10 Best Hand Crank Ice Cream Maker in 2022

There are several variants of hand cranked homemade ice cream makers. But what exactly constitutes the best hand crank ice cream maker on the market? No doubt, finding a reliable ice cream maker can be a daunting task.

More importantly, if you desire a fresh tasting ice cream, then you’d need to prepare one yourself. With an old fashioned ice cream maker, you have full control. And you can also add a personal touch to how you want the ice cream.

Because of this, you have a choice of determining what ingredients will form the ice cream recipe.

Plus, you don’t need a sophisticated ice cream freezer. A hand turn ice cream maker is all you need to add to your home kitchen accessories.

In this article, you’ll learn all you need to know before investing in a hand cranked ice cream maker.

You’ll also discover the top hand ice cream makers on the market. So, without much ado, let’s get down to this!

Top 10 Best Hand Crank Ice Cream Maker Reviews

1. AMERIHOME ICM6C 6-Quart Old Fashion Ice Cream Maker

Lovers of ice cream know the sweetness of different ice cream flavors. While some hand-cranked ice cream makers can only produce single flavors, some can make up to three. Therefore, one gets to enjoy tasty vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream.

Amerihome ICM6C is a great old fashioned ice cream maker. Besides, I’d recommend it as one of the best hand crank ice cream makers on the market. This product is versatile and works on two modes - hand crank and electric.

Each power mode is suited for specific occasions. The electric mode is convenient if you want to make the ice cream hands-free. After setting everything, sit back and wait for your ice cream to be ready.

This wooden hand crank ice cream maker has a high capacity of 6 quarts. Therefore, you can use it to make ice creams for large groups of people. If you’re having a family gathering, this would be a great ice cream maker to have around.

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2. PREMIUM 6 qt. - Immergood Stainless Steel Ice Cream Maker

Time flies and before you know, it’s time to usher in a new generation. But what’s even more important is the passing on of traditions from one generation to another.

Immergood brand acknowledges this by creating high-quality ice cream making machine.

The amazing part is that this product is made with the intention of creating memorable family summer traditions. This is because it’s made of sturdy stainless material which is durable and rust-resistant.

Therefore, you’ll get to use this manual ice cream maker for years upon years. To add to this, it has a triple-layer construction that is also highly insulated. This enhances its efficiency at producing quality sweet-tasting ice creams.

Also, it has a high carrying capacity of 6 quarts. If you’re having many people around or hosting a summer party, you’ll not need to worry an inch. This is because there’s enough room to create adequate ice creams for everyone.

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3. Elite Gourmet EIM-506 Hand Crank Ice Cream Machine

Not all ice cream makers are dual-mode operated. But for those that are, both hand crank and electric modes are supported. With these two options, one can choose what best suits their desire for the perfect homemade ice cream.

If you’re looking for this kind of experience, then, you’d want to try out the Elite Gourmet EIM-506 old-fashioned ice cream maker.

Besides, it’s one of the top electric hand crank ice cream makers. And it’s dope at best in performance.

For the best firmer consistency with the ice cream, the manual hand crank churning works well.

However, for a creamy consistency, you can use the powerful electric motor mode. Besides, the motor is fitted with overheat protection for safety.

This product is versatile and can also be used to make yogurt, gelato, and sorbet. Therefore, this gives you multiple options to consider. So, if you like, you can first make your ice creams then blend them with yogurts, for example.

Moreover, this ice cream maker features a heavy-duty aluminum freezing canister.

Besides being sturdy and durable, the canister enables freezing of the ice cream in under 40 minutes. In the long run, it enhances the overall efficiency.

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4. Classic Wooden Tub 6 qt. Country Manual Ice Cream Maker

What makes a sturdy ice cream maker is its material composition. If you want something that you can pass from one generation to another, then, you’d have to pick the strongest. The good news is that Classic wooden tub County ice cream fulfills this.

