Customer Reviews

Lello 4070 Gelato Junior

5 star:		(93)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

Just received and tried out the Gelato (reportedly manufactured by Simac...but the company name on the machine is Lello..don't know why a different name). Results were great! The machine is rather large and heavy, due to the self-contained compressor, but that means you don't have to plan ahead or take up freezer room to prefreeze the bucket. Makes enough ice cream for about four people, although if you need more you can start another batch right away by moving the first batch to another container (or your mouth <grin>)and refilling the bucket.

The machine runs quietly and freezes well (albeit I would add 10 minutes to times listed in the included receipt booklet). A timer is included to signal when the "set time" has ellapsed. The timer does not stop the churner or turn off the machine. However, according to the manual the machine will shut off before mechanical damage is done, if the ingredients become too frozen and the churner stops.

For a few dollars more than models requiring prefrozen buckets, you can buy this model and reap the benefits of higher priced models. You may get a larger capacity bucket on some higher priced models, but for home use this machine will put you in the ice-cream maker "big league" with no apparent short comings.

I have gone through my share of ice cream makers. I have had the hand crank and electric version of the ice/salt mix and I had the Villaware ice cream maker available here on Amazon, sold it and my old icewater/salt type at a garage sale. None of them compares to the Lello Gelato Junior when it comes to convenience and ease of use. You just dump the ingredients in the little bucket, put the mixer/lid on and go. With other models you have to keep the bucket in the freezer or mess with an icewater/salt combination. Sure it might take some of the fun out of making your ice cream by eliminating the turning of the hand crank, but so does buying store bought ice cream or for that matter store bought butter.
The big plus with this model is that you can even dump in the ice cream mix while it is still warm off the stove (you have to cook a custard ice cream base). Just turn on the compressor a few minutes before you begin and it will start chilling the bucket.
You might be concerned about the noise this machine makes when running, don't be. It is quieter than a microwave running and by far quieter than almost every diswasher on the market. I would say it is louder than my Bosch dishwasher, but my Bosch is the quietest dishwasher you can get. You're not going to notice the noise from the Lello.

A note about their recipie for vanilla ice cream. When it recommends using a vanilla bean, do it. They are very expensive, like $8 a bean, and for good reason. It is the greatest vanilla ice cream you have ever had. The smell of fresh vanilla will forever blow your budget because you won't ever want to use vanilla extract for anything again. Save the rinds of the bean in a small tupperware bowl full of sugar, you can use it for baking or flavored coffee or something.

A few little things to note about this machine:
1. The opening for adding ingredients is small, m&m's are about the largest thing you can reasonably expect to put down the "chute"
2. The timer won't shut off the maker when it expires, just lets you know your ice cream is ready to eat.
3. It weights about 30 pounds or so. If you can't lift that amount easily without straining youself, leave it out on a counter somewhere.\
4. Unless you are the type of person who likes the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard, don't even think of using a metal utensil in the aluminum bowl, you will cringe like never before. Can you say chewing on tin foil with fillings in your teeth?
5. Keep excercising regularly, with this thing you are going to have lots of extra calories to burn.

I ordered this unit from Amazon.com when it was offered on a Friday Sale at such an attractive price that I could not let it go. Some reviewers commented that the booklet could come with a better instruction... I agree !! The first time I tried to use the machine the paddle would not turn around because the lid was not closed properly. I was trying to figure out why ? It was because the freezing basket was not placed in properly. After I figured it out then everything else worked great.

The recipes from the included booklet assume certain things like when you buy frozen rasperries, they are the kinds with sugar or syrup. The kind I buy is without sugar added. So the first raspberry ice cream I made was kinda tart as the recipe did NOT call for sugar. Now I know I have to add sugar to the frozen raspberries that I buy !!

The negatives to this unit ? I wish the timer was set so it would shut itself OFF automatically; I went like 10 mins longer than it should and the ice cream was totally frozen in the unit and the paddle was stuck in it. So, you do have to watch your time. This is NOT a set it and forget it type unit !! But what do you expect from an INEXPENSIVE Gelato maker ??

I do enjoy this unit and I made passion fruit sorbet which was out of this world. I used passion fruit concentrate with a little water. I also made lemon sorbetto using fresh lemon juice, organic evaporated cane juice ( it is unrefined sugar) and water. The intense flavor and the creamy texture was just sublime. There is NOTHING like a freshly made sorbetto !!!

Since this is relatively small unit one can bring to trips or other places and make ice cream / sorbetto on site but since this has freezing unit built in, one need to be aware that you have to set this machine horizontal ALL THE TIME and never tip or place it upside down. Even the outside box has an arrow pointing UP so the delivery guy knows it should not turn the box on the side.

