Ninja Creamis are better suited for this type of stuff. For best result in a regular ice cream machine you need "unhealthy" ingredients.
Comparison
Kitchen & Dining
Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5-Qt Automatic Ice Cream Maker
Best Budget Ice Cream Maker
The Cuisinart ICE-21 is a 1.5-Qt automatic ice cream maker that churns homemade ice cream, sorbet, and gelato in 20–25 minutes using a pre-frozen double-walled bowl. It's the most accessible ice cream maker in Canada and available on Amazon.ca (ASIN B000FMQHM0) at around $79 CAD.
10 mentions · 5 threadslast mention Jun 2026ClearPick Score
7.3 / 10
Mixed Reviews
Score informed by 10 owner mentions across 5 Reddit threads · see every quote ↓
4 positive4 mixed2 negative
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Best Budget Ice Cream Maker
Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5-Qt Automatic Ice Cream Maker
~$79 CAD est. on Amazon.ca
View on Amazon.ca →Opens Amazon.ca · Affiliate link✅ Ships to Canada
✅ Prime eligible (most orders)
✅ 30-day Amazon returns
✅ No extra cost to you
Every mention, sourced
Real comments from Reddit, linked to the original thread. Nothing paraphrased.
The ICE-21 just works, buy yourself a 4$ lab thermometer (- 10°C to 110°C) and a kitchen timer too and you have everything you need to log your own results and make perfect icecream just the way you want it.
Praise
I have the ICE-21 for home use and the only reason I'd contemplate getting something else (if I had the space) would be to have a built-in compressor so I could freeze batches back to back without needing to store multiple canisters in my freezer ... The ICE-21 is really all you need to make an excellent American-style ice cream, though.
Comparison
I went with the ICE-21 and i've had it for about a year. It's been great and I don't regret buying it. Would definitely purchase it again.
Praise
It's relatively inexpensive, compact, and can produce good quality ice cream. There are no better machines near that price point.
Praise
I also confirmed that it wont absorb based on my experiences with pineapple w sweeten fish sauce flavor and chili jam w pork fross flavor :)
Praise
I have made two batches in a row in that model but I made sure that everything going into the unit was super cold. It did fine but it's also one reason why I just bought a new unit with a compressor, I might want to make more than two in a row.
Comparison
bought the cuisinart ice-21 as recommended by most redditors. this is my 4th attempt with different recipes from the booklet provided with no success ... Every time i try a recipe i end up with liquid that's maybe a little thicker than when i started, but nothing that can be even remotely considered solid when scooped with a spoon.
Complaint
Never was "the best". But I'd rather buy a car with the extra money. Really where it sounds like you are at, a used Cuisinart ice 21 or 30 is perfect.
Comparison
I found none of the ones that came with the machine were any good. Also all the recipes I have made have never been ready to eat freshly churned. I always have to freeze it for at least a few hours before frozen enough to my taste.
Complaint
✅ What Works
- Churns a liquid base into fully frozen ice cream, sorbet, or gelato in 20–25 minutes — faster than most budget machines and with consistently smooth results when the bowl is properly pre-frozen.
- The double-walled insulated freezer bowl eliminates the need for rock salt or ice, making the process genuinely simple — freeze the bowl, pour in the base, turn on the machine.
- Quiet enough to run on the counter while cooking, and compact enough to store the bowl in a standard freezer without displacing other items.
- At $79 CAD, it's the most accessible entry point into home ice cream making in Canada, and owners consistently report results that rival commercial gelato at a fraction of the per-serving cost.
⚠️ Worth Knowing
- The freezer bowl must pre-freeze for 6–24 hours before use — spontaneous ice cream is not possible, and planning ahead the night before is essentially required.
- The machine produces soft-serve consistency at the end of the churn cycle — for scoopable ice cream, transfer to a container and freeze for an additional 2 hours.
- 1.5 Qt is a small batch — roughly 3–4 adult servings — which means multiple churn cycles (and multiple bowl freeze sessions) for larger gatherings.
- The bowl takes up a meaningful amount of freezer space when stored, which can be a real constraint in a compact apartment freezer.
ClearPick Verdict
The Cuisinart ICE-21 is the clearest entry point into home ice cream making in Canada — it's affordable, produces genuinely good results, and the process is simple once you build the habit of freezing the bowl in advance. The planning requirement and the need for a second 2-hour freeze to achieve scoopable texture are real, not minor, constraints. For households that plan ahead and want good homemade ice cream without a large investment, it delivers exactly what it promises.
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