Ice cream makers/machines

[jumanggy]

Hi pimptenshi (welcome to the eGullet forums!)

The Kitchen Consumer topic can be found here:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=37816

Good luck! I envy that you have so many options! I saw one today being sold at a deli for about $800 (then again, it had its own compressor, but still...)

[pimptenshi]

If you're anywhere near Williams-Sonoma, you can get this Cuisinart for $60 and it includes an extra bowl.  The first one you linked to (the duo) is a refurbished product, so buyer beware and all that.  The second one, once shipping is factored in, comes out to more than $60, depending on where you live.

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Hi thanks for the link, unfortunately I'm about 4 thousand miles away from there

I ended up purchasing the single bowl one from ebay. It was one of the few sellers who would ship to my country =( And in the end it will fit much better in my kitchen than the refurb duo one =)

Oh I was in fact taking shipping into account and the the total came to $150, yes I did pay $110 for Express shipping - in fact my wife did, it was her valentine's day gift to me

Unfortunately the good stuff are just too expensive in my country, the one you linked for instance costs about $250 with no extra bowl =(

I hope I can have fun once it arrives!

EDIT: @jumanggy oh I also do envy them.

@mods: Sorry if I posted on the wrong section!

Edited June 7, 2007 by pimptenshi (log)

[jumanggy]

Your wife's very sweet I too thought of buying over eBay, but factoring in the cost of shipping, I decided to wait until a relative visits from the States. Till then, my dreams of frozen yoghurt, homemade ice cream, frozen fruit salad, and endless sorbets will remain unrealized..

Happy ice-cream-making!

[Gabe Q]

Hello everyone. I've been going over the entire diiscussion and I am also undecided as to which way to go. I definitely want a built in freezer unit. I was thinking of the Kitchenaid pro line dessert maker because I saw it reconditioned on amazon going for under $500, but now I went back and there is only one reseller and it;s gone up to $700. That is somewhat high for me.

My dream machine would be with a built in freezer, and a horizontal freezer unit so that the ice cream can be pushed out automatically. I am willing to pay around $500 for it. Does anyone know any good machines that fit that description and budget??

[grimod]

We are considering an Italian Coldelite Campacta. Has anyone used this one? I have used a lot of various Taylor's. Thanks...

[Bond Girl]

I have the cylinder from kitchenaid that you freeze. For general reference, there is an excellent Gourmet article on ice cream machines last year (or may be the year before). I'll bet if you search for it, you can find it.

[merstar]

I'm looking to replace my Krups La Glaciere, which is now kaput. I'd like to get another ice cream maker with a freezer bowl, and am considering the Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker Attachment, the Cuisinart ICE=20 1 1/2 quart, or the latest Krups model. For those of you who own any one of these machines, what are the pros and cons? Thanks.

Edited August 10, 2007 by merstar (log)

[Preserver]

i have the cuisinart ice cream maker .... not too fancy but it does the job. i think i would prefer the kitchenaid attachment, but seems alil big for the freezer. price point it is almost if not more for the bowl than a normal ice cream maker .. but then you save on counter space. ice cream makers are uni tasker's.....

[merstar]

Thanks - I didn't even consider the size. The Krups freezer bowl just fits snugly on the top shelf on my freezer - you're right - the KitchenAid may be too big, especially in the height. Will have to go measure. Thanks again!

Edited August 10, 2007 by merstar (log)

[Pierogi]

I got the Kitchen-Aid attachement last year and I LOVE it !! I resisted one of the other models for a long time, although I lusted after the Cuisinart for many years. I just couldn't justify the storage/counter space for something I knew I'd use maybe once a month.

I don't think its much larger than the Cusinart bowl (which one of my friends has) and as Preserver said, it assuages my conscience about having a uni-tasker. It fits inside my spare KA bowl (I have 2) and therefore in my cupboard quite nicely.

