If you want to fully customize your ice cream, trying exotic flavors, or low-sugar or Paleo modifications, an ice cream maker provides just what you need. Cuisinart meets market demand with five models, as of publication, including affordable versions with simple freezer bowls that chill in your freezer as well as pricier stand-alones with built-in freezers and condensers.
The freezer-bowl models include:
- Ice-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker, which makes 1.5 quarts of dessert
- Ice-30 Pure Indulgence, which makes 2 quarts
- and the Ice-70 Cool Creations, which also produces 2 quarts and adds push-button, preset options for paddle speed and mixing time for sorbet, ice cream and gelato.
With any of these appliances, you wash, dry and store the heavy freezer bowl in the freezer for 24 hours before first use -- or at minimum, overnight -- and thereafter at all times between uses.
- Mix and ideally chill your ingredients for ice cream -- typically, milk, cream and sugars, along with fruits and flavorings, before setting up the ice cream maker. Many recipes allow you to use cow's, coconut or any other type of milk.
- Remove the freezer bowl and center it on the base. Plug in the power cord.
- Place the mixing paddle so that it's centered in the freezer bowl, with its single circular band at the top. Center the locking lid over the paddle. Press the locking lid down and twist it clockwise to lock.
- Press the "on" switch and pour in your ingredients. The mixing paddle and the freezer bowl will increase the thickness and volume of the mixture until the ice cream or frozen dessert achieves the texture you want, generally in 20 minutes.
- Scrape the ice cream into a container, and serve immediately or stash it in the freezer. You may have to thaw the ice cream and container for about 5 minutes so it can be scooped.
Tips
Add nuts or chips gradually about 5 minutes before your ice cream completes its freezing process.
The Ice-100 Ice Cream and Gelato Maker makes 1.5 quarts of ice cream with a freezer integrated within the unit to produce superior results. Its mixing bowl doesn't require freezing in advance, so you simply mix and add your ingredients, set a time from 15 to 60 minutes, and monitor the results for the desired consistency.
With the Ice-45 Mix It In, a soft-serve ice cream maker with three condiment containers for sprinkles, almond brickle, candies and the like, you set up the freezer bowl similarly to the Ice-21 and Ice-30. This model requires that you watch the ice cream closely so it does not go from the soft-serve stage into fully hardened ice cream, so you can dispense the soft serve into a cone or bowl.