Looking forward to a season of ice cream, popsicles, milkshakes, and more? Check out our guide to the best high and low options for specialty tools. It covers popsicle molds, ice cream machines, blenders, juicers, and cream whippers — everything you need for a sweet, cool summer.

Popsicle Makers: High & Low

• Williams-Sonoma: You chill this little ZOKU popsicle maker in your freezer, pour in your ingredients, and you have insta-pops in 30 to 90 seconds. Read the full review here.
  • ZOKU Quick Pops, $50
• Lehman's Non-Electric Catalogue: This is the old-school, star-shaped popsicle mold that takes you back to the 70s. Made of plastic, it comes with built-in reusable sticks.
  • Star-Shaped Ice Pop Mold, $13

Ice Cream Makers: High & Low

• Amazon.com: The Rolls Royce of ice cream machines, this stainless steel model has a built-in compressor that makes quart after quart of super-creamy goodness without having to wait between batches.
  • Lello 4080 Musso Lussino Ice Cream Maker $700
• Sur La Table: Available in 7 colors, this little ice cream maker is a basic electric model that's fine for small batches. Read the full review here.
  • Cuisinart Classic Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker, Berry Blue, $50

Blenders: High & Low

• Bed Bath & Beyond: This professional blender has hard-core ice crushing abilities and makes ice cream, juice, soup, and works equally well with hot and cold liquids. Read the full review here.
  • Vita-Mix 1363 CIA Professional Series Platinum Blender, $500
• Crate and Barrel: If you're looking for a reliable blender that can crush ice and make a good milkshake, this is a popular option. Read more Waring reviews here.
  • Waring Professional Blender, $100

Juicers: High & Low

• Amazon.com: A masticating juicer, this slowly crushes and squeezes the juice out of fruits, separating juice and pulp. It's also got a simple, self-cleaning rinse mode. Read the full review here.
  • Hurom Slow Juicer, $360
• : This is a centrifugal juicer, which spins at a high speed to process fruits and vegetables. It's not as seamless and easy to clean as fancier models, but it gets the job done. Read the full review here.
  • Juice Fountain Compact, $100

Cream Whippers: High & Low

• Amazon.com: These are the kind of whipped cream-makers that restaurants use — a stainless steel one-quart container with a charger that twists in and makes a big batch of cream.
  • iSi Profi Whipped Cream Maker, $110
• Williams-Sonoma: For smaller batches of hand-whipped cream, Williams-Sonoma sells an inexpensive plastic pump that's a little harder to use, but makes enough for pie or milkshake toppings.
  • Quick Cream Whipper, $15

Photo: Zoku Quick Pop Storage Case | Williams-Sonoma