Top-Rated Ice Cream Scoops for Making Perfect Servings

Are you a true ice cream lover if you don't own an at-home ice cream maker? This best-selling Cuisinart ice cream maker whips up treats like sorbet and frozen yogurt in 20 minutes—all you have to do is pour in your ingredients, set the machine and enjoy. Our Test Kitchen loves this model because it's super simple to use. If you need a little help to kick-start your ice cream making, check out our step-by-step instructions.

After making your homemade treats, you're going to need somewhere to store them. This Tovolo ice cream tub is just the thing, with a narrow freezer-friendly design and double-walled insulation that prevents condensation and freezer burn.

While you're making homemade ice cream, the next step is making your very own ice cream treats. This ice cream sandwich mold from Chef'n makes it super easy. While you're waiting on your mold to come in the mail, pick up a box of our Test Kitchen's favorite ice cream sandwiches.

No list of must-have ice cream accessories is complete without our Test Kitchen's favorite ice cream scoop: the Zeroll ice cream scoop. This USA-made scooper glides through frozen treats with ease to produce super-clean scoops to fill up your waffle cone.

When you visit an amazing ice cream shop, the scoops are the star of the show. However, when your go-to parlor also creates scratch-made waffle cones, well, that's a match made in heaven. With this waffle cone maker from Amazon, you can get that fresh waffle cone experience right at home. Waffle cone makers come with molds to shape cones and dishes—perfect for any ice cream style.

Don't settle for lackluster chocolate or caramel syrup. To top your sundaes you'll want super-rich, super-delicious Williams-Sonoma salted caramel and fudge sauces. These jars also make great gifts for the sundae fanatic in your life.

For when you're not eating directly out of the pint (no shame!), treat yourself by scooping your favorite flavor into these elegant ice cream dishes from Wayfair. Be sure to bring these out to serve elegant ice cream desserts at your next dinner party. May we suggest these Warm Pineapple Sundaes with Rum Sauce?

If you're looking for a next-level ice cream scoop to complete your collection of ice cream accessories, add the Midnight Scoop to your cart right now. According to our editors, this is one of the best ice cream scoops you can buy—and it should be! The Midnight Scoop was designed by an aerospace engineer and ice cream aficionado.

No doubt about it: Homemade whipped cream is better than any of the pre-made stuff. However, breaking out the hand mixer each time you want to top your favorite scoop with a dollop can be a bit of a pain. An easy shortcut is to use a cream dispenser from Williams-Sonoma—one of our favorite ice cream accessories. Fill the canister with cream and the N2O charger will take care of the rest!

If you don't have a lot of space in your kitchen but still want to experiment with the wonderful world of homemade ice cream, try this single-serve ice cream maker by Chef'n. To make your own serving of ice cream, just freeze this dish, then add your ice cream base right to the bowl. With a little stirring, you'll soon have a few scoops of ice cream. You can also use this compact gadget to mix toppings into any ice cream—store-bought or from-scratch—a la Cold Stone Creamery.

To make homemade milkshakes you can absolutely use a blender, but we think it's much more fun to use an old-fashioned milkshake mixer. All you have to do to make a milkshake from scratch is load up the metal cup and get whirring with this Hamilton Beach milkshake maker. And if you prefer malts, just add a scoop of malted milk powder!

Sure, you can serve that homemade milkshake in your favorite glass, but it's so much more fun to serve them up in special milkshake glasses. These retro glasses from Wayfair are also great for ice cream floats and boozy ice cream drinks, too.

When you want to make enough ice cream to feed a group, give this Cuisinart two-quart ice cream machine a try. It works with just the turn of a dial and can make everything from traditional ice cream to sorbet to fro-yo. It's also one of our Test Kitchen's go-to models.

If you've got a KitchenAid stand mixer at home (and we know all you serious bakers do), you don't need to invest in an all-new appliance to make ice cream. Instead, snag the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment. This extra fits right onto your mixer and churns a batch of homemade ice cream in 20 minutes. Don't forget to check out our other favorite KitchenAid attachments.

Whether you're building an over-the-top milkshake or just enjoying a scoop after dinner, sprinkles make any frozen treat better. Fancy Sprinkles is the headquarters for head-turning sprinkles and sugars.

