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Having a supply of frozen treats is essential over the summer and while shop-bought is convenient, there’s nothing better than making (or should we say creating) your own ice cream.
Something I’m now even more sure of after trying Cuisinart’s new FreezeWand Ice Cream Maker. The innovative gadget is capable of delivering a variety of frozen goodies in just five minutes. It really is magic.
Not only did it successfully make a sweet, smooth vanilla ice cream and refreshing lemon sorbet for me at home, but it also wowed our experts when we tested it at the Good Housekeeping Institute – even beating the viral Ninja CREAMi…
Here’s everything you need to know about this game-changing ice cream maker including the Good Housekeeping Institute’s expert verdict.
What is the Cuisinart FreezeWand Ice Cream Maker?
Pros
- Makes easily scoopable ice cream
- Controls are well labelled
- Detailed instructions
Cons
- Vibrates a little in use
Key specifications
| Model type | Freeze-first (up to 24 hours) |
|---|---|
| Functions | 5 - ice cream, sorbet, mix ins, milkshake, slushie |
| Included accessories | Three 240ml dessert tubs with lids |
| Capacity | 240ml |
| Product size | H41 x W11cm |
| Weight | 2.95kg |
| Dishwasher-safe? | Yes, but only the dessert tubs and lids |
| Guarantee | 3 years |
Unlike most ice cream makers, this ‘wand’ is slim and compact, consisting of three parts: the handheld motor head, the central portion with the blade, and the dessert cup.
Despite its small size, it has five easy-to-use functions – ice cream, sorbet, milkshake, slushie, and ‘mix ins’ for customising your ice-cream with everything from chocolate chips to fudge pieces.
It works in the same way as other freeze-first models, which means have to make up a base mixture (for vanilla ice cream this involves milk, sugar, double cream and vanilla extract) before freezing it for around 24 hours.
To magically turn it into ice cream, all you need to do is connect the wand, select the ice-cream setting, and hold down the ‘on’ button as you lightly press down on the handle. The green light on the wand will turn red once it’s fully processed.
Within minutes, you’ll have perfectly churned ice cream that’s ready to be demolished.
My review of Cuisinart’s FreezeWand Ice Cream Maker
To test the gadget, I made batches of vanilla ice cream and chocolate ice cream, as well as a lemon sorbet and cola slushie.
I judged the ease of use and design throughout, considering how clear the instructions were and how straightforward it was to get to grips with.
The ice cream
Making up the ice cream base is simple, so don’t be put off. My main bugbear is the same as all freeze-first ice cream makers – you have to think 24 hours ahead to allow time for freezing. With that in mind, it’s wise to always keep a base mixture in the freezer (especially over the summer) as you can then just add in flavourings and ingredients when churning for instant ice cream.
Back to the wand and the churning process took a few minutes, resulting in a smooth, scoopable vanilla ice cream with no icy lumps or crystals.
I achieved the same satisfying texture with the chocolate ice cream, which was rich and indulgent too.
My partner and I quickly devoured the whole dessert cup as the capacity is only 240ml – approximately two or three big scoops – but not making enough was the only flaw I could find in this gadget.
The sorbet
The prep for sorbet is slightly lengthier. The Cuisinart recipe requires heating water, sugar and lemon zest in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves and then stirring in fresh lemon juice and adding everything to a dessert cup for freezing.
Churning took a little longer too, with more vibrations, but the result was worthwhile. It delivered a refreshing sorbet that was easy to scoop yet didn't melt away instantly. The small ice crystals created a soft texture, and the fresh lemon recipe was balanced – both tart and sweet at the same time. A real success.
The slushie
While not its main purpose, I was intrigued by the FreezeWand’s slushie making skills. I’ve spent time testing the Ninja SLUSHi so I wanted to see how this model held up.
Following the manual’s instructions, I added roughly 250ml of a diet cola to a dessert cup and froze it for 24 hours. Then, I blended the ice mixture using the ‘slushie’ setting.
This took much longer than expected – around 10 minutes to reach the bottom of the dessert cup. The wand also vibrated a lot when crushing the ice, so you need a firm grip on the handle throughout.
After the first round of mixing, I then had to add another 75ml of the diet cola and reprocess the icy mix until it made a slushie texture.
