Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A little awkward, but just what I needed, September 21, 2001
My experiences with ice cream makers have gone from the ridiculous to, well not quite the sublime. But a recent purchase of the Cuisinart ICE-20 (see my review) and its heavy use in my house led me to believe that a step up was probably a good idea. I was keeping two cannisters in my freezer (losing a whole shelf)and constantly having to check to see if they were frozen enough to make ice cream. Enter the Simac 4060. It's sleek, it's good-looking and it weighs a ton! Seriously, if you're above the first floor, get someone else to schlep it up the steps for you. Once you have it set up, you'll probably have to let it sit for at least twelve hours unless you know for a fact that the unit hasn't been tipped, turned upside down or seriously jostled in transit. Apparently the cooling fluid and the lubricant can mix if any of those things happen, and they need half a day to separate again. No fresh ice cream the first night, alas. The motor - that's the thing on top that looks like a hat - isn't what you'd call an easy-release item, so it took about five minutes of wrestling before I got the knack. The rest was pretty easy to dismantle for washing, but then getting the cover back on is kind of a pain. You really have to finesse it into place. And as far as placement goes, the manual suggests at least ten inches between the unit and anything else. How many people do you know who have that kind of counter space? However, the weight of it pretty much precludes storing it and hauling it out for use. As some folks have said in their reviews, freezing time is actually closer to an hour than the 20 minutes they cite in the manual, and unlike the Cuisinart, there's no easy way to dip your spoon in and taste the ice cream as it's being made (darn!) so the best thing to do is switch it on and go do the dishes or something. All that said, let me tell you this unit is probably going to be very popular in my house. It freezes ice cream beautifully, allows the liberal use of alcohol and alcohol-based flavorings (which was iffy with the Cuisinart which thaws quickly) and it never gives out before the mixture is frozen because it has the cooling system built in. It makes a dense, creamy product even without cream, cleanup is a breeze, and once you've washed the paddle and the mixing bowl, you can go right back and make another batch! You can make ice cream all day if you want to. There's nothing at all wrong with the Cuisinart; it's fine for light duty. But for serious ice cream eaters like my family, the Simac really is worth the price, and the problem of finding a good place for it. Recommended if you're going to be making a lot of ice cream.
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33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth every penny, February 10, 2001
I did a lot of research into ice cream makers before finally selecting the Gelataio Junior. I was a bit skeptical, because it is the least expensive ice cream maker in its class. I finally gave in and ordered it, and I have never been sorry. This machine makes wonderful ice cream, and is trivial to use and clean.This machine is a low-carbohydrate dieter's dream come true. The only reason I was searching for an ice cream maker in the first place was because there were no low-carb ice creams on the market (and there still aren't any; I look every time I go shopping, out of curiosity). I can make a liter of delicious ice cream with this machine that contains less than 10 grams of carbs. Just think: even if you are in the induction phase of the Atkin's diet, you can still have a big bowl of ice cream! What I would have given for something like this when I started my low-carb lifestyle! I had to experiment for a while to find a good low-carb ice cream recipe. The few I found in low-carb cook books proved disappointing. After playing with low-carb adaptations of half a dozen recipes, I came up with an amazingly simple recipe that results in better ice cream than you can buy in any store. Send me email if you would like the recipe. I often include a LOT of nuts in my ice cream. I am especially fond of butter pecan (the real thing). This machine deals with the nuts just fine. One danger with nuts is that they can get caught between the paddle and tub, causing the mechanism to bind up. I only had this happen once, after which I started chopping the nuts up a bit before throwing them in, and I have never had a problem since. There are a few negatives to this machine of which you should be aware. First of all, it is quite heavy for a kitchen appliance. It weighs in at about 30 pounds. Also, it is important to keep the machine almost perfectly horizontal all the time, otherwise fluid associated with the cooling mechanism will end up where it isn't supposed to be, and you will have to let the machine sit in a horizontal position for 24 hours before you can use it again. The capacity of one liter is a bit small. You get between 2 and 4 servings (depending on your appetite) per run. The unit is also fairly noisy, especially once the ice cream begins to harden. More precisely, the motor that turns the paddle is a bit loud. The cooling mechanism is nearly silent. Also, in my experience, it generally takes 45 minutes for the ice cream to harden enough to stop the paddle and make the alarm go off (the paddle motor assembly beeps when it can't turn anymore). This is not really a problem, just don't believe the claim that it takes 15-30 minutes, at least not for ice cream (I have not tried sorbets, etc.) These issues are minor compared to being able to have ice cream while keeping sugar and other carbs out of your diet. I highly recommend the Gelataio Junior!
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely Machine..., January 26, 2002
By A Customer
The Simac Junior is a lovely machine that creates "soft-serve" style ice-creams. (Almost a sorbet consistency.) I suppose that this is to be expected, since the machine is made for gelataio. I give this product 4 stars because I was expecting it to produce a firmer ice cream, but I still love it. It's wonderful to have home-made ice cream without all the fuss. If you can afford it, go for it! However:
1.) Be aware that it takes closer to 50-60 minutes to achieve the desired consistency--not the 20 minutes stated in the instruction/recipe booklet. Although the booklet is small, it has some basic recipes to get you started. 2.) The machine is very LARGE and heavy, so be prepared to have some serious counter space available! Ideally, a permanent spot... 3.) There is a fair amount of noise from the machine. Not unbearably noisy, but you'll know it's running!
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