An ice cream maker with a cooling element has a separate ice bucket that needs to be frozen 24 hours in advance. Then, you can place the ice bucket in the machine and have homemade ice cream within 20 to 30 minutes. Ice cream makers with a cooling element are affordable and compact. The downside is that you always have to freeze the cooling element in advance. You'll need enough space in your freezer and it's not possible to make several ice cream flavors in one day.