Ice-Cream Machine Reviews

We've used this about 4 times so far. It is easy to use by adults, a breeze to "clean up," and simple to store.

... the number one out there I have had mine for a week now and it works swell!!! Also if you are getting syrup with it get the company HAWAII ICE!!!

Push the kids aside - they can buy a snowcone from the dude cruising around the neighbourhood selling them from his barely running ice cream truck. Plus you want to support him so he buys a new song - how many times can you hear "ROW, ROW, ROW THE BOAT" before you go completely postal?

Shave up some ice into your cocktail shaker - add your margarita mix and some Sauza Gold. Shake it up. Add a little bit more ice on top and some margarita salt and you are chilling with a way tastier treat than some imitation fruit flavoured food colouring added snowcone junk!!!!

Bought the ice cream maker from cooking.com. The good news: if using cold ingredients, it really does freeze a quart in 20 minutes. The bad news: the paddle motor does not start reliably. It wouldn't start at all until I tried to rotate the paddle (with the motor on). Then it works just dandy. Unless it stops at just the right place, where again it won't start without some assistance. It is supposed to be a rugged bidirectional induction motor. Have to wonder how long it will last. I chose the Delonghi brand because they've also made portable air conditioning units for over 12 years (I own one), and thus have some expertise with refrigeration systems. The ICK8500 makes wonderful ice cream, and will easily freeze it into a block of ice if the compressor is left on too long. If making frozen custard from scratch (cooking, chilling, freezing), figure 90 minutes start-to-finish. Now if only the paddle motor would reliably start every time....

Update Jan 8 2004: I'ven been using the ICK8500 for over 2 months now, and the paddle motor seems to have broken in and become reliable (it now promptly starts every time). I still only give the unit 3 stars, because it should work reliable right out of the box. No complaints about the quality of ice cream it makes. Love the removable aluminum bowl! Can't imagine having to clean the permanent stainless bowl after every batch.

Got this Ice Cream Maker for a steal on Ebay...

It performs very, very well. Just make sure you read the manual completely.

Awesome ice cream for much less then Simac.

The problem with most other ice cream units is the need to separately refridgerate the bucket. While more expensive than one of those units, the convenience of having a built in refridgeration unit means you'll use this one more frequently. Having a separate bucket is a definite plus since washing out the permanent bowl after each batch would be a hassle. There is a cover that comes with the machine but it only fits over the bucket while it's in the machine itself. Unlike what I read in an earlier review, my unit has had no problems with the paddle motor. But be warned - you must fit the paddle into the dip in the bucket precisely or you risk being splattered with your ice cream mixture once you turn the motor on.

The machine will make approximately 4 cups of ice cream which doesn't mean you can pour in 4 cups of your mixture to chill. The volume seems to increase by about 50% in the last 5-10 minutes of churning. I've found that 3 cups of your base mixture works best. Your mixture should be refridgerator cold for the best results. If you put it in the freezer to chill, make sure there are no ice granules when you pour the mixture in the ice cream maker. It doesn't chill correctly if it's too icy. Most batches have been ready in under 30 minutes. "Ready" gives you a gelato (soft) consistency. If you like your ice cream store-bought hard, you'll want to transfer it to a separate container to freeze for a few additional hours.

There is a timer included but it doesn't automatically turn the machine off. I use mine to remind me to check the consistency of the mixture after a certain time. The motor isn't quiet but it's not any more obnoxiously loud than any other kitchen appliance.

With experience, you 'll be able to tell, by listening to the motor, when your batch is about ready. The paddle motor will reverse once the mixture is at the correct consistency. Turn it off as soon as it does this. When you use the removable bucket, you have to pour 2T of alcohol into the permanent bucket. When the paddle reverses, it can lift the removable bucket up a bit. I had an entire batch ruined by having alcohol get into the mixture when the bucket shifted up after the paddle reversed.

We've found this unit to be highly satisfactory, easy to use and clean, and downright fun to have in the kitchen. Not only do I recommend it, I bought units for presents over the holidays.

It's a neat machine, that does the job pretty well. If you choose the hard setting plan on butting the finished product into your regular freezer to finish it up. Put a fun machine all the same and a great thing to do with the kids.

