Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, 1.5 Quart Double Insulated, Sorbet and Frozen Yogurt Maker, Ready in 20 Minutes, ICE-21P1, White
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Description
- SUPERIOR FUNCTION: This Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Machine features a mixing paddle that makes frozen treats in 20 minutes or less. - COOL FEATURE: Double-insulated freezer bowl eliminates the need for ice. - CAPACITY: This ice cream maker can produce up to 1.5 quarts of your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt. - EASY TO USE: Ice cream machine features an easy-lock transparent lid with large spout to make adding ingredients simple and mess free. - LIMITED 3-YEAR WARRANTY: The BPA-free Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Machine comes with a limited 3-year warranty.
Details
Product Information
- Brand Name
- Cuisinart
- Included Components
- Ice-cream maker^plastic lid^freezer bowl, blade, bowl, lid
- Model Name
- 1.5 Quart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream Maker
- Model Number
- ICE-21P1ES
- Recommended Uses For Product
- Residential
- Warranty Description
- 3 Year limited warranty
- Manufacturer
- Cuisinart
- Part Number
- ICE-21P1
- Unit Count
- 1.0 Count
- Item Type Name
- Ice Cream Maker
Measurements
- Capacity
- 1.5 Quarts
- Item Dimensions L x W x H
- 9.5"L x 9"W x 11.25"H
- Item Weight
- 4.6 Kilograms
Features & Specs
- Other Special Features of the Product
- Double Insulated Freezer, Manual
- Operation Mode
- Automatic
Materials & Care
- Material
- Plastic
- Product Care Instructions
- Hand Wash Only
Additional Details
- Color
- New White
Frequently asked questions
- How long does it take to make ice cream with this machine?
- This Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Machine makes frozen treats in 20 minutes or less.
- Does this ice cream maker require ice or salt?
- No, the double-insulated freezer bowl eliminates the need for ice.
- What is the capacity of the ice cream maker?
- This ice cream maker can produce up to 1.5 quarts of your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Customer reviews
WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE?
Bought the Model 21 in time for homemade peach ice cream. Had gone back and forth whether to purchase a newer, more expensive version but after reading someone else’s recommendation that the older, simpler model worked just fine, decided to follow their advice and after having made nine batches of various flavors, agree that the “21” couldn’t be any better. No bells and whistles are really necessary other than the on/off switch, and it’s overly pricey to upgrade. The machine does make some noise, but not like a revved-up Harley or anything. I continue putzing around in the kitchen while the ice cream churns, and the high-pitched hum is not overly annoying. The slightly smaller capacity (1-1/2 qt) is advantageous since we can polish off a batch and go on to the next “experiment” without much delay. Finally, the smaller canister is easier to fit in a small refrigerator-freezer for the necessary pre-chilling. I haven’t found a second canister to be necessary for a small family, but if you have the freezer space and need to make larger quantities more often, it could be the ticket. This little gadget has been fun to use and it’s so easy, almost foolproof, to have great-tasting ice cream without the mess of an old-fashioned salt-and-ice freezer. After trying one of the Cuisinarts I ordered another as a gift, along with a 1-1/2 qt oblong storage container (have tried both Tovolo and Sumo—they seem practically identical). After the initial experiments with various “rich” recipes and flavors, we will probably try some of the lower cal versions such as sorbets and ices, but for now, it’s full bore with the creamy goodness. Life is now measured “before homemade ice cream” and after! Observations/methodology: Have tried various recipes—with eggs, cooked custard; with eggs, uncooked; no eggs, adding some instant vanilla pudding powder for extra thickness and body, and using fruits--peaches, cherries, strawberries, as well as butter pecan. (B.C. was hands-down fave!