KitchenAid’s appliances are iconic. They have an enduring reputation for quality and performance and ice cream is another notch on their belt. If you already have a KitchenAid and want to make ice cream at home, this is a cost and space saving alternative to other ice cream makers.
After doing some research, it was clear that I needed to test this attachment. It looks premium and customers praise it highly. I took it to our test kitchen to put it to the test against other market-leaders. We made ice cream, dairy free ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt.
It’s relatively quick and consistently churned the best texture of ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt. It isn’t without its quirks, but if you already have a KitchenAid stand mixer, this is an attachment you won’t regret.
KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment Specs
(Image credit: KitchenAId)
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| Product code | KICA0WH |
| Method | frozen bowl and churn |
| Weight | 6lbs |
| Dimensions | 10.9 x 10.3 x 10.3 inches |
| Included | mixing bowl, assembly drive, dasher |
| Pre-freeze time | 16 hours |
| Dishwasher safe | dasher is |
| Batch yield | 2 quarts |
| Sound | 84 dBA |
Unboxing
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To use the KitchenAid ice cream maker, you need to have a KitchenAid stand mixer. It doesn’t matter if it’s a tilt head or bowl lift, both will work. The only ones which aren’t compatible are the 3.5 qt Artisan Mini mixers and the KPM5 bowl-lift models.
Given that the bulk of the appliance is already in your home, I didn’t expect to have to tackle much packaging. The box itself is small, but it was full of polystyrene. Whilst this delivered a pristine bowl attachment, it’s not great for the environment and bulky to dispose of. Lifting the bowl out of the box, it’s quite heavy, but that’s because it’s iron and filled with liquid that you’ll need to freeze. It feels more premium than the plastic dasher, which is a little flimsy.
Before use, KitchenAid recommends that you freeze the bowl for 16 hours. Although this is a common feature of ice cream makers, this is nearly eleven inches tall. You'll have to clear at least half a shelf of space for it. It also needs to be at the back or coolest part of your freezer, so you can’t precariously push it in anywhere.
Who will it suit?
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If you’re looking to make considerable quantities of soft serve ice cream, sorbet, or frozen yogurt, this is perfect. It’s relatively quick, quiet, and very hands-off. It's not particularly child-friendly; for that, I would recommend the Zoku ice cream maker. However, the results of the KitchenAid are in a different league.
The price point for a KitchenAid ice cream maker is much lower than other countertop appliances - it costs around $80. However, KitchenAid assumes that you’ll already have the KitchenAid stand mixer, which is an investment in itself. This means that the ice cream maker attachment is only suitable for households who already own a KitchenAid stand mixer. This isn’t for you if you have a small freezer either, because the bowl is big and needs overnight storage.
What is it like to use?
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After cooling in the freezer overnight, the bowl was really cold to hold. I had to use oven gloves to carry it so that I didn’t stick myself to the bowl. We used a tilt-head KitchenAid Artisan. The bowl lift machine follows a slightly different set up process, but the instructions explain this well. To lock the bowl into place you twist it on the clamping plate. The dasher - which is the blade which churns the ice cream - sits inside and the drive easily slides onto the motor head - push it until you can’t slide it any more. Thankfully, there is a useful video which you can follow if you’re unsure. I lowered the head down so that the drive and dasher were touching. Once I had figured this out the first time, every other time was easy. It’s a very simple set up process.
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Test 1: Vanilla Ice Cream
Any mixture that you add to your KitchenAid needs to be around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which is fridge temperature. I prepared an ice cream mix by whisking one cup of whole milk with ¾ cup of granulated sugar. Once the sugar had dissolved, I whisked in two cups of heavy cream and two teaspoons of vanilla paste. This made more than enough for a 2 quart. batch of ice cream.
