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Product Description
With the WHYNTER SNO frozen dessert ice cream maker, you can make a spread of delectable desserts in about 20-40 minutes. With this versatile wonder you can not only make premium ice cream but refreshing sorbets, Italian gelato, sherbets, fresh frozen yogurts and other treats. Our professional quality ice-cream maker offers premium features not found in budget ice cream makers. A built-in compressor freezer allows for continuous use without the inconvenience of having to pre-freeze the mixing bowl. You will never have to use any freezer space before being able to make your favorite frozen dessert. This unit includes an electronic timer, ice cream scoop, and we'll even send you some secret recipes.
Available Extended Warranties for This Appliance
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
261 of 273 people found the following review helpful
By Mike Zmuda
Amazon Verified Purchase
The Whynter Sno is a fully contained 2 liter ice cream machine. It will both churn and freeze a mix to create:
- Frozen Custard
- Ice Cream
- Ice Milk
- Gelato
- Sorbets
- and even icy beverages (think Margaritas and the like.)
========
The Pros
========
It Works!
^^^^^^^^^
(Yes, this is a big deal. How would you like it if you plunked down $200 only to find your ice cream mix comes out soup or filled with chunky ice cubes?) This machine definitely gets the job done; It makes ice cream.
It is surprisingly quiet.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
While you wouldn't want to use it in a library, this machine is actually pretty quiet. Most of us who don't have any experience with an Ice Cream Machine can only relate to the beasts they have at the local Ice-Creameries (You know the ones: Buy One, Get One Free on certain days...) These industrial behemoths are LOUD. This machine (not being an industrial behemoth) is not loud. It **IS** louder than my refrigerator (barely,) but not quite as loud as my washing machine. It's NO WHERE NEAR AS LOUD as a Blender, Food Processor, or Stick Blender (if those are your only gauges of relevance.)
You can make your own concoctions.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Some local ice-creameries will make you a custom blend of ice cream. For example, if you want chocolate chips in some strawberry ice cream, they'll do that. (Probably not nationwide chains, but the local shop might.) But ask them to make anything crazier than that, and you're probably out of luck. Rosewater ice cream? Sorry. Green Tea ice cream? You're probably out of luck.
With this machine, you can make whatever flavors your heart desires, and that's pretty cool. (Just don't save me any Alligator Sherbet, ok?)
Ease of Use / Capacity.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This thing is EASY to use. For example, to make a simple vanilla ice cream, take 2 cups of half-and-half and POUR IT DIRECTLY INTO THE MACHINE'S MIXING BUCKET. DO LIKEWISE WITH 1/2 CUP OF SUGAR. Add a tablespoon of vanilla, and run the machine. About 45 minutes later, you'll have medium soft serve ice cream. NOTE that I do not say "Bring this mixture to a boil," nor do I say "Mix it," nor anything like that. In fact, when I tried this mix, I could even hear the churn running over the grains of sugar in the churning bowl. But, 45 minutes later, nothing but super-fine ice cream.
The other plus side is this machine's capacity. It's nice to be able to make a larger quantity of a mix if the mix is a bit more complicated (ie: a custard, which may require the incorporation of eggs, and possible cooking of the eggs.) This way, you can make a larger batch of mix, followed by a larger batch of ice cream.
========
The Cons
========
It's NOT dishwasher safe!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
While I won't say "Cleanup is hard," (there are really only 2 things to clean: the bowl and the beater,) you still can't just toss them into the top rack of your dishwasher to get the job done. You'll also need to wipe off the top plastic cover with a sponge, dishrag, etc... because it's permanently attached to the motor (which doesn't lend itself to easy cleaning.) The same thing holds true if your mix overflows the bowl and gets into the machine itself. (Don't worry, it's easy to clean, but again, you can't put the whole machine into your dishwasher [it's electrical, y'know,] so you'll have to clean it with a sponge or dishrag...) In other words, it would have been nicer if the freezing bowl (into which the mixing bowl sits,) the mixing bowl, the churn, and the plastic cover all been removable and dishwasher safe. They're not, but, to Whynter's credit, they are pretty easy to clean.