To start with, the tub is made from oak wood. This an impressively strong wood that beats pants down other types of wood material. And if you’re looking for a sturdy and durable ice cream maker, you’ll need to give this product a thought.

But if you’re thinking that’s all there is to sturdiness, then you’re wrong. This hand-churned ice cream maker features heavy stainless steel bands. This adds to the robustness and durability.

Hopefully, you understand how important an ice cream maker’s gears are. But even if you have no idea, I’ll still let you know. Without the gears, there won’t be any ice creams. Imagine how disappointing that can be.

Therefore, you surely want to ensure the ice cream maker’s gears are top-notch and can never disappoint.

That’s where I find strong and waterproof gear frames handy. Amazingly, you don’t need to look far since this machine got you covered.

After using the Country Ice Cream Maker, you’ll definitely agree when I say that it’s super simple to operate.

Plus, you don’t need to have special skills to operate one. The basic user knowledge is adequate to prepare sweet tasty and sumptuous ice creams.

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5. Donvier 1-Quart Hand Turn Ice Cream Maker

Sometimes, quality supersedes quantity. And I totally get it if you’re thinking in the same line. Who would have thought the same logic would apply to ice cream making?

Whenever you have a craving for some creamy tasty ice creams, all you want is to quench it as first as possible. And in doing so, compromising quality is the last thing you wanna do. That’s where Donvier ice cream maker comes in.

I find Donvier ice cream maker versatile and you’ll also love it for that. What do I mean? You’re probably wondering.

So, here’s the thing: you can use this product to make other desserts such as Sorbet, frozen yogurt, and frozen drinks.

Therefore, if you’re on a budget and looking for a one type fits all Ice cream maker, this would be it. The best part is how it comes with a recipe guide.

Guess what? This is all you need to create awesome tasty ice creams even if you’re a newbie.

Think about this: while some ice cream makers require rock salt and ice, some do not. This is one thing that makes me love Donvier Ice cream maker. It’s easy to operate. To use this product, place it into a refrigerator for about 7 hours.

This helps to freeze the liquid between its walls. Afterward, you only need to add ingredients into the bowl, then place it into the outer case. For sweet tasty ice cream, churn the crank for about 20-30 minutes and voila, you have it.

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6. Aroma Housewares 4-Quart Traditional Ice Cream Maker

Come to think about it. Nothing beats the quality time you spend with your family and loved ones.

Sitting together by the seashore or poolside during a hot afternoon. And it hits differently when you have some cream tasty ice cream.

Aroma Housewares ice cream maker is exceptional for producing natural and sweet-tasting ice creams.

It’s best for creating remarkable family fun time memories. The best part is that it has a high carrying capacity of 4 quarts.

As if that not enough, this ice cream maker hand cranked comes with a variety of ice cream recipes and flavors.

Owning one of these products opens the doors to trying out different ice cream flavors. It is a fun time and monotony shouldn’t be an issue.

Besides, it is easy to operate and to clean after use. Since it is both hand-cranked and electric powered, you can go with your best-preferred option. With the electric mode, you can set up everything and watch the ice cream getting ready.

In the meantime, you can get into doing some other things as you wait. If you have several things going on, you definitely need a dual-mode ice cream maker.

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7. White Mountain F64306-X 6-Quart Hand Ice Cream Maker

30 to 45 minutes. That’s all it takes to make your favorite rich in flavor creamy ice cream. If you have ever tried other ice cream makers, you’ll agree that some take much longer than that.

That’s why probably you should try White Mountain F64306-X Ice cream machine. For sure, you’ll love how it’s got a large carrying capacity. Which makes it super simple to make more ice cream for a large group in less than an hour.

Imagine the awesome fun times and memories you’d make with your loved ones by cranking the traditional way. If you ask me, I’d tell you how much you need an old fashioned ice cream maker. And this product perfectly meets the cut for that.

Besides, it’s perfect for parties, family reunions, and summer outings. A perfectly made ice cream is great for such occasions.