Pouring it into a glass proved messy and the texture of the slushie wasn’t quite right – a mix of large ice crystals, smaller ones, plus the liquid cola – however, the overall effect was blissfully nostalgic.
Design, instructions and overall ease of use
The compact, easy-to-store design is a real winner for me. As the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer, I’m frequently testing the latest gadgets, so my kitchen counters and cupboards are packed full of equipment and appliances (it’s tough, I know). Having a small ice cream maker versus another bulky machine is a definite plus.
Another perk was how easy it is to clean. The dessert cups are dishwasher-safe but rinsing them out with hot water quickly did the job as well. Hand washing the blade was just as simple, with any ice cream mixture coming off in seconds.
One slight niggle with the gadget is that you have to keep pressure on the power button the whole time the wand is churning, which can become uncomfortable after five minutes.
Overall, though, it’s difficult to fault. The instructions were thorough, with recipe inspiration to get you started, and it comes with three dessert cups so you can make different flavours or treats in one go.
But how did it fare in the lab?
The Good Housekeeping Institute’s review
Scoring 95/100, this has replaced the popular Ninja CREAMi as the Good Housekeeping Institute’s best ice cream maker.
After freezing for 24 hours, it took just two minutes to churn a dessert pot filled with Cuisinart’s own vanilla ice cream recipe. The motor coped well, with the blade turning freely through the mixture and creating a smooth, creamy texture. So much so, that our experts couldn’t fault it.
When we made a batch of Good Housekeeping’s ultimate vanilla ice cream, churning took closer to three minutes due to the creamier mixture, but the result was just as impressive. Adding in chocolate chips on the mix-in setting proved no trouble, with the wand evenly distributing the chips throughout the ice cream for the perfect mouthful every time.
Our expert found the sorbet slightly grainy but was still impressed by the scoopable consistency and refreshing taste. They also tested the milkshake setting. The mixture needed to be processed twice for the ice cream and milk to be fully mixed, but the result was similar to the other treats – smooth and delicious.
Is Cuisinart’s FreezeWand Ice Cream Maker better than the Ninja CREAMi?
Both the Ninja CREAMi and Ninja CREAMi Deluxe scored 94/100 in our expert tests – one point less than the Cuisinart FreezeWand, so on paper, the Cuisinart is our winner.
All three machines are freeze-first models, requiring the 24 hours of prep before churning. They all took a similar amount of time to do the job post-freezing too, needing between two and five minutes to turn the icy mix into real ice cream.
Where the Ninja CREAMi models stand out is with the range of settings. The original CREAMi has seven, while the CREAMi Deluxe has 10, allowing you to make everything from normal ice cream, sorbet and soft serve to frozen yoghurt, slushies, and frappes.
It’s worth considering the capacity. Cuisinart’s FreezeWand has three dessert cups with a 240ml capacity each – that’s two to three large scoops of ice cream per cup, roughly enough for two people to share. You’d have to make multiple for a group. In comparison, the Ninja models (especially the larger CREAMi Deluxe) can make enough ice cream for a family with one dessert cup.
You can’t ignore the price difference, though. The CREAMi has an RRP of £199.99, while the CREAMi Deluxe comes in at £249.99 – a huge £150 more than the Cuisinart FreezeWand.
The Ninja CREAMi models definitely have their benefits but for everyday scooping, we’ll be turning to the FreezeWand from now on.
Shop the Cuisinart FreezeWand Ice Cream Maker on Amazon or from Cuisinart UK.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market and has written hundreds of product reviews on everything from the best vacuum cleaners and coffee machines to the best ice cream makers and robot window cleaners.
When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her running every distance from 5km to 100km or relaxing at home with her cat – there really is no in between.
Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, Women's Health, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall.
Connie is responsible for reviewing a wide range of homes products in the GHI lab, something she’s really passionate about. She loves helping readers to find the right buy for their budget and needs. As someone who finds cleaning extremely satisfying and therapeutic, vacuums have become one of her favourite categories to test. Previously, she worked as a product tester for The Sleep Advisors, where she reviewed hundreds of mattresses, pillows, toppers and sleep gadgets. With a BA (Hons) in Photography, Connie loves getting creative with the camera in her spare time, and also enjoys colouring and digital design. Her attention to detail plays a big part in every test she does, ensuring nothing goes unnoticed and all results are accurate.