My freezer is roomy (its one of the freezer on the bottom units) but usually packed, and I have not had a problem finding a home for it when I need to freeze it.

It does make great ice cream & sorbet. I've been very pleased with it. BTW, my KA is not one of the mega-horsepower models, and it handles the task just fine.

[merstar]

Pierogi, Thanks for the info. According to Amazon, the dimensions are: 10.9 x 10.3 x 10.3 inches (see "Product Dimensions" at link below), but someone on another site said they measured it, and it's about 7 1/2 inches in height! Does that sound about right?

http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B0002IES80/re...&pf_rd_i=507846

[Preserver]

oh by the way.. i didn't know this but my brother read up for me before i bought my KA. the lower end KA mixer has silcone gears.... and the higher end ones has metal gears. thanks to my brother i have the metal gear one.... just throwing it out there for ppl who don't know already..

[Pierogi]

Hey merstar, glad the info is useful.

I just pulled it out, and measured and it's 7 inches high, even. At the widest point, I'd say its 11 inches "across" because it has the little ears on the side that let you use it with both the big KAs that have the lifts, as well as the tilt-head models.

I think, IFIRC, it makes 2 pints ? I think I've gotten about 4 cups of base in the unit and didn't overflow it.

And I fibbed a bit....it doesn't fit in the spare bowl, but does tuck away pretty well. Certainly much better than a stand-alone unit would.

[merstar]

Thank a lot, Pierogi. Looks like Amazon posted the wrong dimensions!

[MGLloyd]

I am quite happy with my KA ice cream attachment. I got rid of a dedicated ice cream maker in favor of the KA. It just seemed to make sense to be able to use my existing KA.

[RedRum]

Hi all, I was wondering for a recommendation for an cheap ice cream maker, in the region of $100-120.

Many thanks

[John DePaula]

Hi all, I was wondering for a recommendation for an cheap ice cream maker, in the region of $100-120.

Many thanks

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http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2006...ur_maker_1.html

[abooja]

I am very disappointed. My husband bought me the Cuisinart ICE-50 for my birthday next month and I hate it. I believe it is broken, as it made the whole first floor smell of gasoline, but it managed to freeze the ice cream well enough to make the unit shut down when the dasher could no longer spin freely. After more than 40 minutes of churning, I assumed this meant it was done, and was surprised to see that the ice cream was still on the soft side of soft serve. I pulled off the arm, manually turned the dasher, and tried to get it going. It started and ran for another five minutes, then shut down again. It was just slightly harder than the first time I checked.

This was a vanilla custard-based ice cream that I've made successfully numerous times before in my cheapo Cuisinart ICE-20 frozen canister machine. That machine takes no more than a half hour to produce a much thicker, colder, and creamier product. Today's ice cream was soft and appeared to contain ice crystals before I stirred them in with the dasher, which is a thinner, flimsier piece of plastic than the much cheaper model. I bought it because I wanted a self-refrigerating unit, and this was in my price range. David Lebovitz also recommended it, so I figured I was home free. Wrongo.

I'm hesitant to exchange this unit for one that doesn't leak coolant as I am turned off by the cheap plastic dasher and motor-in-arm design now that I've seen it in action. I did like the fact that it has a 1-1/2 quart capacity, unlike the ICE-20 which can barely handle a quart with overrun. Forget about mix-ins. I was shocked to read that it's now referred to as a 1-1/2 quart unit.

I can't decide whether to get a Cuisinart ICE-30 (2-quart capacity), so that I can use up even more of my freezer space, or to hold out for some sort of deal and splurge on a Musso Lussino. You used to be able to find refurbished ones on eBay for closer to $400, but not today. What to do...

[Octaveman]

Uh, is there a question in there somewhere? You're hesitant to exchange a defective unit for one that isn't defective? You want to keep the defective unit? You're not sure if you should spend $50 for the ICE-30 or spend $700 on the Musso or hold out for one for $400+ on ebay?

