Customer Reviews

Rival GC8250 Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I bought this ice cream maker as a 2nd unit - I also have the GC8191. I read so many reviews that claimed the product didn't work at all - I have no idea what the users were doing wrong - but it was pretty clear to me.

I followed the instructions regarding how long to freeze the bowl - common sense dictates that you have to freeze the bowl first...how else would it work? I froze mine for 24 hours, prepared the recipe as instructed for Strawberry Sorbet, and turned the machine on. In 25 minutes I had a lovely sorbet, it comes out soft and can be easily served that way or can be frozen for a few hours to make it firm. I tried again with the easy vanilla ice cream recipe - great results in 30 minutes.

Here's the low down:

Don't use a greater volume of ingredients than recommended - it won't freeze properly.

Don't skimp on the length of time to freeze the bowl

Don't use warm ingredients - make sure your ingredients are refrigerated or it won't freeze properly.

If it doesn't freeze within the required time - turn the micture out of the bowl, refreeze the bowl for 12 hours and then try again. The 40 minute safety timer cannot be overridden - it is designed the protect the motor. After 40 minutes, the bowl will be too defrosted to cool the product anyway. Don;t take the bowl out of the freezer until you are ready to pour the ingredients in - then plug the machine in and start the machine BEFORE you pour the mixture in - or it will freeze as it touches the bowl and the beater won't turn.

If you follow the instructions properly - it really cannot fail.

NOTE - the ice cream maker does not make hard ice cream - no machine will do that, not even professional ones. It is designed to incorporate as much air as possible into the mixture as it freezes it to a soft consistency - like a very thick milk shake - but not pourable. Once the machine is done, you can either serve it very soft, or place the bowl into the freezer to allow it to firm up.

The ice cream maker was easy to assemble but it would not quite freeze the ice cream enough. The plastic parts seem like they are designed to last about 2 weeks. I had to run it an extra 15 minutes and even then the ice cream was runny but the motor was about to burn up. The ice cream was good after I froze it overnight but I would stick to the conventional ice and salt method after this experience. Mine is going back to the place I bought it.

This product simply did not work well. The labeling on the box is misleading because it states that it can make ice cream in 30 minutes. But the reality is that the process takes a minimum of 24 hours if you count the preparation time. OK, fine. However, when I attempted to pour the mixture into the machine (following the directions) it froze up and would not operate at all. I ended up having to mix the ice cream by hand for 20 minutes. It tasted fine (and it was thick), but that was largely because of my own preparation. The moving parts are made of plastic (not very sturdy). You will also learn when you read the instructions that you can't put nuts or pieces of fruit in the ice cream mixture because that might "damage" the machine. Bottom line, it didn't work as promised. You will probably be disappointed.

I received this ice cream maker as a present and was really disappointed to find that after several tries I could not make anything more than a sticky, goopy mess. Then, I found out how much this thing cost, and I really hit the roof! My advice it to just get the old fashioned ice cream maker - much less effort if you can believe that!

Even following directions exactly, still got not much more than thick soup. And the ice cream in 20 minutes is really misleading. The instructions say you have to freeze the bowl for 24 hours, then chill the mixture for several hours.

Traditional icecream maker using ice and rock salt actually makes icecream quicker with less hassle.

I believe the box and advertising should have held more information. Although I did manage to get some soft serve ice cream, it took much longer than the instructions said. Following their time schedule, I had soup. I didn't mind the extra time so much as the fact that every single recipe included was made with powdered milk. I could taste the overwhelming powdered milk taste no matter what I tried. I contacted the company about finding different recipes and they said not to use any other recipes than the ones included, and that they had no other recipes available. I wanted an ice cream maker where I can have a variety of recipes, and one where fruits, nuts or candies can be added. Nowhere does it say how limited this machine is until you open it up after purchase. I'm selling mine for 50 cents in a yard sale, and will chalk it up to an expensive mistake.

This machine was a complete waste of time and money. After following the directions exactly I ended up with runny ice cream, not even thick enough to be a milkshake. I tried a second time and let it run for twice the recommended time and the ice cream still didn't freeze. On top of that, it is poorly made and horrible to clean. Don't bother!!

You need an engineering degree to assemble and work this turkey. The instruction booklet leaves much to the imagination. The ice cream was OK but not worth the agravation. Drive to McDonald's for their soft serve vanilla cone and save yourself the stress of putting this together and making it work.

I was so excited about the ice cream maker that my grandmother bought me for Christmas. The box says, "Ice cream in less than 30 minutes." My first disappointment came when I read that I had to wait 24 hours to freeze the canister before using it. My second disappointment came when I had to chill the mixture for a period of 2 to 4 hours before churning it. My final disappointment came when it took over 30 minutes to churn the chilled mixture and it still was nothing more than a soft serve soup. I froze the remainder overnight. It wasn't bad. Not my idea of making fresh ice cream in 30 minutes or less. After cleaning it thoroughly, I will be taking this back to the store. One star is too generous for this writer. That Cuisinart Dual-Flavor ice cream maker looks pretty good right now.

After doing everything wrong, not following the instructions to the tee etc., this item proved that anyone can make great soft ice cream. I recently picked this up at BJ Wholesalers for 39.99 with a 10.00 rebate and decided to give it a try. As I put it to my wife " Any small problem and the item goes back." How wrong and suprised I was. The ice cream was awesome. I am on a low carb diet...minus 30 pounds thank you, and need to be very careful about the ingredients that I consume. Anyhow with this item you control the ingredients. Substitute refine sugar for fresh natural fruits or even better add some sugar substitute. You'll never go back to parlor when the parlor is in your house. WHAT A PRODUCT!! Thanks Rival. My only complaint was the motor could have had a little more spunk to it but over all excellent.