Customer Reviews

Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker, White

5 star:		(320)
4 star:		(69)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I have relied on my Rival ice cream maker for many years, churning out many, many batches of good ice cream...but after so many years, i got tired of the rock salt and ice ordeal so i went for this model. GLAD I DID! I've made half a dozen batches so far and i'm pleased to say this works better than the salt/ice machine. A few comments:

First, it's easier to do, and doesnt take any guessing on how much ice to salt than the traditional ice/salt machine. THer'es no messy clean up of salt and/or ice off the counter/floor, either.

Second, it's quicker than advertised. While eveything says 20-25 minutes, i have yet to have a batch take longer than 15 minutes.

Third, I did not have to turn my freezer down to the lowest setting either (i was concerned about wasting energy just for this!). I have it on a "5" out of "9" settings, and it's fine. I stuck the canister in the back, on the bottom shelf--which I assume is the coldest place. Just make sure the recipe you use is VERY cold before you throw it into the machine. (i often put it in the freezer for 30 min before i make ice cream). ANother tip: put the exterior clear casing into the freezer for a while before making the ice cream--it just helps insulate the canister all the more when it's turning.)

Fourth, it's the quietest ice cream machine i've heard. No, you cant hear a pin drop in the other room, but i use it in the kitchen and can comfortably watch TV in my adjacent family room without having to adjust the volume at all. I can hear the machine churing, but it doesnt get in the way of hearing the TV.

Fifth, so why 4 stars instead of 5? Her'es the only downside of the frozen canister v. salt/ice machines. Scooping the finished ice cream out of the heavy and awkward-to-handle canister and into a container for freezing, is challenging. The canister, understandably, is VERY cold. It seems off balance as you try to do this, too. And if you wait more than a moment, the ice cream quickly starts to freeze hard to the canister, so a rubber spatula (never use metal or you'll scratch the canister!), cant scrape the hardened ice cream off the sides very easily.

Overall, GREAT ice cream maker. THe quality of the ice cream is good, with a nice, smooth texture.

As this product had not been reviewed yet, I read several reviews for the Cuisinart ICE-20 Ice Cream Maker before making my decision to purchase this product. Many comments about the ICE-20 mentioned that the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve; some reviewers said it was too soft. I did not find that issue with the ice cream I made with this ice cream maker. I turned my freezer to the coldest setting and froze the bowl for 7 hours. I could not hear any liquid moving in the bowl at that point, so I assumed it was solidly frozen. I made the Simple Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from the booklet that came with the machine. After about 20 minutes, the ice cream was nicely textured and creamy. It wasn't as hard as the packed ice cream you purchase at the store, so I guess you might say the consistency was somewhere between soft serve and store-bought: firmer than soft serve, but not as firm as hard pack. As reviewers of the ICE-20 pointed out, if the ice cream was frozen as solidly as hard pack in the machine, it would be difficult to remove it from the container.

The ice cream is simply wonderful. It has a fresh, pure taste that outshines anything I could purchase from the store. I bought it mainly because I wanted to have control of my ingredients. I want to use organic products as much as possible and I want to experiment with soy ice creams; I have thought I might want to get away from dairy products altogether.

This product was listed as the newest version of the ICE-20 and as an upgrade that improves upon the ICE-20 while still keeping its popular features. I don't know what the upgrade consists of, but I can say that in 20-25 minutes, I had really excellent ice cream that I thought was the perfect consistency. (Since I posted this review, a commenter here has noted that the upgrade consists of a new paddle design, reducing the processing time by 25%, according to the manufacturer.) After freezing it for a couple of hours it was firmer and I liked it at that consistency, too. I was thinking about how great this ice cream would be with warm apple pie, because tasting it really is like tasting fresh vanilla cream. But we're a couple of months away from apple pie season! This product couldn't be simpler to use, and I think it will pay for itself fairly quickly in savings over the cost of premium purchased ice cream. And it just tastes better.

I bought the new ICE-21 ice cream maker from Cuisinart and just made my first batch of strawberry ice cream. I was a little worried that it would not freeze well based on the reviews of the ICE-20, also sold on amazon, but in literally 10 minutes after pouring the chilled ingredients in, I had perfectly textured ice cream. The unit is very easy to clean, not terribly loud, and as long as if doesn't break on me after a few months (and I will update this if it does), I will say this is a great purchase. Now I can make whatever flavor ice cream I desire! Mwhahaha!

I decided to purchase this ice cream maker based on reviews from America's Test Kitchen which they rated as recommended to buy and best value. For the price this machine does a great job. Fresh made ice cream is so much better than store bought. The ICE-21 is the newer version of the ICE-20. It's so easy to use; the only thing you have to be careful of is portion control. If you pour too much of the ice cream mixture it can overflow easily. I say this because you have to be careful when adding extra ingredients such as fresh fruit and chocolate chips. Some people complain that the consistency is not hard enough, but if you place the finished product in your freezer for at least 2 more hours the ice-cream gradually hardens. I discovered that a day after the ice-cream is made it gets as hard as store bought, so it's all a matter of time. I use the recipes from the booklet that comes with the ice cream maker and find them to be delicious. It is also easy to clean with mild soap, warm water and a soft sponge. The machine is also pretty quiet so it's not an annoyance. The manual says it makes ice cream in 20 minutes or less and it is true to its claim. Overall I am very happy with this product and don't regret purchasing it.

