According to icecream.com, 87% of Americans have ice cream in their freezer at any given time. Store-bought ice cream is more expensive than homemade ice cream. Homemade ice cream is also healthier than store-bought.
Homemade Ice Cream Cost Breakdown
The base for ice cream is usually a mixture of dairy, eggs, and sugar. When it’s churned in an ice cream maker, the base becomes ice cream. To make vanilla ice cream, you’ll need milk, cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. For one serving, the milk, eggs, and sugar cost about 75 cents. Two cups of heavy cream cost about $2.50. So the total cost for 1.5 quarts of homemade vanilla ice cream is $2.66.
Comparing Costs to Store Brands
We compared costs of homemade vanilla ice cream and store-bought brands. Homemade was $0.48 a serving. Store brands ranged from $0.27 to $0.77 a serving. So homemade ice cream can be cheaper than store brands. But it depends on the brand. Discount brands are cheaper than homemade. But premium brands are more expensive.
The Value of Ice Cream Makers
Having an ice cream maker lets you control texture. Homemade ice cream stays creamier than store-bought. You can also make unique flavors not found in stores. Ice cream makers cost $50-$100 on average.
Self-freezing ice cream makers let you make ice cream within an hour. But they cost over £100. Freeze-first makers are cheaper, but you need freezer space to store a bowl first. So consider if time-savings are worth the extra cost.