Please recommend an ice cream maker?

June 16, 2011 6:04 AM

Having just purchased this awesome book about making ice cream, I am now in the market for an ice cream maker.

Jeni recommends a cuisinart in the book. I also have a kitchen aid stand mixer, for which I can get an ice cream attachment. The kitchen aid attachment is more expensive, but it seems like it would be nice not to have yet another whole appliance. But I wonder if it works as well? Does anyone have any experience with these types of things? Or other things I should know about? Salty Caramel awaits!!

posted by dpx.mfx to Food & Drink (31 answers total)

We have the Kitchenaid stand mixer with ice cream attachment and have made a few batches with it. It works well enough, but it seems to do better with thicker, more custardy bases. We tried it for frozen yogurt and it didn't get as firm as we would have liked. It set alright in the freezer, but got icey by the next day. I think this would have been less so if it had gotten more firm in the ice-cream maker. On the other hand, our custard-based Earl Grey Tea ice cream worked perfectly. Overall, it was a good purchase for us. The down side is that you have to think a day in advance, since the ice-cream maker bowl needs to sit in the freezer for around 16 hours in advance. You aren't able to get a hankering for homemade ice-cream and make it in the same day.
posted by ga$money at 6:15 AM on June 16, 2011

My father has an old (from the 80s) White Mountain model similar to this newer one. It's awesome. The reviews on Amazon suggest the older models are still the best - more durable than the newer models. Perhaps you could look for a used one? We have a Cuisinart and I just don't think it does the job. It doesn't get the ice cream cold enough. The White Mountain model that my father has is LOUD and you'd probably want to use it outside (or in a plastic tub), and you'll need lots of ice and salt, but it makes amazing ice cream that is much more firm than the ice cream I can make in my Cuisinart. That said, my Cuisinart is a small model from maybe 5 years ago - there are probably newer, larger, better models for what you want to do.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 6:16 AM on June 16, 2011

Back home I would make lots of ice cream with the ice and salt electric mixer. That thing can make like a gallon of ice cream in one go. Its awesome but yes it is loud and on humid mid-western days water goes everywhere so its in the sink or outside. I love that thing because if I decide to make ice cream I can be freezing it in less than an hour where I gather all the ingredients. They say they have a shut off that happens after the ice cream is thick enough, but I've never had that happen and I've made some deliciously wonderful custard style ice creams that are super thick. One secret to the ice/salt mixers is to make sure to use a LOT of salt. And to get things going faster I would put some water in with the ice, but it seemed that only worked part of the time depending on how hot/humid it was.

A month ago I got a 2-quart mixer to use here in CO where you freeze the bowl and then mix it in your kitchen. It is very nice and quiet. After having perfected my method with the big mixer I certainly have had to adjust with this one. To get some smooth ice cream especially after you store it in the freezer one of the big things is to make sure it mixes for a long time and gets a lot of air into the ice cream. Part of that is in the mix as in the custard style base like ga$money said, but another part is making sure it mixes for a long time. you can really see the volume increase as it mixes. This is the drawback of the 2-quart mixer as I have to adjust my recipes further because the ice cream expands out of the mixer.

Neither of these are the kitchenaid mixer as these are what I have experience using. Ice cream is such a fun thing to make. My favorite part is just making sure I get my base right and then going crazy with the flavoring.
posted by Phantomx at 6:31 AM on June 16, 2011

Best answer: I have the Cuisinart ice cream maker that everybody and their mother has and I've been pleased with it. It's not quite as convenient as my father's self-chilling ice cream machine but it also takes up much less space and was much cheaper. (I got it at Costco for less than $40, which included an extra freezer bucket. In the summer I just keep a bucket in the freezer at all times, swapping one in whenever I take one out to use -- the bucket is pretty small so it doesn't take up much freezer space.) The ice cream does come out pretty soft, but I like that. (And it rarely lasts long enough in my household to get icy in the freezer.)
posted by enlarged to show texture at 6:31 AM on June 16, 2011 [2 favorites]

I have the Kitchenaid attachment as well and have overall been pleased with it. I keep the bowl in our chest freezer, which might end up getting it colder than regular freezers. For example, I didn't even have trouble making a margarita sorbet that included tequila and triple sec. (It melted fast as hell, but that's a different issue altogether. I'd recommend it.

