My first piece of advice when buying this ice-cream machine is to get the big size and not the smaller size.....most recipes cater for the larger size and it can be fiddly/messy either halving recipes, or having 2 churning sessions......as you have to make sure the bowl is clean after the first ... Read review
Advantages: fresh, and you know what you are eating Disadvantages: messy, fiddly
My first piece of advice when buying this ice-cream machine is to get the big size and not the smaller size.....most recipes cater for the larger size and it can be fiddly/messy either halving recipes, or having 2 churning sessions......as you have to make sure the bowl is clean after the first churn sesison, as if ice cream is stuck round the edges, the paddle won't turn.
The machine itself looks a little flimsy and can be a little fiddly ... ...the machine, it can catch on the top spout making the process messy.
The ice cream when made is very soft and can be eaten immediately, however it is preferable to store in the freezer for an hour or 2 before eating. The ice cream can be stored for many weeks in the freezer and when left a long time becomes rock hard....so you have to defrost slightly before serving!
Also when the ice cream is made it is quite difficult to scrape it ... more
My first piece of advice when buying this ice-cream machine is to get the big size and not the smaller size.....most recipes cater for the larger size and it can be fiddly/messy either halving recipes, or having 2 churning sessions......as you have to make sure the bowl is clean after the first churn sesison, as if ice cream is stuck round the edges, the paddle won't turn. The machine itself looks a little flimsy and can be a little fiddly to fit together. Also when pouring in your mixture into the machine, it can catch on the top spout making the process messy. The ice cream when made is very soft and can be eaten immediately, however it is preferable to store in the freezer for an hour or 2 before eating. The ice cream can be stored for many weeks in the freezer and when left a long time becomes rock hard....so you have to defrost slightly before serving! Also when the ice cream is made it is quite difficult to scrape it all off the paddle and also the insides of the machine....I find a small wooden spoon to be the best, even though you feel you should use a knife (but don't or this will scratch). Trying to scrape all the ice cream off before it melts can add to some frustration in the process. Plus with buying the small machine, the amount you can make is minimal.....probably enough for a small serving for 4 people, but not much more than that. For the time/effort of making it, it does make me debate whether this purchase is worthwhile, though if you bought the larger capacity machine, this argument would be non-existant. The ice cream though is very fresh and obviously has no presevatives/colourings unless you add them yourself. The machine comes with a recipe book I found to be very basic,.....the vanilla recipe suggests the use of vanilla essence, however you can obtain a receipe using a fresh vanilla pod on the web and this taste is far superior. Also there are many other wonderful flavours out there which you can make youself which aren't featured in the book. I am glad I have this machine as I do like being able to make my own ice cream on demand, however this machine was a gift. Had I been buying one myself I would recommend getting the larger capacity machine.
