![The Best Ice Cream Makers for Summer 2025 [Tested and Reviewed]](/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/The-Best-Ice-Cream-Makers-for-Summer-2024_TKP22_Ice-Cream-Makers_DR_05_10_2b_FT.jpg?resize=72,72)
Meet the GreenPan Frost: an all-in-one ice cream machine that doesn't require freezing containers ahead of time.
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Earlier this summer, one of our favorite ceramic cookware brands introduced a new ice cream machine: the GreenPan Frost. It sold out from virtual shelves faster than a popsicle melting on a sunny sidewalk—and it’s no surprise why. With this nifty machine, no pre-freezing is necessary. That means you can achieve soft-serve magic in less than an hour.
And here’s the cherry on top: it’s back in stock—and we got our hands on one (for official testing purposes, of course). Here’s the full scoop on how the GreenPan Frost performs in a real kitchen and where to snag one for yourself.
We Tried It
GreenPan Frost Ice Cream and Frozen Drink Maker
This all-new ice cream machine is packed with features. It even rivals the Ninja Creami!
What is the GreenPan Frost?
Similar to the Ninja Creami and Ninja Creami Swirl, the GreenPan Frost is a versatile at-home soft-serve machine. With six modes, it can crank out slushies, soft serve, sorbet, milkshakes and spiked slushies—and it can even clean itself.
That means you can whip up everything from boozy frozen cocktails to fruity slushies, frozen yogurt and post-workout protein smoothies—all with one machine.
How We Tested It
Set Up
Getting the Frost up and running was pretty painless. Just be sure to let it sit upright for at least two hours before plugging it in.
Once out of the box, I removed the mixing bowl and hand-washed all the machine’s removable parts, including the stirring blade. Most components are dishwasher-safe, just skip the heated dry cycle.
After everything was clean, I reassembled the machine: stirring blade, mixing bowl, extruder head and handle. From there, it was ready to roll (literally).
Prep
The real hero of the Frost is its built-in chiller—no need to pre-freeze a bowl or plan ahead. Its large cooling rod and in-unit compressor do all the work, so you can make ice cream on a whim. That said, you still need to prep your base.
To kick things off, I whipped up a classic vanilla ice cream with just a few basic ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, vanilla and salt. I gave it a quick whisk in a mixing bowl, then poured the mixture straight into the machine.
Heads-up: the Frost doesn’t handle solids, so fruit chunks and candy mix-ins are off-limits. Save those for toppings!
Making Ice Cream
Although the Frost boasts frozen treats in as little as 15 minutes, vanilla ice cream takes closer to an hour to make. I selected “Soft Ice Cream” mode and left it on the preset level 4, and the machine churned for about 50 minutes before beeping and automatically switching to “Cool” mode.
Once it was done, a quick pull of the handle served smooth soft serve straight into our bowls. I had six eager taste testers, but the batch came up about one serving short. Thankfully, I had backup ice cream in the freezer.
If you’re not serving it right away, you’ll want to transfer your ice cream to an airtight, freezer-safe container ASAP to keep that perfect texture.
Settings
The Frost gives you full control with six preset modes and seven texture levels. The modes include:
- Slushie
- Soft Ice Cream
- Spiked Slushie
- Sorbet
- Milkshake
- Extrude/Clean
Each mode defaults to level 4, but you can adjust from 1 (softer) to 7 (firmer) depending on how you like your frozen treat. You can dial in a creamy milkshake or scoopable sorbet.
Bonus: The 64-ounce bowl means big-batch capability, and despite its size, the machine is impressively quiet. The loudest part? Spoons scraping the bowl clean.
Cleaning
The Frost includes a helpful “Extrude/Clean” mode to loosen frozen bits with warm water and soap. The cleaning mode only takes a few minutes, then you can drain your machine and finish cleaning.
Pro tip: Remember to extrude the soapy water before removing the bowl. I learned that the hard way and ended up with a sticky, soapy puddle in my kitchen.
Even after a few clean cycles, I found some stubborn buildup inside the mixing bowl that needed extra soaking and scrubbing. Honestly, cleanup is the biggest downside. The machine works great, but I don’t reach for it as often because of the tedious cleaning process.
Storage
The GreenPan Frost is not exactly petite. It’s roughly 17 x 9 x 17 inches and weighs about 25 pounds, with a generous 2-quart (64-ounce) capacity.
