Let's come right out of the gate with this: This machine is not cold enough to make smooth ice cream. It just can't freeze fast enough. The timer (my evidence that my machine is functioning as normal) goes to 60 minutes.
60 Minutes.
I refrigerate my custard bases for 24 hours, and philadelphia-style creams for 2 hours. I generally use a very high cream content, generally 2/3rds light cream and 1/3 heavy cream or half half and half and half heavy cream, unless I'm following a recipe. Many of my recipes have high alcohol and/or higher than normal salt content, sometimes intentionally to make a smoother base. I have thawed and refrozen bad batches. I have made exactly 51 batches (I used a sleeve of 50 cups and I'm on to the next sleeve as of today). Not a single one had an acceptable texture, but the closest are the refreezes. This isn't surprising as these are just on the borderline of frozen. I know to get my base as cold as possible... but its a hard ask to insist your base is colder than an average refrigerator, but not frozen.
Better ice cream is made in the winter, confirming that the compressor is underpowered or there is a design flaw in the dasher. Also the wattage of this machine is barely higher than a terrible $100 compressor I had returned directly before this one. If it's significantly colder than a machine half its price range, they're performing thermodynamic miracles over at Cuisinart, though to be fair a lot of energy is likely saved using the underpowered and constantly strained motor in the ICE 100. Technically, the ICE 100 gets twice as good a rating as that machine (I don't care enough to look up the model or brand, but it's a mass produced for rebranding unit), but it's not twice as good.
My kitchenaid bowl add on, which was also terrible (because it leaks its refrigerant and takes a day to freeze one batch), sets up ice cream in maybe 10 minutes. The fast freezing makes small, smooth ice.
The constantly icy texture of the ICE 100 has stifled my creativity. With my freezer bowl I was able to quickly modify recipes to see what works and what won't. This is exactly why I want an ice cream machine. While some of the ingredients of ice cream are fine for desert, I can't eat excessive amounts of sugar for medical reasons. Making a heavier cream base with maple syrup or maple sugar means, compared to store bought, I can make a more-nutritious ice cream that uses less sugar with a lower glucose load, has better flavor, and be equally satisfied eating a smaller quantity. In the kitchenaid freezer bowl - which, again, is terrible, expensive (for what it was) and no longer sold - I could make a 100% home-made (besides the cream) Salted Maple Rum-Vanilla Custard base with Maple Peanut Butter chunks with less than half the normal sweetener that had a better texture and tasted better than anything I could buy in the store.
With the Cuisinart ICE 100, I can't really move past full sugar vanilla because I can't get that right.
I know, I know... ice cream needs to be balanced, say the nay sayers. So, besides my recipes working perfectly in a freezer bowl, here's what I've tried... in 10 months:
• Vanilla bases with home-made rum vanilla and maple sugar, also with low maple sugar and higher salt content. Also custard bases with the same content... also also maple syrup versions of the same bases... at least 30 batches of this style. I usually add ingredients to this base, but rarely do with the ICE 100 just because I haven't been able to perfect the base.
• Three of the internet's top rated Vanilla ice cream recipes for ice cream makers. These were all for company or testing purposes: all were full white sugar and store bought vanilla. All tasted terrible, and had a worse texture than the formerly mentioned mixes.
• The custard based vanilla bean and Philadelphia style vanilla recipes from the ICE 100 manual. The Normal Vanilla is the worst ice cream I have ever made, and embarrassingly I served this at Thanksgiving. Fortunately, I made four different flavors that were gone while this one had only samples people took to make fun of. If there were a milk popsicle flavor... this would be it.
So anyway, if you're willing to pay a premium price to make low-end ice cream, this machine is fine...
Actually it's not. There are a number of issues that I might overlook if the results were good (if you're not up to speed: the results are not good). I'll be more brief about issue #2 and on.