That’s why you can’t afford to mess around with the ice cream you make or buy. Trust me here…no bluffing!

If you’re thinking that’s all there’s to this maker, then let me surprise you with more. It features a three gear drive hand cranked system. This is what you need to make sumptuous and rich in flavor ice cream.

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8. 6 qt LIFETIME Ice Cream Maker - Hand Crank

As a consumer, the most important thing that influences buying decisions is value. At least for the majority.

While some sellers guarantee a lifetime value for the good you purchase from them, others only provide limited value.

That’s where Lifetime Ice cream maker beats other similar products on the market. Think about this. How would you feel when you have a lifetime guarantee for a product after buying it? See, not every seller or manufacturers can guarantee that.

Lifetime ice cream maker offers a lifetime warranty on all its stainless steel parts. What this means is that for as long as you have the product, you can always take it for repair. Whenever you have an issue, just take it back and it’ll be fixed for you.

This ice cream maker is best for longevity. Therefore, if you’re looking for durability, then you definitely want to try this product.

Plus, without any doubt, I can confirm how you’ll create more lifetime memories with your loved ones.

Moreover, it has a large carrying capacity of 6 quarts. Because of this, you don’t have to worry whenever you have friends or families around.

And the best part: it’s easy to operate and clean after use. Isn’t that more than enough to ask for?

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9. Norpro 6840 Manual Ice Cream Machine

I love simplicity and I bet you also do. Homemade ice creams are more tasty and rich in flavor. That’s why one needs a hand-churned ice cream maker that’s fast, simple, and efficient. For that, I can’t think of any other ice cream maker other than Norpro 6840.

This is the only hand ice cream maker that takes a measly 15 minutes. Besides, it’s the simplest machine for homemade ice cream and a guarantee for the best rich in flavor ice creams.

Whenever you don’t have enough time, this is one ice cream maker you should try out. It saves you tons of time as you don’t have to wait for hours to make your favorite ice creams. Plus, it comes with a user manual with operating instructions.

If you’re the least worried that you’d find it a hurdle operating this product, then that shouldn’t be a problem anymore. And, for rich ice cream flavors, it comes with a variety of recipes that you can try out.

No additives are included in the recipes. Therefore, you’re assured of healthy and tasty homemade ice creams. You can’t find that anywhere.

Moreover, it is small-sized and lightweight which makes it easy to handle. You can carry it wherever hassle-free—to the office, beach, or a friend’s place.

Being small in size, it has a capacity of 300 ml. And you can use it to make 1.25 cups for this quantity.

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10. Lehman's Ice Making Machine

The first brand that comes to my mind when I think of ice cream makers with rugged construction is Country Freezer Units.

To say the least, this brand is associated with the most effective hand cranked homemade ice cream makers you can think of.

After trying out Lehman’s Best Ice cream Freezer, you’ll also attest to this. The first thing that’ll catch your attention is the solid rugged construction. And not forgetting the heavy stainless steel reinforcement along the oak wood tub.

These two features make the ice cream maker sturdy and the best fit for longevity. Therefore, you can use it for generations upon generations. This also means it’s the last one you’ll ever buy, thereby saving you more money in the future.

Most importantly, I’d say having a large carrying capacity also sets this ice cream maker on top of its league. At 8 quarts, you can prepare enough tasty and yummy ice cream for a large group of people.

No need to worry anymore! If you’re hosting your entire family and you think there won’t be enough ice cream dessert, you’d want to try this product out. “The Great American Dessert”—that’s how ice cream made from Lehman’s is commonly known.

You surely don’t want to miss that kind of experience. Do you? That’s why I’d recommend that you give this ice cream maker a shot.

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Comparison Table of Hand Crank Ice Cream Maker

Hand Crank Ice Cream Maker Buying Guide

There is a myriad of factors to consider when looking into buying a hand crank ice cream machine. For the record, you have to place emphasis on making a well-informed buying decision.