[abooja]

Uh, is there a question in there somewhere?  You're hesitant to exchange a defective unit for one that isn't defective?  You want to keep the defective unit?  You're not sure if you should spend $50 for the ICE-30 or spend $700 on the Musso or hold out for one for $400+ on ebay?

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That about sums it up.

I was both complaining about the quality of the machine (regardless of the leak) and passively seeking help as to which direction to go in, without actually asking the question.

However, I have already decided that I'm going to get my money back on the unit and buy the 2-quart Cuisinart ($79.99 at Bed, Bath & Beyond). $699 is way too much money for me at the moment, especially if the product it puts out is no better than what I can make with my $50 machine. I thought the $300 Cuisinart would put the cheapo one to shame, but I was wrong.

[Octaveman]

I have the ICE50 and it is my first ice cream maker. From what I understood the ice cream was pretty much soft serve and had to go into the freezer to "set" regardless of the machine that made it. Is this not true? Given that it has the compressor and I don't have to freeze the bowl ahead time I can deal with the softness if I have the ability to make another batch right after the last one. Many times I will make a couple different batches in a single day for when friends are coming over or just to make sure I have enough. If I had to freeze the bowl for 24 hours after each batch, it would take me days to do what I want to do.

On a side note, I can't recall exactly but doesn't one of the ingredients in ice cream have an effect on how hard it freezes? Sugar? Cream or type of cream? Alchohol? One could add more or change the type of ingredient to help keep your ice cream from turning into a block of ice? I mean, even the ice cream books say certain types are typically harder than others. I guess the point of this side note is that maybe it's not the machine but the ingredients or type of ice cream being made rather than the machine making it. Just a thought.

[weinoo]

From what I understood the ice cream was pretty much soft serve and had to go into the freezer to "set" regardless of the machine that made it.  Is this not true?    Given that it has the compressor and I don't have to freeze the bowl ahead time I can deal with the softness if I have the ability to make another batch right after the last one.  Many times I will make a couple different batches in a single day for when friends are coming over or just to make sure I have enough.  If I had to freeze the bowl for 24 hours after each batch, it would take me days to do what I want to do.

On a side note, I can't recall exactly but doesn't one of the ingredients in ice cream have an effect on how hard it freezes?  Sugar?  Cream or type of cream?  Alchohol?  One could add more or change the type of ingredient to help keep your ice cream from turning into a block of ice?  I mean, even the ice cream books say certain types are typically harder than others.  I guess the point of this side note is that maybe it's not the machine but the ingredients or type of ice cream being made rather than the machine making it.  Just a thought.

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Pretty much everything you say is true, Octaveman...it's soft-serve till it hardens in the freezer for a while. Alcohol, sugar and cream all affect the freezing process.

I've had great luck, with my Lello machine, which is at a very mild price point, imo. They (Lello) make a number of different machines, but my 1 quart is just right - and I can make 3 or 4 quarts in a row no problem...click here.

[abooja]

On a side note, I can't recall exactly but doesn't one of the ingredients in ice cream have an effect on how hard it freezes?  Sugar?  Cream or type of cream?  Alchohol?  One could add more or change the type of ingredient to help keep your ice cream from turning into a block of ice?  I mean, even the ice cream books say certain types are typically harder than others.  I guess the point of this side note is that maybe it's not the machine but the ingredients or type of ice cream being made rather than the machine making it.  Just a thought.

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While this is true, I have made this exact recipe numerous times in my ICE-20 with superiors results. The final consistency achieved with the ICE-50 was a very soft soft-serve, the kind that forms puddles within minutes. My ICE-20 achieves that consistency fifteen minutes into the freezing process. When I let it run a half hour or more, most ice creams and sorbets I have made with it achieve a much firmer consistency right out of the canister, similar to store bought ice cream that has sat at room temperature for 15 - 20 minutes. One notable exception was David Lebovitz's salted butter caramel ice cream, which has so much sugar in it, it doesn't get very hard even after 24 hours in the freezer.