Build quality of the machine is decent, but that accessories are awful. The freeze bowl is that cheap metal that turns black if you use anything stronger than a mild soap to clean. To be clear, I have not tarnished my bowl because this particular metal is a pet peeve of mine and I'm familiar with how to handle it. Generally, not-dishwasher safe metal is either clad or cheaply plated, and this is not clad. The lid and machine have a ton of little gaps and holes that need to be cleaned. You will need a tooth pick to fully clean this machine. Its is necessary to meticulously clean food processing items that aren't cooking anything... especially things that get coated with milk fat, so it's odd how difficult Cuisinart has made this process. Cleaning this machine will take longer than the ice cream making (and again, if I wasn't clear: the ice cream making is not quick). No in-use parts are stainless.
The dasher is its own kind of awful and it deserves its own paragraph. The primary design focus of the dasher should be to scrape the bowl. Scraping the sides alone will stir the ice cream and incorporate air and I guess on lower powered machines you can incorporate some kind of paddle... if only to balance the load on the motor. On the ICE 100, 3/4 of the ice cream you make in a pint batch will be in the crevices of the dasher. Though the machine stays cold while you pack, you must remove the dasher to get all of the ice cream out of the tiny spaces in the paddle, which is a messy pain and takes too long. I have a specially shaped scraper just for this task. Worse, the dasher does not contact the bowl... probably because the bowl is made of cheap metal. This means a hard, constantly mixed "frozen butter" forms around the bowl which is completely different from the texture of the rest of the batch and insulates the bulk of the batch from freezing. The compressor might actually be effective if the dasher scraped... or even came within a millimeter... of the bowl. The dasher might actually be the culprit that ruins this whole machine.
To be fair, there is an included paddle specifically for gelato that may work better and certainly would be easier to extract the frozen base from. I have not tried this paddle as the lower quality ingredients of gelato achieve the opposite of the low sugar, high fat goal of making my own ice cream. Ice cream made with this paddle would almost certainly be too firm as the motor is still slow, the paddle incorporates less air, and a test fit confirms it has the same wide distance from the bowl.
There are more problems...
The bowl holds water inside the transmission when washed. Not only does this mean that between batches, if you wash the bowl you must shake it to get all the water out (or the machine will freeze and likely break), but it also is another unreachable area for milk to spoil if any gets in there (though this would be hard to do, honestly).
This machine is obnoxiously loud... imagine if you could turn a struggling cheap can opener up to ten and loop that for an hour, this is louder. If you have an open floor plan in your house, and if anyone plans on watching tv while you're making ice cream, their plans will be foiled.
The ice cream base will not enter soft serve consistency before the motor intermittently stops. As there is no clutch or auto-shutdown, I'll likely end up breaking my machine attempting to get a good enough consistency to freeze.
This does make ice cream. Unlike methods that don't involve a compressor, this will continuously make ice cream. The ICE 100 just won't make good ice cream. There are cheaper, even worse, compressor machines. The obvious step up from this machine is more than twice the price, making the market for such a machine difficult to navigate,
Unfortunately, the Cuisinart ICE 100 might be the best machine in its class.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker | Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker | Cuisinart Compressor Ice Cream & Gelato Maker | Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet & Ice Cream Maker | Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, Gelato & Sorbet Maker | Cuisinart Flavor Duo Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker | |
| Item # | ICE-20P1 | ICE-21P1 | ICE-100 | ICE-30BCP1 | ICE-70P1 | ICE-40 |
| Freezer Bowl Capacity | 1.5-Quart | 1.5-Quart | 1.5-Quart | 2-Quart | 2-Quart | 1-Quart (Double Sided) |
| Frozen Treats | Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet | Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet | Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, Gelato & Sorbet | Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet | Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, Gelato & Sorbet | Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet |
| Ingredients Feeder | Spout | Spout | Window | Spout | Spout | 2 Spouts |
| Double Insulated Freezer Bowl | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 2 Bowls | |
| Auto Shut-Off | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 30-Minute | ✓ |
| Easy Lock Lid | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Digital LCD Screen | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Color | White | White | Black/Stainless Steel | Brushed Chrome | Stainless Steel | Brushed Chrome/White |