It’s too bulky to live on my countertop full-time, so I stash it in the pantry between uses. If space is tight in your kitchen, that’s something to consider. Though it might be worth swapping out a lesser-used gadget to make room for a new ice cream and slushie maker.
Pros
- Easy setup
- Six preset modes make it versatile
- Customizable textures
- Large capacity
- No freezing ahead of time
- Quiet, fast operation
- Smooth dispensing
- Cleaning tools included
- Fun colors
Cons
- Can’t handle solid mix-ins like candy or fruit
- Tedious cleaning
- Bulky
Comparison: GreenPan Frost vs. Ninja Creami vs. Cuisinart FastFreeze
The GreenPan Frost is a frozen treat machine with a major perk: onboard freezing. There are no pre-freezing bowls or bases. Just mix your ingredients, pour them in, and you’ll have soft serve in under an hour. After hands-on testing, we can confirm that it delivers smooth, consistent and seriously tasty results.
That said, it’s not without flaws. You can’t add mix-ins like fruit or candy, and cleaning can be a bit of a hassle between uses.
If you’re comparing options, the Cuisinart FastFreeze is closer to the viral Ninja Creami, but both require freezing your base in advance. According to former editor Annamarie Higley, the Creami lives up to its TikTok fame. Despite complaints about the Creami’s noise and price, Annamarie says, “I’ll shout it from the rooftops: I have never encountered an easier-to-use appliance… Is it worth the hype? Heck yes.”
Shopping Editor Emily Way owns both the FastFreeze and the Creami and says, “The Cuisinart FastFreeze is much more user-friendly than the Creami. Not only is it quieter, but it’s also faster—and it comes apart for easy storage, which was my biggest critique of the Creami.”
That said, if you’re feeding a crowd, the Ninja Creami might still be your best bet over the Cuisinart FastFreeze, especially with its larger batches. Plus, there are soft serve capabilities with the Ninja Creami Swirl.
Final Verdict
If you want a large-capacity, all-in-one machine that cranks out everything from frozen cocktails to creamy soft serve, the Frost delivers. It’s fast, quiet and works like a dream so far. The only downsides? Cleanup takes effort, and you can’t add mix-ins. But if you’ve got the counter space and a serious love for ice cream and other frozen goodies, this one’s a no-brainer.
Where to Buy
We Tried It
GreenPan Frost Ice Cream and Frozen Drink Maker
With a built-in chiller, the Frost makes frozen treats fast. No freezer, no wait!
You can snag the all-new GreenPan Frost now straight from GreenPan’s website. You can also shop the Frost at Williams Sonoma and Amazon.
The Frost goes for around $400, making it noticeably pricier than a standard Ninja Creami. But if you’re craving fast frozen treats without the hassle of planning ahead, it may be well worth the splurge.
FAQ
How to clean GreenPan Frost?
Most parts of the GreenPan Frost are removable and dishwasher safe. Our tester was cautious and ran the parts on the top rack only, with no heated dry cycle. The built-in cleaning mode helps rinse things out quickly, and the insulated mixing bowl cuts down on condensation, so the machine stays clean on the outside.
That said, the mixing bowl proved tricky. Even after using the cleaning mode and running it through the dishwasher, some residue stuck around and needed a good soak and hand-scrub to fully remove.
On the plus side, the Frost comes with a handy cleaning brush, and the user guide walks you through cleaning and maintenance step by step.
Is there anything better than Ninja Creami?
When it comes to at-home ice cream machines, there are many alternatives to the ever-popular Ninja Creami. The GreenPan Frost and Cuisinart FastFreeze, as well as the Breville Smart Scoop and KitchenAid ice cream maker attachments, offer plenty of frozen competition.
Why You Should Trust Us
At Taste of Home, we take ice cream seriously. We’ve tried every Ninja Creami model, put at-home ice cream machines like the Cuisinart Fast Freeze and GreenPan Frost through hands-on testing, and reviewed the best ice cream brands and ice cream clubs. Our Shopping Editor, Mary Henn, has a serious sweet tooth and loves whipping up frozen treats at home—ice cream included.
Elise Jesse
Elise is a home cook and recipe developer known for family-friendly dishes, trendy bakes and entertaining ideas.