That having been said, part of the problem undeniably could have been the leaking coolant not allowing the machine to get as cold as possible. But, then, why did the dasher stop turning altogether at one point when the ice cream was perceived to be too firm for it to move? Even when I got it going again, it eventually resorted to jerking back and forth in short bursts in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, struggling to move through the ice cream. I feared it would break, and so shut it down.

In retrospect, I've read some less-than-glowing reports on Amazon that reflect exactly my criticism. I would still take a shot at a replacement ICE-50, however, because I still really, really want a self-refrigerating machine. Was the too-soft consistency an anomaly, or does this machine simply work this way? Would one with a metal dasher and more powerful motor forge ahead and continue to churn the ice cream beyond this consistency? Even the ICE-20 does this, so I'm confused as to why the more expensive Cuisinart would not.

[paulraphael]

Basically, alcohol and all disolved solids effect the freezing temperature. The amount of freezing point suppression you get from a solid depends on the size of the molecules. This sounds like pure geekery, but it's helpful to keep in mind with sugars. While all sugars will suppress the freezing point, monosacharides like glucose (dextrose) and fructose have around twice the freezing point suppression power of disacharides (like table sugar, or sucrose), because the molecules are half the size. Pastry chefs take advantage of this by vaying the proportion of sugars to control hardness. This gives you a lot more flexibility than just varying the amount. It lets you control sweetness and freezing point suppression separately.

Another ingredient that helps is nonfat dry milk. This suppresses the freezing point and also adds body. Most of the professional recipes I've seen have fair amount of this. I was shy about using it at first, because I had memories of it tasting terrible. But if it's fresh, it adds nothing unpleasant to ice cream.

Any added water, whatever form it takes (pureed fruits, etc.) will have the opposite effect. They'll raise the freezing point and make the ice cream harder at any given temp.

[Octaveman]

That having been said, part of the problem undeniably could have been the leaking coolant not allowing the machine to get as cold as possible.  But, then, why did the dasher stop turning altogether at one point when the ice cream was perceived to be too firm for it to move?  Even when I got it going again, it eventually resorted to jerking back and forth in short bursts in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, struggling to move through the ice cream.  I feared it would break, and so shut it down. 

In retrospect, I've read some less-than-glowing reports on Amazon that reflect exactly my criticism.  I would still take a shot at a replacement ICE-50, however, because I still really, really want a self-refrigerating machine.  Was the too-soft consistency an anomaly, or does this machine simply work this way?  Would one with a metal dasher and more powerful motor forge ahead and continue to churn the ice cream beyond this consistency?  Even the ICE-20 does this, so I'm confused as to why the more expensive Cuisinart would not. 

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The paddle material has little affect on it's ability to freeze the stuff inside the bowl. The compressor and motor do that. Since it was leaking fluid of some kind it obviously wasn't working right. The motor probably didn't have enough strength to keep going nor did the compressor get cold enough to freeze properly. Can't base conclusions on a defective product.

I usually make sorbets and it comes out pretty stiff. Almost to the point of not being able to pull the paddle out without the sorbet coming with it. The handful of times I've made ice cream using milk products it froze the liquid pretty solid IIRC. It too took some pulling to get the paddle out of the bowl.

The motor will stop on it's own when it's unable to move. Sometimes I get the same back and forth happening too. I just shut it off and put the ice cream in the freezer as it's pretty much ready. A couple of hours later and I have pretty firm ice cream.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind. Putting hot or warmed milk or heated syrup (water/sugar) in the bowl will lengthen the time it operates. Has nothing to do with the end result just something to remember as some people complain about how long it takes. Ambiant temperature also affect it's performance. This is the first compressor type maker I've owned so this is all I know. I've never used the freeze-the-bowl type so I can't say why one is different than the other. It's quite possible that motor strength of the two may be different since one doesn't have the compressor to power and one does. That may also be a factor.