—toasted the chopped nuts in the oven first, with melted butter, a little sugar, and a sprinkling of kosher salt. In the custard, used dark brown sugar, maple syrup and Jack Daniels for flavoring—yummilicious!) Finally decided to stick with the cooked custard approach, adding a small amount of vanilla bean instant pudding powder, say 1-2 TB, to the cooled custard just prior to freezing. (I feel uneasy about using raw, uncooked eggs.) Have had excellent results using a Thermapen to measure the temp, whisking constantly while cooking in a heavy pot. It doesn’t take long to come to temp and thicken, but does need to be cooled prior to freezing, so if in a hurry you may prefer the easy-no-eggs-instant pudding type of recipe, readily available online. Not one batch so far has been a “failure”—in fact, they’re all so good that we’ve become addicted and eat ice cream three times a day. It should come with a warning label! We prefer a rich version, with a combination of heavy cream, evaporated milk, condensed milk and regular milk for a vanilla base resulting in that “from my childhood” taste. It can be modified with add-ins as you please. Be sure to write down what you do as you go, in case tweaking is needed next time or in case you pronounce the latest batch a sure winner. Have plenty of tasting spoons at the ready while churning, and several rubber spatulas will come in handy. As many have noted, it’s key to have the canister frozen rock-solid prior to churning. We keep it in the freezer between uses and even put the plastic shell (aka “lid”) in there while prepping the custard. There’s no actual lid as you might imagine. I wring out a wet dish towel and lay it on top across the open hole, and put some ice cubes atop that to help insulate. May not be necessary, but every bit helps. So far the “21” has worked great and we make a batch every other day. The most challenging part is transferring the just-frozen custard to a storage container for additional hardening. Take out the paddle first and scrape it off (another opportunity for tasting). The filled canister is heavy and to hold it with one hand while scraping out the soft ice cream is a bit unwieldy. A very firm plastic spatula works best (rather than a flexible one) to get all the ice cream out. Never use metal, anywhere, anytime! Wash and dry the canister when empty and return to your freezer pronto. You WILL want more ice cream soon and it’ll be ready to go, so keep a spot empty for it. It’ll be worth it. (I scream for green beans? Not so much….) Some have complained about the freezer not working for long, but being a new owner, I can’t say.. It seems like if you treat the parts gently it would last “forever,” but maybe that’s just like the honeymoon phase with a new lover. Time will tell but we’re very happy for now—even obsessed. Be cautious of OVER-filling the container which can cause an overflow mess since the mixture expands while freezing. Err on being conservative with the amount of custard mix. I use 2 eggs per 3 to 3-1/2 cups of liquid per batch and add the mixings the last few minutes to help ensure they don’t add too much volume. Keep an eye on it from time to time during the freezing process to make sure it isn’t about to overflow. You can always remove some of the mixture if it seems necessary. In the case of the toasted buttered pecans, I folded most of them into the mixture AFTER pouring it into the storage container because instructions say not to add anything larger than a chocolate chip, and I wanted some to be larger chunks. This delayed-addition technique works well for other fixings, too. On one hand, adding pureed fruits at the outset is good, for overall flavor intensity, but adding extra cut-up fruit later may be to your liking. Be aware that too-large chunks will likely get icy in the long run and be hard to scoop up, so there’s a fine line. The other “misteake” was making a double portion of custard in order to have back-to-back batches of half vanilla, intending to make another flavor with the remaining half of the mixture. Apparently the second half of the custard wasn’t chilled enough to overcome the freezing canister having gotten warmer on the first run. Although most batches froze in 15 to 30 minutes max, after a longer time it was obvious this batch refused to set up, so I returned the chilled custard in a bowl in the refrigerator, returned the canister to the freezer and decided to try again later. About five hours worked. Lesson learned—be patient. OK to double the batch, but chill it all thoroughly prior to churning. If pondering whether to get a countertop ice cream freezer, go for it. It’s fun and easy to use. You’ll be a proud as a brand-new parent after you make the first batch.