Works perfectly! Easy to use. Detailed instructions. Easy to clean. Makes the absolute best fat-free sugar-free blue berry frozen yogurt on the planet! I use packaged frozen blue berries, strawberries, peaches or whatever suits me. I just grind them down to smaller size in a food processor before they thaw.

1 1/2 cups whole-frozen fruit of your choice (bags available at your local mega mart)
2 1/2 cups plain fat free yogurt
1/2 cup fat free half & half
1/2 cup Splenda

Just mix it up in a bowl and dump it into the machine. Don't walk away! Mine only takes 5 minutes.
Great value!

As much as my husband hates buying me kitchen appliances as gifts, he finally caved and bought me the Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream Maker for my birthday. It arrived in the mail yesterday and we immediately popped the mixing bowl into the freezer and hurried off to the store to buy whole milk and heavy whipping cream.

Just moments ago we finished our first batch of Peanut Butter ice cream.... and all I can say is... my waistline could be in deep trouble!!

First, the machine itself is so easy to use! There are four pieces and they all just go right together. No thinking about what part has to fit into where. We used a recipe in the provided instruction manual. Except for the candy we added in, the whole milk and the heavy whipping cream, everything else I already had on hand in the pantry! Easy Peasy!

I am glad I spent time reading the reviews and offer a couple of tips:

1) Freeze the mixing bowl completely. Do not attempt to use after only a couple hours of freezing. You will be disappointed.
2) Once you pull the frozen mixing bowl out of the freezer, use it immediately! Don't let it sit out on the counter while you turn your attention to other things.
3) Add anything with alcohol in the last couple of minutes, including any flavorings. The alcohol content can reduce the freezing point of the mixture and you will end up with a sloppy mess. Make sure to read the ingredients of everything you use, just in case!
4) Chill the ice cream mixture for several hours before pouring it into the mixer.

By doing all of the things above, we ended up with a creamy, rich, thick peanut butter ice cream. We are going to have to switch to frozen yogurt or fruit sorbets, 'cause my waistline will expand quickly if we eat too much of this stuff!! It is decadent!

Quick and easy clean up. In fact I already have the mixing bowl back in the freezer and a batch of ice cream mix chilling to make a dessert for a dinner party tomorrow night!

Enjoy!

In got this ice cream maker for christmas. It works great. The ice cream is very easy to make. I'm 11 and I make the ice cream all by myself. I freeze the bowl 6-9 hours and I get creamy and delicious ice cream. Now it's my job to make ice cream for the family every week. My dad loves the chocolate. If you had a contest between store brand ice cream and this kind, this kind would win by a landslide.

This ice cream maker has a good design. It freezes very fast and is easy to clean. I like to dump a quart of flavored nonfat yogurt into it, and presto, a low calorie desert. I can also make less-sweet frozen deserts than are available commercially. Other reviewers noted that the resulting frozen desert is very soft -- but this is true of all ice cream makers (I have owned a Donvier, and also used the old fashioned salt-and-ice bucket type when I was a kid). The ice cream has to be put in the freezer for it to fully firm up. One thing I like about this model is that, once the frozen desert is firmed up so that it all clings to the beater inside, the design of the beater helps you lift it out and into a container. Very little is left inside the machine to scoop out.

This ice cream maker is wonderful. Its the best ice cream I have had in a long time. No ice or salt needed, just freeze the bowl overnight and the next day you have soft serve in 30 minutes or less. We have tried a couple of the recipes that were in the book that came with the ice cream maker. Both were far superior to store bought ice cream and were easier than I would expect. Especially the custard version. Its a huge difference if you chill your mix overnight before churning. We usually put bowl in the freezer and the mix in the fridge the night before so both are ready to go the next day. Everyone so far has been impressed with the final result and with the holidays I see this being a staple for entertaining guests.

This ice cream maker is my first. It does a nice job. I have made four batches in the month or so that I've had it. It is not very loud. The components fit together well, are easy to use and are easy to clean (There aren't a bunch of seams, nooks and crannies on the base, so it wipes down quickly and easily). The instructions are easy to understand and logically written. I do like the electrical cord stowage under the unit, so you don't have to fight with it when you put it away.

The hardest part is getting the agitator out of the container after churning is completed. I make sure I have my container ready, and I transfer the ice cream from the bowl to my container by the sink. You will get it on your hands, and it will drip a little bit.

My only caution is to make sure you turn it on before you start pouring your mixture into the bowl. The mixture freezes instantly on contact with the bowl's surface, and it jams the rotation of the bowl. Place the bowl on the base, place the agitator in the bowl, put the clear lid in place, turn on AND THEN add your mixture. You will have soft serve in less than 20 minutes, if you chilled your mixture thoroughly.

I wash out the bowl, dry it and put it right back in the freezer. That way, it's always ready. The amount is good. You don't end up with a ton of a certain flavor, and it stays fresher that way.

I would definitely recommend this machine, and I would buy it as a gift.