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KitchenAid recommends that you begin on the lowest speed setting before adding any ice cream mix to the bowl. This prevents your mix from instantly freezing at the bottom of your bowl, because this solid mass would stop the dasher from rotating and churning the ice cream. Once spinning, you can add your mix. As I began to slowly pour my ice cream mix, I noticed that splashes sat on top of the dasher as I was pouring. This works itself off after a while, but is a lesson in cautious pouring. After I had added all of my mix, I increased the churning speed to half of the full capacity. The mixer’s noise got louder, but was not unbearable. I used a dBA recorder and the highest measurement I got was 100 dBa, it was consistently around 75-80dBA, which is like a loud conversation.
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KitchenAid says that within 30 minutes, your ice cream will be ready. I checked my mix at fifteen minutes and could see that I was close to ice cream, but it wasn’t soft serve quality. At this not-yet-soft-serve stage, you can add in any extras. I kept churning and checked the mixture after five minutes. In just over twenty minutes, my ice cream was the perfect soft serve. I took some ice cream out for tests and mixed in some brownie chunks to the rest of the mixture.
After five minutes, the chunks were evenly distributed and the ice cream was really thick. Even though I only poured in enough for 1.5 quarts, the mix expanded to make more. I read a tip that you should listen for a clicking sound as your paddle rotates. If you can hear that, it’s definitely ready. Whilst this isn’t official KitchenAid advice, it worked in practice.
Once I could see the ice cream clinging to the dasher, I stopped the mixer. In my excitement, I lifted the tilt-head. My dasher, heavy with freshly churned vanilla ice cream, toppled, coating itself in ice cream. After I’d scraped this clean, it was ready to taste. The ice cream was glossy, smooth, and, unsurprisingly, cold. I was really pleased with the texture; there were no ice crystals or lumps and it was a really firm scoop. After refreezing it for three hours, the ice cream was still really scoopable.
Test 2: Vegan Ice Cream
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I didn’t want to warm up the freezer bowl by washing it in warm soapy water, but I didn’t want to churn dairy into my vegan ice cream. After using a silicone spatula to remove most of the ice cream, I used a slightly warm sponge to get the rest out. If you plan on using your KitchenAid for back-to-back batches, work backwards from what you don’t mind having mixed in.
I went through the same process with a vegan vanilla ice cream mix. I substituted oat milk and vegan heavy cream into the recipe. These ingredients can be temperamental, freezing at different temperatures, splitting, or simply not co-operating. Once made, I poured my vegan mix into the frozen bowl. I checked after 15 minutes and it looked like it was about five minutes behind where the dairy ice cream was. After 30 minutes, the vegan ice cream still wasn’t quite ready. After another 10, it was perfect.
Clearly, having not learnt from the first time, I lifted up the tilt-head. Again, my dasher, heavy with freshly churned vegan vanilla ice cream, toppled, coating itself. After cleaning up the sticky mess, I can confirm that the vegan ice cream was as perfect as the dairy ice cream. I could have stopped churning a little earlier, but I wanted it really thick. It was similarly velvety, smooth, and really light, but without having lots of air bubbles.
Test 3: Making Sorbet
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At this point, the KitchenAid had been working hard, in a hot kitchen, for over two hours. I’d cleaned it twice and so I was unsure whether it could handle more tests. The sorbet thickened, but never got to being as thick as my ice cream. I put it back in the freezer to test again under more fair conditions.
To make the sorbet, I chilled a mixture of 450g blended raspberries and 200g of sugar syrup. I followed the same process as the ice cream and poured my sorbet mix slowly into the bowl, with the dasher rotating slowly. The top of the dasher deflected the sorbet at times, leading to a few red splashes on the side. Lucky, I dodged these, but don’t wear white if you’re making raspberry sorbet. Within 15 minutes, my sorbet was thick and ready to be eaten. It was cold, smooth, and delicious. Some sorbet had created a frozen layer on the edge of the bowl, but this was easy to scrape away. There weren’t any ice crystals and when I returned to the sorbet after freezing it for a few hours, it was still very scoopable.
Test 4: Frozen Yogurt
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Of all the ice cream makers that we tested, this was the best and easiest frozen yogurt. All I had to do was pour a tub of yogurt into the mixer, on a slow speed. Within fifteen minutes, the yogurt was cold and clinging to the dasher. It was a thick, smooth, soft serve texture. There weren’t any ice crystals either – a flawless performance.
