Best Ice Cream Makers September 2026
Compare top-rated ice cream makers to find the ideal machine for homemade desserts, frozen drinks, and gelato. Our independent ranking highlights key specifications, features, and trade-offs to help you choose the right model for your kitchen.
Last updated: 1 September 2026
The list is unchanged since the last update.
Ice Cream Makers: Top 5
1
Ninja Creami NC300EU
from £179.9914 stores
from £179.99
14 stores
2
Ninja Creami Swirl
from £275.4916 stores
from £275.49
16 stores
3
Ninja SLUSHi Professional Frozen Drink Maker
from £229.0016 stores
from £229.00
16 stores
4
Ninja NC501UK
from £169.9715 stores
from £169.97
15 stores
5
Magimix Gelato Expert 11680
from £444.956 stores
from £444.95
6 stores
The Ninja Creami NC300EU turns frozen solid bases into ice cream, sorbet, and slush with an 800 W motor. It features dedicated programs and a built-in LED display. Its compact footprint fits easily on kitchen counters, though the 0.47-litre tub limits batch sizes.
Pros
800 W motor for solid frozen bases
Multiple functions including yogurt and slush
Built-in LED display
Compact footprint at 165 mm depth
Cons
Small 0.47-litre bowl capacity
Can be loud during processing
May require re-spin cycles for texture
The Ninja Creami Swirl specializes in soft serve textures, standard ice cream, and frozen yogurt. It offers three speed settings, touch controls, and a viewing window to track processing. At 9.45 kg, it provides a stable countertop station for single-tub batches.
Pros
Dedicated soft serve ice cream function
Touch controls with LED display
Three selectable speed levels
Viewing window to monitor mixing
Cons
Heavy build at 9.45 kg
Small 0.48-litre bowl capacity
Requires pre-freezing ingredients
The Ninja SLUSHi Professional is engineered specifically for crafting frozen drinks and slushies at home. It offers a streamlined setup for continuous beverage mixing and dispensing. With multiple colour finishes available, it serves as a dedicated drink-making station.
Pros
Dedicated frozen drink and slush system
Available in multiple vibrant colours
Designed for beverage dispensing
Cons
Not designed for solid scoop ice cream
Specialized single-purpose format
The Ninja NC501UK expands the frozen dessert concept with larger 0.709-litre tubs and versatile control options. It combines rotary and touch controls with a strong 800 W motor to handle tough frozen mixtures. Its taller profile delivers bigger servings per batch than standard Creami models.
Pros
Generous 0.709-litre bowl capacity
800 W motor for dense bases
Rotary dial and touch control system
Dishwasher-safe plastic parts
Cons
Tall profile requires 505 mm clearance
Weighs 7.3 kg
Requires pre-freezing tubs beforehand
The Magimix Gelato Expert 11680 features an integrated compressor that freezes and churns mixtures without pre-freezing bowls. It includes a 2-litre stainless steel bowl, built-in timer, and viewing window for precise monitoring. At 10.9 kg, it offers commercial-style batch creation straight on your counter.
Pros
Built-in compressor cools automatically
Large 2-litre stainless steel bowl
No need to pre-freeze containers
Integrated timer and viewing window
Cons
Heavy unit weighing 10.9 kg
Requires 30 minutes of churning time
Lower motor wattage at 180 W
Compare specifications
| Type | Ice cream machine, Slush machine, Soft serve ice cream, Yoghurt function | Ice cream machine, Soft serve ice cream, Yoghurt function | Slush machine | Ice cream machine | Ice cream machine, With compressor, Yoghurt function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 800 W | 800 W | 800 W | 800 W | 180 W |
| Maximum ice cream volume | 0.5 litre | 0.47 litre | 1.892 litre | — | 2 litre |
| Preparation time | 0 min | 5 min | — | — | 30 min |
| Requires freezer | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
How we create the list
The ranking is updated monthly and is based on data we collect from our own platform. Products that rank highly are popular among our users while also maintaining high quality according to editorial expert assessments. Specifically, we weigh how many users follow the product via price alerts or lists, how it is rated by experts and users, as well as how much traffic it generates to stores and how well it is represented in retail. The texts on this page are AI-generated and created to give you a quick and clear overview. No products are paid placements – the ranking is driven solely by data.
