, roll, and shake it for 30 to 40 minutes before they get the ice cream. It can only make a pint of ice cream at a time, though.  The kids can play the game of catch and throw with it until their ice cream is ready. 

Key Features of the Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball

  • Two interior containers
  • Durable plastic material

READ MORE: Find out the Best Ice Cream Makers for Kids 

Pros

  • It’s durable
  • making ice cream with it is fun and easy
  • No need for electricity
  • Teaches your children some essential values like patience and sharing
  • It’s lightweight
  • Affordable

Cons

  • You can only make a pint of ice cream at a time
  • It takes longer to make ice cream
  • Hard to clean

Verdict

Overall, this ice cream maker makes the process easy and fun. Plus, it will keep your children involved and happy throughout. 

Nostalgia WICM4L Electric Bucket Maker

If you need to relive all your wistful old days, then this nostalgia ice cream maker is precisely what you should buy.  Though old-fashioned, it uses modern technology to enable you to make different flavors of ice cream, including strawberry, vanilla crème, or chocolate. With it, you can also make other refreshing treats such as gelato and frozen yogurt at home.

This ice cream maker is lightweight and easy to clean and maintain, with a beautiful wooden exterior and a plastic liner inside the bucket. Additionally, it uses an electric motor to enable you to mix and process all your preferred ingredients into one delicious ice cream. And with a 4-quart capacity, you can make enough ice cream to enjoy as a whole family. 

Another notable feature of this nostalgia ice cream maker is its transparent lid. Such a lid lets you view all the ingredients inside as it runs to see if they’re fully processed.   

Key Features of the Nostalgia Ice Cream Maker

  • 4-quart capacity
  • Wooden bucket exterior
  • Locking motor unit
  • It has an easy to clean bucket liner

Pros

  • It’s easy to clean and maintain
  • It can serve a whole family or a picnic group
  • It’s affordable
  • It’s easy to use
  • It can make different ice cream flavors and other refreshing treats

Cons

  • It can get your kitchen messy since it requires salt and ice layering on the outside

Verdict

This nostalgia ice cream maker is ideal for keeping your summertime cool. With it, you don’t have to worry about your kids’ birthday and family get-together parties anymore.

Best Vegan Ice Cream Maker: Yonanas Classic Original Healthy Ice Cream Maker

You have to use only frozen fruits to make your delicious and healthy summer treats with this machine. It’s a soft-serve machine that can work as an ice cream maker and a blender to make healthy smoothies. Any frozen fruit you throw on it comes out soft and rich. 

It only takes a few minutes to assemble all its parts. Plus, you don’t have to add any dairy product to this machine when making your ice cream, making it ideal for people on a diet. Though it requires effort and time to make your healthy ice cream, its price and the results make it all worth it.

Key Features of the Yonanas Healthy Dessert Maker

  • 200 watts
  • It comes with spinning blades and a blade cone
  • A seal to keep your ingredients together
  • Features plastic and stainless steel
  • Measures 1.4 pounds
  • Comes in silver

Pros

  • Makes soft serve healthy treats
  • It’s affordable
  • It’s lightweight, making it easy to move and store
  • Ideal for entertaining people with dietary restrictions
  • It’s easy to clean
  • Easy to assemble and disassemble

Cons

  • You can only use frozen fruits
  • Can only make ice cream for two at a time
  • You have to wait for the frozen fruits to thaw to get a smooth churning. 
  • It’s noisy

Verdict

If you’re expecting guests with various dietary restrictions, this excellent Yonanas healthy ice cream maker will cover all their needs. 

Best Budget Rolled Ice Cream Maker: Chef’n Sweet Spot Ice Cream Maker

Beginner Friendly: 4/5

Easy to Clean: 5/5

Affordability: 5/5

Size: 3/5

You can make ice cream quickly and easily, thanks to this Chef’n Sweet Spot ice cream maker.  It requires you to keep the bowl in the freezer overnight. Later, when ready, pour the ice cream batter you’ve prepared into the bowl as you turn and mix with the spoon it comes with. It only takes a few minutes for the ice cream to be ready. 

You only need to keep turning your ice cream paste over several minutes to make a frozen treat, with no electricity involved. Plus, it comes with a recipe book with fun ice cream ideas you can try making with your family. 

Key Features of Chef’n Sweet Spot Rolled Ice Cream Maker

  • It comes with two spoons and a cookbook
  • Ice cream maker bowl weighing 1 pound
  • Manual

Pros

  • It makes ice cream fast
  • It’s easy to use
  • Small in size hence easy to store
  • Comes with a scoop, recipe book, and a spade
  • Easy to clean
  • It’s fun using it
  • Durable because of the stainless steel material
  • It can make up to 4 cups of ice cream

Cons

  • You can only make small batches
  • It takes up space if kept in a freezer

Verdict

Overall, this ice cream maker is affordable, fun to use, and doesn’t require electricity, ideal for hands-on people. 

The Ice Cream Maker Guru Difference

This detailed guide for the best ice cream makers under $100 is based only on facts and experience. We’ve been in this ice cream-making process for several years now, testing different types of ice creams and flavors. With this experience, you can fully trust that all your ice cream makers’ needs are covered here. It doesn’t matter whether you want to try a new recipe at home or in your ice cream shop. 

What To Consider When Buying Best Ice Cream Makers Under $100

Here are some of the factors you should consider when shopping for the best ice cream makers under $100. 

Price

How you want to use your ice cream, home or commercial, will determine how much you’re willing to invest in it. Several ice cream makers fall under $100. It all depends on how far you want it to be near or far from $100. 

Size

Size affects the ice cream maker’s storability. 

Durability

How long can the ice cream maker serve you before it needs repair?

Ice Cream Machine Capacity

If you want to use the ice cream maker at home, see that it can make enough ice cream to serve all your family members

Type of Ice Cream

If you’re a vegan, you need to buy a vegan ice cream maker. Also, if you love different flavors, ensure your ice cream can fit all your needs. 

FAQs About the Best Ice Cream Makers Under $100

Is it worth buying ice cream makers?

Yes, they are. But only if you understand the process well and you want to make your own ice cream at home. 

Do ice cream makers under $100 work?

They’ll give you a soft-serve ice cream that is different from the texture you’re used to. If you want a hard texture, you have to put it in the freezer for a couple of hours.

How long should one wait for the ice cream to churn?

It takes approximately 15 minutes, but it depends from one machine to the next. 

How do you prevent ice crystals from getting into your ice cream?

For this, you can use powdered, evaporated, or condensed milk to prevent ice crystals. You must use them in moderate amounts, though. 

Our Verdict For The Best Ice Cream Makers Under $100

There you have it, our top picks for the best ice cream makers under $100. While some of them have bigger capacity, still others have a smaller capacity to choose, depending on your needs. Even though they have different prices, that doesn’t affect their capability to give you the most delicious frozen treats. And, besides ice cream, you can also make frozen yogurt, gelato, and sorbet.