Cleaning and Storage
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After lifting the KitchenAid, the dasher fell into the ice cream, making it a little sticky and messy to clean up. By the time I made sorbet and frozen yogurt, I was ready to hold the dasher to stop it falling. After use, twisting the bowl off took a bit of muscle.
The parts, aside from the bowl, are dishwasher safe. I washed them easily by hand in warm soapy water. I used a soft sponge on the bowl, so that I didn’t scratch it and the ice cream all came easily away. I read reviews where people re-froze their ice cream and struggled to clean the bowl, so it’s better to get it cleaned pretty quickly. When I re-froze anything, I transferred it to a different tub.
Normally, I would recommend always storing your frozen attachment in the freezer. There’s no shortcut or forward wind for freezing, so if you forget to prep, you’re in the sort of sticky mess that I was after all the ice cream testing. The sheer size of the KitchenAid bowl makes it difficult to fit in the freezer, so you’ll probably need to keep it in a cupboard and make sure that you plan your ice cream production well.
How does it rate online?
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Reviewers and customers alike were really pleased with the results from their ice cream maker attachments. I didn’t see many reviews that weren’t over 4.5 stars. People loved the quality of the ice cream produced. Users described it as ‘impressive', ‘smooth’, and I even saw a ‘life changing’.
However, I also came across a cluster of issues. If you hadn’t been warned already, make sure to check your freezer size. This bowl is big and better suited to adjustable shelf or chest freezers. Also, if the freezer bowl was not in the coldest part of the freezer, it didn’t freeze properly. This meant that some people had uneven ice cream results, with ice crystals in their final product. If frozen properly, this shouldn’t be a problem, but it’s good to know. I also found that people who re-froze their ice cream after churning had much more trouble cleaning the mixing bowl out. Small parts become more ice than cream and they clung to the edges of the bowl. In this case, you’re best to melt it off.
How does it compare?
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At under $100, this is reasonable value. Obviously, this price doesn’t account for having to already purchase a KitchenAid, but it offers you an opportunity to save on storing another bulky appliance. I found the KitchenAid to be one of the quieter and quicker models. Its capacity is good and the prep freeze time is average for an ice cream maker. There are models which have a freeze motor, requiring less preparation, but these can be over triple the price and significantly louder.
This is a very traditional design, method, and look. The prep time is average, but the results are exceptional. Of all the ice cream makers that we tested, this was the best.
Should you buy it?
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Having an open top to your ice cream maker is mesmerizing. Aside from getting used to the KitchenAid mechanisms, I really enjoyed using it and tasting the results. The textures were consistently smooth, professional, and pretty quick. The KitchenAid is an option that looks premium, but doesn’t come with an excessive price tag. If you have deep freezers and a KitchenAid mixer, I wouldn’t hesitate. If you have a smaller freezer, look elsewhere. There are comparable models on the market.
How we test
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We are dedicated to how we test all of our appliances. All of our experts are well-established product testers, bringing with them the expertise needed to discern whether these are worthy investments for your home.
For ice cream makers, we researched the best products on the market. We wanted to look for appliances that were good value for money with exceptional results. We took these to our test kitchen and, over the course of a few days, tested these on ice cream, non-dairy ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt. We made notes on the whole process from unboxing to cleaning up to make sure that we didn’t miss a thing. All of these ice cream makers were tested alongside each other, so we could make direct comparisons between them and their results.
FAQs
What setting do you churn ice cream in KitchenAid? ›
Turn your mixer to low or “stir” speed before adding the ice cream base to the machine. Pouring the ice cream base into the machine without the mixer running can cause the machine to seize, as the base becomes solid before churning.
How long does it take to churn ice cream with KitchenAid attachment? ›It usually takes 20-30 minutes to make ice cream with a KitchenAid® Ice Cream Maker attachment for your stand mixer. Churning for this amount of time will produce soft-serve ice cream. If you want a firmer, scoopable ice cream you can freeze it for 2-4 hours, then serve.
