Customer Reviews:
 Ice Cream keeps us warm in winter? September 28, 2000
82 out of 85 found this review helpful
After several failed attempts, I began to wonder if I would ever be able to make creamy dreamy ice cream at home. Finally, I ordered the right one! This ice cream maker really does work. The only time it will not work is if your freezer is not set to the coldest setting. I keep the freezer bowls in the freezer at all times, that way they are ready to go.
So, set your freezer to the coldest setting two days before you intend to make the ice cream. I also found the extra freezer bowl to be indispensable. Instead of waiting for the ice cream mixture to cool, simply use one of the freezer bowls to cool it down and then pour it into the second freezer bowl. This drastically speeds up the process.
I also use the freezer bowl for other items I want to cool down quickly. I use it to cool down Jello when making a Raspberry Mousse. I have been known to place the whole contraption right into the freezer. I guess you are not supposed to, but I am still alive.
So, once you have everything all frozen, set the machine up and make sure it is on a nice level surface (in or out of the freezer). Then, mix up your ice cream recipe. All you do is pour the liquid into the ice cream maker and with a flick of the switch the paddle starts to turn and in about 20 to 30 minutes you will have the ice cream of your dreams.
When washing out the bowl, you will notice that you have to use hot water or you may find the cold water starts to freeze on the inside. I recommend placing a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the bowl when storing it in the freezer so there is no need to rince the bowl. I also disobey the instructions and let the ice cream freeze until solid in the ice cream freezer bowl. I found it just works faster that way. That way your ice cream is ready in 40 minutes! Yes, it takes 20-30 minutes and then 10 more minutes in the freezer. At least that is how it goes in my kitchen. It is still well worth the wait. If you start the ice cream before dinner, you won't even notice the time.
Here is a favorite recipe for a slushy. Yes, you can make those too and it works quite well.
PINK GRAPEFRUIT SLUSH
Use grapefruit juice found in the cooler section of your grocery store or use fresh squeezed and strained juice. If you enjoy sitting outside and want to keep your drinks ice cold, purchase a few "gel mugs" which you can keep in the freezer.
4 cups pink grapefruit juice
1/4 cup orange blossom honey
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Pour grapefruit juice into a tall jug. Heat honey in the microwave and stir into juice.
2. Set up ice cream maker. Pour in juice, freeze 10 minutes or until slushy. Serve in tall glasses with straws.
Makes 4 glasses
~The Rebecca Review
Read This if yours only makes ice cream "soup" November 8, 2007
53 out of 53 found this review helpful
The first several times I used this product, it didn't seem to work--the ice cream never really froze, it just turned into a very cold soupy sludge. I had checked all the obvious things--made sure the bowl was completely frozen, made sure my ingredients were well-chilled, didn't overload it and let it run the recommended amount of time. I was going to return it, but thanks to all the positive reviews here, I thought maybe there was something I was doing wrong.
There was.
For flavoring, I was always using a certain artificial vanilla flavor that I like. And because I like it, I use a lot of it. One of the main ingredients of this flavoring is propylene glycol. If any of you who read this are chemistry buffs, I'll bet you're laughing now. Propylene glycol is often used in food flavorings and colorings, but also is used as antifreeze when a non-toxic antifreeze is required. So I was pouring in a good deal of edible antifreeze with my ingredients--next time I'll just use chocolate or something!
So, if you're having trouble getting your ice cream to freeze and you've checked everything else, make sure your flavorings don't contain propylene glycol!!
Top notch powerful icecream maker for the home kitchen March 18, 2005
66 out of 69 found this review helpful
There are very few flaws I can find about this ice cream maker. It's made of excellent quality materials, and is put together very well, which is what you come to expect from a brand name like cuisinart. It's not exactly the most beautiful thing you would want to store on your countertop, but it's an ice cream maker. If you want something more attractive, you'll seriously have to shell out much more cash. In any other case, the cuisinart automatic ice cream maker is functional and easy to use, as well as it is easy to clean up. All it takes is common sense.
You begin by making your frozen dessert base. I say this because the make is capable of making several different types of iced treats, which shouldn't be surprising, nor is it exclusive to this machine, but that's a given. I MUST STRESS. If you consider yourself handicapped when it comes to cooking in the kitchen, you will probably have trouble with this ice cream maker. If you cannot make a piece of toast, or a bag of popcorn without causing a smoke alarm to go off, then I would suggest spending more time in the kitchen cooking, and gaining some patience. If you cannot make a simple custard base, or incorporate simple flavorings such cocoa, strawberries or vanilla, then there's not much sense in buying an ice cream maker to begin with.
Secondly, you assemble your maker, which consists of the following.. a motorized base, the freezing canister, the plastic paddle and the protective shield. After less than a minute, you should have an ice cream maker that's ready to go. After that's all set up, hit the switch and it's ready for the delicious ice cream mixture you already prepared earlier. You will notice it begin to freeze up immediately. Compared to a traditional ice cream maker, this is a wonder-model. It will be finished in 15-20 minutes, usually less, depending on the tempurature of your kitchen. As soon as it begins to look like a soft serve, without any glossy or liquid texture, then you can turn off the maker, although it does include a feature in which it will cease to turn after the ice cream is at a certain hardness. In any case, I would recommend checking it to make sure it does not harden to this point, since it will become difficult to remove from the canister. Using a very strong silicone spatula, you can transfer this to a storage device of your choice (preferably not glass, since it holds its tempurature too well and will melt your ice cream unless it is chilled in the freezer beforehand). As long as you follow these steps, you will not break your ice cream maker, even with many, many, many uses.