Bought the Model 21 in time for homemade peach ice cream. Had gone back and forth whether to purchase a newer, more expensive version but after reading someone else’s recommendation that the older, simpler model worked just fine, decided to follow their advice and after having made nine batches of various flavors, agree that the “21” couldn’t be any better. No bells and whistles are really necessary other than the on/off switch, and it’s overly pricey to upgrade. The machine does make some noise, but not like a revved-up Harley or anything. I continue putzing around in the kitchen while the ice cream churns, and the high-pitched hum is not overly annoying. The slightly smaller capacity (1-1/2 qt) is advantageous since we can polish off a batch and go on to the next “experiment” without much delay. Finally, the smaller canister is easier to fit in a small refrigerator-freezer for the necessary pre-chilling. I haven’t found a second canister to be necessary for a small family, but if you have the freezer space and need to make larger quantities more often, it could be the ticket. This little gadget has been fun to use and it’s so easy, almost foolproof, to have great-tasting ice cream without the mess of an old-fashioned salt-and-ice freezer. After trying one of the Cuisinarts I ordered another as a gift, along with a 1-1/2 qt oblong storage container (have tried both Tovolo and Sumo—they seem practically identical). After the initial experiments with various “rich” recipes and flavors, we will probably try some of the lower cal versions such as sorbets and ices, but for now, it’s full bore with the creamy goodness. Life is now measured “before homemade ice cream” and after! Observations/methodology: Have tried various recipes—with eggs, cooked custard; with eggs, uncooked; no eggs, adding some instant vanilla pudding powder for extra thickness and body, and using fruits--peaches, cherries, strawberries, as well as butter pecan. (B.C. was hands-down fave!—toasted the chopped nuts in the oven first, with melted butter, a little sugar, and a sprinkling of kosher salt. In the custard, used dark brown sugar, maple syrup and Jack Daniels for flavoring—yummilicious!) Finally decided to stick with the cooked custard approach, adding a small amount of vanilla bean instant pudding powder, say 1-2 TB, to the cooled custard just prior to freezing. (I feel uneasy about using raw, uncooked eggs.) Have had excellent results using a Thermapen to measure the temp, whisking constantly while cooking in a heavy pot. It doesn’t take long to come to temp and thicken, but does need to be cooled prior to freezing, so if in a hurry you may prefer the easy-no-eggs-instant pudding type of recipe, readily available online. Not one batch so far has been a “failure”—in fact, they’re all so good that we’ve become addicted and eat ice cream three times a day. It should come with a warning label! We prefer a rich version, with a combination of heavy cream, evaporated milk, condensed milk and regular milk for a vanilla base resulting in that “from my childhood” taste. It can be modified with add-ins as you please. Be sure to write down what you do as you go, in case tweaking is needed next time or in case you pronounce the latest batch a sure winner. Have plenty of tasting spoons at the ready while churning, and several rubber spatulas will come in handy. As many have noted, it’s key to have the canister frozen rock-solid prior to churning. We keep it in the freezer between uses and even put the plastic shell (aka “lid”) in there while prepping the custard. There’s no actual lid as you might imagine. I wring out a wet dish towel and lay it on top across the open hole, and put some ice cubes atop that to help insulate. May not be necessary, but every bit helps. So far the “21” has worked great and we make a batch every other day. The most challenging part is transferring the just-frozen custard to a storage container for additional hardening. Take out the paddle first and scrape it off (another opportunity for tasting). The filled canister is heavy and to hold it with one hand while scraping out the soft ice cream is a bit unwieldy. A very firm plastic spatula works best (rather than a flexible one) to get all the ice cream out. Never use metal, anywhere, anytime! Wash and dry the canister when empty and return to your freezer pronto. You WILL want more ice cream soon and it’ll be ready to go, so keep a spot empty for it. It’ll be worth it. (I scream for green beans? Not so much….) Some have complained about the freezer not working for long, but being a new owner, I can’t say.. It seems like if you treat the parts gently it would last “forever,” but maybe that’s just like the honeymoon phase with a new lover. Time will tell but we’re very happy for now—even obsessed. Be cautious of OVER-filling the container which can cause an overflow mess since the mixture expands while freezing. Err on being conservative with the amount of custard mix. I use 2 eggs per 3 to 3-1/2 cups of liquid per batch and add the mixings the last few minutes to help ensure they don’t add too much volume. Keep an eye on it from time to time during the freezing process to make sure it isn’t about to