Take on dessert making like never before! Make delicious homemade ice cream that you can fully customize to taste with the Whynter ICM-200LS 2.1 Quart Ice Cream Maker. Incredibly easy to use, you can create delicious ice cream, rich creamy gelato and sorbet all in the comfort of your own home. Ideal for entertaining, this high capacity unit makes up to two quarts of your favorite frozen dessert in a single batch. Our full featured ice-cream maker offers premium functions not available in budget ice cream makers. Made with BPA-free aluminum and comes with a removable mixing bowl and churn blade. A built-in powerful compressor freezer allows for continuous use without the inconvenience of having to pre-freeze the mixing bowl. Not only is it so much easier, it also tastes a whole lot better. The Whynter ICM-200LS features an Extended Cooling function that prevents the mixture from melting and a Motor Protection function that stops the motor from churning to prevent overheating or damage to the motor when the mixture becomes solid. This unit also includes an electronic timer, ice cream scoop and easy-to-follow recipe guide. The sleek stainless steel exterior and soft touch LCD control panel will accent any kitchen counter. This will quickly become your new best friend. You will never again have to wait hours or take up freezer space before being able to make your favorite frozen dessert. This unit includes an electronic timer, temperature display, ice cream scoop and we’ll even send you some secret recipes on request!.
It’s a Mystery –
Whynter vs Ariete vs Gourmia vs Cuisinart vs LelloThis Whynter ICM-200LS is very identical to The Ariete – DeLongi
Ariete – DeLonghi Stainless Steel Ice Cream Maker with Built-in Compressor, LCD Digital Display, 2.1 Quart
and the Gourmia GSI400
Gourmia GSI400 Stainless Steel 2.2 Qt SleekServe Automatic Ice Cream Maker – Gelato, Sorbet and Frozen Yogurt Machine – Built-in Compressor and LCD Digital Display- Includes Free Recipe Book
. Side note: I’ll briefly compare these units to Cuisinart ICE 100
Cuisinart ICE-100 Compressor Ice Cream and Gelato Maker
and the Breville BCI600XL
Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker
and the Lello
Lello 4080 Musso Lussino 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker, Stainless
toward the end of the review. The Whynter ICM-15LS and the Knox 1.5 are also identical with their smaller capacity of 1.5 Quarts (though the stickers say litres which I guess is technically about 6% more volume than the Quarts advertised) All these Chinese made units have the same company bringing the UL listing, specs, and design to market from the company Intertek. The lids are also identical as are the plastic paddles as are the mechanisms that attach to the bottom of the bowls/paddles. Regardless of the specs listed, I had access to a couple of these machines and they all weigh about 26 pounds according to my calibrated shipping scale. The dimensions are about 16 5/8 inches length x 11 1/16 inches width by 8 7/8 inches height. Since they seem to have the same motors that spin around 25 RPMs, the same refrigerant for the cooling action and the same interchangeable aluminum container that houses the mixture, what are the differences you ask?Well, the difference is mostly cosmetic with some differences with button controls on the LCDs. All the 2+ quarts makers (Whynter ICM-200LS; Ariete-Delonghi & Gourmia GSI400) feature a power button, a start/pause button, and a menu button. The Whynter ICM-200LS has two additional buttons to increase or decrease time. The two others (Ariete-Delonghi & Gourmia GSI400) have a round knob that you turn to incrementally increase or decrease time. Otherwise the built-in software and the LCD readouts are absolutely identical. You can toggle between the 3 modes of “ice cream” ; “cooling only” ; or “mixing only.” When you power the units on, they all default to 60:00 minutes which you can toggle down if you prefer less time (either by turning the knob on some models or pressing the buttons on the Whynter) They all go to automatic cooling mode for 10 minute increments after the ice cream is finished churning for the prescribed amount of time. They all have the safety function to shut the motor off in the event of an overload should the machine not be able to muscle through the mixture if it freezes too hard while churning. The “Cooling only” mode is good if you want to pre-chill the bowl before pouring in your mix which could lessen the total contact time and make for a creamier end result… of course you could also throw the bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to achieve this effect if you get a machine without this feature.A word about the warranties. They all seem to have a one year limited warranty except the Knox which is as unknown as the company itself. The real issue is that the warranty covers against manufacturers’ defects. It is important to realize that these units are mini freezers which mean they have a compressor with sealed oil. If the units travel on their side or upside down, they need to be place right side up for at least 4 hours and preferably 24 hours to make sure all of the oil drips out of the sealed housing. If it is run with oil in it, it will break and though make noise