Customer Reviews

Musso Stainless Steel Lussino Ice Cream Maker 1.5-qt.

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Since you're reading this, you're probably wondering if it's worth the extra money compared to a lot of the other home machines on the market. I've had mine for three and a half years now, and I can tell you that this is the King, the Cadillac, the Ultimate home ice cream machine. It's absolutely worth the extra money, and I'd recommend it to anyone that's serious about their ice cream.

You probably already know that this model has a built-in freezer, so you don't have to pre-freeze a bowl for 24 hours or so before making a batch of ice cream. It'll happily make back-to-back batches if you want, and the extra freezing power makes incredibly smooth ice cream. Every batch I've made has been on par with Ben & Jerry's, my favorite ice cream up until buying this machine.

Unlike most other machines, everything is made of metal, including the dasher, so it feels extremely durable.

It also has a large see-through plastic cover that you can lift off to have full access to the ingredients moving inside, which makes adding things like nuts, candy, chocolate pieces, etc. very easy, instead of having to funnel them down a tiny chute and not really being able to see how the freezing is progressing. One of the fun things about this machine is being able to stand over it and watch as the liquid starts transforming into ice cream.

If you've read other reviews, you've probably heard people complain about a few things, so let me ease your mind:

Weight - it's 44 pounds, which I have no problem lifting up onto the counter.

Cleanup - because of the way it freezes, it uses a non-removable stainless steel bowl. Use a sponge with warm water, and you'll have it cleaned out in less than two minutes. It's a bit easier if you let the bowl warm back up to room temperature first, but if you're in a hurry to start another batch, you can do it right away also.

Ice Cream Extraction - use the specially-designed plastic spoon that comes with it, and you'll have no problem getting it all out, even in the curves along the bottom of the bowl where the spoon fits perfectly. I generally pull the dasher out first. If you do that, be careful not to drop ice cream down in the crevice around the dasher spindle -- my one and only complaint about the machine, I wish they'd covered that a bit better. Small issue though, I have no problem getting the ice cream out.

The description says it's a 1.5 quart machine, but plan on making batches that are roughly 1 quart or slightly more. Most of the recipes I've found are for this size anyway.

I store the ice cream in quart-sized plastic containers and then put them in the freezer for several hours to get the consistency of store-bought ice cream. (although several batches have been eaten right after coming out of the machine -- it makes a very stiff, soft-serve consistency)

I'd recommend starting with Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book. The sweet cream base is a good first recipe to try, since it's used in so many other recipes, and is delicious even on its own.

I've had fantastic success with any recipe using nuts, chocolate, or candy pieces, which are all added in at the very end of the freezing process. My first batch of peach ice cream resulted in a great taste and consistency, but the chunks of peaches ended up freezing into ice chunks, which apparently is a common problem, especially with home machines where you're not using stabilizers like guar gum and carrageenan that help prevent iciness. The easy solution is to puree fruit in the blender first, and then you'll have no problem. I've also seen books such as The Complete Idiot's Guide to Homemade Ice Cream include gelatin in some of the recipes to help with this. Although I haven't tried that yet, I do recommend the book since it has a lot of great info about the different types of frozen desserts like gelato, sherbet, sorbet, and ices, all of which this machine can handle with no problem. If you do end up with an icy batch like this, put it in the blender with some milk and make a shake!

Generally a batch takes about 30 minutes, although I've occasionally let it go to about 35. After a couple of batches you'll know when it's finished just by watching it through the top. I've had a couple of batches such as New York Super Fudge Chunk, with a lot of add-ins, actually stop the machine, but from what I've read elsewhere, this doesn't seem to damage it. You can also hear the machine start to slow down slightly before this happens, so it's a good indicator that it's time to toss in the add-ins for the last minute or two before extracting it.

If you're serious about ice cream, this is the one. I've even seen it on TV a couple of times when they talk about high quality machines and ice cream classes. Happy freezing!