We have owned a Maverick Ice Cream maker for about two years,
and have been very satisfied with it. However on our last attempt to make ice cream, the plastic paddle inside the bowl
broke. Would it be possible to buy just this one part - ...

This machine exceeded my expectations! Turns out delicious soft serve in LESS than 30 minutes (on a hot day in Hawaii!). Easy to set up, quiet operation, nice collection of recipes to get you started. Very pleased with product and price.

Got one of these ice cream churns a long time ago, and it was great... until the bucket fell apart. The bucket is wooden held together with bands that can corrode, so the salt you add to the ice ends up destroying the bucket in a few years. I haven't been able to find a replacement bucket, either. Makes great ice cream, though.

I would nicely like to disagree with the review above. We have two ice cream makers and if you take care of them properly they will last forever. We have had one for over 15 years and the bucket is still good. All that need to be done is for the bucket to be washed out after use. I recommend this great product!

this is the finest freezer in the world probably will only have to buy one in a lifetime

This ice shaver went above and beyond my expectations for a manual low priced shaver! The ice, whether from the included tubs or ice cubes, is shaved very fine - more like a soft snow (although, being ice, it hardens after a few minutes). It is fairly easy to clean - the ice holder and blade can be rinsed off, but the top part (which pushes the ice down) has to be unscrewed so as to not damage the motor (but if you're using regular and not flavored ice you can just leave it to dry). It is not dishwasher safe.

I recommend that you freeze flavored water versus pouring the syrup on after the ice has been shaved - since the ice is shaved very finely, it tends to melt pretty quickly whenever something else is added to it. The added couple of tubs, although small, provide the best mold for ice shaving, and one can fill a regular-size bowl full of shavings (about 2-3 sno cones, depending on the size). You can create a little stockpile of ice molds from the tubs, and make quite a few snow cones for a weekend treat!

Overall, this is an awesome little home shaver, a great value for the price. If you're looking for a small ice shaver to satisfy a snow cone craving that makes excellent ice shavings for a small price, this is your product!

We got the Hamilton Ice Shaver for my parents for Christmas! They loved it! The motor is powerful yet quiet, and it sure beats the hand crank model my parents had before. It is easy to operate, just drop the ice block in the top, close the lid and push the button. It makes great, finely shaved ice with no mess and hardly any work at all. It could not be easier!

I loved it and you should try it cause i got one ice crusher one time it was called hawii something , but do not get it cause it do not work if rick E. hall, bay kelley, kristy vantleven here tell them i said hello and tell rick E. hall he have pretty eyes and a excellent personality , and last but not lease tell him that is why i am so in love with science its not boring tell them to try this machine and tell rick i now understand the frequency and wavelength tell bay kelley and kristy vantleven i promise to be good in class bye-bye

for $20 how can you possibly beat this ice cream maker? its price alone should sell it, never mind the fact that it works flawlessly. i never made ice cream before i purchased this, and was very sceptical about spending nearly $200 for the really good makers, so i decided to go with this as a starter to see how it all went. it just doesnt get any easier than this! as far as some people saying that it doesnt stop automatically, it stops by itself just fine, as long as the ice cream is hard enough to slow down the dasher. and as a tip: if the ice cream never gets hard enough, simply add more rocksalt and pack down the ice with a knife a bit. the only gripe i have, is that maybe the motor could have been stronger or the dasher made of a stronger material, but for the price you do get what you pay for. i also purchased the ben & jerrys recipe book and highly recommend it as well. do yourself a favor and dont think twice and buy this great machine. you wont be dissapointed

I received the Rival ice cream maker as a special gift for X-mas from my son. He and everyone else knows that I am a complete ice cream fanatic. However, I either misplaced or did not receive instructions with this product. Feeling guilty, as he splurged on this gift and I still have been unable to try it out. He is 18 years old but was financially "strapped" at the time. Also, I would love to try it out as I am at my wits end when I run out of ice cream and all the rave reviews I have read here are making me even more curious about this delicious-sounding ice cream! Mmmmmm, Mmmmmmm good is what I am sure I will be saying if someone would be kind enough to send me the complete instructions so that I can (finally) begin to use my ice cream maker! My son purchased the rock salt and ice cream mix and I have a bag of ice (im)patiently waiting for just this purpose in my freezer. So..any and all help would be greatly appreciated. And as I ALWAYS say...I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM....we ALL scream

