Hamilton Beach Half Pint Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker

I bought my Hamilton Beach ice cream maker with misgivings, having read some of the negative reviews. I am pleased to have experienced no problems whatsoever, and I use my machine regularly. I bought it so I could make low-carb ice cream (substituting Xyla, a sugar alcohol, for sugar), and I could not be happier with the results. My low-carb vanilla ice cream tastes exactly like the regular vanilla I used to make every summer. This ice cream maker has brought me so much pleasure, I recently purchased another to give as a bridal shower gift. Hamilton Beach may be experiencing some quality control issues, but my maker has no defects. I'm not pushing my luck...I let the bowls warm slowly back to room temp before I rinse them with cool water, and then I wash them in hot, soapy water with the dinner dishes. Based on my own experience, I highly recommend this product. Read more

Growing up my parents were amazing. As a child I remember my mother making homemade ice cream in our old ice cream maker.It was a time of enjoyment, and excitement. Homemade ice cream was something special. Being nostalgic I bought this product. As I was buying it I was thinking of my childhood and of Mom's homemade ice cream. This product is a HUGE LET DOWN. It doesn't taste like homemade ice cream at all. It tastes like cream with the occasional ice chunk in it. It didn't blend well at all. And took nearly three times the amount stated in the instructions to even get it that far! My freezer is extremely cold. The bowls had ice crystals formed on them when I started with the mix. This is disappointing and waste of money. Read more

I purchased the Hamilton Beach Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker after reading recommendations for it. I did read some cons, but decided to try it out anyways. The Pro side, it is quick and convenient to make the ice cream, and I have had no troubles with the bowls cracking. So I keep the bowls in the freezer, make the ice cream in 10 minutes, eat from the same bowl, wash and put the bowls back in the freezer. The downside, I'm finding that the ice cream sticks too much to the sides, that you need a chisel to scrape it out. Also the cover doesn't quite stay on while mixing. I had to hold it down, or put a weight on top of the maker to keep the cover from lifting off the machine.. I will not be purchasing another set. Also you may want to try a different product or model. Read more

Was looking for an electric ice cream maker that would make small batches in a short amount of time . . . and the Hamilton Beach Half Pint Soft Service Ice Cream Maker is all that! It's very easy to use and clean. My 12 year old daughter is hooked on its convenience and versatility. She loves to whip out individual servings and add an assortment of additions. The machine chills the ice cream base and creates a nice firm soft serve consistency in about 15 minutes, which is then hardened in the freezer after a few hours. She usually can't wait that long and enjoys it as a soft serve. But if allowed to harden, it's just like regular ice cream. I purchased 4 machines so each family member could create their own ice cream at the same time. Very convenient. Haven't had any lifting lid issues or not setting up issues. The first time my daughter tried to make ice cream, she didn't let the bowl freeze long enough so it wasn't cold enough to chill the ice cream base. You do have to follow the instructions and be patient to fully freeze the bowl between use. However, it comes with two bowls so one could be freezing while the other one is in use. It's so hard to go back to our 5 qt ice cream maker that requires ice and rock salt! Read more

I love this idea. However, no matter how I try to make my "soft serve" ice cream, it does not "firm up" all the way and as soon as you take it out of the freezer bowl it begins to melt. Perhaps a different receipe would have more "consistency" to hold the ice cream together better. I love the idea of just making one bowl at a time! Too bad I won't use this much because it is a waste of money to buy all the products to make the ice cream only to have it melt before you can eat it! (YES, THE BOWL IS FROZEN WHEN I TAKE IT OUT TO MAKE ICE CREAM). Read more

I have had this ice cream maker for about a month now and used it at least 8-9 times. It is very, very simple to use. Maybe too simple if you have a sweet tooth like my family! So far we have not had any issues. I shake up 1 cup of half and half, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, some vanilla and some sugar and or sweetener. I pour it in the frozen bowl and let it operate for about 12-15 minutes and voila. The only thing I have noticed is that if the bowls are too cold(we leave them in the freezer all of the time, not just overnight,) the mixture can get hard stuck to the inside and cause the lid to bump. If this happens the liquid also won't freeze properly. To remedy this, I just leave the bowl sit out about 3-4 minutes before I pour the cream into it. Pausing the machine and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few minutes into the churning process also helps. The portion is small but perfect for a family of 3 trying not to overeat. Addtionally, clean-up is a breeze. I am pleased with is purchase and so far it has been worth every penny. Read more

Product itself is great we bought one years ago. Silly me didn’t look at the absurd shipping and handling fee and this product is not worth that. I noticed this seller does this often after looking and wants a restocking fee so Im not sure about returning. Buy the dadh it works a just as well if not better and not a scam Read more

I bought this for my six year old who wanted one of the ice cream makers geared toward kids, that look like an animal and you have to shake. I was afraid no one would really want to shake the unit to get ice cream. I am happy with the decision. It is easy to use, fast, and the ice cream tasted great. Cute colors to make up for not looking like a penguin! Yield is small, as other reviewers have said, but god for three servings, in my opinion. The ice cream is rich...you don't need a lot of it. Read more