My dad has the hand-crank White Mountain bucket-ice-and-rock-salt ice cream maker similar to the one that AHWO mentions. Sure, it's annoying to crank for a half hour (that's what younger nieces and nephews are for), but dang does that thing get cold. And it's ready for another batch immediately.

If you just have a stand mixer now... do you have access to liquid nitrogen?
posted by supercres at 6:46 AM on June 16, 2011

Gah, stupid Amazon free shipping - my copy is still on the way!

That said, we too have the Cuisinart that everyone and their brother has (including the commenter above!) and it works perfectly for our needs. The only thing I'd change will be to get a second freezer bucket, because that is genius!
posted by librarianamy at 6:47 AM on June 16, 2011

Best answer: I have a $50 Cuisinart ice cream maker and a more expensive self-chilling ice cream maker. I use the cuisinart more often because it's easier to move (lighter weight), easier to clean, and dead simple to use. I use the self-chilling ice cream maker if I want to make multiple kinds of ice cream at once--it's faster and you can reuse the ice cream container part. I like my fancy machine, but it's so heavy and bulky that in my current kitchen, which has limited counter space, it's kind of a pain to set up. Plus, I use it so infrequently, I always need to reread the instruction manual to understand the controls. I don't notice any difference in quality between ice cream I make in one machine vs. the other. It's more a matter of which inconveniences I'm willing to put up with.
posted by Meg_Murry at 6:53 AM on June 16, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks everyone! Bonus question: what do you store the ice cream in after it's made? Can I just put it in a plastic food container or do I need something else? Can it stay in the thingy from the maker itself (if I don't need it to make more ice cream?). Man, I'm so excited.....
posted by dpx.mfx at 6:56 AM on June 16, 2011

Best answer: Put a layer of plastic wrap down on top of fresh ice cream to keep out funky flavors. Plus the less air that can get at it, the slower to freezer burns.
posted by royalsong at 6:59 AM on June 16, 2011

I've stored homemade ice creamin plastic food containers and it's been just fine. The only problem I've had is if a half-eaten container ends up staying in there for a long time; for some reason homemade ice cream tends to develop a layer of ice crystals on the top easier than commercial ice creams. So....uh, I suspect you're going to eat it fairly quickly anyway, because it's ice cream so duh, but here's all the more reason to.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:05 AM on June 16, 2011

Store it in some regular Tupperware. We do and never have a problem. But stay away from the flimsy disposable containers. And I definitely WOULDN'T store/serve out of the freezer bowl. I can imagine going in there with an ice cream scoop and scratching the dickens out of it.

Enjoy the chill!
posted by Work to Live at 7:05 AM on June 16, 2011

Best answer: Yes, just buy the Cuisinart one everyone has. It's great. Keep the chilling thing in the freezer so it's always ready (I store stuff in it, like cylindrical tupperwares, so it's not wasted space).

When the ice cream is ready, just store it in a tupperware.

We make green tea ice cream, and lavender ice cream and they're both great.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:19 AM on June 16, 2011

We've got this big chunk of overkill because my partner loves gadgets. It's really loud but works pretty well. We have a counter spot it stays in all the time so we don't have to move it around.

We store the ice cream in plastic snapware containers.
posted by ghharr at 7:20 AM on June 16, 2011

I have the KitchenAid attachment and like it a lot, although I don't have any experience with other options. One bit of advice in the KitchenAid's favor: last summer, my attachment somehow got a crack in it and leaked its coolant. They replaced it for me pronto, no questions asked. Overall, while it was sort of crummy that the bowl cracked, I had an awesome customer service experience and would highly recommend it.
posted by katie at 7:22 AM on June 16, 2011

We have the KitchenAid attachment, but my mom has the Cuisinart machine, so I've used both a fair amount. I prefer the KitchenAid--the mixer is already on my counter, so it's less work to just put the bowl on there, rather than pulling out a whole separate machine. For us, I think a separate machine would be like our (awesome) waffle iron--sitting on a shelf in the pantry, collecting dust. We're pretty likely to use the thing as long as we keep the bowl frozen.