I have never made ice cream before, nor did I know much about it. My first batch (I did not use the pre-bagged stuff) was awesome, although it did take longer than the directions said. A bit of freezing and the taste couldn't be beat - and I used skim milk, evap skim-whole milk rather than cream, etc! Once you get the hang of adding enough rock salt and ice, and as long as you ignore noise, this machine is great! I've used it about 5 times and each recipe I've used (I found them on the web, and one on the box) turned out great! YUMMY and delicious and cheap, too! ENJOY! Lisa

If you just want an occasional nostalgia trip, or a rustic decoration for your kitchen, then buy this freezer. But if you are serious about making ice cream with it, you're in for a disappointment.

The part that covers the ice cream container is made of a cheap, soft metal alloy. Friction slowly wears it away as you crank it, getting black gunk on everything it touches. It even gets black specks in the ice cream - yuck!

I got this for my husband for Father's Day a few years ago. Since then, he has been THE DAD of the neighborhood. Anytime we get the ice cream maker out, it seems, all the neighbors gather too! ... a sign of some good ice cream to come! The recipes that come with the maker are excellent (and easy). The directions are easy to follow. As for the review that comments on "shoddy" materials, I must say, I do remember this being made much sturdier when I was a kid, but I haven't found any black flecks getting into the ice cream. I have some concerns that we'll have to replace some parts in the next several years (we've had it 4 years and use it several times a summer and have had no challenges yet). I know that salt is highly corrosive so I'll cut some slack there. Even knowing we'll have to replace parts at some point, I would recommend this product. We think the hand crank is FUN and the anticipation of the ice cream to come only adds to the enjoyment of the final product! Get out the bowls and spoons and get ready for some all around family fun!

Our family loves using this ice cream freezer during the summer. At every BBQ we make fresh fruit ice cream (the peach is to die for!) and the kids love to participate and help crank the ice cream. It is easy to use and the product is made of heavy duty materials, well worth the money....go for it! This is a family memory maker!

I've decided to give this machine one more chance. The Lello Service Dept is sending me out a replacement Churn Motor for the paddle. If it still doesn't work, then it's going back to Amazon for a refund, and then I'm going to get the Musso 4080 Lussino Icecream maker, which is ALL stainless steel, including the paddle. I'll let you know how it goes. My hopes are still high, and I haven't given-up hope yet. I want very much to believe that the Lello is a HIGH-QUALITY machine. Just two more days until my replacement part arrives. I have to admit though, it's just a little disheartening when your hopes are so high, and then to be let down like this, with Amazon sending me a defective machine. But, we'll see. I have a feeling this replacement part will do the trick.

The replacement part arrived one day ahead of time, and I must say this is one heck of good machine. I grabbed a chocolate icecream recipe out of the Ben & Jerry's Book, and I modified it a little to accommodate my Atkins Diet. Rather than using sugar, I used Splenda, and rather than using milk, I used heavy whipping cream for the entire recipe. Rather than a pinch of salt, I used about a half a teaspoon. And rather than 2 large eggs, I used 3. I figured that the eggs are what give the icecream that custard texture. It really does pay to follow the recipe....lol. Oh well, my recipe had a little too much salt, but the rest of it turned-out pretty well. If I'm not mistaken, some people stated that the timer should be set to 40 minutes instead of 30, but what I found was that the warning beeper alerted me that the paddle was stuck at 40 minutes. In the future, I'm going to try 30 minutes instead, for that gelato texture. 40 minutes makes it more like icecream. I'd say, I didn't do too bad, considering this was my first batch. I think next time I'll try some Peppermint Gelato. I now HIGHLY-RECCOMMEND the Lello 4070 Gelato Junior, with enthusiasm. I don't see any need to spend $600 for an italian icecream maker, unless you feel that you need the ABSOLUTE BEST machine money can buy. Trust me, you'll be PLENTY happy with the Lello. And I have first-hand experience with Lello Customer Service. Did they require me to send back the defective part, after troubleshooting the problem I was having? NO! I merely called them up, they figured-out what the problem was, and the very next day, they had a replacement part on the UPS truck. It took two days for the part to arrive. Once it got here, I was SO excited that I drove over to the grocery store and stocked-up on my ingredients, came home and whipped-up some Beautiful Gelato. Yes, I initially did have a "Bad Out-of-Box Experience", but that problem was immediately taken care of, and I am now in Gelato Heaven. I can't wait to make up some Peanut butter, butter pecan, and any number of other recipies that are in the 3 icecream books I bought. For $200, you can't go wrong with this machine. You too will be in Gelato Heaven when you purchase this FANTASTIC little machine. If you're hesitating because you're not sure if it's worth $200, let me put your mind at ease.........IT IS!!!