Why is my KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment not freezing? ›A few common reasons for this are the freezer bowl isn't frozen, your ice cream base wasn't chilled, the temperature of the room is too hot, your ice cream bowl is defective or your recipe doesn't have the right ratios of fat/sugar, etc.
Why is my ice cream so watery after churning? ›Weak, watery ice creams may not contain enough solids. Try adding some skimmed milk powder (SMP). Or you can experiment with stabilizers. A little bit of salt may bring out some more flavor as well!
How do you know when ice cream is churned enough? ›Churn just until the ice cream is thick, and about the consistency of soft serve, then transfer to another container and store in the freezer.
Why didn't my ice cream churn? ›Too much sugar or alcohol and your ice cream will not churn or set. Less sugar than needed and your ice cream will be icy. Same goes with fat, so do not use low-fat products. Using sugar substitutes in place of sugar.
Does churning ice cream longer make it creamier? ›Ice cream's creaminess depends on the size of the ice crystals that form during freezing-the smaller the crystals, the creamier the texture. Rapid chilling and constant churning encourage the water in the ice cream mixture to form lots of minuscule “seed” crystals; this process is known as propagation.
What temperature do you churn ice cream? ›Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula and scraping the bottom of the pot. Spot check the temperature every couple minutes with your Thermapen, looking for a temperature between 170°F and 180°F (77°C and 82°C).
How long does the KitchenAid ice cream maker need to be in the freezer? ›The freeze bowl must be completely frozen to make ice cream or frozen desserts. Place the bowl in the freezer for a minimum of 15 hours. It is best to store the freeze bowl at the back of the freezer where it is the coldest.
Why is my KitchenAid ice maker too slow? ›If the water filter is not seated properly, it can cause; no or low ice production and water not dispensing properly. Try removing the water filter and re-installing it.
Why is my KitchenAid ice maker making so little ice? ›
Check to make sure the drain hose is not kinked. A kinked hose can cause low ice production, no ice production and can also cause no power or intermittent power to the ice maker.
Can you churn ice cream too long? ›Here's why: Churning ice cream base is a bit like making whipped cream. You need to churn just enough to make the fat globules stick to the air bubbles and form a protective coating that stabilizes the foam. But too much churning can cause the fat globules to stick to each other, turning the mixture into butter.
How long should you churn ice cream for? ›Churn the ice cream.
Start the motor, and churn until the ice cream is done, approximately 30 minutes to one hour, or even longer at times. You will know when it's done because the ice cream will start to expand and rise to the top, and the motor will slow down.
Sugar: it's more than just a sweetener
In addition to making your ice cream sweet, sugar affects its texture, enhancing creaminess and controlling how hard or soft it is. Adding too much sugar to a recipe can actually prevent your ice cream from freezing at all.
Powered by the iconic Stand Mixer, with redesigned assembly and new handles, the Ice Cream Maker Attachment can churn thick and creamy ice cream at home in less than 30 minutes.
How long does it take to churn 1 gallon of ice cream? ›Ice cream taking too long to churn
Ice cream takes a while to churn, about 15 minutes in most ice cream machines that we use at home. If you find that after 15 to 20 minutes, your ice cream still isn't a soft serve consistency, you might not be able to get it to "thicken" further in the ice cream machine.
Ice crystals can form in ice cream when the mixture isn't churned properly or when it's not frozen quickly enough. These crystals can make your ice cream feel gritty or icy, rather than smooth and creamy. Improper churning can also contribute to icy ice cream.
What is the difference between churned and no churn ice cream? ›The main difference is that no-churn ice cream is an American or Philadelphia style ice cream, meaning that it does not contain eggs. Instead, most no-churn recipes call for the addition of sweetened condensed milk instead of granulated sugar.
Why is my ice cream not freezing but everything else is? ›So, why is the freezer not keeping the ice cream frozen? Well, ice cream is less dense than other frozen foods, so melted ice cream usually means your freezer either has a minor cooling issue or it is an indication that a freezer component is failing and needs to be repaired or replaced.