like it is working, it will not cool a thing. This also means that if you store the unit on it’s side or back, you have to wait many hours with it right side up to safely turn it on. If you turn it on and it doesn’t get cold because there was oil in the compressor, it probably wouldn’t be covered as a manufacturer defect.These units all make excellent ice cream and excellent gelatos. Since they spin at 25 RPM’s per minute, you will never be introducing air into the cream like what is done with commercially made ice cream. More dense ice cream and gelato is the premium product we want at home anyway.Other differences between the units is that some user manuals are marginally better than others. Some give you more recipes than others. Some give you silly extras like a cheapy plastic scoop (with the Whynter) or a cheapy plastic measuring cup (with the Ariete – DeLonghi) or a cheapy plastic spatula.What about the Cuisinart, the Breville and the expensive 3x cost Lello?The Cuisinart is VERY similar, also built in China like the ones mentioned above, but does seem to have a slightly different motor as it spins at 26 RPMs. Cuisinart seems to have gone through their own certification and design process and did not rely on Intertek. Though if you turn the unit upside down, it is very identical in design of the rest with the exact same access points to get to the internals if need be. The interface of the Cuisinart is less robust and only has 3 buttons and very much resembles the software of the 1.5 litre Whynter and Knox. It will also default to a 10 minute “Keep Cool” cycle after mixing, like the above units. It is a 1.5 quart machine and It does not have the cooling only and mixing only functions so it is most similar to the Whynter ICM-15LS and mystery company Knox brand. It does have a different paddle design and in fact comes with 2 paddles, one for ice cream and one for gelato. This to me is a little gimmicky though as at 26 RPM’s you’d be hard pressed to get any better whipping action (air injection) from the cream in the ice cream… again with the understanding that commercial units like Emery Thompson units generate RPMS closer to 200 with the intent of aerating ice cream. Gelatos are meant to be spun at low RPMs regardless so all these home units are excellent for gelato. The warranty is a whopping 3 years though I have never dealt with Cuisinart on a warranty claim.How about the Breville? It is proprietary and of good Australian Quality with it’s own unique interface and software. The aluminum mixing tub is a proprietary size and is tall and narrow. It is on the smaller size of 1.5 quarts. The warranty is 1 year. The design premise is the same as the others mentioned. The proprietary motor is faster though… spinning at about 50 RPMs, so it should be able to aerate ice cream more if that’s something you desire. Unfortunately there is no way to toggle the speed downward or play with the temperature… not that there is with any of these home units. The Auto interface on the Breville is really just able to reduce the time and slap a name on the adjusted time. gelato = less time; ice cream = more time. This could be such a great unit and would be worth the additional money if you could adjust the RPMs and cooling temp, but again none of these models can do that.The Lello is interesting as their design is based on a setup where there is no removable bowl. This inherently is similar to a sealed commercial setup that should allow the compressor to work more efficiently. -And in theory if you can freeze your mix more quickly, you should have less crystals and creamier ice cream. Of course commercial units also use the efficiency of gravity like front load commercial washing machines. The Lello is small and more of a pain to clean as a result and it does have an issue where the spinning pin can get fouled near the top if not cleaned very well. It is very well made in Italy with mostly metal components including the paddle and has a one year warranty.For my money, I think I would lean on the Ariete – Delonghi or Gourmia as they can be had for $199.99 at the time of this review. If the Whynter would be the same price, then it would be a toss up in my opinion. The Whynter has oscillated in price between $260 and $350 over the past year and the Cuisinart is a little more expensive with less features and smaller capacity though a better warranty. Except for the mystery brand Knox and unavailable warranty information, I do not think you can go wrong with any of the machines listed above. The machines are identical enough that your recipes will have the biggest impact, so you may be better served by being price conscious. To me the Lello is cost prohibitive at $700 and I don’t care for the design overall as the efficiency doesn’t do much to the end result. Similarly, I do not think the Breville which is $380 as of this writing has any advantages that warrant the price. Understand that all of these machines will make excellent tasting ice cream or gelato. You’d be hard pressed to tell a difference using the same recipe on any of the machines except in a side by side taste test where you’re really trying to be picky about the perfect creaminess, aeration, lack of ice crystals, etc. Good luck on your purchasing decision.
