Buy the Whynter if you want the biggest no-wait batch and the easiest cleaning. Buy the Cuisinart if you want the gelato paddle and the three-year warranty. America's Test Kitchen's June 2026 review listed them $33 apart, gave its self-refrigerating award to the Whynter, and Recommended the Cuisinart. Both are good machines and neither is a mistake.
Side by side
| Spec |  | |
|---|---|---|
| ATK June 2026 | Best self-refrigerating, $310 | Recommended, $343 |
| Capacity | 2.1 qt | 1.5 qt |
| Pre-freeze | None | None |
| Paddles | One | Two (ice cream + gelato) |
| Bowl | Removable stainless | Fixed |
| Power | 180 W | 288 W |
| Rated noise | 60 dBA or less | Not published |
| Footprint | 12.5 x 10.75 x 14.25" | 12 x 16.73 x 9.33" |
| Weight | 24.25 lb | 28 lb |
| Warranty | Standard | 3 years (US) |
| Extras | Cooling -0.4 to -31 F | 60-min timer, 10-min Keep Cool |
| Price |
Capacity: 0.6 quarts is more than it sounds
2.1 quarts against 1.5 is a 40 percent difference, and at these volumes it is the difference between a family of four having seconds and not. Adjusting for the roughly two-thirds practical fill, call it 1.4 quarts against 1 quart of usable ice cream.
The Whynter's 2.1 quarts was the largest no-pre-freeze capacity in the group ATK rated, which is a large part of why it took their award.
The removable bowl, which is underrated
The Whynter's stainless bowl lifts out and goes to the tap. The Cuisinart's does not: you clean it in place, around a compressor, with a jug and a cloth. Over a summer of regular use, that is the difference that most affects how often you actually make ice cream — far more than any performance specification on the list.
The gelato paddle, which is the Cuisinart's real answer
The ICE-100 ships with two paddles: one for ice cream and one for gelato. The gelato paddle is shaped to move the mixture without whipping air into it, and low air content — overrun — is essentially the whole distinction between ice cream and gelato. Dream Scoops specifically cite the machine's ability to vary air content as an advantage.
No other machine we cover offers that control mechanically. On the Whynter you approximate it by stopping the churn earlier, which works but is less precise. If gelato is genuinely what you want to make, this alone settles the comparison — see the gelato roundup and overrun explained.
The warranty gap is real
Three years in the US on the Cuisinart, against standard cover on the Whynter. On a machine containing a compressor — the component most likely to fail and least likely to be economically repairable — that is a substantive difference, not a footnote. Dream Scoops flag the generous warranty as one of the ICE-100's two main advantages.
The shape difference matters more than the weight
The Whynter is an upright at 12.5 by 10.75 inches. The Cuisinart is a slab at 12 by 16.73 inches. That is nearly six inches of extra counter depth, which in a typical kitchen is the difference between a machine that sits comfortably against a wall and one that overhangs.
The Whynter is taller at 14.25 inches, so check under-cabinet clearance. But for finding a permanent home — and both machines need one, at 24 to 28 pounds — the upright is easier to place.
One caution on each brand
Whynter: the model number matters. ATK placed the Whynter ICM-200LS-BW in their Not Recommended tier in the same June 2026 review, and Dream Scoops rated a different smaller Whynter poorly on build quality. The ICM-201SB is the one to buy, not “a Whynter.”
Cuisinart: 1.5 quarts is the same capacity as their $70 ICE-21P1. At $343 you are buying convenience and control, not volume. Worth being clear-eyed about.
Verdict
- Family of four or more: Whynter. The capacity is the point.
- You want gelato properly: Cuisinart. Nothing else here has the paddle.
- You clean up reluctantly: Whynter. Removable bowl.
- You want the longest warranty: Cuisinart. Three years.
- Limited counter depth: Whynter, at six inches shallower.
Full write-ups: Whynter ICM-201SB and Cuisinart ICE-100. If you have not yet decided that you need a compressor at all, read compressor versus freezer bowl first — it is a bigger decision than this one.