The label came off
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Petty? Yes. But it's an indicator as to the design of the machine. The label is a stiff label affixed to the rounded "tub" area of the machine. Had the machine been designed with a flat areat onto which the logo could be affixed, the label would still be there. (Mind you, this is "straight out of the box."
Little or No Documentation
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The documentation isn't bad (for what there is of it, but there aren't any recipes that come along with it. Also, there's no indicator as to the Maximum Fill Level of the Churn bucket. Overfill it, and you've got an ice cream that won't set properly, or have enough air mixed into it; or worse: ice cream base spilling into the freezing chamber. NOTE: You **CAN** go onto the website and download some recipes, but it would have been GREAT if they would have spent the extra $.38 and printed out some copies of at least a simple vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry mix recipe and thrown it into the box.
"Add-Ins" chute too small
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Do you like "Add-Ins" (ie: gelatin-based fruit-flavored candy animals and the like) in your ice cream? Well, you'll need to stop the machine, open the top, add the Add-Ins, then restart the churn (which, ideally, you'd wait 6 minutes for, since the compressor doesn't like to start and stop without a 6 minute breather.) The current model has a chute large enough for sprinkles and MAYBE very small cookie crumbs, but not chocolate chips. Again, not the worst thing in the world, but... hey! You know.
It can be slow
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This machine COULD conceivably turn out a batch of ice cream in 30 minutes, but that's only if the mix is nearly frozen to begin with (<38 degrees.) If you just cooked up a custard and it's still 170 degrees, it may well take this machine a few hours to turn your hot ice cream soup into ice cream. Having said that, even a 2 liter batch of cold mix won't be ice cream in anything less than 45 minutes to an hour.
=============
Other "Stuff"
=============
If you've never had an ice cream machine before, this machine is pretty good. (Ok; it's pretty GREAT.) But there are a few things you need to realize BEFORE buying ANY ice cream machine:
1 - NO ice cream machine will ever make ice cream for you that is rocket hard. The best you can ask for is the consistency of a firm soft serve, or a pint of super-premium that's been left out on the counter for too long. Any good ice cream maker will tell you that once you've made your batch, put it in a container, then throw THAT in the freezer for a little while to get hard (and let the flavors mature.) Of course, if you like soft serve, you're in good shape.
2 - DON'T expect to buy this machine and make ice cream for the whole neighborhood. You won't, for example, be able to host the desserts table at your next block party equipped with only this machine and some raw materials. At best, this machine could crank out about 8 servings of ice cream (with a very cold mix) in an hour, which won't satisfy the needs of some 50 ravenous neighborhood kids. If you NEED to supply your neighborhood with ice cream, you have 2 decent options:
A - Buy this machine, make the batches a day or so in advance, and let the ice cream harden (and mature) in the freezer 'till the big day.
B - Forego this machine, and make "Nitrogen Ice Cream" (The Nitrogen, Dewar rental, and all ingredients will cost LESS than the price of this machine. The only caveat is that you HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! Nitrogen makes people unhappy, especially as their skin, tendons and muscles flake off revealing only bone after they suffer a nasty liquid Nitrogen burn [ok; not really, but still - it's nasty, painful stuff if you don't treat it right.]) Google "Nitrogen Ice Cream" for recipes, caveats, sources, and ideas. ADDED BONUS: Nitrogen Ice Cream puts on a cool show!
3 - You can't adjust the air mix in this machine. Ask a serious ice cream maker, and she / he will tell you "it's all about the mix." Even the Food and Drug Administration say that "Ice Creams" are classified by the amount of air (or "Overrun") in the mix. More air = "fewer calories," but also a less satisfying ice cream. "Super Premium" ice creams have less air. (But don't worry: This machine is more geared towards "Super Premium" more than "really light and fluffy."
4 - DON'T expect this machine to save you money. (Yup - You heard right.) Sure, the price of 4 servings of super premium ice cream may be $3, but the cost of half-and-half, sugar, and flavorings (among other things) plus electricity to run the machine would likely put you in that same $3 range. (Ok, let's face it: Ice cream isn't a high-priced commodity.) The only good reason to get this machine is:
A - If you have special dietary needs
B - You're REALLY into fresh cooking
C - You want to impress someone [ie: the kids, the neighbors, the in-laws, a date, etc...]