| Recipe Book Included | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Compare with similar items
 | Cuisinart Compressor Ice Cream Maker metal metal (Renewed) | Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker, Brushed Stainless Steel | Whynter ICM-201SB 2.1 Quart Capacity Upright Automatic Compressor Ice Cream Maker with Stainless Steel Bowl in Black | Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Machine, 1.5 Quart Sorbet, Frozen Yogurt Maker, Double Insulated, White, ICE-21P1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (2856) | (47) | (578) | (2100) | (23097) |
| Price | $299.95 | $199.99 | See price in cart | $319.37 | $69.95 |
| Shipping | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details |
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Woot | K&C LLC | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
| Color | Stainless | Metal | Silver | Gray | New White |
| Item Dimensions | 16.73 x 12 x 9.33 inches | — | 15.75 x 11 x 11 inches | 10.75 x 12.5 x 14.25 inches | 9.5 x 9 x 11.25 inches |
| Item Weight | 27.20 lbs | — | 30.00 lbs | 24.25 lbs | 10.14 lbs |
| Material | Steel | Compressor Ice Cream Maker | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Plastic |
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I think if God chose an ice cream maker, He'd pick this one
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2018
First of all, I am one of those people who *must* read every review of every single product before making a choice. I am the perennial "what if I had done something else . . ." personality. So you know that I read all the reviews, tried all the products, and have come back here to report to you. You're welcome.I love homemade ice cream. I love the perfect dance when you get the balance of fats, sugars, and flavorings just right. I love that smooth, delicious taste on a hot day in the summer. I love knowing that I created this, and it has beautiful ingredients and no additives. GETTING that result, however, has proven to be a bit of a battle.First I tried the classic "crank mixer." It was, well . . . cranky. Second I tried the electric "put salt and ice in here for eternity and wonder why the heck you don't just go to walmart and buy Breyer's" variety. Exit salt and ice. The frozen bowl was an improvement on both of these, but the cream froze unevenly and at times you have to stop and scrape the sides to keep things moving and avoid getting soup in the middle and icebergs on the outside. Also, the bowl must be stored in the freezer "Ain't nobody got room for dat!" and also cannot make back to back batches. Therefore, if I wanted chocolate and hubby wanted vanilla, someone was going to be disappointed.Yes, I suppose we could buy our ice cream like everyone else. We could stand like sheep in line at walmart and purchase Breyers, our heads held in shame. And there is nothing wrong with Breyers. But I wanted HOMEMADE ice cream. It was the siren calling to my tongue. Simple as this . . . nothing else would do.So I started reading the small novel of amazon reviews on the various compressor based ice cream machines. And honestly, I'm glad there are so many reviews. These are people who have actually tried the product, not being paid to say it, and what they learned. These reviews are gold. I never buy something without reading the amazon reviews (all of them. See you in a week) first.Pros of a compressor based unit: (1) Back to back batches. Since this does not require "freezing the bowl," you can literally freeze one batch, empty it, and go again. It's the Energizer bunny of the ice cream world. (2) The ice cream is perfectly smooth, silky, and creamy, with no "I'm sticking to the side because it's COOOOOOLLLLLDERRRR HERRRRREEEEE" syndrome. No more scraping the sides and trying to incorporate the liquidy middle to the edge where it's colder. (3) No more rock salt and cranking. Need I say more. Cons of compression based unit: (1) They are heavy. Not like, get me a back brace heavy, but like, Kitchenaid Mixer heavy. (2) They have to sit for a day after shipping, to allow oils to recirculate back through compressor. It's ok. Mix up your base and let it chill and think ice creamy thoughts, and the day will pass relatively quickly while you empty out the Breyers with hatred in your heart. (3) They are on the loud side. To be fair, basically all ice cream machines are. This one isn't bad. I had one that sounded like a woman in labor. This sounds like the washing machine, or maybe the low speed of the Kitchenaid. Not bad, but easy to move to the laundry room or mud room if you aren't into background noise.NOWWWWW. To add my own two cents after having owned this beast and putting it through the wringer.1. The default time to freeze is 60 minutes. It never takes that long for me. I showed you progression photos-- the first is after 20 minutes, the second after 30 minutes, and the third after 35 minutes, when the ice cream got too hard and the crank shuts off (although the freezer part remains on) to protect itself from burnout (I can see this catching on at work-- employees "shutting off to avoid burnout." hehe). This is with the unit turned on and chilled base poured in, without giving the machine time to "cool off" before starting. If I turn the machine on a few minutes before adding custard it's done in a cool 30.2. The fourth photo is right after scooping the soft serve consistency ice cream into a Sumo ice cream tub (get these. They fit perfectly in the door of the freezer and have a little "air" compartment around the ice cream itself to protect from crystallizing). I also think it's incredibly cool to whip out a professional looking container for your dinner guests and say, "Artisan ice cream, anyone?" But maybe that's just me.3. The fifth photo is about an hour later. The ice cream is soft, but not soft serve anymore. Kind of like when you can't finish your blizzard and you plunk that in the freezer for another hour to finish later. Like that. Yet it was perfectly scoopable, airy, and amazingly AMAZINGLY delicious. And this is a low fat, low sugar recipe. The full fat full sugar ones are even better. You can literally take anything and make it delicious in this machine. I wonder if I can figure out a way to make broccoli sorbet to get my kids to eat it. Take notes. We are going on shark tank people. haha.4. One thing I did find is that if I filled the bucket more than half full of base, it tried to overflow on me. My suggestion is to fill the bucket halfway and no more. If you have extra base, save it and do a second round when the first is over. The second batch will freeze even more quickly because the bowl and everything are already cold. Do yourself a favor and don't go above half on the bucket. It will be almost full when it's done.5. It's tricky to get the ice cream out with the paddle still in there. I found it was easiest to have 2 spoons-- one for scooping it out, and one for kind of "pushing" it off the spoon into the container (like when you do cookie dough-- one grabs and one pushes onto the sheet). When you get most of the sides cleared out, lift the paddle straight up, and then use the spoon technique again to get the ice cream out of the paddle attachment.6. For lower sugar and fat recipes, I found that it helped to chill the base well beforehand. And definitely you will want to freeze these in the Sumo before eating, since they aren't quite as creamy. But darnit they are amazing. You can literally make diet ice cream (lots of recipes on pinterest and the many cookbooks I bought-- David Lebovitz' The Perfect Scoop is my favorite). You can turn protein shakes into ice cream. You can turn fresh, beautiful summer fruit from the farmer's market into gelato, granita, sorbet. Folks, it's bliss. Pure bliss.Oh and in case anyone is interested, they sell larger belts here on amazon too. Asking for a friend. *cough, cough**Update* I have been using this machine nonstop for the past year for the most GLORIOUS ice creams, sorbets, sherbets . . . even low fat, low sugar frozen yogurts and just plain healthy frozen treats. I added a few more photos of what the ice cream looks like after you freeze it overnight after churning (more like soft serve right after churning). It is DIVINE with those classic little ripples of beautiful airy loveliness. Sigh. There are hearts coming out of my eyes, beautiful Cuisinart, and they are coming right to you.
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2018
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 21, 2022
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 3, 2018
I love homemade ice cream. I love the perfect dance when you get the balance of fats, sugars, and flavorings just right. I love that smooth, delicious taste on a hot day in the summer. I love knowing that I created this, and it has beautiful ingredients and no additives. GETTING that result, however, has proven to be a bit of a battle.
First I tried the classic "crank mixer." It was, well . . . cranky. Second I tried the electric "put salt and ice in here for eternity and wonder why the heck you don't just go to walmart and buy Breyer's" variety. Exit salt and ice. The frozen bowl was an improvement on both of these, but the cream froze unevenly and at times you have to stop and scrape the sides to keep things moving and avoid getting soup in the middle and icebergs on the outside. Also, the bowl must be stored in the freezer "Ain't nobody got room for dat!" and also cannot make back to back batches. Therefore, if I wanted chocolate and hubby wanted vanilla, someone was going to be disappointed.
Yes, I suppose we could buy our ice cream like everyone else. We could stand like sheep in line at walmart and purchase Breyers, our heads held in shame. And there is nothing wrong with Breyers. But I wanted HOMEMADE ice cream. It was the siren calling to my tongue. Simple as this . . . nothing else would do.
So I started reading the small novel of amazon reviews on the various compressor based ice cream machines. And honestly, I'm glad there are so many reviews. These are people who have actually tried the product, not being paid to say it, and what they learned. These reviews are gold. I never buy something without reading the amazon reviews (all of them. See you in a week) first.
