Ice cream makers/machines

[SethG]

I'll just chime in to say I've been happy with the Cuisinart. I've only made very high-fat, creamy eggy ice creams with it. This weekend I made a basic vanilla I've been playing around with (I got a big batch of vanilla beans), except after scalding the milk I infused it with a big batch of mint. Best mint ice cream I've ever had. Heaven.

The Rival does sound enticing, too. I might get one of those four quart jobs and take it out on the sidewalk with the kids. Sounds like good Saturday afternoon fun, no?

Edited June 20, 2005 by SethG (log)

[Eden]

another vote for the Krups here. as FWED mentions there can be a thin hard layer on the bottom, but it's generally a good reliable machine.

We bought this brand after talking to a Chef who had gone through like 3 other brands first and killed the motors on all of them!

[cjsadler]

There was an article in some cooking mag recently on ice cream makers. They rated the Kitchenaid attachment the best, saying it made superb, ultra creamy mousse-like ice creams. I currently have the Cuisinart and agree with the article's assessment that the results are 'slightly icy, but acceptable'. For high fat ice creams it does just fine (but then simply freezing a high fat ice cream in a pan works nearly as well. Try it sometime-- John Thorne has a recipe for a no-machine lemon ice cream in the book 'Outlaw Cook'. You'll be very surprised by the results), but for gelato style (ie-- lower fat ice cream) and sorbets especially, the Cuisinart results are disappointing. However, I'm not sure it's even possible to make creamy textured sorbets like you get at a place that does them well (Capogiro in Philadelphia for example) without stabilizers and such (at Capogiro especially, I think I've asked them more than once 'so there isn't ANY cream in this??')

Can anyone vouch for the superiority of the Kitchenaid over the Cuisinart?

Edited June 20, 2005 by cjsadler (log)

[SethG]

I currently have the Cuisinart and agree with the article's assessment that the results are 'slightly icy, but acceptable'.  For high fat ice creams it does just fine (but then simply freezing a high fat ice cream in a pan works nearly as well.  Try it sometime-- John Thorne has a recipe for a no-machine lemon ice cream in the book 'Outlaw Cook'.  You'll be very surprised by the results), but for gelato style (ie-- lower fat ice cream) and sorbets especially, the Cuisinart results are disappointing. 

←

I should say, upon reflection, that I have made one "gelato style" ice cream, Mario Batali's honey vanilla gelato, which contained some heavy cream but was mostly milk-based. And the results from my Cuisinart were super. I read that article and I can't say I've found any of the ice cream that I've made to be "icy," although I'm still new at this. So long as you get the mixture good and cold, even close to freezing it, before you put it into the machine, I find the results are really good. I had one batch where it really wasn't cold enough, and I could see it wasn't going well so I aborted the operation and refrigerated the mixture for another 12 hours, and then it went fine.

[BarbaraY]

I have a Krups and it makes good ice cream.  My only criticism of it is that a sheet of hard ice/cream mixture forms on the bottom of the canister.  I am not sure if this is because there is a space between the dasher and the bottom of the canister and/or the canister is too cold.  I am planning on experimenting with the temp of the freezer and the placement of the unit in the freezer to see if I can avoid this layering.

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I have one of these and have the same problem. I just consider that film of frozen stuff my reward for making ice cream.:D

[saltylicious]

Check out Gourmet mag (April/2005) page 54 for the

Ice Cream maker review article...

Gourmet's top rated KA ice cream attachment is very clumsy and clunky. ..imo

Donviers are great fun for a kids / childish adults ice cream party. They easy to clean & super cheap (only $3-4 at salvation army/goodwill stores/garage sales)

[simdelish]

However, I'm not sure it's even possible to make creamy textured sorbets like you get at a place that does them well (Capogiro in Philadelphia for example) without stabilizers and such (at Capogiro especially, I think I've asked them more than once 'so there isn't ANY cream in this??')

