Still using my ice cream maker. Had it a while now. Still works great. I think the best way to ensure your ice cream freezes is first that bucket must be frozen 24 hours and perhaps 48 hours the first time you use it. It also doesn't get cold enough if you are using a freezer that is part of your refrigerator. Best results, you need a true freezer, chest or upright. Having cold ingredients is also key. Don't pull all your items out and let them sit a while. Pull them out and measure them right away. If you make a recipe that you have to heat the ingredients up first, you must refrigerate overnight. After the first successful batch you can wash your bucket and put it in the freezer right away. It will be ready to go the next day. Don't let the bucket come to room temperature or you will need to wait the 24-48 hours again. Every recipe I have made so far is great. The hardest part is getting the ice cream stuck to the walls of the bucket after it is done in the container. It doesn't look like much but I think it is a good half cup of ice cream frozen to the wall of the bucket. Just made my first batch today. The motor never stopped or stalled after 50 minutes. I had the container in the freezer almost 20 hours and the ingredients were all cold as well. I used my own family recipe so maybe not using whipping cream is part of the problem. It tastes like it should but we have not had any as a family yet. We shall see how future recipes work. I will amend to 5 stars if I can get the motor to stall. Definitely do not use more then the 4 cups of material in your mixer. I didn't believe it would expand that much but boy did it ever!! Just made my third batch. This time the chocolate recipe in the book given. The difference in my family recipe to these is my family recipe does not use Whipping Cream but whole milk and Half and Half. The second batch I made was a little short of 4 cups and the mixer did reverse to indicate it was done. The chocolate ice cream recipe was done in record time and I have to say is REALLY REALLY GOOD! Reminds me of the high end ice cream my mother had delivered to our home when we were kids. OH MAN! This is going to be hard to stay out of. The kids love the ice cream. 1 1/2 quarts is the perfect amount for the freezer as well on an every day basis. I've been putting the container right back in the freezer after I am done making a batch and have it washed. Then when the ice cream pail is almost empty I mix up another batch to make the next day. I don't know how long the motor will last but for the price I LOVE IT Read more
I have used this several times for both custard and Philadelphia (no eggs/no cooking) styles of ice cream and frozen yogurt and can't think of any faults. With a 1.5 quart capacity, it might be small for some families, but it's just the right size for a couple or a few. Since the ice cream expands, I use recipes based on 3 cups of raw milk/cream/yogurt which with other ingredients bring it close to the 1 quart limit. We love the texture of the finished product. When the tub is well-frozen (24 hours) and the ice cream mixture well-chilled (8 hours+), the ice cream is usually ready in 10-30 minutes. I do think it works faster in a room that isn't warm, so I make it in the morning on summer days. Also, custard mixes take a little longer to freeze than egg-free recipes. I bought this ice cream maker to replace a similar other-brand machine I had returned and like this one better for several reasons. The paddle snaps in securely and doesn't come loose during churning. The pouring opening is larger and easier to use for putting mix in and adding solid mix-ins at the end. The tub has a lip which allows you to easily remove the tub to transfer the finished ice cream to another container. The lid is easy to clean after easily snapping off the motor piece. I guess it does have one drawback: I don't think it would automatically turn off when the ice cream is done (does it?). But you can tell by the sound that it is getting thick, then just watch closely. Basically we love this machine and think it was a great investment. UPDATED after 8 months of use: This machine is still 5 stars. We've made a batch of ice cream almost every week and it still works like a charm. It's so nice to make it with just four ingredients (cream, milk, sweetener, vanilla) and avoid all the other stuff in store-bought ice cream. The ice cream can get a bit icy, so sometimes I'll stir it after it's been in the freezer for a while, or take it out a bit early and stir before serving. Read more
This thing is awesome. I have made 10+ quarts of ice cream with it so far and almost every time it freezes. Granted i took it to work the one weekend and it did not freeze but i believe that is due to substandard freezer temperatures. The bowl pops out nicely and is easy to clean, it fits in every freezer i have tried it in. Takes anywhere from 6-12 hours to chill enough to actually use. Does not require ice, which is the whole reason i bought this. I get so tired of filling the older machines with ice and salt and having a salty icey sludge at the end. I buy "ice cream shoppe" brand mix, my walmart sells them for $1 per 2 quart package. Mix with whole milk. freeze. and enjoy. The only downside to this machine is that the motor is not strong enough to make a thick ice cream or a frozen greek yogurt. The way i have overcome this is to take a rubber scraper and when the motor stops (indicating the ice cream is done) i take it out and use the rubber scraper for 5-10 mins. Boom! stiffer ice cream. All in all, i would buy this again and again and again. I have recommended it to every person that asks or shows interest in buying an ice cream maker. Good job guys, kudos. A good product for a cheap price. Read more