Pros of a compressor based unit: (1) Back to back batches. Since this does not require "freezing the bowl," you can literally freeze one batch, empty it, and go again. It's the Energizer bunny of the ice cream world. (2) The ice cream is perfectly smooth, silky, and creamy, with no "I'm sticking to the side because it's COOOOOOLLLLLDERRRR HERRRRREEEEE" syndrome. No more scraping the sides and trying to incorporate the liquidy middle to the edge where it's colder. (3) No more rock salt and cranking. Need I say more. Cons of compression based unit: (1) They are heavy. Not like, get me a back brace heavy, but like, Kitchenaid Mixer heavy. (2) They have to sit for a day after shipping, to allow oils to recirculate back through compressor. It's ok. Mix up your base and let it chill and think ice creamy thoughts, and the day will pass relatively quickly while you empty out the Breyers with hatred in your heart. (3) They are on the loud side. To be fair, basically all ice cream machines are. This one isn't bad. I had one that sounded like a woman in labor. This sounds like the washing machine, or maybe the low speed of the Kitchenaid. Not bad, but easy to move to the laundry room or mud room if you aren't into background noise.
NOWWWWW. To add my own two cents after having owned this beast and putting it through the wringer.
1. The default time to freeze is 60 minutes. It never takes that long for me. I showed you progression photos-- the first is after 20 minutes, the second after 30 minutes, and the third after 35 minutes, when the ice cream got too hard and the crank shuts off (although the freezer part remains on) to protect itself from burnout (I can see this catching on at work-- employees "shutting off to avoid burnout." hehe). This is with the unit turned on and chilled base poured in, without giving the machine time to "cool off" before starting. If I turn the machine on a few minutes before adding custard it's done in a cool 30.
2. The fourth photo is right after scooping the soft serve consistency ice cream into a Sumo ice cream tub (get these. They fit perfectly in the door of the freezer and have a little "air" compartment around the ice cream itself to protect from crystallizing). I also think it's incredibly cool to whip out a professional looking container for your dinner guests and say, "Artisan ice cream, anyone?" But maybe that's just me.
3. The fifth photo is about an hour later. The ice cream is soft, but not soft serve anymore. Kind of like when you can't finish your blizzard and you plunk that in the freezer for another hour to finish later. Like that. Yet it was perfectly scoopable, airy, and amazingly AMAZINGLY delicious. And this is a low fat, low sugar recipe. The full fat full sugar ones are even better. You can literally take anything and make it delicious in this machine. I wonder if I can figure out a way to make broccoli sorbet to get my kids to eat it. Take notes. We are going on shark tank people. haha.
4. One thing I did find is that if I filled the bucket more than half full of base, it tried to overflow on me. My suggestion is to fill the bucket halfway and no more. If you have extra base, save it and do a second round when the first is over. The second batch will freeze even more quickly because the bowl and everything are already cold. Do yourself a favor and don't go above half on the bucket. It will be almost full when it's done.
5. It's tricky to get the ice cream out with the paddle still in there. I found it was easiest to have 2 spoons-- one for scooping it out, and one for kind of "pushing" it off the spoon into the container (like when you do cookie dough-- one grabs and one pushes onto the sheet). When you get most of the sides cleared out, lift the paddle straight up, and then use the spoon technique again to get the ice cream out of the paddle attachment.
6. For lower sugar and fat recipes, I found that it helped to chill the base well beforehand. And definitely you will want to freeze these in the Sumo before eating, since they aren't quite as creamy. But darnit they are amazing. You can literally make diet ice cream (lots of recipes on pinterest and the many cookbooks I bought-- David Lebovitz' The Perfect Scoop is my favorite). You can turn protein shakes into ice cream. You can turn fresh, beautiful summer fruit from the farmer's market into gelato, granita, sorbet. Folks, it's bliss. Pure bliss.