Can you melt ice cream and re churn it? ›If you have ever left ice cream out on the counter for a while or had it melt when the power went out, you may have decided to refreeze it so it wouldn't go to waste. However, that is not a good idea since refreezing melted ice cream can affect the texture and taste and can also be hazardous to your health.
Do you need to chill ice cream before churning? ›
For an ice cream machine to work properly, it has to be cold. Ice cold. Like, rock-hard, frozen-solid cold. A 30-minute dip in the freezer won't do the trick, so plan ahead and chill it properly before starting a batch.
What is the ratio of milk to cream in ice cream? ›Ice cream made just from milk tends to be kind of icy. I like a ratio of 2:1 cream:milk. You can usually get away with 2 cups of cream to 1 cup of milk without overflowing your ice cream machine. Next up: sugar.
Do you have to wait 24 hours for Creami? ›Do I need to freeze the Ninja Creami pint for 24 hours? According to Ninja Kitchen, yes. It takes 24 hours for the mixture to evenly freeze throughout.
What temperature should Kitchenaid ice maker be? ›NOTE: To exit without saving changes, press Ice Mode at any time while in adjust mode, or allow about 60 seconds of inactivity and adjust mode will turn off automatically. The set point range for the refrigerator is 33°F to 42°F (0°C to 6°C). The set point range for the freezer is –9°F to 5°F (–23°C to –15°C).
Can I store my Kitchenaid ice cream maker in the freezer? ›Here are a few tips that you won't want to forget: Keep the freezer bowl stored in your freezer so it's ready anytime you want to make ice cream.
Can you use whole eggs in ice cream? ›Be sure the pasteurized egg product is the whole egg, and not just the egg whites, or you will not get the rich, creamy texture of the ice cream that you are looking for.
Why is there frost in my KitchenAid freezer? ›Frost is likely to build if the door is left open for a long period of time. This allows excess humidity to enter the refrigerator and freezer sections. Make sure the door is closing completely and is not blocked by something between the door gasket and cabinet.
What is the best container to store ice cream in? ›Choose a flat, shallow, plastic container with a tight-fitting lid for storing your ice cream. Round, pint shaped tubs are not the best choice here – something with more surface area will work better. Plastic containers are preferable, as they freeze faster than glass ones.
How fast should my ice maker be? ›A really good refrigerator ice maker will produce 8 to 10 cubes every 90 minutes. In this case, your ice maker should cycle around 16 times each day yielding around 130 cubes in a 24 hour period. This estimate will vary depending on the ice tray size and actual cycle time of your specific machine.
How do you make ice set faster? ›If you're really in a rush, you can try temporarily lowering the temperature of your freezer, which will help chill the water molecules faster. You can also try using a stainless steel ice cube tray instead of a plastic or silicone one. Metal is a very poor insulator, so the water will cool down more quickly.
Why isn't my ice maker making enough ice? ›
If your ice maker isn't producing ice at all or is producing crescents or cubes that are smaller than usual, it's typically indicative of a clog somewhere along the supply line. Cause: A common cause for a clog is frozen water in the line. Fix: To repair a frozen line, slide the refrigerator and unplug it.
Why does ice keep building up in my ice maker? ›Ice makers freeze up when ice can't release off the evaporator plate. As water continues to flow over the stuck ice, it continues to form to the point where it becomes a massive block of ice.
What is Max ice on Kitchenaid ice maker? ›The Max Ice feature assists with increasing the cooling for the freezer compartment in order to increase ice production. To turn on or off the Max Ice feature, press the Max Ice button. When the button is pressed to turn the feature on, the icon will blink 3 times and appear on the display screen.
How long does the ice cream mixture take to churn into a soft serve consistency? ›Churn: Place the frozen ice cream maker bowl in place and turn the machine on. Pour the chilled ice cream base into the ice cream maker and churn it for about 20 minutes until it becomes soft serve consistency. Once the mixture is starting to thicken you can add chocolate chunks, nuts, or other mix-ins.
