Top-Rated Stand Mixers for Making Ice Cream: An Actionable Guide

Making ice cream at home can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Whether you're crafting classic vanilla, rich chocolate, or inventive seasonal flavors, the process of creating your own frozen treats offers the opportunity to explore creativity while enjoying a delicious homemade result. One of the most critical tools for this process is a high-quality stand mixer, which helps in combining ingredients, whipping up smooth custards, and incorporating air into the mixture for that light, creamy texture.

In this guide, we will explore the top-rated stand mixers ideal for making ice cream at home. We'll look into the features you need to consider, as well as highlight the best mixers that cater to both beginners and seasoned ice cream makers.

Why Use a Stand Mixer for Making Ice Cream?

Making ice cream can seem like a straightforward process, but achieving the perfect texture requires precision and the right equipment. While hand-mixing can be an option, a stand mixer takes the hard work out of the process, ensuring consistent results with minimal effort. Here are a few reasons why stand mixers are essential for ice cream-making:

1. Even Mixing

Ice cream recipes often require careful blending of ingredients like cream, milk, sugar, and flavorings. A stand mixer guarantees even and consistent mixing, helping to prevent clumping and ensuring that everything is perfectly incorporated.

2. Whipping for Smooth Texture

Ice cream needs to incorporate air during the mixing process to achieve its signature light, creamy texture. A stand mixer, especially with a whisk attachment, can help aerate the mixture efficiently.

3. Churning Assistance

While most stand mixers aren't specifically designed to churn ice cream, they can work in tandem with ice cream maker attachments. These attachments fit seamlessly with the mixer and churn the mixture while freezing it, making it easy to create restaurant-quality ice cream at home.

4. Multi-functionality

A high-quality stand mixer can also serve other functions in the kitchen, such as kneading dough, mixing batters, or even grinding meat, making it a versatile tool for more than just ice cream.

Key Features to Look for in a Stand Mixer for Making Ice Cream

When selecting the best stand mixer for making ice cream, there are several factors to consider. Each feature plays a role in how well the mixer will perform when it comes to mixing, aerating, and churning your ice cream.

1. Powerful Motor

A powerful motor ensures that your stand mixer can handle the heavy mixing and aerating required to create the perfect ice cream. Ice cream mixtures can be dense and thick, so a stand mixer with at least 300 watts of power will provide enough torque for thorough mixing.

• What to look for : A motor with 300-600 watts will provide adequate power, especially for smaller batches of ice cream. For larger, more complex recipes, you may want to look for something with more than 600 watts of power.

2. Attachments for Ice Cream Making

To make the most of your stand mixer, it's important to check if it has specific attachments designed for ice cream-making. The most common attachment is the ice cream maker bowl or churning attachment, which is essential for freezing and churning the mixture simultaneously.

• What to look for : Ensure that your stand mixer supports an ice cream maker attachment (some brands have specific models). The attachment should fit securely onto the stand mixer and churn the mixture evenly while freezing.

3. Mixing Bowl Capacity

Depending on the size of the batches you plan to make, the bowl capacity is an important factor to consider. A larger bowl allows you to mix more ingredients, so if you're planning on making large batches, choose a stand mixer with a bigger capacity.

• What to look for : A bowl size between 4.5-6 quarts is ideal for most home ice cream makers. Larger bowls offer flexibility for mixing multiple flavors or larger quantities.

4. Speed Control

Different stages of ice cream-making require different speeds. For example, mixing in the ingredients might require a lower speed, while whipping up the mixture or incorporating air might require a higher speed.

• What to look for : Choose a stand mixer with multiple speed settings, including a slow speed for mixing and faster speeds for whipping or churning.

5. Durability and Stability

Making ice cream can involve hours of mixing and churning, so it's crucial that the stand mixer is built to last. A durable, stable machine ensures that it can handle long durations of use without overheating or vibrating excessively.

• What to look for : Heavy-duty construction and a solid base are important for stability and longevity. An all-metal construction typically offers the most durable performance.