I've used this Ben & Jerry's book extensively, and even when making our own flavors we usually default to their sweet cream custard base and work from there. The book has some good advice for incorporating mix-ins, etc. The only problem is that the book was published in 1987, so your favorite more recent flavor is not going to be included. Ben & Jerry's may not be your ideal ice cream, so YMMV, but I've been able to recreate our favorite yet discontinued flavor, Uncanny Cashew by starting from their initial recipe.

We store each batch in a 2 qt. Pyrex bowl with lid, though most any Tupperware-type container would probably work.
posted by terilou at 7:42 AM on June 16, 2011

Best answer: Just wanted to chime in and say thanks for everyone's answers, as Jeni's is the greatest ice cream ever! (I've just come off a 4-day tradeshow/Jeni's binge in Columbus, and walked in to find the book waiting for me, so I was having some of these questions, too!)
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:42 AM on June 16, 2011

I love my kitchenaid attachment. Easy, fast and I have had beautiful results. May I also recommend David Leibovitz' Perfect Scoop? Heaven.
posted by Sophie1 at 8:10 AM on June 16, 2011

The most recent issue of Cook's Illustrated included an article on how to improve your homemade ice cream (probably worth reading!); a sidebar recommends their two favorite ice cream makers, which are the self-chilling whynter snö, for those wanting something fancy, and that cuisinart everybody has for those unwilling to spend $200. I don't know if they tested the kitchen-aid, though.
posted by dizziest at 8:26 AM on June 16, 2011

I have the cheap cuisinart, and came here to recommend David Lebovitz's book as well. He also has a really great ice cream tips page on his site, which includes a detailed discussion of the most popular machines.

If I made a lot of ice cream, I'd probably step up to the self-freezing model. That's mostly because I have a side-by-side refrigerator and those containers (which you need to keep at least one of frozen at all times for when the ice cream need strikes) take up a crapload of freezer space, relatively speaking. I had decided that the little model was my proof-of-concept, and if I used the hell out of it I'd move up. I haven't, so it is plenty of machine for me.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:05 AM on June 16, 2011

I scored a Simac Gelatoman ice cream maker off Craigslist for $150. Same unit I've used in a couple of restaurants I worked in. With it, Lebovitz's vanilla ice cream recipe...best I've ever had! His Guinness-Milk Chocolate Ice Cream is also awesome.

Vanilla Ice Cream

About 1 quart (1l)

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop (Ten Speed Press)

For a richer custard, you can add up to 3 more egg yolks. For a less-rich custard, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream, realizing that the final texture won’t be as rich or as smooth as if using cream.

1 cup (250ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk with a paring knife, then add the bean pod to the milk. Cover, remove from heat, and infuse for one hour.
2. To make the ice cream, set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2l) bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl and pour the cream into the bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.
4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.
5. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir over the ice until cool, add the vanilla extract, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly. Preferably overnight.
6. Remove the vanilla bean and freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Note: Used vanilla beans can be rinsed and dried, then stored in a bin of sugar. That sugar can be used for baking and, of course, for future ice cream making.


Guinness–Milk Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

INGREDIENTS
• 7 ounces (205 g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
• 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) Guinness Stout
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Put the chocolate pieces in a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top.
2. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
3. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer over the milk chocolate, then stir until the chocolate is melted. Once the mixture is smooth, whisk in the cream, then the Guinness and vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Try not to use cream that has been ultra-pasteurized. It makes a huge difference. I hate to recommend TJ's after the tomato story, but it's only place around here that has good cream.

By all means check Craigslist for a maker. It's one of those items that people get for gifts, or buy n' try 1-2 times, then sell for a fraction of original.
posted by JABof72 at 9:06 AM on June 16, 2011 [4 favorites]

We have a Krups from 15 years ago, and it still runs like a champ. For several years we made two or three batches per week!

Pack the ice cream in any ol' thing, but do consider pressing plastic wrap or waxed paper down onto the surface of the ice cream to keep it from getting icy.

The book "The Perfect Scoop" (ISBN 9781580082198) by David Lebovitz is great, but only after you have mastered the very basic recipes in "Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book" (ISBN ISBN-10: 0894803123). Lebovitz mostly does French-style ice cream, which requires simmering stuff together and then letting it cool before the final mixing and freezing; B&J do Philadelphia-style bases where you just whisk it all together. Think of it this way: my birthday is this weekend, and I am toying with making Guinness ice cream (by a recipe from Lebovitz) -- but I know that my wife & youngest daughter already made me some mocha oreo from the Ben & Jerry's book. *shrug* Quite literally, it' all good!
posted by wenestvedt at 9:10 AM on June 16, 2011

JINX!