overflow. You can always remove some of the mixture if it seems necessary. In the case of the toasted buttered pecans, I folded most of them into the mixture AFTER pouring it into the storage container because instructions say not to add anything larger than a chocolate chip, and I wanted some to be larger chunks. This delayed-addition technique works well for other fixings, too. On one hand, adding pureed fruits at the outset is good, for overall flavor intensity, but adding extra cut-up fruit later may be to your liking. Be aware that too-large chunks will likely get icy in the long run and be hard to scoop up, so there’s a fine line. The other “misteake” was making a double portion of custard in order to have back-to-back batches of half vanilla, intending to make another flavor with the remaining half of the mixture. Apparently the second half of the custard wasn’t chilled enough to overcome the freezing canister having gotten warmer on the first run. Although most batches froze in 15 to 30 minutes max, after a longer time it was obvious this batch refused to set up, so I returned the chilled custard in a bowl in the refrigerator, returned the canister to the freezer and decided to try again later. About five hours worked. Lesson learned—be patient. OK to double the batch, but chill it all thoroughly prior to churning. If pondering whether to get a countertop ice cream freezer, go for it. It’s fun and easy to use. You’ll be a proud as a brand-new parent after you make the first batch.
It works GREAT!
One button, on or off. Too simple. Cook up your fav gelato, ice cream or other frozen dessert recipe. Chill your cooked batch overnight in fridge. Keep the Cuisinart bucket in the freezer overnight. Fill it up with your chilled mix, turn it on and come back in fifteen minutes. Too easy. It's done when the ice cream is so cold it won't churn around anymore. The bigger choices are the recipes, but this machine will make it all. Forget wasting your time with machines with too many buttons and sensors, this machine works - it's simple and to the point and will probably last three decades. The recommended volumes in the Cusinart recipes are about 30% too much material and will overflow a bit, but it's easy to clean up and adjust the volumes for the next batch. Take notes. Lots of good recipe ideas on the web. There's even Marcella Hazan gelato recipes available online (in her book too.) Things to consider - how much fat to use, all milk, or half milk with half and half, or milk and full cream. They will all work. Baker's sugar is super smooth, especially when beaten into farm fresh egg yolks. The better the vanilla, the better the flavor. Vanilla paste from Madagascar rocks. For chocolate, Valronha Feves Guanja and Valrhona Dutch Process Cocoa will beat any chocolate dessert you have ever tasted. I promise you will never go back to the grocery store "gourmet" ice creams which are loaded up with cheap ingredients, fillers etc. Homemade is so superior. Go for it and have fun. To store in freezer, I use the paper One - Pint Frozen Dessert Containers with Lids. Fold up some wax paper and put it on top of the ice cream to prevent crystalizing. Put the whole container in a plastic bag with a tie, so that when you open and close the freezer, it stays super cold and doesn't crystalize on the outside. For the truly obsessed cooks, here's my version of Vanilla Gelato: 325g whole milk - 325g half and half - 50g really thick Icelandic yogurt - 145g bakers sugar - 2 tsp. madagascar vanilla paste - 5 egg yolks - separate the egg yolks, put in bowl, gently whisk in baker's sugar, don't over mix; mix the milk, half and half, yogurt and vanilla together and heat up to about 150 degrees in a good double boiler, stir so it doesn't stick but not too much or it will take forever to warm up; take off heat; slowly add in about a half cup at a time while stirring the eggs, not too much too fast or your will ruin the eggs, then put the mixture back in the double boiler and bring to 165 degrees - not higher - take off the heat immediately, put into a bowl with a good lid - set bowl in some ice water to cool it down quickly. Then put the bowl in the fridge overnight. The Cuisinart mix bowl goes in the freezer overnight. Put it in a clean plastic bag to keep crystals out. Next day, set up the Cuisinart with freezer bowl, pour in chilled mix, let it spin. Mine takes twelve minutes to make. It's done when the gelato stops churning because it is soft frozen. Scoop it into the paper containers with wax paper on top. Makes two pints. Ok, real Italian gelato does not use cream, yogurt or eggs, this is just my version. The amount fills the Cuisinart up without overflowing. You can use only milk, or heavy cream instead of half and half. More or less sugar to your taste. If you don't use the egg yolks, you won't have to mess with the double boiler, but then it won't have the deep crazy good custard flavor. I have tried lots of fancy vanilla pastes. While I can't promote who makes the best, lets just say look for N & M. For the chocoholics - add 70g of melted 70% great chocolate into the warm milk mix plus 42g of Dutch Process cocoa powder. Just don't blame me if you get addicted. Ciao...
