This KitchenAid Accessory Is the Best Kitchen Item I’ve Purchased All Year

Before starting a career in food writing, I was a professional cook for nearly a decade. A glaring hole in my culinary knowledge has always been pastry. So, for years, I would bribe the pastry chefs with leftover fries and lasagna off-cuts for a scoop of their delicious house-made ice cream. Once I tasted from-scratch ice cream, I was hooked; there was no going back to the tubs in the grocery store. When I left the restaurant life, that meant the end of homemade ice cream. Or so I thought.

I started researching ice cream makers for my home kitchen when the Ninja Creami came out. I was longing for the days of sneaking into the pastry department before dinner service for a quick bite of whatever flavor they cooked up that day. Unfortunately, my very tiny kitchen couldn’t accommodate another small appliance. My cabinets are filled with my Vitamix, a pasta machine, and an immersion blender; my countertop is dotted with an air fryer, a coffee maker, and my pride and joy — my KitchenAid stand mixer. 

KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment

One late night, while shopping for an ice cream maker, a lightbulb went off — if I didn’t have the space for an ice cream maker, why not turn an appliance I already have into an ice cream maker? Then, I stumbled upon the ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid, and my life has never been the same. 

I will start my ode to the KitchenAid ice cream attachment by saying it is, hands down, the best purchase I have made this year. This attachment is absolutely genius: it comprises a broad, paddle-style auger and a bowl about the size of a regular KitchenAid bowl. You simply place the double-walled bowl into the freezer overnight to freeze the liquid between the walls, attach the paddle, and pour in your ice cream base; about 20 minutes later, you have luscious homemade ice cream. The ice cream bowl and attachment are super easy to use and beginner-friendly. There’s virtually no set-up, and you turn it on using the toggle on the mixer. Plus, the paddle can be stored in the bowl of my stand mixer and the ice cream bowl in my freezer when not in use, saving space in my compact kitchen.

I’ve always been a bit afraid of tackling homemade ice cream. Even with a machine, it always seemed very intimidating. I am pleased to report that throwing together a basic ice cream base for this attachment couldn’t be easier for someone without pastry skills. I love the opportunity to flex my culinary creativity muscles by thinking up different flavors and add-ins, especially when it comes to seasonal varieties. I’ve been making ice cream (and sorbet) in my KitchenAid attachment almost every week, and I’m still so impressed with how easy it is to use and how stunning the results are. Nothing wows dinner party guests quite like pulling out your ice cream scoop and serving some homemade ice cream at the end of a meal.