A more appealing solution for those who don't envisage regular sorbet-making adventures, this is more compact and cheaper than our champs, although it actually has a larger, two-litre capacity. It's a brilliant device that people will use throughout the year with all its functions and features, it's incredibly easy to use and so so speedy.

To avoid overflow and waste, make sure that the ingredients do not exceed 60% of the capacity of the removable bowl as ice cream expands when it is being formed. The open lid allows you to add ingredients — such as fresh fruit or chocolate chips — while the ice cream-making is in motion. The machine was a little noisy in operation – while it wasn’t loud (it generates around 65dB, which is between the level of normal conversation and laughter), the sound itself was noticeable. Remove the inner bowl from the freezer and put it into the outer bowl, and lower the assembled lid/power unit/paddle into the bowl before turning it clockwise to lock into position.If you’re happy to sacrifice high-tech features and get a bargain, there aren’t many better options. If you already own a KitchenAid Artisan mixer – both Classic and Pro models –then this handy bowl attachment is all you need for a multitude of frozen desserts. It's not as good as the Andrew James, but if you can find one going cheap, the Kenwood IM200 is worth a punt. You can choose from one of the four pre-programmed settings or take total control of the process — manual or automatic. It also sounds an alarm midway when it's time to add extra ingredients like marshmallows, nuts and chocolate chips.

For basic ice cream and sorbet churning you could do a lot worse than this cheap-and-cheerful edition from Kenwood. Whether using the supplied recipes or experimenting with your own, the results are suitably lip-smacking.

The rise in popularity of frozen yogurt has also given them a boost, since any ice cream maker can also freeze yogurt, as well as making gelato (slightly less firm ice cream, really) and sorbet (iced-up fruit juice/purée). Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ.