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Whynter

Whynter Upright Automatic Ice Cream Maker, 2.1 Qt: the downsides first

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#5 of 8
$$$CompressorScore 3.5/5
9%
of Amazon ratings are 1–2 stars
(checked 2026-10-10)7% 1-star + 2% 2-star of about 2,622 ratings.

Wirecutter's favorite compressor model for light, creamy ice cream with no pre-freezing. Serious Eats' unit didn't get cold enough and its motor stalled, and Amazon owners are split on freezing, with some reporting mix freezing onto the bowl.

Top complaints

  • Uneven freezing

    In Serious Eats' test it didn't seem to get cold enough even with extra time, the paddle pushed ice cream around instead of stirring, and the motor couldn't restart after a stop. Amazon's summary says some owners report mix freezing onto the sides of the bowl (about 62 of 193 freeze-time mentions negative).

    Source: Serious Eats, Amazon.com product page (Customers say)
  • Icy vegan ice cream

    Wirecutter's vegan batch was icier than from the ICM-15LS and the ICE-21; it suggests other picks if you mainly make sorbet or vegan ice cream.

    Source: Wirecutter
  • Big, heavy and pricey

    About 28 pounds and 13.5 inches tall (Wirecutter). Value-for-money mentions on Amazon are positive but include about 60 negative of 232.

    Source: Wirecutter, Amazon.com product page (Customers say)

What owners love

  • 'Goldilocks' texture

    Wirecutter's testers found it light, creamy and stretchy; its custard ice cream had a lightness the other machines didn't match.

    Source: Wirecutter
  • No pre-freezing, batch after batch

    The built-in compressor means you can churn whenever you want and make batch after batch (Wirecutter). Amazon owners like skipping the frozen bowl and say it makes treats in about 40 minutes.

    Source: Wirecutter, Amazon.com product page (Customers say)
  • Owners like the results

    Performance (about 713 positive vs 46 negative) and taste (177 vs 6) are strong Amazon positives.

    Source: Amazon.com product page (Customers say)
Good for
  • Back-to-back batches with no bowl to freeze
  • Lighter, fluffier dairy ice cream
  • 2-quart batches

Scores (tap for why)

  • Texture3.5
    Why 3.5?Wirecutter loved its light, creamy dairy texture but found vegan ice cream icy; Serious Eats found everything too soft.
    Source: Wirecutter, Serious Eats
  • Speed & batch size3.5
    Why 3.5?About 30-40 minutes per batch with 2.1-quart capacity and back-to-back batches (Wirecutter); Serious Eats needed extra time and still got soft results.
    Source: Wirecutter, Serious Eats
  • Ease of use & prep3.5
    Why 3.5?No planning ahead (Wirecutter), but Serious Eats had a paddle that pushed the ice cream around and a motor that stalled.
    Source: Wirecutter, Serious Eats
  • Cleaning & noise3.5
    Why 3.5?Removable pail needs only a brief clean between batches (Wirecutter); Amazon noise mentions lean positive (about 117 vs 44).
    Source: Wirecutter, Amazon.com product page

What experts say

  • Wirecutter (NYT): Best compressor model for lighter-texture ice cream (updated 2026-06-12); struggled with a vegan base and is bulky.
  • Serious Eats: Not recommended (updated 2026-07-21): everything came out softer than desired, and the motor couldn't restart after scraping.
Check price on AmazonWe don't list prices — they change daily. Paid link.

If that catch is a deal-breaker

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Its catch: hard to clean built-in bowl#2 in ice cream makersWhynter Automatic Ice Cream & Yogurt Maker, 2.1 Qt

Both Serious Eats and Food & Wine name it the best compressor machine: smooth ice cream in about 30 minutes, no pre-freezing, and a yogurt mode. Ice cream sticks to the paddle, the mix-in window is small, and it is big and heavy.

Its catch: ice cream sticks to the paddle#3 in ice cream makersCuisinart ICE-21 1.5-Quart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker

The top pick at both Wirecutter and Serious Eats: cheap, simple and among the fastest churners tested. You must freeze the bowl for about a day first, it makes only 1.5 quarts per frozen bowl, and many owners find it loud.

Its catch: bowl must be frozen for about a day

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