So there you have it. My review of the Whynter Sno Ice Cream Machine. If you're an ice-cream maker newbie who has the cash, you should DEFINITELY consider this machine. If you're a little low on cash, but still want to churn-your-own, try one of those units where you first FREEZE the churn bucket then make the ice cream. If, on the other hand, you have a few extra thousand lying around... well... check out "Batch Freezers" instead of Ice Cream Makers. (They'll make a LARGE batch of ice cream in 8 minutes, instead of 60, but they're also MUCH noisier [and costlier.])
Hope this helps!
- Mike Z.
- Frozen Custard
- Ice Cream
- Ice Milk
- Gelato
- Sorbets
- and even icy beverages (think Margaritas and the like.)
========
The Pros
========
It Works!
^^^^^^^^^
(Yes, this is a big deal. How would you like it if you plunked down $200 only to find your ice cream mix comes out soup or filled with chunky ice cubes?) This machine definitely gets the job done; It makes ice cream.
It is surprisingly quiet.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
While you wouldn't want to use it in a library, this machine is actually pretty quiet. Most of us who don't have any experience with an Ice Cream Machine can only relate to the beasts they have at the local Ice-Creameries (You know the ones: Buy One, Get One Free on certain days...) These industrial behemoths are LOUD. This machine (not being an industrial behemoth) is not loud. It **IS** louder than my refrigerator (barely,) but not quite as loud as my washing machine. It's NO WHERE NEAR AS LOUD as a Blender, Food Processor, or Stick Blender (if those are your only gauges of relevance.)
You can make your own concoctions.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Some local ice-creameries will make you a custom blend of ice cream. For example, if you want chocolate chips in some strawberry ice cream, they'll do that. (Probably not nationwide chains, but the local shop might.) But ask them to make anything crazier than that, and you're probably out of luck. Rosewater ice cream? Sorry. Green Tea ice cream? You're probably out of luck.
With this machine, you can make whatever flavors your heart desires, and that's pretty cool. (Just don't save me any Alligator Sherbet, ok?)
Ease of Use / Capacity.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This thing is EASY to use. For example, to make a simple vanilla ice cream, take 2 cups of half-and-half and POUR IT DIRECTLY INTO THE MACHINE'S MIXING BUCKET. DO LIKEWISE WITH 1/2 CUP OF SUGAR. Add a tablespoon of vanilla, and run the machine. About 45 minutes later, you'll have medium soft serve ice cream. NOTE that I do not say "Bring this mixture to a boil," nor do I say "Mix it," nor anything like that. In fact, when I tried this mix, I could even hear the churn running over the grains of sugar in the churning bowl. But, 45 minutes later, nothing but super-fine ice cream.
The other plus side is this machine's capacity. It's nice to be able to make a larger quantity of a mix if the mix is a bit more complicated (ie: a custard, which may require the incorporation of eggs, and possible cooking of the eggs.) This way, you can make a larger batch of mix, followed by a larger batch of ice cream.
========
The Cons
========
It's NOT dishwasher safe!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
While I won't say "Cleanup is hard," (there are really only 2 things to clean: the bowl and the beater,) you still can't just toss them into the top rack of your dishwasher to get the job done. You'll also need to wipe off the top plastic cover with a sponge, dishrag, etc... because it's permanently attached to the motor (which doesn't lend itself to easy cleaning.) The same thing holds true if your mix overflows the bowl and gets into the machine itself. (Don't worry, it's easy to clean, but again, you can't put the whole machine into your dishwasher [it's electrical, y'know,] so you'll have to clean it with a sponge or dishrag...) In other words, it would have been nicer if the freezing bowl (into which the mixing bowl sits,) the mixing bowl, the churn, and the plastic cover all been removable and dishwasher safe. They're not, but, to Whynter's credit, they are pretty easy to clean.