One button, on or off. Too simple. Cook up your fav gelato, ice cream or other frozen dessert recipe. Chill your cooked batch overnight in fridge. Keep the Cuisinart bucket in the freezer overnight. Fill it up with your chilled mix, turn it on and come back in fifteen minutes. Too easy. It's done when the ice cream is so cold it won't churn around anymore. The bigger choices are the recipes, but this machine will make it all. Forget wasting your time with machines with too many buttons and sensors, this machine works - it's simple and to the point and will probably last three decades. The recommended volumes in the Cusinart recipes are about 30% too much material and will overflow a bit, but it's easy to clean up and adjust the volumes for the next batch. Take notes. Lots of good recipe ideas on the web. There's even Marcella Hazan gelato recipes available online (in her book too.) Things to consider - how much fat to use, all milk, or half milk with half and half, or milk and full cream. They will all work. Baker's sugar is super smooth, especially when beaten into farm fresh egg yolks. The better the vanilla, the better the flavor. Vanilla paste from Madagascar rocks. For chocolate, Valronha Feves Guanja and Valrhona Dutch Process Cocoa will beat any chocolate dessert you have ever tasted. I promise you will never go back to the grocery store "gourmet" ice creams which are loaded up with cheap ingredients, fillers etc. Homemade is so superior. Go for it and have fun. To store in freezer, I use the paper One - Pint Frozen Dessert Containers with Lids. Fold up some wax paper and put it on top of the ice cream to prevent crystalizing. Put the whole container in a plastic bag with a tie, so that when you open and close the freezer, it stays super cold and doesn't crystalize on the outside. For the truly obsessed cooks, here's my version of Vanilla Gelato: 325g whole milk - 325g half and half - 50g really thick Icelandic yogurt - 145g bakers sugar - 2 tsp. madagascar vanilla paste - 5 egg yolks - separate the egg yolks, put in bowl, gently whisk in baker's sugar, don't over mix; mix the milk, half and half, yogurt and vanilla together and heat up to about 150 degrees in a good double boiler, stir so it doesn't stick but not too much or it will take forever to warm up; take off heat; slowly add in about a half cup at a time while stirring the eggs, not too much too fast or your will ruin the eggs, then put the mixture back in the double boiler and bring to 165 degrees - not higher - take off the heat immediately, put into a bowl with a good lid - set bowl in some ice water to cool it down quickly. Then put the bowl in the fridge overnight. The Cuisinart mix bowl goes in the freezer overnight. Put it in a clean plastic bag to keep crystals out. Next day, set up the Cuisinart with freezer bowl, pour in chilled mix, let it spin. Mine takes twelve minutes to make. It's done when the gelato stops churning because it is soft frozen. Scoop it into the paper containers with wax paper on top. Makes two pints. Ok, real Italian gelato does not use cream, yogurt or eggs, this is just my version. The amount fills the Cuisinart up without overflowing. You can use only milk, or heavy cream instead of half and half. More or less sugar to your taste. If you don't use the egg yolks, you won't have to mess with the double boiler, but then it won't have the deep crazy good custard flavor. I have tried lots of fancy vanilla pastes. While I can't promote who makes the best, lets just say look for N & M. For the chocoholics - add 70g of melted 70% great chocolate into the warm milk mix plus 42g of Dutch Process cocoa powder. Just don't blame me if you get addicted. Ciao...