So for the price / performance , this unit is just wonderful !! Why 4 stars ? Poor instruction booklet.

Great machine, ultra quiet and easy to use! We had company over a long weekend and this thing kept cranking out batch after batch of ice cream. We also made margaritas (which were exceptional). The only beef I have is with the instruction manual. While it's true the machine is easy to use, I wish there was some sort of trouble shooting page and/or list. There's a trick to inserting the bowl, and it took a few minutes to figure out (it would have been nice to have had some sort of reference just to make sure I did it right).

I finally bought this ice cream maker after incredible research, including lots of debating whether to go with a substantially higher priced product. After reading the glowing reviews of the earlier, now discontinued, version (the 4060), I was thrilled to see this product on amazon and bought it right away. What a great investment!

This machine makes fantastic ice cream. I couldn't stop eating the peanut butter ice cream I made - - now that I'm going low carb, I'm looking forward to the sugar-free versions! The machine is considerably quieter than I had expected (I had it running in the same large kitchen/dining area where we ate dinner with guests, and no one noticed it was running). Done in 35 to 40 minutes. Highly recommended.

The first thing I would like to make clear is that if you buy items based on company reputation and warranty quality, please look elsewhere. The first unit I purchased looked like a reconditioned unit straight out of the box and after the first several uses it was apparent that the typical freeze time was running 50-60 minutes. The enclosed recipe book states that the ice cream should freeze in 25-30 minutes. I called the customer support number for Lello and after being shuffled from one number to another by some of the rudest people imaginable I finally got a "customer service" representative on the phone. The woman that I spoke to said they receive lots of complaints about this unit and there was nothing that could be done to repair my unit. Despite the fact that the unit was taking 20 minutes longer than the instructions state and despite the fact that the unit was only 2 month old they refused to honor the warranty. All I was looking for was a repair. At this point I contacted Amazon and they were very helpful and sent me an exchange even though I had purchased the unit over 30 days prior.
Okay, new unit. This one looked better out of the box and seems to operate more quickly. About 35 minutes to freeze as opposed to an hour. Over all I am much happier with my new ice cream maker however I am still going to stick by my low rating due to the fact that I have no confidence in Lello honoring their warranty in the event that I should have a problem with this unit. I place a great deal of emphasis on customer service and Lello failed miserably. At any rate if you are comfortable with the price I won't recommend that you overlook this item but I would strongly recommend that you make sure it functions properly well within Amazons return time. Lello will not make good on their warranty. I would like to make one other observation, I purchased this item based on prior reviews and I know that other people had good experiences with their customer service so it is entirely possible that I had isolated incident. However, based on the attitude and response of everyone I spoke to at Lello I would not get my hopes up for a better experience in the future. Good Luck regardless of your decision!

I am one of those that for my own well being I can't keep ice cream at home. If it is in the freezer, I will have it 3 meals a day. I admit it, I have no will power and have lost the ice cream wars. To keep my cravings at bay, I will treat myself to a store bought cone or cup of my favorite flavor. While it limits the amount I can eat this method of self control is really expensive. A one scoop cone at our mall Hagen Daz shop costs more than $5. My answer, the Lello 4070 Gelato Maker.

My machine worked right out of the box. I was surprised at how quiet it was. You can hear the motor but it is a low hum and we did not find it at all distracting. This machine is large. I have lots of counter space in a large kitchen and my Lello sits in a corner yet it is the first thing folks notice when they walk into my kitchen. Do read the teeny tiny instructions first and keep them handy. Even so I managed to turn the machine off rather than just the churn. No biggy, you just have to wait 5 minutes to start it up again.

Even with lousy instructions the machine is very easy to use. I should note that I read all the reviews and tried to pick up on the tricks before getting started. To avoid problems pay particular attention to how the churn/lid, dasher, and bucket were installed as you unpack the unit. There are notches for where the handle joins the bucket and the handle should lay flat and be flipped to the side closest to you. Also, install the dasher in the churn/lid before attaching to the machine. I tried dropping the dasher into the custard and then attaching the churn/lid and could not get it together. My only negative, the churn and transparent lid are joined together. If the tiny slot is used to add wet fruit (peaches, pineapple)chocolate or carmel sauce, the lid is impossible to clean with just a damp towel--running water is essential. I assume the churn part will be ruined if it gets drenched with water. My solution, I do not use the slot to add stuff. I just pretend there is no slot and add all ingredients to the mixture before starting the machine. If you stop the churn (not the machine) to add stuff you may not be able to get the dasher back into the slot of the churn/lid.

