The search for the best hand crank ice cream will lead you to plenty of options to consider on the market. However, there are many factors you need to consider before you make a purchase. With the increase of hot temperature, there’s nothing great like a scoop of your favorite ice cream.
Choosing a high-quality product should also be a crucial factor to consider, and that is why you shouldn’t rush to make your decision. You need to take your time and ensure you buy something that you don’t end up regretting in the future.
How to Buy an Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Maker
When it comes to buying a hand crank ice cream maker, there are many things to consider. Here is our guide on how to go about that.
Check the Usability
Is the ice cream maker user-friendly? This is a crucial question you need to ask yourself before buying an antique ice cream maker. You know that these units typically require you to use your muscle and hands to power them to get the ice cream.
Therefore, you need to buy a unit that is convenient and easy to use. I would recommend purchasing an ice cream maker that doesn’t require many turns to get the ice cream ready. Having such a unit will ease the amount of work for you since you won’t have to use your muscles too much when making ice cream.
The best hand crank ice cream maker should take at least 20 minutes to make ice cream. Some units also don’t need salt or ice as their freezing elements when making ice cream, making them ideal to consider.
The Capacity of the Ice Cream Maker
Another important consideration is how much your ice cream maker can generate at a time. If you need an ice cream maker to use for your entire family, then you should consider buying one with a high capacity. Usually, the capacity of hand crank ice cream makers is expressed in quarts. For a large family, you need an ice cream maker with a capacity of 1.5 quarts, which can make 4 cups of ice cream.
Some units can make up to 6 cups of ice cream. Therefore, that is the suitable range to consider when you have a big family. However, note that these units with higher capacities tend to be costly and require a large storage.
Quality of the Ice Cream
The reason why you’re buying a hand crank ice cream maker is that you want to make quality ice cream at home. Therefore, it is crucial to consider finding a unit that produces high-quality ice cream.
Avoid rushing to buy an ice cream maker just because of its great looks and design. You need to conduct thorough research to find one that produces quality ice cream and is easy to use.
The benefit of using hand-crank ice cream makers is that you have full control over the texture and consistency of the ice cream that you’re making. That means you can produce quality ice cream faster and easily at home.
The Speed of the Ice Cream Maker
The speed of the ice cream maker also plays a significant role in its usage. It would be best to buy an ice cream maker that works faster to make your work easier. To find out how much speed a hand crank ice cream maker has, you can check the manufacturer’s recommended duration before making the purchase.
The Price
The price of an ice cream maker is also important to consider. If you’re investing in an old fashioned ice cream maker, avoid looking for one that is too cheap. Buy one that is sold at a considerable price. Some of the expensive units in the market tend to have excellent features and worth their price. You need to keep in mind whenever you’re out looking for an ice cream maker.
Easy to Clean and Noise
Is the ice cream maker easy to clean? That’s something you need to consider as well. Since it’s going to be one of your kitchen items, you wouldn’t want something that will always give you a hard time when it comes to cleaning.
Therefore, you need to buy a unit that offers you a hassle-free cleaning experience. I would advise purchasing a unit that is easy to remove some of the parts when cleaning. Another alternative is to buy a compact model.
When it comes to noise, consider buying a unit that doesn’t produce so much noise when using it. This will help you work smoothly, without much strain.
Hand Crank Ice Cream Maker FAQs
Why should you buy a hand crank ice cream maker?
The benefit of using hand-crank ice cream makers is that they are affordable, fun to use, and offer you full control of making ice cream the way you want. These ice cream makers are also ideal to use outdoors while traveling.
What are the best hand crank ice cream maker brands?
Only a few companies make old fashioned ice cream makers, so they are quite limited on the market. However, the recognized brands include Donvier, Cuisinart, Nostalgia Electronics, Buffalo Tools, Immergood, and White Mountain.
How come some hand-crank ice cream makers don’t need any salt and ice to work?
The units that don’t need salt and ice to work are normally created with a chemical coolant. For this reason, the use of ice and salt becomes unnecessary. But, you need to note that with such units, they need the cooling agent to be pre-frozen before using them.
How Long It Takes to Make Ice Cream with a Hand Crank Ice Cream Maker
After buying a hand crank ice cream maker, you probably want to know how long it usually takes to make ice cream for you. It’s quite simple, and most ice cream makers take approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
However, some are slow and may take more than 40 minutes, although this depends on the model you decide to buy. Some of the units that need salt and ice to work as freezing elements take longer to crank ice cream.
Therefore, the best way to know how long a unit would take to make ice cream is to check the manufacturer’s recommendation. Less or more than half an hour is the average time you need to wait for your ice cream to be made by the machine.
Top 4 Best Hand Crank Ice Cream Makers
This section will review four of the best hand crank ice cream makers in the market.