←

The stabilizers really don't have much to do with texture, only as texture becomes an issue with a product that is more than a few days old(or one that goes through heat shock). If you are going to eat up your ice cream as soon as you make it (or later that day), stablizers will do nothing for you. Stablizers are really for helping with shelf life. They act on the unfrozen portions of water suspended in the mixture. That is to say, they help maintain the desired firmness and texture that is present when the ice cream is freshly made. While some ice creams and sorbets are still fine after a few days, others (depending on their ingredients) will get coarse and ice-y, separate, get grainy and/or syrupy. That's because the water molecules "migrate" to elsewhere in the mix, where they can freeze hard into crystals. The stablizers help keep them (the water molecules) where they belong, basically, and don't let them travel out of bounds and get caught and freeze.

It's also really the sugars (lactose in the milk, fructose in the fruit or glucose added as an extra ingredient, but not sucrose) that contribute to the depressed freezing point, and therefore the smooth texture. I find that it's the processing that really makes things creamy to begin with. My sorbets, for example, are rich, creamy and satin on the tongue, yet they are made of nothing more than fruit, water and sugar. But they spin continuously, beating air, lightness, consistency and smoothness into your product. (Which is the whole concept behind PacoJets which don't spin a liquid ingredient, but rather they 'shave' off a frozen ingredient... but that's another lecture ).

But if you want to have your ice cream last, or have to deal with heat shock (the term for when everytime you pull out the container to scoop up a serving, or have to keep it in a display case like at the shops), then you need to add the stablizers.

HTH

[bradyvickers]

Just purchased a KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment. Thought about the Krups, but since it's being discontinued decided to try something different. I picked the KitchenAid because of its capacity, ease of adding ingredients during the churning process, and I didn't want another "appliance" that I would have to find space for. The kitchen aid takes up little extra room, especially if you keep the bowl in the freezer.

I'm making a raspberry custard ice cream today, using the CIA's formula. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Slate article

I rated each machine in the following categories on a scale of one to 10: ease of use, time to completion, elegance of design, and, of course, pre-eminently, on the quality of the ice cream. For the Philly batch, I made a rudimentary cookies and cream. For the French batch, I cooked up a basic cinnamon gelato. I tasted the ice cream thrice—as it came out of the machine (the goop may not be ice cream, but it is irresistible), after it had "ripened," and then again the following night, with wife and friends.

Machines being tested were:

The Rival Treat Shoppe Electric Ice Cream Maker

Cuisinart ICE 20

White Mountain 4-Quart Electric Ice-Cream Maker

Gelato Jr. by Lello

KitchenAid Mixer, Plus Gel Canister Attachment

Cuisinart ICE 50BC Supreme

Musso 4080 Lussino Dessert Maker

See what you think of the results ... do you own any of these?

Does your machine seem to be what it is pictured here?

Does spending a lot ensure fine quality product? Your input, if you will ...

[alchemyst]

Did you happen to see the article in Smart Money? They had Ben & Jerry testing and rating ice cream makers. I read the article at a newstand so I don't have the link but it's the most recent issue. They went with the Cuisinart...I own a Smilac myself. It's a bit pricey but worth it if you make ice cream on a regular basis. There's no comparison between those using insulated frozen bowls and those that have a chilling ability within their mechanisms. They ones that chill just work better.

[WhiteTruffleGirl]

I also own a Simac and wouldn't trade it for love or money. It's a great machine. As good in small batch as the $30K model I use at work is in large batch.

I'm really looking forward to the gelato class at the World Pastry Forum this Friday!

[lesfen]

I just got a Cuisinart ICE 20 as a wedding gift and I would agree that it's a great starter model... perfect for me, as I tried it for the first time last night. I'm going to have to play with it for a while before I can make a good call on it. The texture was very nice and the machine is super easy to use... it's the recipe that needs tweaked. I went with the classic custard base and I have to say that it was a little rich for me. If I had made a pie, the recipe that I used would have been a perfect foil for a tart cherry pastry, but I didn't... I just had a big bowl of cool fluffy deliciousness that I couldn't finish. So yeah, big ups to the cheap-y Cuisinart.

[kpurvis]

I've been considering investing in the KitchenAid attachment. Does anyone have feedback on it?