What speed do you churn ice cream in KitchenAid? ›Use Low Speed for Ice Cream Churning
Most ice cream bases take between 20 to 30 minutes in the KitchenAid bowl, but since there is no built-in timer or doneness indicator you'll want to keep an eye or ear on it. The ice cream should be the consistency of soft-serve when done.
4) Churn the ice cream
If cranking by hand, turn the crank slowly at first, until you feel the cream start to thicken, usually about 10 minutes. Turn the crank faster for another 5 minutes, then open it up to check the progress.
You want to have the machine running when you pour your ingredients in so you don't end up with any icy pieces. Churn for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and increased in volume to your desired consistency.
What is the secret ingredient to ice cream? ›EGG YOLKS: Using only egg yolks (not whole eggs) makes the ice-cream super cream. This is the secret!
What sugar is best for ice cream? ›Most home ice cream recipes call for simple table sugar, which is chemically known as sucrose. But in pro kitchens you have more options. Liquid sugars like invert sugar, corn syrup, honey, and glucose syrup all add body, creaminess, and stability to ice cream, and a little goes a long way.
What ingredient keeps ice cream soft? ›Sugar, corn syrup or honey, as well as gelatin and commercial stabilizers, can all keep your ice cream at a softer consistency. Ice cream also stays softer when you store it in a shallow container, rather than a deep tub, and cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap to keep ice crystals from forming.
What is Max ice setting KitchenAid? ›
The Max Ice feature assists with increasing the cooling for the freezer compartment in order to increase ice production. To turn on or off the Max Ice feature, press the Max Ice button. When the button is pressed to turn the feature on, the icon will blink 3 times and appear on the display screen.
How long should you churn ice cream in an ice cream maker? ›Start the motor, and churn until the ice cream is done, approximately 30 minutes to one hour, or even longer at times. You will know when it's done because the ice cream will start to expand and rise to the top, and the motor will slow down.
What setting should the ice maker be on? ›Temperature Affects Ice Production
The refrigerator and icemaker must be at proper temperature. The recommended fresh food temperature is 37°F; the freezer recommended temperature is 0°F. The icemaker must reach about 16°F before a cycle will begin.
Ice machines work best in optimal temperatures of 70-degree air and 50-degree water.
What is the ice plus setting? ›Ice Plus increases both ice making and freezing capabiblities. The Ice Plus features turns off automatically after 24 hours. To Access Ice Plus option: Tap the display, swipe or tap the display again.
Is it possible to over churn ice cream? ›Icy texture can also be due to over-churning. Ice crystals begin to form during the churning process. This is what gives ice cream its texture. However, if you churn for too long, the crystals continue to get bigger and can give your ice cream an icy texture.
Why do you have to cool ice cream before churning? ›Aging bases (the custard) cools the base down, and the colder a base is before it goes into the churn, the creamier the resulting ice cream will be.
What does churning do for ice cream? ›The paddles/ rotate continuously around the central axis, scraping the inner wall of the bowl, keeping the mixture uniform and breaking up ice crystals. The movement of the paddles, known as churning, whips air into the mixture, increasing the volume of the finished ice cream.
How long does ice cream need to freeze after churning? ›+ 4 hours: freeze the freshly churned ice cream in a container in the freezer, undisturbed, for at least 4 hours before serving to harden the ice cream and achieve a more firm, scoopable consistency. The process is called "hardening"
What is the best ratio for ice cream? ›I like a ratio of 2:1 cream:milk. You can usually get away with 2 cups of cream to 1 cup of milk without overflowing your ice cream machine. Next up: sugar. Sugar helps resist freezing, too.
Can you over mix ice cream in ice cream maker? ›
Many people over mix the ice cream, attempting to freeze it and get it super-chilled right in the machine. This is a big "don't," as overmixing will cause the ice cream to turn, well, icy. "Ice cream's optimal texture doesn't happen in the machine—it happens in the freezer," says Perry.
Does ice cream need eggs? ›While commercially manufactured ice cream is typically made with pasteurized eggs or egg products, recipes for homemade ice cream often use raw eggs in the base mixture.