The label came off
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Petty? Yes. But it's an indicator as to the design of the machine. The label is a stiff label affixed to the rounded "tub" area of the machine. Had the machine been designed with a flat areat onto which the logo could be affixed, the label would still be there. (Mind you, this is "straight out of the box."
Little or No Documentation
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The documentation isn't bad (for what there is of it, but there aren't any recipes that come along with it. Also, there's no indicator as to the Maximum Fill Level of the Churn bucket. Overfill it, and you've got an ice cream that won't set properly, or have enough air mixed into it; or worse: ice cream base spilling into the freezing chamber. NOTE: You **CAN** go onto the website and download some recipes, but it would have been GREAT if they would have spent the extra $.38 and printed out some copies of at least a simple vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry mix recipe and thrown it into the box.
"Add-Ins" chute too small
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Do you like "Add-Ins" (ie: gelatin-based fruit-flavored candy animals and the like) in your ice cream? Well, you'll need to stop the machine, open the top, add the Add-Ins, then restart the churn (which, ideally, you'd wait 6 minutes for, since the compressor doesn't like to start and stop without a 6 minute breather.) The current model has a chute large enough for sprinkles and MAYBE very small cookie crumbs, but not chocolate chips. Again, not the worst thing in the world, but... hey! You know.
It can be slow
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This machine COULD conceivably turn out a batch of ice cream in 30 minutes, but that's only if the mix is nearly frozen to begin with (<38 degrees.) If you just cooked up a custard and it's still 170 degrees, it may well take this machine a few hours to turn your hot ice cream soup into ice cream. Having said that, even a 2 liter batch of cold mix won't be ice cream in anything less than 45 minutes to an hour.
=============
Other "Stuff"
=============
If you've never had an ice cream machine before, this machine is pretty good. (Ok; it's pretty GREAT.) But there are a few things you need to realize BEFORE buying ANY ice cream machine:
1 - NO ice cream machine will ever make ice cream for you that is rocket hard. The best you can ask for is the consistency of a firm soft serve, or a pint of super-premium that's been left out on the counter for too long. Any good ice cream maker will tell you that once you've made your batch, put it in a container, then throw THAT in the freezer for a little while to get hard (and let the flavors mature.) Of course, if you like soft serve, you're in good shape.
2 - DON'T expect to buy this machine and make ice cream for the whole neighborhood. You won't, for example, be able to host the desserts table at your next block party equipped with only this machine and some raw materials. At best, this machine could crank out about 8 servings of ice cream (with a very cold mix) in an hour, which won't satisfy the needs of some 50 ravenous neighborhood kids. If you NEED to supply your neighborhood with ice cream, you have 2 decent options:
A - Buy this machine, make the batches a day or so in advance, and let the ice cream harden (and mature) in the freezer 'till the big day.
B - Forego this machine, and make "Nitrogen Ice Cream" (The Nitrogen, Dewar rental, and all ingredients will cost LESS than the price of this machine. The only caveat is that you HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! Nitrogen makes people unhappy, especially as their skin, tendons and muscles flake off revealing only bone after they suffer a nasty liquid Nitrogen burn [ok; not really, but still - it's nasty, painful stuff if you don't treat it right.]) Google "Nitrogen Ice Cream" for recipes, caveats, sources, and ideas. ADDED BONUS: Nitrogen Ice Cream puts on a cool show!
3 - You can't adjust the air mix in this machine. Ask a serious ice cream maker, and she / he will tell you "it's all about the mix." Even the Food and Drug Administration say that "Ice Creams" are classified by the amount of air (or "Overrun") in the mix. More air = "fewer calories," but also a less satisfying ice cream. "Super Premium" ice creams have less air. (But don't worry: This machine is more geared towards "Super Premium" more than "really light and fluffy."
4 - DON'T expect this machine to save you money. (Yup - You heard right.) Sure, the price of 4 servings of super premium ice cream may be $3, but the cost of half-and-half, sugar, and flavorings (among other things) plus electricity to run the machine would likely put you in that same $3 range. (Ok, let's face it: Ice cream isn't a high-priced commodity.) The only good reason to get this machine is:
A - If you have special dietary needs
B - You're REALLY into fresh cooking
C - You want to impress someone [ie: the kids, the neighbors, the in-laws, a date, etc...]