[Jeni Hicks]

I have the KA ice cream maker attachment - and so far I'm very pleased with it :)

Although my ice cream making has been limited to endless batches of vanilla, chocolate and -yum!- fresh strawberry only, the attachment has been a star since the beginning. The ice cream reaches a "slightly stiffer than soft serve" consistency after about 15 minutes - it can be eaten as is, or frozen for a harder consistency. The old Cusinart machine I had rarely got past "cold soup"...the recipes I used were the same.

I'm really happy that I got mine, and would recommend it highly.

HTH!

[HungryChris]

I have a Musso 4080 Lussino that I got by bidding (and winning) on a Simac on e-bay. How that happened is still a mystery. The thing was delivered brand new with a warranty from a supplier several states away from the woman selling it. My only guess is that the supplier did not have the Simac in stock and made the substitution. Once I did my home-work and realized that it was an upgrade, I stopped my original protest. It had cost me about $320.

As far as the machine goes, my very first batch was just awsome! I love the fact that you can wip out quart after quart at a rate of about 1 every half hour. This was great when I knew my sisters kids were coming over.

I also like to do sorbe and gelato experiments.

Deb (on South Beach) likes to bring over a few 6 oz cups of Blue Bunny Lite 85 fat free, no sugar added yogurt (black cherry is her fave right now) and in about 20 min it produces really good SB friendly frozen yogurt.

My latest gelato was made with 2 peeled large seedless oranges which when run through the blender yielded 1 1/2 C puree. I matched that with 1 1/2 C whole milk, 1/2 Tbs Vanilla extract and 2 heaping Tbs sugar (you have to taste the mixture to see how much sweetness the fruit brings to the table). That was pulsed for a moment and popped into the bowl of the Lussino, which had been running on the refrigerant cycle for about 5 min. I was looking for the Good Humor Creamcicle taste. About 20 min later I had it, soft serve style and the bulk went into the freezer to be hardened off. I could hear the Good Humor bells ringing from my childhood when the truck was really a motorcycle with a big cooler. Next will be the toasted almond!

Let me also add that this thing is a big and heavy item. It will fill both arms and weighs around 30 lbs. I keep it in my spare bedroom/appliance garrage cause I just don't have the space to devote to it when it isn't being used. It is not for everybody.

edited to correct spelling (where is the eG spell-check???)

Cheers,

HC

Edited June 30, 2005 by HungryChris (log)

[kpurvis]

I have the KA ice cream maker attachment - and so far I'm very pleased with it :)

Although my ice cream making has been limited to endless batches of vanilla, chocolate and -yum!- fresh strawberry only,  the attachment has been a star since the beginning.  The ice cream reaches a "slightly stiffer than soft serve" consistency after about 15 minutes - it can be eaten as is, or frozen for a harder consistency.  The old Cusinart machine I had rarely got past "cold soup"...the recipes I used were the same.

I'm really happy that I got mine, and would recommend it highly.

HTH!

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Thanks for the report, Jeni. Sounds like it would worth the investment, especially since I have the luxury of a deep freezer for storing the canister.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Thanks for this post, kpurvis ... just looked at the prices .. wow! think I'll stick with my Cuisinart for now though ...

[bradyvickers]

The raspberry custard turned out great. Very smooth. I have made a few batches in the machine so far. The raspberry custard, coffee ice cream, and a cantaloupe sorbet. The coffee ice cream texture was good, but the flavor wasn't. The texture of the cantaloupe sorbet was bad. I think I needed to strain out the fibrous bits. Anyway, I would highly recommend the KA ice cream attachment it works great.

[Lesley C]

I'm testing both the KA and Cuisinart makers this week for an article.

The KA was iffy for a few reasons.

One, it doesn't have a lid, which means loss of temperature. It's also not hygenic (but that's the bacteria-crazed ice cream maker in me speaking). There was a fly buzzing around my kitchen when I was churning the ice cream and he came pretty close to melding in alongside the chocolate chips a few times.

Second, I almost broke the paddle when I accidently increased the speed and then went back to the stir speed. I heard a horrible "crunch" noise. Nothing broke, but I think it might if it ever happened again.

Third, the Cuisinart offers the option of having multiple canisters. If I want to make chocolate and vanilla ice cream for a dessert, I have to wait 24 hours with the KA, whereas I can have the second freezer canister going right after the first with the Cuisinart. There's also a Cuisinart model that offers two canisters going at once. With the KA, multiple canisters is not an option and never will be.