Coconut Sorbet for breakfast... who knew!?
...or later, pair with dark-dark chocolate sorbet to make a frozen Mounds bar parfait. The Persian Melon sorbet was a mind-blower, too -- maybe the best fruit sorbet I've ever had. Hmmm...but the red and black raspberry with a hint of Chambord makes me nearly swoon. In short -- a great little appliance, lots of fun, and truly remarkable results. It is not excessively noisy -- no more so than a food processor, though it does run for 20 minutes at a time. Easy to clean. I am using it a couple times a week, making sorbets and ice milks. The tastes of homemade fruit sorbets are so fresh and intense that I can't eat a pint at a sitting -- unlike the commercial garbage -- and I'm actually losing a bit of weight. You just have to plan ahead a few hours and figure out the fine points: 1) Make sure the freezer bowl is totally frozen, and don't try to short-cut the 24 hours in a deep dark corner of the freezer. I recommend getting an extra freezer bowl, btw. You'll get inspired very easily. What to do with those dead-ripe peaches... 1.5 quart size is perfect for one or two people, especially if you want to experiment with different flavors every few days. 2) If you only make a small amount (2-3 cups liquid) it may freeze quite firm as it churns, but generally you'll want to pack it and freeze it for an hour or more before serving. While churning, I also put a small plastic lid over the pour-spout and wrap a loose towel around the upper bowl/dome to insulate and keep it cold. At 25 minutes, it's time to stop. Won't be getting much firmer, and may start to soften as the freezer bowl thaws. 3) The recipes in the booklet are a good start, however I do not bother to strain the fruit through cheesecloth. I mash or food process it with just a little boiling water and let it drip through a medium-gauge strainer or fine colander -- with soft fruit, I don't strain it at all. Also, I have found that using superfine or "baker's" sugar rather than simple syrup (sugar-water) makes a thicker, more intense flavored sorbet that freezes better. (Use a little good quality jelly to add new flavor twists.) Mix the sugar with your fruit, juice, cocoa or whatever and then add a little more water or juice as needed for taste/volume. Do chill it in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours, or in the freezer for 30 min. Things taste sweeter when they freeze, so aim for a just-barely-sweet-enough ice-cold liquid mixture. 4) Don't overfill. Freezing and churning expand the contents, so never go over 4 cups of liquid in a 1.5 Qt container. Whatever churns above the rim will not freeze well and will soften everything else. If that happens, scoop off the overflow and freeze it separately. Or... eat it up. I swear to you, fresh coconut sorbet for breakfast is so decadent... No, refreshing! I meant refreshing. 5) One way to control how hard it ultimately freezes is by adding a teaspoon of liquor to the blend. If the mixture is cream-based or rich like coconut, this isn't really needed. My first two sorbets (mango and peach) froze to rock-hard texture. One tsp of vodka per 3-4 cups fruit/liquid, or a flavored liqueur, won't interfere with the churning freeze, but will prevent the final product from becoming impenetrable once packed away. DON'T overdo, use a scant tsp per quart of mixture - a Tablespoon of chocolate liqueur was way too much on my first try, and I ended up with this glorious thick half-frozen dark chocolate fudgy goo. Tsk. Indulge yourself.
