The History of Ice Cream Makers

In the middle of the 19th century, Nancy Johnson of Philadelphia invented a hand-cranked ice cream machine. In 1843, she filed for a patent under her own name (a rarity for women at the time!) for her “Artificial Freezer” — it was granted just a few months later. Ice cream was already well-established by that time, but the treat was often reserved for the rich as previous methods of making it were time-consuming and labor-intensive. Older methods also tended to produce an inferior product with a lumpy, inconsistent texture. Johnson’s machine featured a double-container system with interior paddles that churned the contents. It was operated by a simple, effective hand crank. Notably, her ice cream machine yielded a smooth, uniformly textured ice cream that was much more enjoyable and was also much quicker to produce. Johnson’s invention made ice cream making more efficient and in turn, the treat became more affordable so that less affluent citizens could enjoy it, too. After successfully commercializing her ice cream machine, Johnson sold the patent to William G. Young, who made a few tweaks. Later, electric versions of the ice cream maker were released for commercial use, followed by models intended for home kitchens in the latter half of the 20th century. Today, ice cream makers are available for home use from a variety of brands, including Cuisinart and Ninja. A few modern refrigerator/freezer units even offer an ice cream-making function! And of course, most modern ice cream shops are equipped with large, commercial-grade ice cream makers. Interestingly, the basic design of Johnson’s innovative ice cream machine is still used in many of these modern units today.