The Malted Milk Ball ice cream in "The Perfect Scoop" is one of my most favorite ice creams ever (speaking as a former ice crem shop guy and current ice cream glutton).
posted by wenestvedt at 9:11 AM on June 16, 2011

I have the Cuisinart and echo everyone's advice above that it works well. If I had to do it over again I would have bought the Kitchenaid one since I have a mixer too.

What I didn't see people mentioning is that you should make sure the bowl is really cold (at least 24 hours in freezer). Shorter than 24 hours and it doesn't seem to turn out well for me. Also the ingredients have to be as ice-cold as you can get. But that's probably all in the book, which I just went and bought from Amazon for myself :)
posted by cabingirl at 9:16 AM on June 16, 2011

I use the Cuisinart, which is just fine, and also keeps cold well enough to make two kinds right after each other. Like most people, I also keep ice cream in a tupperware in the freezer.

If you are like me and can't always be bothered with the stupid egg yolks, you can make Philadelphia-style ice cream with just cream and corn starch to thicken it (I've seen people add cream cheese as well). It is less creamy, which is sometimes desirable, and it's much faster to make.
posted by jeather at 9:22 AM on June 16, 2011

I have a Williams-Sonoma branded gelato maker with a self-contained chiller that I got on clearance a decade ago, still going strong. When I was a kid we made ice cream in a White Mountain freezer with the ice and rock salt and hand crank, my brother's family still does. Good for burning the calories you'll then reconsume in that delicious ice cream. Restaurant-quality machines do a great job, retail prices on them can be stark, the person above who got one off Craigslist did the right thing. I like my machine for the convenience, you can probably get good results for less money with a machine where you have to pre-freeze the bowl.

No matter what you do, your more enjoyable results will be a softish product that will then want to firm up in your regular freezer compartment.

I use regular "disposable/reusable" plastic containers like you get at the grocery store. Some of them aren't very rugged (and aren't intended to be)--if you fill them with ice cream and then drop them on a corner, the corner can break open. But they're cheap and stackable and do just fine.

Plastic wrap is good advice, too: "frost free" freezers seem to enhance the growth of "ice mold" on things, this helps a bit.

Sorbets can be a real low effort/high reward item. Do keep them in mind.
posted by gimonca at 9:30 AM on June 16, 2011

I also have the Cuisinart that everyone else has. I also purchased an additional bowl so I could make more than one batch at a time. Regarding storage, I purchased quart and pint size containers from Sweet Bliss. They've come in really handy when I make ice cream to give away to friends.
posted by mamaquita at 10:28 AM on June 16, 2011

I have had the KitchenAid attachment. It worked well, but I didn't try less custard-like ice creams or sorbet. It was lost during a move, but we're going to replace it this summer.
posted by Hylas at 11:16 AM on June 16, 2011

I have a totally random machine (that i have seen sold under at least two different brands) and am pretty sattisfied with it. They're really basic machines after all.

If you want to go pro try carpigiani (carpigiani.com), that's what most ice cream vendors use normally.
posted by 3mendo at 1:30 PM on June 16, 2011

I can't speak to any of the other machines, but with the little Cuisinart (and yes, the chamber has to be in the freezer at least 24 hours and use cold ingredients even if that means refrigerating a custard for 6+ hours) I could dump in a quart of yogurt, run it for a cycle, and ta da! I recommend maple yogurt for this application.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:57 PM on June 16, 2011

I have the Cuisinart from Costco (the extra bowl is a huge win) and generally base my ice cream on MeFi's Own soma lkzx's Ice Cream Club blog Philly recipe, which is stupid easy and works great.
posted by JMOZ at 1:59 PM on June 16, 2011

Response by poster: Went with the Cuisinart (got it for $28 at Macys - SCORE!) and the first batch (Strawberry Buttermilk) was a huge success. Why haven't I been making ice cream for years??!!
posted by dpx.mfx at 10:33 AM on June 18, 2011