...or later, pair with dark-dark chocolate sorbet to make a frozen Mounds bar parfait. The Persian Melon sorbet was a mind-blower, too -- maybe the best fruit sorbet I've ever had. Hmmm...but the red and black raspberry with a hint of Chambord makes me nearly swoon. In short -- a great little appliance, lots of fun, and truly remarkable results. It is not excessively noisy -- no more so than a food processor, though it does run for 20 minutes at a time. Easy to clean. I am using it a couple times a week, making sorbets and ice milks. The tastes of homemade fruit sorbets are so fresh and intense that I can't eat a pint at a sitting -- unlike the commercial garbage -- and I'm actually losing a bit of weight. You just have to plan ahead a few hours and figure out the fine points: 1) Make sure the freezer bowl is totally frozen, and don't try to short-cut the 24 hours in a deep dark corner of the freezer. I recommend getting an extra freezer bowl, btw. You'll get inspired very easily. What to do with those dead-ripe peaches... 1.5 quart size is perfect for one or two people, especially if you want to experiment with different flavors every few days. 2) If you only make a small amount (2-3 cups liquid) it may freeze quite firm as it churns, but generally you'll want to pack it and freeze it for an hour or more before serving. While churning, I also put a small plastic lid over the pour-spout and wrap a loose towel around the upper bowl/dome to insulate and keep it cold. At 25 minutes, it's time to stop. Won't be getting much firmer, and may start to soften as the freezer bowl thaws. 3) The recipes in the booklet are a good start, however I do not bother to strain the fruit through cheesecloth. I mash or food process it with just a little boiling water and let it drip through a medium-gauge strainer or fine colander -- with soft fruit, I don't strain it at all. Also, I have found that using superfine or "baker's" sugar rather than simple syrup (sugar-water) makes a thicker, more intense flavored sorbet that freezes better. (Use a little good quality jelly to add new flavor twists.) Mix the sugar with your fruit, juice, cocoa or whatever and then add a little more water or juice as needed for taste/volume. Do chill it in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours, or in the freezer for 30 min. Things taste sweeter when they freeze, so aim for a just-barely-sweet-enough ice-cold liquid mixture. 4) Don't overfill. Freezing and churning expand the contents, so never go over 4 cups of liquid in a 1.5 Qt container. Whatever churns above the rim will not freeze well and will soften everything else. If that happens, scoop off the overflow and freeze it separately. Or... eat it up. I swear to you, fresh coconut sorbet for breakfast is so decadent... No, refreshing! I meant refreshing. 5) One way to control how hard it ultimately freezes is by adding a teaspoon of liquor to the blend. If the mixture is cream-based or rich like coconut, this isn't really needed. My first two sorbets (mango and peach) froze to rock-hard texture. One tsp of vodka per 3-4 cups fruit/liquid, or a flavored liqueur, won't interfere with the churning freeze, but will prevent the final product from becoming impenetrable once packed away. DON'T overdo, use a scant tsp per quart of mixture - a Tablespoon of chocolate liqueur was way too much on my first try, and I ended up with this glorious thick half-frozen dark chocolate fudgy goo. Tsk. Indulge yourself.
Easy to use, works well!