Cuisinart test to come soon...

[Busboy]

I have a Cusinart and I think it works pretty well. And I got it for fifty bucks, with a second cannister thrown in, so I can make multiple 'screams at will.

I think they turn out a pretty good product at a pretty good price.

With the dual cannister Cuisinart, though, I've had trouble with the plastic lids (these things) that hold the paddles in place as the cannisters turn. The little plastic triangles that keep the paddles from spinning have been breaking off one-by-one meaning a $50 machine is rapidly approaching uselessness because of a small plastic part.

[scordelia]

I also have the Cuisinart, also got it on sale with a second bowl thrown in, and I love it. It makes great ice cream and it is compact. Recently, a friend of mine (who died) left me his fancy-dancy $1000 Italian ice cream maker with a built-in freezing unit, and I like my Cuisinart better. Thay both make equally good ice cream, but the Cuisinart is easier to clean and store. I am going to sell the other one on eBay or something.

[chefturnedbum]

Boy I have had a lot of machines over the years. I just got the musso unit and let me tell you, for the money it produces a beautiful product. The air whipped into this unit really makes the difference. I tried the cuisinart and it was ok. In the beginning I used moms whote mt. and rival mixers and they seemed to do just an adequate job as the previous two. The musso is expensive but well worth it and if you have a show kitchen it really stands out. Did a french style with black pepper and vanilla and it was really stellar. Next I did french style with fresh rainier cherries ( I am in WA. ) which I purchased for a buck and barised them in kirsch and paired with a valhrona chocolate ice cream. Orgasm in a bowl. Spend the money.

[LaurieA-B]

New issue of Fine Cooking (Sept. 2005) has an ice cream machine test and one they recommend is the Salton Big Chill. Anyone tried it? The appealing feature is that instead of freezing the entire bowl, you freeze a disk that goes under the bowl (takes up less freezer space).

[simdelish]

My new job has yet to get an ice cream maker for me... but in the meantime, one of the owner's friends, a caterer, brought in her Musso for me to use in the meantime.

For my purposes, it is a PITA, because it makes such small amounts (I get less than 2 qts out of it), and it is not easy to clean/sanitize, as there are no removable canisters, or an extruding exit to wash hot water thru. It takes me about 30-40 min to run a batch, sometimes more. When I have a big batch of some flavor, I just scoop out the first batch, don't even wipe out etc, just pour more base in and keep going.

The caterer said she hardly uses it (which is why she loaned it to me) (AND it won't pass the health inspector, so she keeps it hidden, and forgets she has it). She did say she used it for one very large NYE party, and they started cranking batches out starting at 4 or 5 pm, and didn't stop til 2 am. She said it didn't have a problem going that long.

I am fairly happy with the results, I guess an 8 out of 10. It definitely does not, for some reason, churn the mix as fine as the commercial machines I have used in the past (I found the CRM gelato maker the best of all).

For me, I have found I almost have to overdo it, as the super small batch has a tendency to start melting right away, while I am trying to scoop the stuff out and get into the freezer. The Musso does have 2 separate buttons, one for the dasher, and one for the cold/freeze. If I leave on the freeze while scooping, the edges get rock hard in a matter of seconds, which makes the mix lumpy.

I have used most of the home machines, and I would say this Musso definitely does the best job. If you are serious about ice cream, and can spring for the Musso, I would recommend it over the others. For now for me, the little Musso is doing the job at work, but it keeps my assistant busy, doing batch after batch. I am counting down the days, however, until I get a big 'un once again!

[rmockler]

thanks all and everyone for their great, informed input.

....

So .. my question, as a once- or twice-a-year ice cream maker, is: what's wrong with the cheapo Rival-style version with the ice and the rock salt? I much prefer this to my cuisinart. Given how infrequently I make ice cream, it's a bit of a hit or miss for me perfection-wise, but I can't imagine that's the machine's fault.

Anyone have any beef with these little guys, other than the ice and rock salt hassle if you use them a lot? Are my aspirations to making perfect ice cream for naught unless I shell out for a big machine?