So, what exactly should you check out for when looking for the best hand crank ice cream maker? Below is everything that you need to know.

1. Size and Carrying Capacity

Ice cream makers vary in size and carrying capacity. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. The most important thing to consider when looking into size and capacity is purpose. Why do you need the ice cream maker and for how many people?

It goes without saying that if you love the outdoors, then you’d need a product that’s small sized, lightweight and easy to carry around. Especially, if you’re thinking of involving children in the churning, the ice cream maker sure needs to be lightweight.

Capacity influences the volume of ice cream you can produce at any time. Therefore, if you’re having a large number, a large sized ice cream maker would be a good fit. Anything above 4 quarts is significantly large enough for high volume production.

However, it’s also okay to only want ice cream that’s only enough for you. In such a situation, small sized ice cream would work best for you. For this, you may consider a carrying capacity of below 2 quarts.

2. Ease of Use

The beauty of operating a homemade ice cream maker is the ease of use. As you’re making your favorite ice cream, you’ll need a machine that takes the shortest time possible with minimal struggle.

Ideally, you should make the ice cream in less than an hour. 30 to 45 minutes is the optimum range. The best part is that some will get the ice cream ready in 15 minutes.

The bottom line is, this can only be possible with a machine that’s easy to operate.

The sure way to know if an ice cream maker is easy to use is by watching a live demo by the seller. Alternatively, if your friend owns your preferred ice cream maker model, you can use theirs for the test. Then, if you find it easy to operate, you can consider buying a similar ice cream maker.

Sometimes, the seller or manufacturers make such claims on paper. Only to buy the product and get disappointed. That’s why it’s important to watch a demo or try the product out by yourself. And only make a decision out of experience.

3. Price

Price plays an important role in influencing your budget for a manual ice cream maker. This is simply because different ice cream brands price their products according to how sophisticated or advanced they are.

It’s also no secret that high price is not a guarantee for high performance efficiency. The last thing you want is to fall into this trap.

Therefore, as much as you’re looking for the best ice cream maker, put emphasis on the features and functionality.

That said, your budget is the next important thing to consider. Then carry out a price analysis of all the ice cream makers you’d wish to buy. After that, only settle on the product that offers maximum value and is also affordable.

4. Warranty on Parts

The most important parts of an ice cream maker are; the gears, the Dasher, the canister, and the bucket. Others include the canister lid, electric motor and the hand crank. So here’s the thing:

Continuous use of the ice cream maker leads to tear and wear of these parts. And in some instances, these parts can fail after only a few weeks or days of use. Since this is simply inevitable, you want to make sure that you’re fully protected.

And that you get the full value for your money. Therefore, one sure way of guaranteeing this is through a product warranty. This means you can get free replacement of parts or a free repair of your ice cream maker.

While most hand cranked ice cream makers have a limited warranty period, some have an unlimited warranty. This means that after purchase, you’ll get a lifetime protection on all the parts of the ice cream maker.

Plus, this kind if warranty helps you save lots of money in buying parts from other dealers for replacement.

If this is something you’d want, you are free to check out Lifetime Ice cream Maker.  It’s the only product in this review with an unlimited lifetime warranty.

5. Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance

When sugars and other organic ingredients mix, they create an environment for breeding of bacteria. In most cases, these bacteria are harmful and pose serious health complications to humans.

The best way to ensure your safety is to always use a clean ice cream maker. But this can only remain a wild dream if the machine is hard to clean after use.

The best hand crank ice cream maker should be easy to clean and have a low maintenance cost. In such case, you’d only need kitchen tap water to clean the ice cream maker.

6. Operation mode

After careful study and using different brands of ice cream makers, I’ve learnt something. An ice cream maker can either operate on hand crank mode, electric mode or both. Electric mode is awesome for hands free churning.

On the flip side, the hand crank mode is great when you actively want to involve your children in making the ice cream. It’s perfect for establishing strong bonds between family members because of the high level of engagement involved.