I got this ice cream maker because I wanted to make flavors I can't get in the stores, like Green Tea Ice cream. Making your own ice cream is a great way to make it as rich or as simple as you want, or as guilt-free as you want, too. I've never made my own ice cream before this, and I was a bit nervous about buying another appliance just for this, but I really like Green Tea ice cream and the store bought stuff just wasn't hitting the spot. Anyway, after reading the reviews on several ice cream makers, this model appeared to be the best overall for value/cost and ease of use. It was also said to be not as noisy as the others. Once I got it and made my first batch, I was amazed at how easy it was to use. I followed the directions, as well as read the helpful reviews here that had a lot of good tips, the main one being to make sure that your bucket is frozen solid, at least 24 hours, and that your ice cream base mixture has been chilled to be as cold as possible. My first batch only took 12 minutes, much quicker than I thought it would be. I didn't find it to be noisy at all when running, I could certainly talk, and hear over it - it's just a mechanical hum noise, and it's not on that long. One tip, get a plastic or nylon, NOT silicone or metal, scraper to scrape the sides and bottom of the canister to get the rest of your ice cream out. I say no silicone because it's too soft to scrape the sides effectively. Most of the ice cream is like soft-serve, but the sides and bottom will have a layer of hard frozen ice cream. I use a Cuisinart pot scraper that's handheld, no handle, and it has a rubber edge and a nylon edge. The nylon edge easily scrapes off all the ice cream from the sides and bottom. Clean up is extremely easy, everything washed by hand. The ice canister will still be frozen and you can wash it out and put it back in the freezer so you can make another batch sooner, but it has to be dry of all water before you put it back in the freezer. This isn't easy to do when you rinse it out and the remaining water freezes right away before you have a chance to wipe it dry. I just wash it and air dry it, it thaws out, but I only make one batch at a time anyway. Once dry, I do keep my ice canister in the freezer so that it's ready to make ice cream whenever I want, but that's something that's optional depending on how much room you have in the freezer. Overall, I'm glad I got this model. I was lucky to get it on sale at $49, and it's worth it at that price. The other models that have the freezer motor in them are more convenient in that you don't have to worry about freezing the canister in the freezer ahead of time, but the cost is much more expensive, and the appliance is much larger than this one. For a small family of occasional ice cream eaters, a quart at a time, this ice cream maker is perfect.
I got this ice cream maker because I wanted to make flavors I can't get in the stores, like Green Tea Ice cream. Making your own ice cream is a great way to make it as rich or as simple as you want, or as guilt-free as you want, too. I've never made my own ice cream before this, and I was a bit nervous about buying another appliance just for this, but I really like Green Tea ice cream and the store bought stuff just wasn't hitting the spot. Anyway, after reading the reviews on several ice cream makers, this model appeared to be the best overall for value/cost and ease of use. It was also said to be not as noisy as the others. Once I got it and made my first batch, I was amazed at how easy it was to use. I followed the directions, as well as read the helpful reviews here that had a lot of good tips, the main one being to make sure that your bucket is frozen solid, at least 24 hours, and that your ice cream base mixture has been chilled to be as cold as possible. My first batch only took 12 minutes, much quicker than I thought it would be. I didn't find it to be noisy at all when running, I could certainly talk, and hear over it - it's just a mechanical hum noise, and it's not on that long. One tip, get a plastic or nylon, NOT silicone or metal, scraper to scrape the sides and bottom of the canister to get the rest of your ice cream out. I say no silicone because it's too soft to scrape the sides effectively. Most of the ice cream is like soft-serve, but the sides and bottom will have a layer of hard frozen ice cream. I use a Cuisinart pot scraper that's handheld, no handle, and it has a rubber edge and a nylon edge. The nylon edge easily scrapes off all the ice cream from the sides and bottom. Clean up is extremely easy, everything washed by hand. The ice canister will still be frozen and you can wash it out and put it back in the freezer so you can make another batch sooner, but it has to be dry of all water before you put it back in the freezer. This isn't easy to do when you rinse it out and the remaining water freezes right away before you have a chance to wipe it dry. I just wash it and air dry it, it thaws out, but I only make one batch at a time anyway. Once dry, I do keep my ice canister in the freezer so that it's ready to make ice cream whenever I want, but that's something that's optional depending on how much room you have in the freezer. Overall, I'm glad I got this model. I was lucky to get it on sale at $49, and it's worth it at that price. The other models that have the freezer motor in them are more convenient in that you don't have to worry about freezing the canister in the freezer ahead of time, but the cost is much more expensive, and the appliance is much larger than this one. For a small family of occasional ice cream eaters, a quart at a time, this ice cream maker is perfect.
