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Top Ice Cream Accessories: Must-Have Tools for Making the Perfect Treats
Updated on Sep. 25, 2024
We all go crazy over. a bowl of ice cream; after all, there’s nothing like a classic sweet treat on a hot day. Or, when you’re inside on a chilly evening, whipping up a batch of homemade ice cream serves as a family activity when you need it. If you plan on creating your favorite flavors at home, you will need a few tools on hand that help make the perfect treat. Luckily, options are abundant on the market, so to help, we spoke with the founders of Urban Dessert Lab, Courtney Blagrove and Zan B.R, who helped us find the best accessories.
What machine does the duo turn to? “Our favorite home ice cream maker thus far is the Lello 4080 Musso Lussino,” they say. “We love the stainless-steel construction, and we find that it consistently produces the smoothest and creamiest ice cream at home due to the machine’s ability to produce product with smaller ice crystals (it has a faster freezing time compared to many other home ice cream maker machines),” they add.
Ahead, see pro-recommended machines and 18 of the top ice cream accessories.
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Stainless Steel Electric Ice Cream Maker
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Simple Ice Cream Maker
Cuisinart Classic Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker
Are you a true ice cream lover if you don’t own an at-home ice cream maker? This best-selling Cuisinart ice cream maker whips up treats like sorbet and frozen yogurt in 20 minutes—all you have to do is pour in your ingredients, set the machine and enjoy.
Our Test Kitchen loves this model because it’s super simple to use. If you need a little help to kick-start your ice cream making, check out our step-by-step instructions.
Ice Cream Storage Tub
Williams Sonoma Insulated Ice Cream Storage Tu
After making your homemade treats, you’re going to need somewhere to store them. This Tovolo ice cream tub is just the thing, with a narrow freezer-friendly design and double-walled insulation that prevents condensation and freezer burn.
Ice Cream Sandwich Mold
Chef'n Sweet Spot Ice Cream Sandwich Maker
While you’re making homemade ice cream, the next step is making your very own ice cream treats. This ice cream sandwich mold from Chef’n makes it super easy.
While you’re waiting on your mold to come in the mail, pick up a box of our Test Kitchen’s favorite ice cream sandwiches.
Ice Cream Scoop
Zeroll Ice Cream Scoop
No list of must-have ice cream accessories is complete without our Test Kitchen’s favorite ice cream scoop: the Zeroll ice cream scoop. This USA-made scooper glides through frozen treats with ease to produce super-clean scoops to fill up your waffle cone.
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Waffle Cone Maker
CucinaPro Waffle Cone and Bowl Maker
When you visit an amazing ice cream shop, the scoops are the star of the show. However, when your go-to parlor also creates scratch-made waffle cones, well, that’s a match made in heaven.
With this waffle cone maker from Amazon, you can get that fresh waffle cone experience right at home. Waffle cone makers come with molds to shape cones and dishes—perfect for any ice cream style.
Hot Fudge and Caramel Sauce
Williams Sonoma Hot Fudge & Caramel Sauce Set
Don’t settle for lackluster chocolate or caramel syrup. To top your sundaes you’ll want super-rich, super-delicious Williams-Sonoma salted caramel and fudge sauces. These jars also make great gifts for the sundae fanatic in your life.
Fancy Ice Cream Dishes
Tislc Small Footed Tulip Dessert Bowls
For when you’re not eating directly out of the pint (no shame!), treat yourself by scooping your favorite flavor into these elegant ice cream dishes from Wayfair.
Be sure to bring these out to serve elegant ice cream desserts at your next dinner party. May we suggest these Warm Pineapple Sundaes with Rum Sauce?
The Midnight Scoop
Midnight Scoop Ergonomic Stainless Steel Ice Cream Scoop
If you’re looking for a next-level ice cream scoop to complete your collection of ice cream accessories, add the Midnight Scoop to your cart right now.
According to our editors, this is one of the best ice cream scoops you can buy—and it should be! The Midnight Scoop was designed by an aerospace engineer and ice cream aficionado.
Whipped Cream Dispenser
iSi Ivory Cream Whipper
No doubt about it: Homemade whipped cream is better than any of the pre-made stuff. However, breaking out the hand mixer each time you want to top your favorite scoop with a dollop can be a bit of a pain. An easy shortcut is to use a cream dispenser from Williams-Sonoma—one of our favorite ice cream accessories. Fill the canister with cream and the N2O charger will take care of the rest!
Single-Serve Ice Cream Maker
Chef'n Sweet Spot Ice Cream Maker
If you don’t have a lot of space in your kitchen but still want to experiment with the wonderful world of homemade ice cream, try this single-serve ice cream maker by Chef’n. To make your own serving of ice cream, just freeze this dish, then add your ice cream base right to the bowl. With a little stirring, you’ll soon have a few scoops of ice cream.
You can also use this compact gadget to mix toppings into any ice cream—store-bought or from-scratch—a la Cold Stone Creamery.
Milkshake Mixer
Hamilton Beach Professional All-Metal Drink Mixer
To make homemade milkshakes you can absolutely use a blender, but we think it’s much more fun to use an old-fashioned milkshake mixer. All you have to do to make a milkshake from scratch is load up the metal cup and get whirring with this Hamilton Beach milkshake maker. And if you prefer malts, just add a scoop of malted milk powder!