Next, we come to the quality of the actual machine... I will discuss the integrity of the individual part itself in this section. As mentioned before, the maker is made up of a motorized base, a freezing canister, a plastic paddle and a protective shield.
First, and foremost, the base. It's sturdy, rather large in comparison with its height and made of strong plastic. You could not break this unless you mistreat it to extremes (ie, running it for more than an hour, running it without an ice cream canister). It is powerful enough to last you throughout your ice cream making purposes, and will last you a very long time, if you use it on a semi-frequent basis (ie, 1-4 times a month). If you were to use this on an everyday basis, I would expect it to last for many years. That is how well it seems to be made. There is minimal engine heating, and no unusual noises you should expect from a rotation motor. It does have a rather high pitched hum, but it's nothing that will bother you, or the dog. Imagine the sound a food processor makes, and tone that down 85%.
Secondly, we have the canister itself. Freeze it overnight and set on the base. Seems much more simple than the traditional layering of ice and a very large amount of salt into the maker. And I mean LARGE. With a normal ice cream maker, you will need maybe 16 oz or more of salt. That's about two cups, and while salt comes cheap, most people consider this quite a bit of salt, considering that we rarely need more than half a teaspoon in most of our everyday cooking. The way it is put together is amazing. While the capacity is not that large, it is more than enough for a reasonably small family (will make enough for six 8 oz scoops). It is very well built, and will not leak so long as you care for it. Each overnight freeze will last you about two batches of ice cream, depending on the atmosphere.
Next is the paddle. It's not the most sturdy, but it's the standard of all ice cream makers. As mentioned in another review, they would prefer a metal paddle, which I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND. Ice cream maker paddles are made to SCRAPE THE SIDES OF THE CANISTER. The entire point of it being plastic is so that it doesn't scrape off metal residues from the canister, or in this canister's case, damage the nonstick properties of the smooth surface. Never put the mixture in before turning the machine on. As I said before, the canister works very quickly, and will begin to freeze instantaneously as you pour it in, so it is imperative that you keep the motor running as you transfer your mixture into the machine. If you treat it well, it will last you longer than the motor.
Lastly is the protective casing. It's purpose is to serve as a guard from the spinning canister. Yes, that's right. Rather than have the paddle spin, the motor spins the canister while the paddle sits in place. This is not common, since turning the canister actually requires more power than turning a paddle, but this is how this machine runs. It does its job well, and I'm very satisfied with how it runs.
All in all, this is the best ice cream maker for the home kitchen I have encountered for such a low cost. If you only mean to use this once in a while for a summertime treat, or whatnot, this is the machine for you.
Some tips:
*With any fresh fruit, I would suggest cooking it down with sugar, or corn syrup in order to kill most of the bacteria on the fruit, and to minimize ice crystals.
*Corn syrups have a property which inhibits the formation of ice crystals, and lends a nicer texture to the ice cream. Consider using a few tablespoons in each batch in addition to sugar for a better creamier ice cream.
*Using cornstarch or any other starch will make a custard which will work as a base, but ice cream itself is defined as a frozen dessert made from eggs, cream, sugar and flavorings. Eggs lend a large amount of richness to the ice cream, especially the yolk. Just remember, it's better to be safe than sorry and use the starch rather than the eggs for the young and elderly. Safety comes first.
*Remember what icecream is! Keep all your equipment chilled when making icecream, and chill the container you will be storing it in!
*Have fun and enjoy your machine!
Updated April 16th 2005:
I'm dissapointed to say that my icecream canister has busted. I don't know why, but I do know how. I had left the canister unused in a cabinet as I left for college and attempted to use it during my spring break. I doubt that this was the reason, but the fluid at the bottom expanded as it froze in the freezer and caused the plastic to bulge out. It did not crack, it simply gave. It no longer fits on the motorized base, so we're not sure what to do now. Anyways, this does not change my opinion, and I believe fully that this unusual case was unique. If it should happen again, I'll post it here.
Great product! Easy to use with fantastic results June 30, 2000
56 out of 58 found this review helpful
I would highly recommend this ice cream maker to anyone! It's easy to use, and makes a good product with little effort. I would like to echo the sentiments of a few other fellow reviewers and say that you want to make sure the bowl is frozen completely, that all ingredients are as cold as possible, and that you be creative and look at other recipes besides those included with the machine. It isn't that the recipes are bad per se, it's just that they aren't the most creative. Maybe supplementing with an ice-cream recipe book from a friend or amazon.com may help. Otherwise, it is a great addition to anyones kitchen at a reasonable price. Enjoy!
With a few tricks it works great June 11, 2001
36 out of 36 found this review helpful
The first time I used this machine I mixed the ingredients then placed them directly in the freezer bowl and began mixing 50 minutes later it was still the consistency of thick cream. I then had to freeze the whole thing in th freezer for 4 hours, and I ended up with ice crystalized ice cream On my second try however I mixed the ingredients in a bowl, while leaving the freezer bowl in the freezer. Then I placed the mixed ingredients still in the mixing bowl, into the freezer alongside the frezzer bowl. After chilling the ingredients for about ten or fifteen minutes, I took them out poured them into the freezer bowl and turned on the ice cream maker. Within about 5 or 10 mintues they were already the consitency of frozen yougurt. So the key is to have all you ingredients mixed and pre chilled before you add then to the ice cream maker. If you always do this you will be very happy with the product. Sure it takes a little more than 20 minutes but its better than waiting 4 hours for crystalized ice cream. And the results are wonderful . . . especially if you get the Ben&Jerry's ice cream book to go with it.
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