1. Immergood Stainless Steel Ice Cream Maker
- Leak-free ice cream freezer
- Made of stainless steel metal
- Highly-insulated triple-layer construction
- Unique
- No need for grease
- High-quality ice cream maker
If you’re searching for a high-quality hand crank ice cream maker, then the Immergood Stainless Steel Ice Cream Maker fits into that description. This ice cream freezer is durable and designed to make your work easier. The good thing about it is that it takes the idea of making hand-cranked ice cream to another level, thanks to its many useful features. It includes a tub, metals, gears, and bushings.
These features have been included to make it worth using. Due to its stainless steel construction, this ice cream maker guarantees to last for longer, plus it doesn’t require any grease to function. It uses Poly wear bushings, which contributes to its durability and doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. All you need to do with this unit is just start making ice cream right away.
The Immergood Stainless Steel Ice Cream Maker is not only leak-free but also highly insulated. It features a triple-layer construction, which means you can store your ice cream for hours or an entire day, thanks to the insulated tub. Overall, it is a family-friendly ice cream maker that has plenty of excellent features to offer.
2. Classic Wooden Tub Country Ice Cream Maker
- Well crafted
- Rustproof
- Stainless steel construction
- Locking tub latch
- Tall design which helps with freezing
- One year warranty
The Classic Wooden Tub Country Ice Cream Maker features a traditional design that offers new technology to an old idea. A heavy white oak wooden tub and adjustable heavy stainless steel bands make it convenient to use. There’s also a rustproof manganese-bronze gear frame included in the ice cream maker that helps it last longer. Thanks to its extra heavy stainless steel construction, you won’t have to worry about this unit getting damaged faster.
It will last longer than you expect and serve you to your satisfaction. The hardware is nicely done by the manufacturer, and the positive locking tub latch makes your work a breeze. The tall design of this hand crank ice cream maker significantly helps with freezing, and you can easily find replaceable parts in the market.
When you compare it to other similar ice cream makers sold on the market, you’ll come to realize that it has a lot to offer, which makes it worth the price. Simply put, it provides value great for the money.
3. Homeplace 6 qt LIFETIME Ice Cream Maker
- Easy to clean
- User-friendly
- Stainless steel hardware
- Great design
- Durable
- Rustproof zinc gears
With the increase in ice cream makers on the market, it is sometimes difficult to find one that fully meets your needs. Luckily, the Homeplace 6 qt LIFETIME Ice Cream Maker is a hand crank unit with rustproof gear that is affordable and quite efficient to use. Made of stainless steel hardware, this antique ice cream maker is an ideal option to consider since it is guaranteed to last longer.
It comes with a one-piece dasher and doesn’t feature a lot of moving parts. When it comes to cleaning, you will love this ice cream maker because it doesn’t need much work. All you need to do is use the necessary tools required for cleaning, and within 30 minutes, you’ll be done.
Using it doesn’t have so much hassle because it’s quite easy to pull out of ice cream. The one-piece dasher includes a nylon scraper blade, while the extra-heavy stainless steel construction makes it ideal for those looking for a long-term type of ice cream maker. It comes with a lifetime warranty on all the stainless steel parts, and the tub replacement parts are easily available on the market.
4. 4qt Country Ice Cream Maker
- Stainless steel construction
- Rustproof manganese-bronze housing
- Excellent design
- Tall ice cream maker
- Freezes properly
- Adjustable steel bands
Similar to the Homeplace 6 qt, the 4qt Country Ice Cream Maker is also an efficient unit that is efficient and affordable. The unit is well crafted with a great design, which makes it easier to use and clean. It features a rustproof manganese-bronze housing that helps it to last longer, with also rustproof zinc gears. Due to its stainless steel construction, this ice cream maker will help you save money because once you buy, it will serve you for years without buying another one.
In terms of flexibility, this old fashioned ice cream maker brings new tech and doesn’t require you to use much muscle while making ice cream. There’s an included heavy white oak wooden tub that is ideal for usage. The efficiency provided by this ice cream maker makes it worth the money it’s sold because you won’t need to struggle to use and clean it.
With its traditional design, this hand crank ice cream maker will not only offer you stability but also help you save money since now you’ll be able to make ice cream at home. It has a one-year warranty and a 5-year warranty on the stainless steel parts.
Conclusion
The best hand crank ice cream maker, by definition, depends not only on your preferences but also your set budget. When choosing an ice cream maker, it is essential to consider its efficiency, durability, and user-friendliness. Be sure to check out some of the ice cream makers we’ve reviewed in this post to determine an ideal for you. If you’re looking for other vintage items for your kitchen check out our post on the best vintage bread boxes.