Milkshake Glasses
Libbey Fountain Shoppe Milkshake Glasses
Sure, you can serve that homemade milkshake in your favorite glass, but it’s so much more fun to serve them up in special milkshake glasses. These retro glasses from Wayfair are also great for ice cream floats and boozy ice cream drinks, too.
Stainless Steel Electric Ice Cream Maker
Cuisinart Stainless-Steel Ice Cream Maker
When you want to make enough ice cream to feed a group, give this Cuisinart two-quart ice cream machine a try. It works with just the turn of a dial and can make everything from traditional ice cream to sorbet to fro-yo. It’s also one of our Test Kitchen’s go-to models.
Stand Mixer Ice Cream Maker Attachment
Kitchen Aid Mixer
If you’ve got a KitchenAid stand mixer at home (and we know all you serious bakers do), you don’t need to invest in an all-new appliance to make ice cream. Instead, snag the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment. This extra fits right onto your mixer and churns a batch of homemade ice cream in 20 minutes.
Don’t forget to check out our other favorite KitchenAid attachments.
Fancy Sprinkles
Colorful Sprinkles
Whether you’re building an over-the-top milkshake or just enjoying a scoop after dinner, sprinkles make any frozen treat better. Fancy Sprinkles is the headquarters for head-turning sprinkles and sugars.
Ice Cream Starter
Williams Sonoma Ice Cream Starter
Want homemade ice cream without all the fuss? Try an ice cream starter from Williams-Sonoma. Just stir this mix with cream and pop it into your ice cream maker for a shortcut treat. When you have a little more time, try our homemade coffee ice cream recipe.
Soft Serve Maker
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Machine
If soft serve ice cream is more your style, we know you love a good Dairy Queen Blizzard. Next time you’re having a craving for one of these DQ-style treats, you can skip the drive-thru and take a quick trip to the kitchen.
This Cuisinart soft serve ice cream maker churns your ingredients. When you’re ready to enjoy, just pull the handle and make the perfect swirl. Another reason we love this gadget: It comes with three built-in topping dispensers so you can customize your cone.
Maraschino Cherries
Luxardo Maraschino Cherries
What’s a sundae without a cherry on top? When you’re making your perfect sundae at home, skip those basic neon red cherries and opt for Luxardo maraschino cherries. These cherries are the darkest red and are imbued with a sweet yet tart flavor. And don’t sleep on the syrup at the bottom of the jar; it’s a great topper for ice cream.
What to Look for When Buying the Best Ice Cream Accessories
When buying the best ice cream accessories, research ice cream machines. Consider their functions and the time it takes to churn the ice cream. “Besides the ingredients you use, the paddle, dasher and scraper design of the ice cream maker and the freezing time can significantly change the texture, hence the quality of your ice cream, because both affect ice crystal formation,” they explain. It’s also worth mentioning that the materials used to construct the ice cream maker will affect the longevity of the machine (e.g. stainless steel vs. plastic parts).
Why You Should Trust Us
Megan Mowery is a former shopping editor who with years of experience helping Taste Recipes readers find products to improve their lives. Megan covers everything from must-buy Amazon products to tried-and-tested product reviews. In her spare time, you can find her online shopping, learning a new craft, or caring for her jungle of plants.
Lisa Kaminsky also contributed to this article. Lisa has over six years of food writing experience with Taste Recipes. As the associate editor at Taste Recipes, Lisa explored finding and testing the best ingredients, kitchen gear and home products. She also has penned numerous stories on the best-of beverages, snack foods, ready-made baking ingredients and more. Lisa also led the Taste Recipes Bakeable program, a guide-to-baking hub and social community of 20,000 home bakers.
We also spoke with ice cream industry professionals Courtney Blagrove and Zan B.R., sisters and founders of Urban Dessert Lab. Courtney and Zan have an extensive background in research, and Courtney holds a PhD in nutrition and metabolism. This allows them to keep R&D in-house, which aids in developing new, premium products and flavors. All products are made using quality ingredients, which results in a taste, texture and aesthetic combination that is unique to Urban Dessert Lab and has been proven to have mass appeal.
How We Found the Best Ice Cream Accessories
We searched the web and gathered and tested a variety of ice cream machines and tools across the board. We considered top-rated brands, the items in our kitchens and hundreds of customer reviews. We also noted each tool’s difficulty levels, ensuring that each one is simple and efficient in creating the best ice cream creations. From there, we spoke with industry experts who share the times they keep in their ice cream shop to make it a seamless experience.
FAQs
How long can you keep ice cream in an ice cream maker?
This depends on the make and model of the ice cream maker, but a good rule of thumb is that the ice cream should not be left in the maker for an extended period. The machines are crafted to churn the cream, not for storing; removing the ice cream within an hour of making it is best.
What equipment do you need to make homemade ice cream?
Booth Courtney and Zan share that you should start by having an ice cream maker of your choice. “If you do not have an ice cream maker or access to a freezer, you can also make ice cream manually by hand using rock salt and ice,” they add. Paddles, scoops and dishes are also key accessories to have in your kitchen.
What is a Canister Vs. Compressor
Canister ice cream models require you to pre-freeze the ice cream bowl before use. On the other hand, compressor ice cream models do not require an individual to pre-freeze an ice cream bowl before use.
Do I Have to Pre-freeze My Ice Cream Maker?
According to Courtney and Zan, this will also depend on which type of ice cream maker is used. Typically, it’s best to freeze beforehand, which helps improve the machine’s functionality. The extra coldness can also impact the overall quality of the ice cream, making it easier to thicken.