This maker is top of the line for home cooks and is well worth the investment if you plan on making ice cream a lot. I would not recommend it for serious restaurant use, except for very small restaurants where frozen desserts do not feature very heavily on the menu, as it does take about 30-40 minutes to make a batch (usually yielding about 3 pints) and it will overheat in a warm kitchen with continuous use.
However, for the home cook or small restaurant, you can't get anything better under $1000.
If you're looking for a maker a step up from the inexpensive freeze-the-bowl kinds, this really is the only choice that is worth the money. Its solid all-stainless steel construction is attractive and durable, and the fact that the bowl and motor are integral parts of the machine mean that products freeze faster and much more efficiently. None of the refrigeration is lost, and the motor can keep churning once the mixture begins to stiffen. You do not want a serious machine made out of plastic or cheap, thin metal. Nor do you want one whose churning mechanism is not a built-in part of the machine.
Cuisinart's ICE-50BC maker ($268) is a very cheap, poorly designed, total piece of junk. Do not waste your money on it. I tested it and found that it is loud as a jet engine, with a very weak motor. Because the motor is an external piece (it is on the arm-like thing you clip onto a very cheap plastic dasher through the lid-- the same dasher you find in the $50 machines), it is extremely weak and can't keep going once the mixture begins to stiffen. As such, the ice cream or sorbet does not get frozen properly and products are icy and grainy. Also, with a cheap removable bowl that does not maintain the coldness well at all and an opening in the lid, the machine does not get nearly cold enough to produce smooth, creamy product.
If you don't want to invest the money in this machine, as it is a luxury item, you are better off getting one of the inexpensive freeze-the-bowl types and buying an extra bowl than buying any of the other self-refrigerating machines.
There simply isn't any machine worth the money between the $50 machines and this one.

I have had this machine for about 2 years, and it is excellent and very reliable. The reviews here are quite accurate. One note ... It is very easy to clean ... The easiest technique is to use paper towels, which takes about 2 minutes total. (1) Remove most of the ice cream with a spoon, and let the machine bowl warm up a little. (2) Wipe out the bowl with 2 paper towels, after 3-4 rounds of wiping, the bowl will be spotless. (3) Wipe it again with a lightly soapy sponge, or a damp towel.

I've had this machine for over five years now and its about time I contribute something about it here, where I bought it. Its great. Its beautiful. It works flawlessly. And it makes great ice cream.

I remember being concerned that cleaning might be difficult because you can't remove the bowl like you can with some home/consumer brands. This has turned out to be no problem at all. The stainless steel is so smooth and rounded that you just clean it with a sponge and its a piece a'cake. I let it warm up for ten minutes first, then I use cold water on the sponge first, then warm water, then hotter water, and then a paper towel to dry. In the sink would be no easier. Cold water may not be necessary but I like to think the metal appreciates gentler temperature change.

If you love ice cream you'll love this machine.

I am in love with this machine. It's big, weighs a ton, and is slightly noisy when running, but it produces wonderful ice cream. I've never found the bowl-in-the-freezer machines to be able to freeze a rich ice cream base, but this guy handles it like a champ. It has a strong motor, too, so it can keep on churning when the mixture is very thick. Just for your reference, here's my ice cream recipe. This will make TWO batches of vanilla base, so you can flavor each one differently. Simply halve the recipe if you only want one type.

4 cups heavy cream (NOT ultra-pasteurized, if you can get it)
2 cups whole milk
1.25 cups sugar
1 dozen large or medium egg yolks (not extra large or jumbo- the flavor's not as good)
3 vanilla beans or some vanilla extract
1 tbsp unflavored gelatin

1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until denatured and a bit lighter
2. Combine cream and milk. If you're using vanilla beans, slice/scrape them and add them to the cream/milk. Bring cream/milk to a boil, then remove from heat. If you're using beans, let them steep in the hot cream for 20 minutes, covered with a lid, then reheat cream/milk to boiling. Remove vanilla bean pods.
3. SLOWLY pour the boiling cream into the egg/sugar mixture while whisking constantly.
4. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve to catch any curdled egg or vanilla bean pulp. You may skip this step if experienced.
5. Chill the mixture for a few hours, then add the vanilla extract if not using beans. The resulting texture will be better if the mixture is cold when you put it into the machine.
6. Bloom the gelatin in a little cold water for a few minutes, then melt it. Try to get the gelatin as hot as you can without boiling it in the microwave. QUICKLY pour all the gelatin into the ice cream base while whisking VERY briskly. If you don't whisk quickly enough or the gelatin is not hot enough, or you add it too slowly, you might get gelatin strings in the base. Just pour it through a sieve to catch the strings, and melt some new gelatin. Do not skip the gelatin!!! This is what will give your ice cream a superb mouthfeel and inhibit ice crystal growth after you put the churned product in the freezer. The ice cream will retain its smoothness for days this way. Without using the gelatine as a stabilizer, it will turn grainy.
7. Add the mixture to the machine and churn until very thick, and the motor is straining slightly.