Just received and tried out the Gelato (reportedly manufactured by Simac...but the company name on the machine is Lello..don't know why a different name). Results were great! The machine is rather large and heavy, due to the self-contained compressor, but that means you don't have to plan ahead or take up freezer room to prefreeze the bucket. Makes enough ice cream for about four people, although if you need more you can start another batch right away by moving the first batch to another container (or your mouth )and refilling the bucket.

The machine runs quietly and freezes well (albeit I would add 10 minutes to times listed in the included receipt booklet). A timer is included to signal when the "set time" has ellapsed. The timer does not stop the churner or turn off the machine. However, according to the manual the machine will shut off before mechanical damage is done, if the ingredients become too frozen and the churner stops.

For a few dollars more than models requiring prefrozen buckets, you can buy this model and reap the benefits of higher priced models. You may get a larger capacity bucket on some higher priced models, but for home use this machine will put you in the ice-cream maker "big league" with no apparent short comings.

I love my Ice cream freezer but have found that a half batch freezes better. All the more reason to have the extra bowl. I freeze my ice cream in two separate runs. It's worth the time and money for the superior product with less overrun (air in the ice cream) and a smaller ice crystal (for a creamer product.) Why only 4 stars? Cuisinart makes a good freezer but not the best. It is however more than satisfactory for home use.

Cuisinart makes it easy for ice cream lovers by selling extra freezer bowls! Having an extra freezer bowl is extremely useful if you are making large quantities of ice cream or you plan on making different varieties. According to the instruction booklet it can take between six to twenty-two hours to freeze the bowl. We usually keep one bowl in the freezer all the time, then when making a batch of ice cream we replace it with the extra bowl. The freezer bowl doesn't take up much space and it's easy to clean! Fantastic Buy!

While I do have the ice cream maker, I ordered an additional freezer bowl to have on hand. It is helpful if you want to make two flavors of ice cream, or if you want to cool the warm custard for vanilla ice cream before you freeze it.

I have also used this container to quickly cool items (like Jello which must be cooled for a mousse, raspberry mousse comes to mind :) in a metal bowl. Place any metal bowl on the top of this container. It will be stable and the bowl will get ice cold. The contents will then cool very quickly.

Try this bowl to cool down custard when you are filling pastries. Just pour in the custard and stir with a spatula for a few minutes. Soon, you have creamy, cold custard to fill those pastries.

I recommend keeping one of these in the freezer at all times. There are just so many more uses! Use it everytime you need to cool a liquid quickly. You will love the results.

It's inexpensive, doesn't have to be plugged in and doesn't need ice or salt--three things plenty of folks are looking for in an ice-cream maker!

The ice cream turns out pretty good (if you use a good recipe!), and it is just the right amount of ice cream for 2-4 people after dinner--just start it about 4 hours before! Also, since it's such a small amount of ice cream, you don't have to worry about hard-to-find additives that will make it still "scoopable" the next day--it will be eaten by then!

It cleans up easily, as long as you don't overfill the cups and rubberband the top on so it doesn't slip.

IT'S STILL CHEAP, THOUGH. I use mine a couple of times a week, and it definitely shows some wear (gears slip occaisionally). In my case, having this machine for a few months has convinced me that I WILL make ice cream often, and therefore a heavy-duty machine will be cost-effective for me.

But for people who will only use the machine a few times a month and are on a budget, this ice-cream maker is ideal!

This ice cream maker takes AA batteries and your refrigerator's freezer to work. It takes 4-5 hours for it to complete the ice cream. The results? Two scoops of creamy tasty ice cream. If you are willing to wait so long for so little reward, this ice cream maker is well worth it.