As you can see, depending on your personal preference, you can opt for a hand turn ice cream maker or an electric hand crank ice cream maker.

Therefore, carefully check that the ice cream maker has the right operation modes you’re looking for.

7. Free Ice Cream Recipe

The beauty of homemade ice cream is the freedom to influence the ingredients that go into the ice cream maker. Most importantly, some good branded ice cream makers come with an accompanying free recipe guideline booklet.

For rich tasty and healthy ice creams, you need a recipe to follow. Therefore, before settling on an ice cream maker, first check if it has a recipe. 

The good news is that all the products in this review come with a recipe. Thus, you’re assured of high quality and healthy ice creams for you and your loved ones.

8. Material of Construction

What is the strongest ice cream maker on the market? The best way to tell this is by assessing the type of materials used to make the ice cream parts. Mostly, the outer ice cream bucket is made of either wood or stainless steel.

In both cases, be sure that the material is sturdy and durable. You’ll need this as an assurance of longevity. The strongest ice cream makers are used by generations after generations. Definitely, this wouldn’t be possible if the construction material was feeble.

For the record, this not only applies to the bucket but also the gears, the canister, the canister lid, the electric motor, and the hand crank. For durability, these parts need to be made of the strongest material such as steel or hardwood.

There are also some ice cream makers with a plastic outer covering. Compared to wood and steel, you’d agree that plastic is quite weak. Therefore, any product made out of plastic will be much weaker than those made from wood and steel.

Depending on your preference, you can settle on a plastic, wood, or steel ice cream maker. Another alternative would be buying a product that has all these construction materials. Such a product is a hybrid and will surely last longer.

How To Use A Hand Crank Ice Cream Maker?

A hand crank ice cream maker is easy to operate even by small children. Below is the step by step guide on how to use one.

Step 1: Decide on the ice cream recipe to use for your preferred ice cream flavor. Cook the ingredients thoroughly and let the solution cool down for a few minutes.

Step 2: Add ice cubes into the bucket and sprinkle some rock salt into it. This helps to keep the canister strategically in the center.

The salt also helps in lowering the melting time for the ice cubes. And once the ice is fully melted, the water temperature stays below the freezing point.

Step 3: Add the already cooled down ice cream ingredients mixture into the canister. Only be carefully not to let any ice cubes fall into the canister as this may ruin everything.

Step 4: Cover the canister and start cranking. Use the canister lid to cover the canister as you carefully do the cranking.

If you want, you can let the children turn the handle in turns. In not more than 45 minutes, the ice cream should be ready for serving.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. How Long Does It Take To Hand Crank Ice Cream?

Ans: Depending on the ice cream maker brand, it should take between 15 to 45 minutes to crank ice cream. Once you start to feel the solution hardening, it’s usually an indication that the ice cream is ready for serving.

Q2. When Should I Take My Ice Cream Out Of The Maker?

Ans: After an average of 30 minutes, the ice cream should be hard enough and ready for serving. Once you feel a struggle in turning the handle, you need to prepare to take the ice cream out of the maker.

Q3. Why Is My Homemade Ice Cream Not Thickening?

Ans: You’ll notice your homemade ice cream not thickening when the canister was not cold enough before adding the ingredients. This can also happen when you haven’t added enough ice cubes and rock salt.

Q4. What Can I Use Instead Of Rock Salt For Making Ice Cream?

Ans: A reliable rock salt alternative is Kosher salt. In comparison to iodized table salt, it has larger crystals. Therefore, this makes it equally effective as rock salt.

Conclusion

What is the best hand crank ice cream maker?

For sure, finding a reliable ice cream maker is never a walk in the park. The good news is that by reading this comprehensive guide, you’re now in a good place to make an informed buying decision.

The right product is easy to use and to maintain, is durable, comes with a recipe, and has an optimum carrying capacity.

This is all you need to know before making any considerations. So, what are you still waiting for?

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