With these easy to use counter-top appliances the ingredients are frozen in a double-walled insulated canister. Before using, the canister must be placed in a freezer to completely freeze the liquid contained in the canister walls. Your prepared ice cream mixture goes in the frozen canister, where a mixing arm churns and freezes the ingredients, transforming it into ice cream.

Most counter-top ice cream makers are able to produce up to 1-1/2 quarts of ice cream and other frosty desserts like frozen yogurt, sherbet, sorbets and frozen drinks.

For perfect ice cream, about the consistency of soft-serve, the canister must be completely frozen and the ice cream ingredients must be well chilled to start the process. For harder ice cream, you simply transfer it from the canister to a freezer container and place in in your freezer for about 2 or 3 hours before serving.

In between uses, keep the canister in your freezer, inside a plastic bag, so it's' frozen and ready to use whenever you want to make ice cream. Since it takes 6 hours or more to properly freeze the canister, to make more than 1-1/2 quarts of ice cream at a time, you can purchase an extra freezing canister, so you can start freezing a second batch right after the first batch has been made.

Here's some of the ice cream makers you can now find in kitchen shops, in the small appliance section of many department stores and in many online stores....

Cuisinart 1.5-qt. Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker the first of it's kind, is still the most popular. (This is the one I use.) This 1-1/2 quart ice cream maker is available in white or red.

Keep an extra Ice Cream Freezer Bowl on hand for making and freezing several different flavors of your favorite ice cream. Freezer bowls for the Cuisinart 1.5-Qt. Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker can be purchased sold separately.

Cuisinart now makes several other counter-top ice cream makers too....

Cuisinart's Vintage-look Ice Cream Maker features an attractive, old-style wooden finish. It has a 2 quart capacity.

Another adaptation from its original and very popular ice cream maker, the Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker has a more contemporary look. This larger, brushed stainless steel model will make 2 quarts of your favorite frozen dessert.

The Flavor Duo Frozen Yogurt - Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker allows you to make two kinds of ice cream simultaneously. Make double batches of the same kind or make ice cream in one and frozen yogurt in the other......

If you own a KitchenAid stand mixer, you can make homemade ice cream and save counter space with KitchenAid's Ice Cream Maker Attachment.Designed to fit all KitchenAid household stand mixers, it makes up to 2 quarts of ice cream and other frozen desserts.

Here's recipes that will work well with any of these counter-top ice cream makers...