D. Briscoe –
Like a pro in a few minutes. 😉Received this ice cream maker about 3 hours ago.In anticipation, I had already prepared 4 different flavors of frozen custard. However, it was still about 130 degrees and still cooling in the fridge.Not to be deterred, I liberated my new toy from its box, skimmed the directions, cleaned the bowl, dumped in about 6 ounces of still hot coffee flavored custard base ( I wanted to see how well it would make a single serving of ice cream) , turned it on, and waited. I watched the silky surface of the soon to be deliciousness as it churned. Mesmerized. My daughter asked if it was a good movie. I said it was good and did not have any commercials. She said, more like one long continuous commercial. Hint taken. I went to socialize. Seriously, just 27 minutes later and we were in ice cream glory. (ok, about 37 minutes if you include the liberation, reading, and cleaning.) From hot to frozen…lickety split! She got to have fresh made ice cream over her lunch break. She quickly assessed the recipe for what ingredients she needed to drop off to make more ice cream. I am guessing that is for ME to make her more ice cream.It took about a minute, or less, to wash the bucket. Then I dried it and replaced it in the machine. Wow. No ice. No salt. No mess. Tears of joy!Obviously, I am a novice with the machine since I have only had it a few hours. I can say that ease of use is phenomenal. Set it on the counter, clean the container and dry it really well before replacing it so it does not freeze in place, pour in ingredients, put lid on, and turn it on. Then wait. But not for long. Clean up is also a snap. It is very compact compared to what I had expected. I had visions of a monstrosity setting on my counter. It is big, but not obnoxiously huge. No more of a foot print than a kitchen aid mixer.Pros: has 3 settings 1- making ice cream 2- holding it at a cold temperature 3-mixing ingredients for non cooked recipes (eggless ice creams,sorbet, margarita, slush,….etc.) quick set up user panel is fairly intuitive removable container for easy cleanup not terribly loud – also comparable to using a stand mixer noise level, not as loud as the ones with ice/salt needed able to make even a single serving — I have glass jars with the flavored base ready in the refrigerator waiting able to make 2 quarts for when you need/want more no foreign objects in my ice cream….the last time I used the salt/ice method, either the ice or salt must have had something in it and I covered the to top of the bucket with ice,salt, so I don’t know, but all three flavors had shards of glass or plastic in them. Was not too happy. All of my utensils and containers were metal. I am guessing the culprit was either the ice or salt. The end product did not taste salty, so probably the ice. No idea. Or maybe the plastic paddle was chipping off. Just….grrrrrrrr. I have been glaring at that old churn for nearly a year and just decided the heck with it.cons: not sure yet. will use it a few times and let you know. I am interested in the design so far as cleaning up if your freezing container over runs.edit 8/2019 : if you make more than two batches in a row, it gets iced up. I now make two and then let it set for a couple if hours just because I do not want to risk breaking something. Better safe than sorry.hints: if you have a high powered blender, toss all of your ice cream ingredients in the container ( like making blender soups ) at once and blitz until you have a thick enough consistency. no scrambled eggs. no fuss. I just set my container on a scale and dump and tare as needed. Then I blitz it and pour into a jar and keep in the fridge. Or just pour it in the machine and make it right away.Have had this for a few weeks. LOVE it. The churn is not super fast, therefore the overrun is not particularly high. The end result is a nice, creamy texture for your final result. Clean up is super fast. I have not had any batches that have spilled into the cooling chamber. You would need to spend a bit of time cleaning that up since that chamber is not removable. Advice: don’t do that.I generally do not care for things like chocolate icecream and chocolate cake. I find the flavor to be subdued and bland. Today I made some chocolate icecream that reminded me of a scoop I had in a historic area of Indianapolis when I was younger. All I need is some fudgey brownie chunks and it would have been perfection. It is super creamy and almost has the flavor of a dark chocolate pudding. I am sharing the recipe with you here. Note: I make all of my icecream using a vitamix. Super simple.Fudgey Chocolate Ice Cream 4 egg yolks4 Tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa1 pinch sea salt3/4 cup white sugar1 tablespoon vanilla extract (imitation)1/8 teaspoon butter flavor1 cup heavy cream1/4 cup whole milk3 tablespoons corn syrup1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powderPut all in Vitamix. Let the blender run until the ice cream base is steaming and just beginning to look like custard.About 7 to 9 minutes.Mix in fudge brownie crumbles after done churningEither spin the ice cream right away or store/chill in the fridge.Makes about a pint of ice cream.update 8/2019 : Still loving this item. We use it less often, but I still get short notice requests for icecream because everyone knows how quick it is to do now. Have made frozen coke, slushes, sorbet, and lots of icecream with this. Still a big thumbs up!
T –
A Fantastic Ice cream machine and even better customer serviceIve Been using the whytner ICM-2000Ls to produce 100s of batches of ice cream and it has been great. They are able to be run for long production days no issue. I have 5 machines and out of 5 I only had a problem with one after a year and Ailene with Whynter was able to get a replacement unit back to me asap. Her customer service was more then satisfactory. at first I thought it was going to take forever to hear back from them about my machine but she responded quickly and really fast tracked the warranty replacement process. I would recommend whytner ICM-2000Ls and if u have any issues ask for Ailene R. from customer support she really wants the best for the customers.
