I’m just too excited to start this series…. I just love ice cream…. and I just couldn’t wait to dive in…. it’s like Christmas morning when you’re a kid with a new toy… Warren may have his power tools… he may walk into Home Depot and just drink in the smell of wood and machinery…. I walk into a kitchen shop and … well… Nirvana…
So before I made the big purchase…. actually not so big a purchase… it was in the neighborhood of $50 (US) plus tax…. The price range for these things range from $50-to over $200 …depending on size and manufacturer………….. I investigated the various types and brands. After deciding on Cuisinart… I’ve had their various kitchen machines over the years… I had to decide what model was best for us… I decided on the smaller… Automatic Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker – ICE20.
This model makes up to 1 ½ quarts… not a lot… but there is only two of us here… and we like a variety of flavors… so we felt this size was good for us… also I have a small freezer… the write up says …it’s “quick and easy”… and if you’ve followed my blog at all… you know I live by those words. So the decision was made.
Some Advice
The Machine
If I end up inspiring you to by one of these little babies… think about your needs and think about your freezer and more importantly…available space in your freezer.
Read reviews…. Amazon has reviews from previous customers… they are extremely helpful… the ice cream makers have a lot of reviews… some complaints may not apply to you… some may…
For instance… there was a complaint that it was a pain to clean… well… the cover and paddle can go in the dishwasher… the unit wipes clean… the freezer bowl.. is somewhat of a pain.. you have to let warm water soak in it and let the bowl get to room temperature before attempting to clean it… otherwise… I know this because I tried… a thin layer of water remaining after washing will freeze on contact.. and if you try to wipe it dry with a paper towel… that, too, will get stuck. It’s not a big deal.. just let it set in your sink for about an hour.
So when reading reviews… keep these things in mind… good points and bad…will they matter to you?…
I don’t know if you have ever made homemade ice cream with an older machine… ones where you had to use ice and salt… it was fun as a kid… but a pain as a parent doing the getting of the supplies to the clean-up.
In fact, when I mentioned to Warren what I wanted to do.. he groaned ever so slightly because of past memories. Well… ice and salt no more… and clean-up is very easy with these new machines….
BUT… you have to be able to put the ice cream freezer bowl into the freezer for 24 hours before using….obviously the bigger the machine … the bigger the freezer bowl.
A family of four would wipe out the ice cream bounty in no time… so you may want to consider the larger model if your freezer space allows for it.
Since you have to put the freezer bowl in the freezer for 24 hours before whipping up a batch of your favorite ice cream… it limits you to one batch every 24 hours… you can purchase a freezer bowl separately from Cuisinart... but that lists for $30… not much of a deal when the whole machine is $50…. but something to consider if that is something you feel you need.
Ice Cream Container
Funny… I’ve read lots of articles and tips on ice cream making.. and haven’t found one that talks much about storing your ice cream. I’ve used airtight containers for freezing many things… have you ever tried opening one up while it’s still frozen?… no?... I didn’t think so… it’s pretty tough… but most times it doesn’t matter because you’re thawing the contents anyway… not so with ice cream… so I found a great air tight container that has flaps and snaps with the flaps… it’s been working perfectly.
Next in the Ice Cream Series: Basic How To’s and Basic Flavors
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