I've noticed that others felt that the ice cream did not get hard enough. I have gotten scoopable ice cream in 15 minutes with a chilled batch of custard (in frig overnight) to 30 minutes with a not hot mixture (stuck in frig for 15 minutes so it was not hot). If you like rock hard ice cream the machine allows for this. Churn until the mixture thickens and gets done, turn off the churn, remove churn/lid and take out the dasher. Put the lid back on and leave the machine on(not the churn, this makes sense when you have the machine) until ready to serve. With only the refrigeration unit on the ice cream has gotten so hard, I've had to let it sit on the counter to soften.

With the Lello I can freeze just the amount of ice cream I want or should have. The cooked custard mixture I use to avoid the raw egg issue can be refrigerated up to 3 days. It actually tastes better IF I can wait 24 hours before churning. I have used from 2 to 4 cups of custard mixture. Whatever you do don't overfill the bucket. The mixture expands as it freezes and can overflow making clean up difficult. The ice cream will not get as hard and will take longer to freeze.

The Lello is so easy to use and clean I don't think twice about making a batch. It is not so easy to use that one can let a child use it unsupervised. My 6-year-old can set the timer, fill the bucket and get the dasher in the slot but the churn/lid is too heavy to handle on her own. The average 14 or older teen should have no problems. Order the extra bucket for multiple flavors or batches. Do take advantage of free shipping because it is heavy and costly to ship. If you find a nice looking plastic ice cream scoop get one of those to. The one that comes with the Lello works well but is unattractive and cheap looking. Overall a great and happy buy. Absolutely no buyer's remorse.

The machine was a gift for Christmas.

Pro's
--Machine runs well, even when you make multiple batches. No sign of overheating. I made ice-cream for fifty people with no problem.
--Ice cream is very tasty
--It is easy to make ice-cream using the machine. I have thrown out my Donvier already.

Con's
--Machine is not well designed. Using it can be "fiddly."
--As noted by others, you need to get the pail lined up just right in the unit or it won't close.
--The paddle, lid and motor are all attached to each other. (The paddle can be removed for cleaning.) I often found I wanted to take the lid/paddle/motor assembly off the machine, but had nowhere to put it down that was stable. It is useful to find a heavy glass mixing bowl or pot that you can stand the lid/paddle/motor unit up in. This lets you stop the machine in mid-cycle to test for sweetness, add nuts, etc.
--Drips can get between the lid and the motor housing. (Especially if you lay the unit down on the counter, rather than stand it up in a pot.) To get the unit really clean you need two Phillips head screwdrivers so the lid can be removed from the motor housing. This is an example of what I consider "fiddly" design -- the use of two screws of two different sizes to fasten the lid to the motor.
--Finally, if your mix isn't cold enough the icecream can be a tad grainy.

But bottom line -- if you like home-made icecream and you aren't made of money buy this machine.

I purchased this machine in May of 2004, so I have had it for over a year. I have used it frequently and am always delighted with the results. Like many others here,I too have used other ice cream makers-from the hand cranked w/ rock salt and ice type to the cannister in the freezer styles and this maker is the best. There is very little prep work involved in making excellent ice cream time after time.It is quiet and makes a quart of delicious ice cream in about 30 minutes. If I am cooking the ingredients, I make them the night before and allow the mixture to cool overnight. I have never tried pouring the mixture right from the stove top into the cannister-seems like too much stress on the freezing unit to attempt.All-in-all, this machine for under $200 is the buy of a lifetime.

I have owned this machine for two years. I use it quite frequently, as I give ice cream away a lot as small "thank-you" gifts and other gestures of spoiling those around me.

It is a pretty quiet machine that has the nice perk of having a removable bucket (for cleaning) where the ice cream is contained. I gave the machine four stars because I have a problem properly repositioning the gasket in the mixing chamber once it's taken out. I would also suggest not utilizing the small lidded opening intended for adding things like chocolate chips, nuts, etc. It's impractically small. Just gently fold stuff like that into your recipe once it's been churned.

I acknowledge that the timer is just that...a timer. The machine does not stop churning, but a farily loud alert will sound off. I don't mind hovering around the thing, anyway, but that's me.

The Gelato Junior WILL stop churning if the contents get too stiff, however. I have found that most recipes will render a texture just beyond soft-serve. You can then transfer it into another container and freeze until solid. That is, if the ice cream actually makes it that far without getting totally eaten;)

I find it a pleasure to use, nonetheless. It bears repeating, as others have mentioned...THE RECIPE MAKES THE RESULTS. I must strictly advise...do not let your world relative to this ice cream maker begin and end with the instruction booklet. Heavens, no! Please, please explore recipes from other sources!

Yes, this thing is heavy. You've been told! Other than moving the thing, this machine is quite simple to use. As I mentioned, the work is in preparing the recipe, not really in using the machine.

A nice long-term investment if serving those with dietary restrictions and/or children, or if you just want to create your own high-quality desserts.