J. Jording –
Best one for the moneyI’ve been wanting one of these for quite a while now, and impulsively bought one. Since then I’ve gone down a dark rabbit hole and am very happy with all results.The Whynter ICM-200LS is a solid ice cream maker. If you’re on the fence about it take this review as straw that breaks your indifferences back. I’ve made, around 8 half gallons of various flavors since I got it. All to varying degrees of success. All attempts are delicious, there’s still room for improvement though on the recipes side.Onto the review. The actual unit is large, like, two upright bread machines large. It’s a heavy fella too, very sturdy. Build quality is nice, I have no complaints there. Controls are very straightforward, on/off, run, refrigerate, +\- for timer. Dasher (mixing paddle) is plastic, but solid, I can see a thick gelato breaking it if one isn’t paying attention. The bowl is aluminum and a similar finish to galvanized steel. Don’t put either of them in the dishwasher. It’s quiet ish, I can hear it run in the kitchen but it’s not bothersome. Depending on your ambient temp, it’ll take between 30-45 mins to create soft serve texture. It comes with a recipe book, with bases and other recipes. Get it if you have impulse buy problems or ice cream cravings problems. It’ll serve you well.My favorite recipe so far is a custard base is 3c heavy cream 1c whole milk, 1c sugar, 1 tsp salt, 6 egg yolks. Throw that into a bag and sous vide it for 45min at 175F and boom you have your base. Just make sure to quickly chill it down to safe temps (so bacteria won’t grow). Let it hang out in a the fridge for 4-8 hours so the fat molecules can “glom” onto the milk proteins. Strain through a mesh sieve and blend with an emulsion or standing blender (the two previous steps help with texture and mouth feel preventing big ice crystals from forming) Set the maker for 30 mins and profit.
Ben –
Loving it so farThis thing is great! We’ve made a few batches and have had no issues. I followed the advice of another review and adjusted the time down instead of relying on the auto turn off. Default time is 60 and I noticed on the first batch the ice cream was pretty much done in 40 minutes. What’s nice is the cooling system stays active even after the timer is up. The noise level is apparent but no where near the racket the old school ones make. Here’s the simple (and delicious) no egg vanilla Ice cream we make:2c heavy whipping cream3/4 granulated sugar1tbs vanilla extract2c whole milkpinch salt
shstar –
Fantastic machine and even better customer serviceI’ve Been using the whytner ICM-220SSY to produce batches of ice cream and it has been great. They are able to be run for long production days no issue. I had an issue with the yogurt function and Jose at customer service was both understanding and knowledgable with the machines. He engineered my getting a new machine which ended the issue I had. Jose. from customer support really wants the best for the customers. I have been really happy wi8th my machine ever since the new one came!
Jackson Bailey –
Nice ice cream makerOnly negatives: Non dishwasher safe parts, the buttons make a loud(ish) beep noise that make my friends’ dog bark and can’t be muted.It’s a great unit though. I’ve used it maybe about 10 times.Some advice for first timers:1. Try to make a simple vanilla ice cream for yourself (or family) before using it at a party. This way you can learn a good “base” recipe.2. Water expands when it freezes. Try to get a good feel for how much ice cream comes out of how much stuff you put in. The manual gives this warning as well but it’s important to be aware. If it “overflows” it is annoying (but it won’t break anything, the machine seems to auto stop if stuck)A tip for a big party. Make one batch and get the second batch ready to put in immediately after the first one is out. (It would be nice if you could buy a second bucket for this, not sure if you can.) Put the first batch in the freezer. Once the second batch it done get it ready to serve. People who prefer smoother ice cream can eat the “fresh” second batch but people who prefer a thicker blend can eat the hardened first batch.
Brance –
Convenient, easy to use and easy to clean.Already used five times with no problem. Instructions were easy to follow. You can make ice cream from start to finish in under an hour and the ice cream tastes great. (Better tasting as soon as you make it than if you freeze it – to me.) With this machine, you can have ice cream any time you want with no muss or fuss. Highly recommended.
Stuart James Beall –
Get some good recipesThis works like a dream. Paddle is NOT easy to clean. The most important thing to realize is the recipe is the key to ice cream happiness. I have had to adapt recipes shared online, because most of them are for other styles and sizes of ice cream mixers. And I don’t ever want to go back to salt and ice.
mwrobison –
Works Great!Other than taking up a lot of counter space, this is a nice addition to our appliance line up. No need to pre-chill the container, which make a big difference. Our previous ice cream maker only worked well when we would pre-chill the container at literal, sub-zero temperatures, e.g. Minnesota in mid-January. My wife has made several batches of ice cream with the new machine, and all turned out well. Although the machine is a little pricey, we have been saving money but not making as many trips to Andy’s. The machine also allows us to make our own lactose-free ice cream, which is difficult to find otherwise. All-in-all, a great buy!