CuisinartIce Cream and Gelato Maker | Makes Ice Cream, Gelato, Sorbet, Frozen Yoghurt in 40 Mins | Homemade desserts | Easy to use at home | No Need to Pre-Freeze Bowl | Stainless Steel | ICE100BCU

Amazing piece of kit - makes the finest ice cream you'll ever eat, with minimal effort and you don't have to keep waiting 12 hours for a bowl to freeze! Believe me, once you've had this ice cream, you'll never want to touch any commercial variety again (not to mention goodness knows what additives.)This is a heavy chunky machine that you probably won't want to keep dragging in and out of a cupboard (and it really shouldn't be moved around anyway) so you ideally need permanent space on your worktop. I've sat mine on one of those black oven liners so I can easily slide it aside when I want to clean the granite worktop underneath etc.When the machine arrived, I left it to settle for 24 hours before using it. Next day I made a batch of strawberry gelato and blackberry/mango gelato, using the gelato paddle - pic attached shows the strawberry. The results were out of this world - smooth, creamy and full of fruit. I used one of the online recipes from the excellent 'Ask Chef Dennis' website using fresh strawberries, half full-fat milk/half double cream, lemon juice and granulated sugar (I used less sugar than the recipe called for, as the fruit was quite sweet.) And that was it. No messing about with egg yolks and making custards. You can substitute virtually any fruit.I don't find this machine excessively noisy at all - it's a lot quieter than even most kettles and you can easily talk over it.Some people have also marked this machine down because they say the ice cream is hard to remove from the paddle but I had no problem with that at all - I just used two small silicone spatulas. TIP: get a teaspoon ready to just eat the residue left on the paddle - it's too good to waste! Getting the lid in place can be a bit of a knack but once you've got it, it's very easy - just make sure the small lock icons line up on the lid and the machine.The handbook is very clear and well-written. It's got a small but good selection of basic recipes but I find the (free) 'Ask Chef Dennis' recipes much less of a faff to prepare and give great results.Although the handbook states that 1 litre is the total maximum quantity you should make at a time, I'd actually recommend using slightly less because as the mixture freezes, it expands massively and depending on what you're making and how long your chosen cycle is, it rises right to the very top of the bowl.If your paddle squeaks as it goes round when the mixture starts thickening, a tiny drop of cooking oil or butter on the top part of the paddle spindle where it touches the lid should stop it. You'll probably have to re-apply the oil every time though because it will come off when you wash the paddle.All in all, although this is a relatively expensive machine, it's solidly built and imo worth every penny. My only regret is not buying one much sooner.

I absolutely love this ice cream/gelato maker. It is so convenient to be able to make ice cream any time without having to pre-freeze a drum. The machine works wonderfully well, and makes ice cream in as little as 25 minutes depending on which recipe you use and how much you are making. I often make a half-batch as it is so quick to make and that way I can make a greater variety of flavours at once.I didn't much like the recipes that came in the machine's recipe book- they didn't have a great texture and got very hard in the freezer. Instead I prefer the Ben & Jerry's recipe book for quick no-cook bases, or the BBC Good Food Vanilla ice cream recipe for a cooked custard base. Both of those recipes turn out rich and smooth and don't get too hard in the freezer- you can still scoop them immediately after taking them out.I've had this machine for a year now- I've used it very regularly, about twice a week every week- and it still works just as well as when I bought it. I've loved playing around with all sorts of different flavours and textures in ice cream and gelato. This has become one of my most-used kitchen appliances, I've grown very attached to it!The machine is a little noisy but it isn't loud enough to bother me or to be a nuisance. FYI the first time I used it I thought it was broken when it got stuck and stopped turning after about 40 minutes- it turned out that's perfectly normal and it just meant the ice cream was ready to be taken out!I adore this ice cream maker and would highly recommend it! It is worth the investment!

The media could not be loaded. It’s a great ice cream machine! We’ve made four recipes from the book and they all were delicious and super quality! And people are fascinated by the idea and the way it looks!

I was deciding between this and the ninja creami and so glad I went with this. The creami takes a lot more prep with overnight freezing. This actually makes ice cream from liquid to frozen in 60 mins - much better. Simply mix your ingredients or make and cool a custard base and put in the machine. Ice cream comes out a bit stiffer than a McFlurry - you can then put it in the freezer if you want it hardened. It freezes well with no ice crystals.

Not sure what I was expecting from this, maybe something that would spin a bit quicker and make the ice cream fluffier, but this is basically a countertop freezer with a slow, rotating set of soft blades. The recipe book is okay, not exactly inspired, but got me started on my ice cream journey. Amazon ask about the flavour but, honestly, this does nothing to detract or enhance the flavour, it's all in the preparation and cooking (I like a gelato) of the ingredients before it ever gets to the machine. The slots the tub fits into are a devil to clean if the pre-ice cream flows over the edge and the motor is too slow to stop this bunching up, so you don't have an even level but peaks and troughs.Personally, I use the machine to create the base ice cream but use a hand mixer on this preparation to really create a soft ice cream that I can freeze and enjoy later. I wouldn't do without it and it's better than anything else I've tried or read about, but I feel there should be something better than this by now?

This is easy to use and clean ~ and it is fab for frozen yoghurt and ice cream. I use almond butter, yoghurt, cacao and a little coconut sugar to make my version of healthy ice cream. a in around 35 minutes. Fab!

Watched a few videos before making ice cream in this machine. It is well worth doing this as the videos gave some very good little tips.The machine is very well made the lid is no problem to fit as long as you follow the symbols on the lid. It is well over its work, that is, a very powerful compressor which does an excellent job.Very good ice cream can be made in this machine but as with all machines it takes time to find the right recipe to suit you.I love this machine.