Ice-Cream Machine Reviews

I finally broke down and bought this attachment for the Concept machine. It's good, though it took me a while to figure out how to use properly.

First, my freezer wasn't turned very cold. This caused problems. Make sure your freezer is cold. They recommend around 0F or -18C.

Second, don't put too much in one batch. The ice cream recipes I got from a Williams-Sonoma book were about twice as large as this unit will do. A good rule of thumb is that the container should only be filled up 60% with liquid. It will increase in volume from the creaming process.

If you avoid these two problems, I'm sure it will be a good attachment for you as well.

This works great and very easy to use. Only issues is that the Freezer container gets stuck to the turn table and is very hard to remove. I suggest buying a second turntable and not bother removing them from the freezer container.

I bought this shaver for 50% off at Wal Mart. It works great! It could have a bigger container to catch the shaved ice but for the price it is good. The ice is fine like snowcones you buy. If it had a bigger container I'd give it 5 stars.

On an especially hot July day, I first used this ice shaver. The ease with using electricy and power of the blades made it fun to use. It's safe enough for my granddaughter's enjoyment. The shavings were like snow and were caught in the attached container. We experimented with several flavors of syrup. What a refreshing experience!

This ice cream maker was an impulse buy - I found it for half of the retail price - and I should have known that it was too good to be true. I kept the base in the freezer for a week before use, got all the ingredients mixed up and ready beforehand, and followed the instructions to the letter. The ice cream maker shut off automatically 40 minutes in, leaving me with ice cream not even close to being frozen - ice cream soup, pretty much. I put the base in the freezer to keep it cold (stirring the ice cream frequently), then tried running it again in an hour - only to have it shut off again in 40 more minutes, leaving the ice cream only a little further along. I was only able to finish the ice cream by sticking it in the freezer for a couple of hours and stirring it fairly frequently. The ice cream which was supposed to be ready in 40 minutes ended up taking 6 hours to make (not including the ingredient preperation time). Good thing I tried it on a Saturday... That said, the Rival's recipe for Old-Fashioned Vanilla (which I added strawberries to) is pretty good.

Needless to say, this unit is going back. I suggest anyone looking for a good, fuss-free ice-cream maker save their money for a better model - I plan to.

Despite other reviews....this was my first experience with an ice cream maker, and I also bought the Ben & Jerry's ice cream book. The ice cream was excellent!! I've never tasted anything better. As long as you follow the directions carefully, the ice cream comes out so creamy, just like Ben & Jerry's!!! I will never buy store ice cream again. The unit is small, but you have to be careful NOT to overload it, and follow the directions, otherwise the ice cream does not get stiff. Its very easy and simple and doesn't require salt to run it. ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!

I always wanted an ice-cream maker and this was on sale so I purchased it. You need to keep it in the freezer for at least 24 hrs. I followed the directions very carefully and made some chocolate ice cream. This came out so very yummmmmy! Ice cream with half and half will come out softer. I also made the strawberry sorbet and after it was complete it had a very nice texture until I froze it and it turned rock hard. But if you stick your ice cream in the micro for about 15 secs then it is just fine. Make sure that you make you mixure ahead of time and put it in the fridge untill it is cold. My machine stopped at exactly 25 minutes and it was perfect.

The way this machine is supposed to work is a heavy freezer canister sits on top of a motor base, a cheap plastic paddle attaches to a plastic cover, and the freezer canister spins while the paddle remains stationary. If the cover actually fit securely to the base, this might have some chance of working. What actually happens is that the canister, cover, and paddle all spin around together while the mixture freezes to the sides. All it made was a mess - not ice cream.

I figured the unit was defective and exchanged it for another one. I followed the manufactures directions exactly. It had the same problem. It is just a very poor design. From the other reviews of this model, some people have actually gotten it to work. But even it you are lucky enough to get one that works, it doesn't look like the paddle would stand up to repeated use.

I wish that I had spent an extra ten and gotten a Cuisinart ICE-20 instead.

I have only used this ice cream maker a few times, but it is great! It makes soft-serve or harder ice cream, and it's always turned out yummy! It doesn't make a LOT of ice cream, enough for only a few people (less if you're an ice cream-aholic like me!). Well worth the cost though, it is durable, easy to use and fun! Highly recommend!

