Ice Cream Machines

[Cephalopunk]

I'd like to preface this with saying that I am not a professional pastry cook, or anything even close.

I've been looking at ice cream machines lately, mainly the Cusinart 1.5 Quart unit that's been running about $50. I certainly don't have the bread for a serious DeLonghi machine or the like, so this sounds like a bargain to me. However, I stumbled across this $20 dollar machine, which sounds too good to be true. It has a smaller capacity than the Cuisinart, which is a brand I've always been happy with. At the same time, that's ridiculously cheap, and when you're a perpetually-broke line cook in NYC, $30 counts.

Any thoughts?

[jschyun]

I have been able to get perfectly new (in the box) Donvier ice cream makers from Salvation Army and Goodwill here for $5 - $6. I got 3 this way. My sis got a mini one for $5 from Goodwill one time.

[tobism]

I have the same Cuisinart but haven't used it in a while. I also have a mini hand crank Donvier, and a 1.5 gallon ice-and-rock-salt White Mountain. My workhorse is a 4 quart Coldelite LB100; it's da BOMB!

The Cuisinart makes a decent, smooth product, if you know the basics. Just make sure to use a wooden or plastic spoon for extraction (rice paddle is perfect), and if you plan on making a couple batches in succession, buy another self contained freezing unit.

Now go make ice cream!

[Stone]

If you plan on using it more than infrequently, I would choose quality over the $30 price savings. If you're living in NY and buying an ice cream machine, you can afford the $30.

[GG Mora]

I have been able to get perfectly new (in the box) Donvier ice cream makers from Salvation Army and Goodwill here for $5 - $6. I got 3 this way. My sis got a mini one for $5 from Goodwill one time.

Gotcha beat: mine was 25¢ at the local fire department's tag sale. You can make perfectly decent ice cream with it, but: you have to freeze the liner for at least 24 hours and throw away the instructions that came wiith the thing. You need to crank it slowly but continuously for about half an hour, reversing direction occasionally. I think the instructions have you give the crank one turn every 10 minutes for an hour or something insanely ineffective like that.

[Alex]

That VillaWare looks like a very, very good deal. I've owned a bunch of different hand-cranked and electric ice cream makers. I'd go for an electric model if I were you, especially for $20! -- much less work, with better results. I'd also buy another item for $5.01 or more in order to get free shipping. One thing did seem odd to me, though: It is #2 in Amazon's sales ranking yet has no consumer reviews.

[Rachel Perlow]

eGulletified Amazon links:

Cuisinart ICE-20 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt & Sorbet Maker
VillaWare 5100 Electric Ice Cream Maker, Stainless Steel

Please support eGullet by making Amazon links that give eGullet a commission. Click here for instructions. Thanks.

[tan319]

If you're not going to spring for the cuisinart 50 buck guy, which is not bad, and you don't mind going with the salt and ice scenario, go down to the Kmart at Astor place or someplace like that and get a 4 qt. rival machine for 17.00 bucks or so.

I'm getting tremendous results, believe it or not, with mine, especially the 4 qt. one.

Very fluffy, good spin.

Much better then the cusinnart, much messier though if you're not careful.

[SethG]

I'm bumping this because I'm thinking about getting a $50 ice cream machine.

Many like the Cuisinart. Alton Brown says the Krups is the best, and that it can stay cold enough to make two btaches in a row.

Any current opinions on these or other models?

[mdt]

I'm bumping this because I'm thinking about getting a $50 ice cream machine.

Many like the Cuisinart.  Alton Brown says the Krups is the best, and that it can stay cold enough to make two btaches in a row.

Any current opinions on these or other models?

←

I received the Cuisinart as a gift and I have been happy with it. It has made some very decentl and well textured ice cream. One thing that I have found to be very important is to have your base chilled in the fridge (overnight is great) before putting it in the ice cream maker. This will also allow you do make more than one batch with the freeze unit.

One advantage that I have is a chest freezer in my basement so the freeze units get much colder, and therefore last longer, than one placed in a normal fridge freezer.

I have not used any others, so I cannot give any sort of comparison.

[achevres]

I have the Cuisinart and I'm very happy with it. I took a cooking class a few years ago with Mark Fischer (six89, Carbondale, CO) and was surprised to see the Cuisinart ice cream maker churning away. He told me the have 2 of them and many inserts and that's what they use in the restaurant and that they last at least 2 years of constant use. He said he used to have a professional machine, but when it broke it was a nightmare to get it fixed.

[s'kat]

I picked up the Cuisinart for a Thanksgiving dessert. Never having used an ice cream maker previously, it seemed to work quite nicely. The bowl was chilled overnight, and 30 minutes after combining and adding the ingredients, I had ice cream.

I feel that it was a good purchase, and am already plotting my next ice cream making endeavor.

[RedHermes]

Has anyone tried the Ice Cream Maker attachment for the KitchenAid Stand Mixer?

