Ice Cream Maker Basics » ice cream machine

Why Everyone Should Own an Ice Cream Maker

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:55:15 +0000

If you have tasted homemade ice cream, you will understand why so many people make ice cream at home with an ice cream maker. If you have been thinking about making your own homemade ice cream, then make sure you understand how the different types of ice cream makers work before you purchase an ice cream machine. Ice and rock salt ice cream makers are available in both manual and electric versions. Although you have to keep an eye on the ice and salt levels, overall it is fairly easy to make delicious ice cream. The ice and rock salt machines are ideal for those who want to make large quantities of ice cream at once. Many people prefer using a hand cranked ice cream maker rather than an electric machine. Both adults and children find churning their own ice cream to be a fun and rewarding experience. If you do not find the old-fashioned ice cream making method appealing, the electric version of the ice and salt rock machine will save you from having to mix all of the ingredients yourself.

When using one of the Freezer Bowl machines you must place the bowl into the freezer for 8 – 12 hours before you begin making the ice cream. The electric-powered machine makes mixing ice cream ingredients an easy task. The freezer bowl style is a popular choice for consumers because it is an affordable product that produces an excellent quality of ice cream. You will need to have enough room in your freezer to store the bowl, and unless you have an extra freezer bowl, you will not be able to make a lot of ice cream at one time. Since you have to freeze the bowls ahead of time, the Freezer Bowl machines are not a good choice for spontaneous ice cream making sessions.

The most convenient ice cream making machine is the Compressor Freezer. This professional model is sturdy and does not require salt, ice, freezer bowls or cranking. You simply add the ingredients and let the machine do the rest. The Compressor Freezer machines make high quality ice cream, the only downside to this product is the high price, but many find the convenience worth the money. Most of the ice cream makers get the job done, but The Freezer Unit machine is the least favorite choice among consumers. The ice cream freezer unit makes ice cream while it is inside the closed freezer. Not only is this an inconvenient machine, it is slower than the other ice cream makers and the ice cream does not turn out as well.

Healthier Ice Cream Options

The traditional homemade ice cream ingredients make up a wonderful, rich and creamy ice cream, but are high in calories and fat. The higher fat version makes a tasty treat now and then, but if you and your family like to eat ice cream quite often then learning how to create healthier versions of ice cream is a good idea. By replacing high fat milk and cream with lower fat dairy products, you can reduce the amount of fat and calories. Adding gelatin will give you the creamy consistency that you would expect from a good ice cream, without the additional fat. You can also add healthy fruits and berries to your ingredients to give your dessert a vitamin boost.

It is reassuring to know which ingredients are being used to make your homemade ice cream. By making sure to choose fresh, high quality ingredients, you will end up with a high quality ice cream. Of course, most good ice cream makers are able to make more than just ice cream. You can also make sherbet, fruity sorbet, frozen yogurt or frozen yogurt smoothies. Smoothies are a terrific dessert and if made with the right ingredients are a healthy treat. Even the children who do not enjoy eating fruit are likely to enjoy a fresh banana smoothie. Have your kids choose their favorite fruits and berries or try out different fruit combinations to see which ones they like the best.

Having Fun with Your Ice Cream Maker

Parents and grandparents are always on the lookout for fun things to do with the kids at home. Making ice cream will keep kids busy on a lazy Sunday afternoon or during the summer holidays. Kids particularly enjoy using the hand crank machines, and most do not mind the time involved in making their own dessert. To make it even more fun, have hot fudge sauce, sprinkles and other ice cream toppings on hand. Once the ice cream is ready, you can help kids make their own unique sundaes. Older children and teens can have fun making ice cream on their own or with one of their friends. Making homemade ice cream during birthday parties is another fun idea, your kid’s party guests will love helping to make ice cream or smoothies, especially if they have never made frozen desserts before.

You can use your ice cream machine to make any of your favorite holiday specials. Preparing homemade ice cream as a family will make a holiday a memorable event, and can become a fun holiday tradition. Choose a recipe that matches the holiday you are celebrating. You could make mint or candy cane ice cream at Christmastime, or add a touch of food coloring to make special pink ice cream for Valentine’s Day or a green batch of ice cream for St. Patrick’s Day.