We got this product about a year ago as a Christmas gift. It has been well-used over the last year, and works as well as the day we got it (stands up to hard use)! You can make your ice cream either soft - serve, or hard. We have "tweaked" the recipes which came in the book, and have found that it makes very good tasting ice cream.
Keep in mind when shopping for one of these how much ice cream 1 1/2 quarts really is. We have found that it feeds 3 people fine, but any more than that, and you have to make 2 batches. I would look for an additional canister if you have a large family or are using it at a party. We keep the canister in the deep freeze at all times (wrapped in a plastic bag), and have always hand washed all the parts.

Spend a bit more and get something that actually works. I had a terrible time getting the top to stay put, especially when the turning got difficult. The 'notch' that is supposed to hold the lid in place just doesn't. It's difficult to clean and I never got a good batch of ice cream. It's a waste of money. Mine is going bye-bye.

i have had my ice cream maker for so long i cant even remember when or where i got it. but i have got to tell ya, I love this thing.. the only problem is i lost the instruction manual and cant find the ice cream recipe that was in it.. its easy to use and i have given it to my daughter's daughter. shes 5 and now i need the recipe for the mix... HELP someone.. please send it to me at my email address .. i would be so appriciative...
THANK YOU NORDIC WARE. I LOVE IT... Linda K. suekea3@hotmail.com

With our freezer, the chamber gets so cold that a half pint of ice cream takes less than a minute to freeze. Larger portions take longer.

The unit is fairly sturdy. The lid isn't as tight as I'd like but it is fine.

Don't let the high price on this ice cream freezer fool you into thinking you're getting something that's high quality. We ordered one in late November, anticipating lots of fun "cranking" together at family get-togethers over the holidays. The "trial run" in early December went fine. But the second time we got the freezer out of the box -- on Christmas evening -- we saw that metal filings had shifted out of the crank mechanism. Then, as we attempted to make just our second batch of ice cream, the crank handle broke. (The crank mechanism seems to be poorly made, which overly stresses the crank handle.) Not what we expected from a $159 ice cream freezer.

The freezer works OK but the overall quality of the product appears to have slipped. The finish on the wood was poor and the lid for the stainless steel container does not fit tight enough. I do not expect this new White Mountain freezer to last as long as the one my Grandparent's purchased and used for 50+ years. For the money, I expected more.

I purchased this model for my husband's birthday recently and I have to say it was perfect! We have used it several times since then and everytime I have been amazed with the workmanship that has gone into creating this mixer. It is rare that you find things well built these days. Most companies cut corners by using cheap materials, but not White Mountain. The wood base is solidly constructed and the parts appear as if they will last for many years to come. I will say that if you are looking for a "quick fix" you will probably prefer to go with one of the electric models. If, on the other hand, you do prefer the nostalgia that goes along with this product and are willing to work for your treats then this will be perfect. If you ask me, I think our children today have lost sight of working for what you want and maybe this will be a small yet fun way of helping them learn that lesson! Okay, maybe I went a little far with that last comment, but it does make a little sense.

The bowl started to leak fluids after only 2 use. I carefully hand washed the bowl with a soft sponge after each use. It made great ice cream and sorbet, but is now unusable. This has happened to at least 2 others (there's one review here, one at e-pinion). I'm having trouble finding Krups customer service, so I think I'm going to throw it away go with another company.

The Krups 358-70 La Glaciere Ice Cream Maker is simple to use with clearly written instructions and few parts. The pint container fits easily even in a small freezer. As advertised it makes ice cream in about 20 minutes. My first batch was a luscious fresh peach, using the base recipe that turned out wonderfully. The batch needed a little extra freezing, but just a little, before it was ready to serve. All 2 of the parts clean up quickly and store conveniently.

I wish the instructions had a few more "modern" recipes. There was a recipe for Rum Raisin in the back and I don't know anybody who likes Rum Raisin. But if you pair the Krups 358-70 La Glaciere Ice Cream Maker with the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Cookbook you'll be fine.