I am thinking about an Ice Cream Maker, but I am running out of room...

[Moopheus]

Has anyone tried the Ice Cream Maker attachment for the KitchenAid Stand Mixer?

←

There was a recent thread about the KitchenAid attachment.

I've been pretty happy with the Krups, though I haven't tried making two consecutive batches with it. One batch is usually enough. Out on the counter on a hot day I doubt it will keep cold enough for two, unless your house is very well air conditioned. In my apt it will start to thaw before even one batch is done. It is small enough to run in the freezer, and then it is still quite cold when finished. I suppose if you don't use hot water to clean it out between batches, you could run it several times that way.

[jgarner53]

I have the Cuisinart and like it quite a bit. The only word of warning I have is that you have to make real ice cream. Trying to make it with just milk, or only a little bit of cream, and no eggs (unless you're making sorbet), will get you a very icy product that will freeze rock hard.

Like it so much that I just ordered one (in racy red!) for my BIL who's an ice cream FIEND for Christmas. Even living in Alaska hasn't slowed down his ice cream consumption.

[bloviatrix]

I love my Cuisinart. If you plan to make many double batches just buy a second canister. Amazon carries them for about $20.

The only drawback with the cheap machines is you have to keep the canisters in the freezer, and if you have a small freezer, like I do, it means you have to be very organized.

[SethG]

Cuisinart seems to be the way to go. I checked around the web and it appears the Krups machine is being phased out. Many shops have none in stock. If you go to the Krups site, they have a new model but there's not much descriptive info about it and no one seems to be carrying it yet.

[Moopheus]

The only word of warning I have is that you have to make real ice cream. Trying to make it with just milk, or only a little bit of cream, and no eggs (unless you're making sorbet), will get you a very icy product that will freeze rock hard.

←

If you want to make low-fat ice milk, try adding a little nonfat dry milk powder to the mix (maybe 4 or 5 percent by weight).

[FWED]

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.

[KarenS]

Ice cream machines- still no good answer. It is crazy that the cheap ones are crap (I threw out a Donvier after the first use- it was a fit, and I have never done anything like that- my thought was that I would have had a better product , stirred with a whip, in a hotel pan in the freezer,)

I remember one that in college the roommates bought; it used ice cubes and salt (and was very easy). I don't remember the brand. The best ones I've worked with are Italian and cost $20,000. I have worked with lots of $5000 coldites though.

I have a problem with the volumne of the makers of the cheap machines. One quart is very small.

[Moopheus]

I have a problem with the volumne of the makers of the cheap machines. One quart is very small.

←

The cheap machines are probably no good for restaurant service, but a small machine is just fine for most home users. I often make batches as small as a pint, eating it straight out of the machine without even hardening it. Even a cheap machine can make ice cream as good or better than almost anything you can buy; with ice cream the ingredients you use are far more important than the type of machine.

[merstar]

I have the Krups La Glacière and I've been very happy with it - it makes excellent ice cream and gelato.

Edited December 4, 2004 by merstar (log)

[RETREVR]

I bought one at the thrift store for $2.95. Works fine.

I made a grapefruit sorbet to be served tonight. It was killer. The ruby reds rock right now. I Think it is a Rival. I made 2 quarts and had plenty additional capacity (might hold 4 quarts). The expensive part is that I have to build a barn for the dammed thing to cut the noise down.

When my machine breaks I will go buy another.

It sits next to my $5 Atlas pasta roller and my $5 Maviel heavy roaster.

[halloweencat]

hey all :)

i'm looking for the best electric ice cream maker with an internal compressor, so that i don't have to pre-freeze bowls.

granted, it will be more of an expense, but our household consumes a lot of frozen treats, and i also will never again have to deal with

....a bowl that will not get cold enough, despite days in the freezer (this happened with our freezer that was inside our fridge, if you know what i mean)

.....cranking every three minutes when i'm trying to prep for dinner party, and trying to coordinate a million other things

.....accomodate a bowl insert in my freezer when i need that space for everything else i'm doing for a dinner/party

.....feel sad that i can't provide a yummy treat because i didn't think 24 hours beforehand to freeze the bowl

now, don't get me wrong, i think those hand-crank models are great, i just think for my needs i'd like a bowl that doesn't need pre-freezing.

and i'd also like something that doesn't cost an arm-and-a-leg, so those $1000k machines are out (sadly).

the only two i could find that fit the bill were these...

cuisinart

http://ww1.williams-sonoma.com/cat/pip.cfm...test=1&flash=on

lello

http://www.chefscatalog.com/store/catalog/...&showCrumb=true

(i looked the lello up on amazon, and there appear to be some customer service issues, plus folks who feel it wasn't well-designed; e.g., the crank can get stuck or pull out, etc.)

any other candidates out there? is a used or refurbished high-end model a good thought? if so, where would one acquire one?

cheers :) hc

[R Washburn]

My Cuisinart is noisy, but it works pretty well.