I bought this machine many years ago. My family thought I was nuts to spend so much money on an ice cream machine. And I admit, I was wondering at first if I had gone a bit overboard myself. But I have never regretted purchasing it ever since.

This machine is a joy to use and makes making your own homemade ice cream a breeze. You mix the ingredients, put them in the machine, set the timer, and start it up. In about 30 minutes you have ice cream. If you are like me, you have ice cream made from organic ingredients.

Cleanup is a little tricky. The big plus is that the bowl is smooth, rounded stainless steel--very easy to get clean and sanitary. The minus is that the bowl is integrated with the body of the machine, so you can't take it out. The plus side of that integration, however, is that there are no cracks or seams where particles can linger and rot, so I don't mind this one drawback.

The machine doesn't make a lot of ice cream at a time, and the ice cream comes out pretty soft when it is done. You need to let it sit in your freezer to harden it up a bit. (I think it is possible to leave the ice cream in the machine with just the compressor running, but I haven't tried that.)

However, if you want more ice cream, you can make one batch after another sequentially, and if you are making the same flavor, you don't need to clean the machine in between batches.

I personally love this machine because my favorite ice cream flavor is peppermint, but I can't get it commercially except during the winter (where the robins bask). With this machine, I've developed my own delicious peppermint ice cream recipe, so I can enjoy its refreshing flavor any time of year. Oh, and my own green tea ice cream recipe beats any commercial green tea ice cream.

If you are looking for good recipes for this machine, try Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book, which is the best ice cream recipe book I've used. One warning is that many of these recipes use raw eggs. If you don't want to use raw eggs in your ice cream, you can make a cooked custard-style ice cream, or use the no-egg recipes from The Ultimate Ice Cream Book : Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, And More.

I love this machine and in fact gave it to myself as a present for having twins last year (hey, some women get diamonds, I like to cook)! I researched a lot of machines and like a lot of people, originally thought I'd go for the Cuisinart IC-50 (?) but it looked really cheaply made for the money. For just a little bit more, I bought this one and am very happy with the construction and how it performs. The ice cream is very smooth and amazing.

One thing, it's probably best to chill the ice cream base overnight. The colder the base, the more quickly it sets up, therefore causing fewer ice crystals to form. Also, keep in mind that the temperature of the room will have an effect on how long it takes to freeze.

I think the trade off of not having to deal with a flimsy, removable bowl more than makes up for the fact that you just can't take the bowl out and clean it in the sink. Use some paper towels and a little hot, soapy water. It cleans really fast.

Holy Cow this thing is expensive! Your friends and family will make fun of you. You will suffer buyers remorse if you have an average budget like most middle class.

Now the good part: You serve up that batch of goodness this little baby produces and the room goes quiet and no more jokes cause they ain't got time to talk when they are stuffing their face with your ice cream delight!

If you love ice cream and tired of the old method of making it, I wager a hefty sum that you will not regret the internal organ you had to sell to afford this instrument of addiction.

Easy to use, Easy to clean, and like bar-b-que, this ice cream actually gets better in the freezer. (yes I know you don't freeze bar-b-que but you know what I mean).

Wow!!!
This is really great machine, I just made my first ice cream yesterday and it is really AmaZing!!! It is quite & does not take a long time only less than 30 minutes and me and my gusts enjoyed a lovely vanilla ice cream. It is not a waist of money at all & I highly recommend buy it! I might actually buy it as a gift for a friend soon. .

Also cleaning it is not a big deal. Just use a towel to do so or follow the instruction on the manual.

I can't believe how beautiful and substantial this ice cream maker is. It not only churns out the best tasting ice cream, you really don't have to put in much effort to make it. Since it contains the necessary "chilling" compressor, you never have to worry if you have the bowl chilled enough. Clean up isn't bad if you tend to it right after using.

It is a very heavy machine. I would recommend it to anyone who loves home made ice cream and wants a fine machine to make it for you!