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 20267.3/ 10
ClearPick Score
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
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 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
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
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
✅ 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.