Want homemade ice cream without all the fuss? Try an ice cream starter from Williams-Sonoma. Just stir this mix with cream and pop it into your ice cream maker for a shortcut treat. When you have a little more time, try our homemade coffee ice cream recipe.

If soft serve ice cream is more your style, we know you love a good Dairy Queen Blizzard. Next time you're having a craving for one of these DQ-style treats, you can skip the drive-thru and take a quick trip to the kitchen. This Cuisinart soft serve ice cream maker churns your ingredients. When you're ready to enjoy, just pull the handle and make the perfect swirl. Another reason we love this gadget: It comes with three built-in topping dispensers so you can customize your cone.

What's a sundae without a cherry on top? When you're making your perfect sundae at home, skip those basic neon red cherries and opt for Luxardo maraschino cherries. These cherries are the darkest red and are imbued with a sweet yet tart flavor. And don't sleep on the syrup at the bottom of the jar; it's a great topper for ice cream.

What to Look for When Buying the Best Ice Cream Accessories

When buying the best ice cream accessories, research ice cream machines. Consider their functions and the time it takes to churn the ice cream. "Besides the ingredients you use, the paddle, dasher and scraper design of the ice cream maker and the freezing time can significantly change the texture, hence the quality of your ice cream, because both affect ice crystal formation," they explain. It's also worth mentioning that the materials used to construct the ice cream maker will affect the longevity of the machine (e.g. stainless steel vs. plastic parts).

Why You Should Trust Us

Megan Mowery is a former shopping editor who with years of experience helping Taste of Home readers find products to improve their lives. Megan covers everything from must-buy Amazon products to tried-and-tested product reviews. In her spare time, you can find her online shopping, learning a new craft, or caring for her jungle of plants. Lisa Kaminsky also contributed to this article. Lisa has over six years of food writing experience with Taste of Home. As the associate editor at Taste of Home, Lisa explored finding and testing the best ingredients, kitchen gear and home products. She also has penned numerous stories on the best-of beverages, snack foods, ready-made baking ingredients and more. Lisa also led the Taste of Home Bakeable program, a guide-to-baking hub and social community of 20,000 home bakers. We also spoke with ice cream industry professionals Courtney Blagrove and Zan B.R., sisters and founders of Urban Dessert Lab. Courtney and Zan have an extensive background in research, and Courtney holds a PhD in nutrition and metabolism. This allows them to keep R&D in-house, which aids in developing new, premium products and flavors. All products are made using quality ingredients, which results in a taste, texture and aesthetic combination that is unique to Urban Dessert Lab and has been proven to have mass appeal.

How We Found the Best Ice Cream Accessories

We searched the web and gathered and tested a variety of ice cream machines and tools across the board. We considered top-rated brands, the items in our kitchens and hundreds of customer reviews. We also noted each tool's difficulty levels, ensuring that each one is simple and efficient in creating the best ice cream creations. From there, we spoke with industry experts who share the times they keep in their ice cream shop to make it a seamless experience.

FAQs

How long can you keep ice cream in an ice cream maker?

This depends on the make and model of the ice cream maker, but a good rule of thumb is that the ice cream should not be left in the maker for an extended period. The machines are crafted to churn the cream, not for storing; removing the ice cream within an hour of making it is best.

What equipment do you need to make homemade ice cream?

Booth Courtney and Zan share that you should start by having an ice cream maker of your choice. "If you do not have an ice cream maker or access to a freezer, you can also make ice cream manually by hand using rock salt and ice," they add. Paddles, scoops and dishes are also key accessories to have in your kitchen.

What is a Canister Vs. Compressor

Canister ice cream models require you to pre-freeze the ice cream bowl before use. On the other hand, compressor ice cream models do not require an individual to pre-freeze an ice cream bowl before use.

Do I Have to Pre-freeze My Ice Cream Maker?

According to Courtney and Zan, this will also depend on which type of ice cream maker is used. Typically, it's best to freeze beforehand, which helps improve the machine's functionality. The extra coldness can also impact the overall quality of the ice cream, making it easier to thicken.