Making Your Own Special Ice Cream Recipes

Having the chance to try out different ice cream recipes is one of the best parts of owning an ice cream maker. You can experiment with all sorts of flavors and have the chance to try out tons of unique flavor combinations. You do not have to search for your favorite flavors in the frozen dessert aisle at the supermarket, or wait for an ice cream company to invent it. You can come up with all sorts of fantastic flavor creations right in your own kitchen. Why pay more money for a small container of specialty ice cream when you can make up your own fresh batch at home? The best brands of grocery store ice creams cannot compete with the taste of fresh homemade ice cream. Whether you choose to copy your favorite store brand ice cream or create a whole new ice cream recipe, the ice cream you make in your kitchen is sure to be a fresh and delicious treat.

Ice Cream Machine

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:41:57 +0000

Making home made ice cream, that’s just as tasty as any premium store brand, can be really easy with the right ice cream machine. And not only is it delicious but because you made it at home, you control what goes into it. Of course, there are a few things to consider if you’re thinking about buying an ice cream maker and that’s what this article is about. Things like, how much ice cream you’ll need to make, price, style ( think soft serve ice cream vs regular vs sorbet vs frozen yogurt vs gelato etc) of ice cream that your family likes, and ease of use all need to be thought about before making a purchase. And yes ease of use is a factor, some people swear by the old hand cranked ice cream machines for taste and texture but other people just don’t want to work that hard.
Probably the first thing you need to think about is what kind of ice cream you want to make. While there is some crossover between ice cream machines—for example, you can make frozen yogurt in a regular ice cream maker—it’s usually best to buy the right machine for the job. So while you can buy a specially prepared soft serve mix for ice cream freezers, you’ll get the best results with an actual soft serve ice cream machine. These days, Cuisinart, and Rival are very popular while I know Alton Brown has recommended Krups in the past. When it comes to soft serve ice cream machines, Cuisinart is about the only company making a specific soft serve ice cream maker. The unit is however reasonably priced around $80 dollars. Traditional ice cream makers by the way can run usually anywhere from $39 up to several hundred for the kind which also contain a refrigeration compressor.
Next, how much ice cream do you need to make? Most home ice cream makers usually make about a quart and a half of ice cream. That’s usually enough for two or three people. If your family is larger or perhaps you making ice cream for a church social, machines that produce four or six quarts may serve you better. This limits what kind of ice cream equipment that you can get as generally the only machines that maker larger batches use rock salt and ice as the method of cooling the ice cream mix. As far as these machines are concerned, White Mountain, owned by Rival, is the standard so while you’ll see “imitation” models for less, many people swear by those made by White Mountain.
Finally, ease of use is an important consideration. By far, the messiest and most difficult to use are the hand cranked ice cream makers. But what they lack in convenience , they make up for in the quality of the ice cream—meaning that because it’s human powered, you can sense when the ice cream is starting to harden and increase the mixing speed to work more air in the mixture resulting in better ice cream. Next come the electric versions which while similar to the hand cranked models replace the people power with a motor and yes they still have the mess of melting ice and rock salt. Next are the canister-style ice cream makers which use a reusable and freezable insert. These are a lot easier to use but require that you plan ahead to give the insert enough time to chill in your freezer. Lastly, there are compressor-style ice cream makers that are the easiest of all. Ingredients go in, flip a switch and after a short amount of time voila, ice cream! Of course the biggest drawback to these is the price which usually run in the several hundreds of dollars. Italian models like those made by Musso or Simac can easily go over a thousand dollars and are probably aimed at the Ben an Jerry ice cream fanatic types.
Hopefully in this article, I’ve given you some useful tips if you’re thinking about buying an ice cream machine for home use. As for what I use, I have a couple. I use a White Mountain hand cranked unit that I use when I really want good ice cream. I also use it when I go camping which is something you can do with any other kind of ice cream freezer. And of course I also use it when I’m having guests over for dinner. The machine I use on a more regular basis is the Cuisinart Ice 20 which I’ve found to be a decent canister-style ice cream machine. Drawbacks are that it seems to be a little more cheaply made than the White Mountain but that’s to be expected considering that it’s almost all plastic. The Cuisinart is also fairly popular which is useful when shoping around because it has a lot of reviews so you can really get a sense of what other people think about it. I really enjoy making ice cream for my family. Not only do I feel good because I know what’s in my ice cream but I feel I’m passing on sense of tradition from my grandmother and other people who endured the Great Depression and now to my children who’s learning that things really do taste better when they’re homemade.