One of our favorite ice cream makers is down to $180 for Black Friday

Ice cream might not be the first dessert that springs to mind in late fall, but there’s no bad season for frozen treats, and our favorite ice cream maker is down to $180 for Black Friday. This kitchen gadget, which scored 90 in our review, is guaranteed to make you popular with guests during the holiday season, and at $50 off its regular price of $250 — the lowest price we’ve seen this year for this particular model — now is a great time to buy.

While you’ll definitely need a bit of space to accommodate it, the Creami is a more compact ice cream machine than some of its rivals. It works similarly to a food processor, only here you’ll be using strictly frozen liquid ice cream as a base. Once you have that (you’ll need to give the base around 24 hours in the freezer for the desired consistency) you use Ninja’s machine to blend in your chosen flavors. And if you make a mess (and let’s face it, you probably will), rest assured that most of the components are dishwasher-safe.

It’s admittedly a fairly loud machine during use, but as long as you’re willing to put up with the noise, you can choose between seven one-touch programs, including milkshake if you’re in the mood for a cold drink. And if you’re hosting people with allergies, they can be reassured that you have total control about what’s going into and coming out of the machine, which is much harder to guarantee when you’re buying dessert in a restaurant. This model also includes two pint containers with lids.

If you want the latest and greatest, though, the Ninja Swirl is the ice-cream maker to get. It can make regular and soft-serve ice cream, plus a number of other frozen treats. Right now, QVC has it for the best price we’ve seen, from $350 to $280.