This $18 Gadget Churns Out Gourmet Ice Cream Pints That Rival Those Premium Brands and I May Never Go Back to Store-Bought Again

Disclaimer: Ice cream is decidedly not my thing. (I’m more of a sorbet guy.) However, I live with my girlfriend, who has a big enough sweet tooth for both of us, so I’ve recently been hunting for a homemade ice cream maker. Not just because I knew it would be a hit — and the not-so-subtle hint my girlfriend had been dropping for weeks — but because there are plenty of other concoctions you can whip up in these bad boys.  We’ve been on a gym bender for the last few months, and she’s been dying to try out protein ice cream and fruit-based frozen dessert recipes she’s seen on GymTok. Unfortunately, we can’t fit a massive ice cream maker in our tiny New York City apartment, but I found the perfect space-saving solution in the DASH My Pint Electric Ice Cream Maker. 

The DASH My Pint Electric Ice Cream Maker lets you make homemade ice cream in minutes. It comes with a motor unit, a paddle, a scooper, a freezable bowl, and a bowl holder. The best part? It’s tiny — at less than a pound and smaller than a football, this baby is way smaller than your standard countertop ice cream maker. It also makes a great gift for someone moving into their first apartment, folks with smaller kitchens, college kids, and (of course) yourself. Cleanup is also a breeze, since the non-electrical pieces are dishwasher-safe. Plus, there’s an included recipe book and online recipe database that can help you get started with your frozen creations. 

First off, the ice cream maker is super easy to use — there’s no fussing or prep work involved, except popping the freezable bowl in the fridge the night before you want to make ice cream. Then, make your ice cream mixture, whack it into the bowl, pop the top on, and press the churn button! After a few minutes, it’ll be noticeably thicker — at this point, I found it helpful to give it a quick mix with the spoon, since the ice cream nearest to the bowl freezes a little faster than the inside. From there, you just churn for a minute or two more, and voila: Perfect ice cream that tastes just like the store-bought stuff. The machine is also super compact, it makes just enough ice cream for a (heaping) serving, and I can use it for sorbet when my girlfriend isn’t concocting a new protein ice cream recipe. Plus, it’s super affordable, and having a treat tastes so much better when it’s homemade. And, since you’re not buying it from the store, you can tailor your ice cream to your exact preferences and dial in your flavors.

Basically, if you love ice cream, sorbet, or sherbet, this is the perfect treat-yo-self purchase, since it’s easy to use, affordable, and hardly takes up any space in your kitchen. The only thing left to do? Find your favorite recipe! 

Buy: DASH My Pint Electric Ice Cream Maker, $17.99 (normally $21.99)