Choosing a machine

A freezer bowl machine is the cheapest way in. The bowl has a liquid coolant sealed in its walls and needs a long freeze, most makers say 16 to 24 hours at 0 F or colder, before it can churn. One frozen bowl makes one batch, and the bowl takes up freezer space.

A compressor machine has a small refrigeration system built in, so it chills while it churns and can make batch after batch. It is heavier, louder and costs more, but it does not need planning around a frozen bowl.

A Ninja Creami works the other way round: you freeze a base solid in its pint for about 24 hours, then a spinning paddle shaves and whips it in a few minutes. It suits protein, low sugar and single serve pints, and each pint needs its own freeze. The program picker shows which button suits which base.

A soft serve maker dispenses through a handle. Home units use a freezer bowl, a compressor or, on the Creami Swirl, a frozen pint. Countertop machines for small shops are a different class, with a refrigerated hopper and larger power needs.