Top-Rated Stand Mixers for Making Ice Cream

1. KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Qt Stand Mixer with Ice Cream Maker Attachment

Why it's great : KitchenAid's Artisan Series is a household name when it comes to stand mixers, and for good reason. The 5-quart bowl provides ample space for mixing ingredients, and the 325-watt motor is powerful enough for the dense mixtures required for ice cream. The best part? The KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment is a perfect match for this model, turning the mixer into an ice cream-churning machine.

• Power: 325-watt motor
• Bowl Size: 5-quart capacity
• Ice Cream Maker Attachment: Sold separately, compatible with all KitchenAid stand mixers
• Pros: Versatile, reliable, great build quality
• Cons: Attachment sold separately, somewhat heavy

Best for: Home bakers who want a mixer that can do it all, with the option to make ice cream as part of the mix.

2. Cuisinart SM-70 7-Qt Stand Mixer with Ice Cream Attachment

Why it's great : The Cuisinart SM-70 is a powerful stand mixer that combines sleek design with functionality. With a 1000-watt motor and a 7-quart bowl, it handles large batches of ice cream effortlessly. The mixer's included attachments like the wire whisk, flat beater, and dough hook make it versatile enough for multiple kitchen tasks, while the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Attachment is perfect for mixing up your frozen treats.

• Power: 1000-watt motor
• Bowl Size: 7-quart capacity
• Ice Cream Maker Attachment: Sold separately
• Pros: High-powered motor, large bowl capacity, heavy-duty construction
• Cons: Attachment sold separately, larger and bulkier

Best for: Bakers and ice cream enthusiasts who want to make large batches of ice cream and other recipes with a single mixer.

3. Bosch Universal Plus 800-Watt Stand Mixer

Why it's great : The Bosch Universal Plus is known for its high performance and sturdy design. It features an 800-watt motor that makes it capable of handling dense ingredients and large batches. The 6.5-quart bowl is large enough to hold more ingredients, and Bosch's Universal Ice Cream Maker Attachment allows you to churn ice cream with ease.

• Power: 800-watt motor
• Bowl Size: 6.5-quart capacity
• Ice Cream Maker Attachment: Sold separately
• Pros: High power, versatile, excellent for heavy-duty tasks
• Cons: Bulky, requires the purchase of the attachment

Best for: Home chefs who need a reliable mixer that can handle both baking and ice cream-making with ease.

4. Kenwood Chef XL 6.7-Qt Stand Mixer with Ice Cream Bowl

Why it's great : Kenwood's Chef XL series offers a powerful 1200-watt motor and a large 6.7-quart bowl, making it perfect for heavy-duty tasks like making ice cream. This mixer comes with an Ice Cream Bowl Attachment that fits seamlessly into the system, allowing you to churn ice cream directly in the bowl.

• Power: 1200-watt motor
• Bowl Size: 6.7-quart capacity
• Ice Cream Maker Attachment: Included in some packages, otherwise sold separately
• Pros: Strong motor, large bowl, professional-grade quality
• Cons: On the pricier side, larger size

Best for: Serious ice cream makers and those who need a powerful and durable stand mixer for both large batches and professional-grade results.

5. Hamilton Beach 63390 6-Speed Stand Mixer

Why it's great: If you're looking for a budget-friendly option, the Hamilton Beach 63390 is a great choice. While it doesn't come with an ice cream attachment, it's affordable and offers enough power for making small batches of ice cream by hand-churning or using a standalone ice cream maker.

• Power: 300-watt motor
• Bowl Size: 4.5-quart capacity
• Ice Cream Maker Attachment: Not included, but can be used with a separate machine
• Pros: Affordable, compact, easy to use
• Cons: Lacks power for large batches, no ice cream attachment included

Best for: Beginner ice cream makers who are on a budget and need a simple, reliable stand mixer for smaller projects.

Conclusion

Choosing the right stand mixer for making ice cream depends on your needs, budget, and how often you plan to make frozen treats. Whether you're looking for a high-powered, versatile machine like the Kenwood Chef XL or the more budget-friendly Hamilton Beach 63390, each of these mixers offers unique features to enhance your ice cream-making process. By considering the motor power, bowl size, and availability of attachments, you can select the best stand mixer to create smooth, creamy ice cream right in your kitchen.