I won this and just tried it today and still feel in heaven with the taste. I had a friend send me a recipe and it was a lot like the one in the book(they say there isn't many in the book. There are about 20 if you would be satisfied with that, otherwise buy a recipe book) I had vanilla and it took about 4 hours to make 1 and 1/2 quarts, but the one in the book is shorter. It has easily assembly with only about 6 parts. You need to freeze the container for 24 hours before you make the ice cream. Than you make you mix and dump it in. It spins(fairly loudly) for 20-60 minutes(your choice of hardness) Than you take it out and refreeze it for about 1/2 an hour. Than the heavenly ice cream is ready to eat. It doesn't make a lot, but it tastes great. The only set back I have found is with the vanilla ice cream. It takes vanilla beans in my recipe and they are quite expensive. There are a wide varity of kinds, including coffee, but remember I said there are a wide varity not many recipes(where's the logic to that?) This was very easy to use and seems to be very durable. I don't know how people say its not a great machine. I absolutely love it and hope you will too. I hope I was of help

Unlike reviewer "aswynes", I DID buy this lame-o product -- so I get 1 star. If I could rate the product, I'd give it 1 star too!!! This thing is too hard to use! Let me get this straight: You're supposed to freeze the bowl for hours *before* you use it?! Then you're supposed to freeze the LIQUID for hours *after* you mix it! C'mon folks! I just want some ice cream, not a rocket science project!! Give me a break!! If you *paid attention* in marketing class, ice cream is an impulse item. Not something to plan your whole day around! (Plus it took me twelve hours to read the manual!). Next time make it "doable"!!!

The best thing about this unit is the the price. Since I purchased some other stuff shipping was free. It only makes on quart but for me that is fine. I like the fact I don't have to mess around with Ice and Rock salt. I would use caution if your freezer doesn't get cold enough. My is 5 below so the bowl freezes more than adequately. However if the coldest your freezers gets is 20 degrees I wouldn't expect great results. I have had success each time I've made Ice Cream but I haven't deviated from the canned recipies.

It was with great skepticism that I made my first batch of ice cream last night in my new VillaWare. What a snap! In 45 minutes, I had wonderful homemade strawberry ice cream! The unit is easy to clean. The bowl doesn't take up a lot of room in my small freezer. And, in my opinion, this ice cream maker works as well as the Martha Stewart one that my mom purchased for around $100.

You'll regret getting this, yes it does leak... no matter how long you soak it. Very noisy... seems to be a lot of work for ice cream... I do have to say though the ice cream does come out good. BUT get the cuisinart automatic ice cream maker instead, I did and I love it!

I got this for Father's Day, used it about 6 times before it completely quit working. My first problem occurred because the paddle shaft was not long enough to fit completely into the motor housing. I corrected that by adding something (a piece from my son's lego set)to the bottom of the paddle thus extending it. Worked great--once. Then, one of the gears in the housing stripped making it impossible to turn the container. I took it back but since it was out of season there was nothing to replace it. This this is just NOT well made.

Picked one of these up at Target, but was very disappointed with the bucket -- it just won't hold any water. It leaked out the bottom. Of course, you want the water to stay in the bucket because the salt water will actually have a temperature slightly below freezing (helping the ice cream freeze better).

I'll be taking this one back. I wish I could find one with a plastic bucket -- sure, it make not "look" as nice as the wooden bucket, but at least I won't have to worry about it leaking!

In this day of technology and the fact that Black and Decker are supposed to be a reputable company, this was a piece of garbage.
If you have arthritis, I definitely would not recommend. You have to have two people to operate this. Not worth the effort!! I called Black and Decker (aka: Applica) and they claimed they've never received any complaints. I was civil with them, but they would not offer any help on this, nor would give me to a supervisor to speak with.

This is a quick way to get soft serve ice cream with store bought ice cream. I did find it rather easy but the ice cream must be very hard. Ice hard to be exact otherwise it comes out to soft for cones. Make sure you fill it up to get best results. This machine is not good for making just one. Also for cones you need two people, one to work the machine since you got to hold the button down to keep it going at the same time pumping down on the handle. That's two hands right there. The person needs to hold and turn the cone. Blending in topping is the best. It really crunches it up. I used chocolate balls and they got grounded into powder.

We love our Arctic Twister. It makes a delicious treat quick and efficiently. I plan to put it to good use all summer long.