So there you have it. My review of the Whynter Sno Ice Cream Machine. If you're an ice-cream maker newbie who has the cash, you should DEFINITELY consider this machine. If you're a little low on cash, but still want to churn-your-own, try one of those units where you first FREEZE the churn bucket then make the ice cream. If, on the other hand, you have a few extra thousand lying around... well... check out "Batch Freezers" instead of Ice Cream Makers. (They'll make a LARGE batch of ice cream in 8 minutes, instead of 60, but they're also MUCH noisier [and costlier.])
Hope this helps!
- Mike Z.
75 of 81 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I was close to buying the Lello equivalent (made by the same company), but decided to try the Whynter. It's much cheaper, and seems to have very similar specifications. I've used it twice and I've been very pleased with results. I'm not especially impressed by the engineering, and therefore can only give it 3 stars currently. My main displeasure is that the lid cannot be washed, and the items that _can_ be washed must all be hand washed. I think that's just lame. Unit is reasonably quiet. I'll update this review in a few months. I've uploaded 10 photographs, too, and added some notes to each that might help you decide whether this machine is a good choice for you.
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful
By Pete
Amazon Verified Purchase
Construction is solid. I haven't been able to confirm that this is the same as the Lello Gelato Pro, but the specs are the same, as is the appearance ('cept color). Packaging was poor for such a heavy appliance, and was only marginally holding together when the product arrived. However, the unit was in fine shape and works fine. The instruction manual does little to explain all the beep codes that the unit makes, but you'll figure them out in short order. There were times that the refrigeration shut off, and we were puzzled as to why. If it does stop (hard to tell, you get no indication except that your mixture doesn't freeze and the exhaust air on the side is cool), turn off the power and unplug for a minute and it will reset. If you have a power outage or remove the churn motor assembly while running, the refrigeration will shut off. It's a sensible feature, just not documented.
Overall, this is a huge step up from makers using a bowl you put in the freezer. It's by far the best bang/buck in a maker with built-in refrigeration. I deducted one star for the incomplete instruction book.
Overall, this is a huge step up from makers using a bowl you put in the freezer. It's by far the best bang/buck in a maker with built-in refrigeration. I deducted one star for the incomplete instruction book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Beater sticks often. Hard to get it started. Once going don't touch.
I like the product but it is very touchy when trying to start the beater. It is a pain. Whynter needs to work on that.
Published 6 days ago by Theresa Stewart
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Ice cream maker
I bought this ice cream maker. It makes close to 1/2 gallon and the ice cream comes out very creamy. I used the Ben and Jerrys french vanilla recipe. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mikey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Glad I Bought This Ice Cream Maker
This ice cream maker worked perfectly. The only change I would make is the beeper when the timer completes. Way too quiet. I'd buy this machine again.
Published 3 months ago by Thomas Rys
4.0 out of 5 stars
Love it
The only complaint I have about this machine is that the top lifts a little as the ice cream thickens and then the machine turns off. Read more
Published 3 months ago by J.H.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Ive gotten better results from the kindergarten method of two ziplocs,...
I normally do not write reviews, never really felt the need to until now. This product is horrible! As soon as it came out of the box I had a bad feeling. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Josh
4.0 out of 5 stars
Probably best that is available
We chose this ice cream maker because it did not require pre-freezing the canister in the freezer before using it. The first one arrived damaged and would not turn on at all. Read more
Published 5 months ago by SCL
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it
Love it - glad I bought this one with the built in cooling compressor - not one with the frozen ring
Published 5 months ago by jeff weil
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome! I love it!
This is a great machine, it works well and does the job it claims. My only issue is the gasket around the top of the machine. Read more
Published 5 months ago by JoAnne from NY
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty poor instruction manual
The main reason I don't complete these reviews is because most do not require more than a few words, so, I just copy and paste this each time. Stars is enough.
Published 5 months ago by B. Burson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Even Sith love frozen treats!
So I've been promising my Stormtroopers for millenia that any time they actually win a battle against the rebellion, I would take them all out for ice cream. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Chef Vader
