Best Compressor Ice Cream Makers (No Freezing the Bowl)

A compressor ice cream maker freezes as it churns, so there's no bowl to pre-freeze and you can make batch after batch. Our picks from Whynter, Cuisinart and Breville, and which one testers liked best.

By Amanda RobertsUpdated October 30, 2026How we pick products

We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes what we recommend. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more.

A compressor ice cream maker has a built-in freezer, like a tiny refrigerator. You pour in your base, press start, and it chills while it churns. There’s no bowl to freeze overnight and no ice and rock salt, so you can decide to make ice cream an hour before dessert, then make a second flavor right after.

The tradeoff is size and price. Compressor machines weigh 20 pounds or more, take up real counter space, and cost three to five times as much as a basic freezer-bowl model.

At a glance

Test results are from CNN Underscored, which churned more than 20 pints in 10 machines, and GearLab, which had a judging panel blind-taste ice cream, gelato and frozen yogurt from seven machines. Prices are typical October 2026 prices.

Where these picks come from

We compared results from CNN Underscored and GearLab, both of which made ice cream side by side in each machine and judged texture, taste, ease of use and cleanup. Where they disagreed, we’ve said so. We focused on:

• Texture: creamy vs icy
• Churn time
• Capacity
• Noise and size
• Cleanup

We haven’t tested these ourselves. Read more about how we pick products.

1. Whynter ICM-201SB Upright Ice Cream Maker: Best overall

Buy it if: Most people who want a compressor machine.

CNN Underscored named this upright Whynter its best compressor ice cream maker. It made the creamiest ice cream of any compressor model, with barely any icy buildup, in about 25 minutes for dairy and 35 for vegan. The wide, shallow bowl is easier to scoop out than the tall, narrow bowls on other compressor machines. And it ran at a low hum, quiet enough to leave on while watching TV in the same room. Its upright shape takes up less counter space than most.

What bugs us: It’s heavy, and the bowl still has a center tube that’s harder to clean around than a freezer bowl.

Skip it if: you only make ice cream a few times a summer. A $70 freezer-bowl machine makes great ice cream too.

2. Whynter ICM-200LS Ice Cream Maker: Best for bigger batches

Buy it if: Families who make ice cream often.

GearLab’s judges gave this Whynter their top award. Its vanilla ice cream was creamy and tasted like homemade should, the digital timer and modes were easy to use, and cleanup was simple because there’s no frozen bowl to thaw. It holds 2.1 quarts.

What bugs us: It’s large. GearLab’s gelato and frozen yogurt came out closer to regular ice cream than they wanted, and their first unit arrived leaking. It also shouldn’t be stored on its side or upside down for long, like any appliance with a compressor.

Skip it if: counter or cabinet space is tight. The upright ICM-201SB has a smaller footprint.

3. Cuisinart ICE-100 Compressor Ice Cream Maker: Best for frozen yogurt

Buy it if: Frozen yogurt and gelato fans.

In GearLab’s blind tasting, the ICE-100 made the judges’ favorite frozen yogurt, stiffer and smoother than other machines, plus silky gelato and ice cream firm enough to scoop without extra freezing. It comes with separate paddles for ice cream and gelato and stops automatically when the mix is done.

What bugs us: Testers disagree on this one. CNN Underscored found its ice cream wasn’t especially creamy and that it was as big, heavy and loud as other compressor models. GearLab found standard recipes overflowed the bowl, and the paddle held a lot of residue.

Skip it if: you mostly make classic vanilla ice cream. The Whynters did better there.

4. Breville Smart Scoop: Most features

Buy it if: Gadget lovers who want the smartest machine.

The Smart Scoop senses how hard the mix is getting, with 12 settings from sorbet to ice cream, and plays a tune when it’s done. Its keep-cool mode holds finished ice cream cold for up to three hours, so you don’t have to stop what you’re doing. GearLab praised its gelato and easy cleaning.

What bugs us: In CNN’s test, it took much longer to churn both recipes than other compressor models, and it costs about $200 more than the Whynter ICM-201SB, which made better ice cream faster.

Skip it if: value matters. You’re mostly paying for the features.

Tips for creamier homemade ice cream

• Chill the base overnight. A cold base churns faster, and faster churning means smaller ice crystals.
• Don’t overfill. Most 1.5-quart machines want about 1 quart of base, since it expands as it churns.
• Add mix-ins at the end, in the last minute or two.
• Firm it up in the freezer. Fresh-churned ice cream is soft-serve texture. A few hours in the freezer makes it scoopable.
• Let the machine sit upright for the time the manual says after moving it, so the compressor’s fluids settle.

Not sure you need a compressor? Here’s compressor vs freezer-bowl ice cream makers.

Common questions

Is a compressor ice cream maker worth it? If you make ice cream more than a couple of times a month, or want back-to-back batches, yes. Otherwise a freezer-bowl machine is a better value.

Is the Ninja Creami a compressor machine? No. You freeze the base in pints for about a day, then the Creami shaves and blends it. It’s a different kind of machine.

How loud are they? Louder than a fridge, usually a steady hum. CNN found the Whynter ICM-201SB quiet enough to use in a living room.