Oh and in case anyone is interested, they sell larger belts here on amazon too. Asking for a friend. *cough, cough*
*Update* I have been using this machine nonstop for the past year for the most GLORIOUS ice creams, sorbets, sherbets . . . even low fat, low sugar frozen yogurts and just plain healthy frozen treats. I added a few more photos of what the ice cream looks like after you freeze it overnight after churning (more like soft serve right after churning). It is DIVINE with those classic little ripples of beautiful airy loveliness. Sigh. There are hearts coming out of my eyes, beautiful Cuisinart, and they are coming right to you.
I think if God chose an ice cream maker, He'd pick this one
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 3, 2018
First of all, I am one of those people who *must* read every review of every single product before making a choice. I am the perennial "what if I had done something else . . ." personality. So you know that I read all the reviews, tried all the products, and have come back here to report to you. You're welcome.Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 3, 2018
I love homemade ice cream. I love the perfect dance when you get the balance of fats, sugars, and flavorings just right. I love that smooth, delicious taste on a hot day in the summer. I love knowing that I created this, and it has beautiful ingredients and no additives. GETTING that result, however, has proven to be a bit of a battle.
First I tried the classic "crank mixer." It was, well . . . cranky. Second I tried the electric "put salt and ice in here for eternity and wonder why the heck you don't just go to walmart and buy Breyer's" variety. Exit salt and ice. The frozen bowl was an improvement on both of these, but the cream froze unevenly and at times you have to stop and scrape the sides to keep things moving and avoid getting soup in the middle and icebergs on the outside. Also, the bowl must be stored in the freezer "Ain't nobody got room for dat!" and also cannot make back to back batches. Therefore, if I wanted chocolate and hubby wanted vanilla, someone was going to be disappointed.
Yes, I suppose we could buy our ice cream like everyone else. We could stand like sheep in line at walmart and purchase Breyers, our heads held in shame. And there is nothing wrong with Breyers. But I wanted HOMEMADE ice cream. It was the siren calling to my tongue. Simple as this . . . nothing else would do.
So I started reading the small novel of amazon reviews on the various compressor based ice cream machines. And honestly, I'm glad there are so many reviews. These are people who have actually tried the product, not being paid to say it, and what they learned. These reviews are gold. I never buy something without reading the amazon reviews (all of them. See you in a week) first.
Pros of a compressor based unit: (1) Back to back batches. Since this does not require "freezing the bowl," you can literally freeze one batch, empty it, and go again. It's the Energizer bunny of the ice cream world. (2) The ice cream is perfectly smooth, silky, and creamy, with no "I'm sticking to the side because it's COOOOOOLLLLLDERRRR HERRRRREEEEE" syndrome. No more scraping the sides and trying to incorporate the liquidy middle to the edge where it's colder. (3) No more rock salt and cranking. Need I say more. Cons of compression based unit: (1) They are heavy. Not like, get me a back brace heavy, but like, Kitchenaid Mixer heavy. (2) They have to sit for a day after shipping, to allow oils to recirculate back through compressor. It's ok. Mix up your base and let it chill and think ice creamy thoughts, and the day will pass relatively quickly while you empty out the Breyers with hatred in your heart. (3) They are on the loud side. To be fair, basically all ice cream machines are. This one isn't bad. I had one that sounded like a woman in labor. This sounds like the washing machine, or maybe the low speed of the Kitchenaid. Not bad, but easy to move to the laundry room or mud room if you aren't into background noise.
NOWWWWW. To add my own two cents after having owned this beast and putting it through the wringer.
1. The default time to freeze is 60 minutes. It never takes that long for me. I showed you progression photos-- the first is after 20 minutes, the second after 30 minutes, and the third after 35 minutes, when the ice cream got too hard and the crank shuts off (although the freezer part remains on) to protect itself from burnout (I can see this catching on at work-- employees "shutting off to avoid burnout." hehe). This is with the unit turned on and chilled base poured in, without giving the machine time to "cool off" before starting. If I turn the machine on a few minutes before adding custard it's done in a cool 30.
2. The fourth photo is right after scooping the soft serve consistency ice cream into a Sumo ice cream tub (get these. They fit perfectly in the door of the freezer and have a little "air" compartment around the ice cream itself to protect from crystallizing). I also think it's incredibly cool to whip out a professional looking container for your dinner guests and say, "Artisan ice cream, anyone?" But maybe that's just me.
3. The fifth photo is about an hour later. The ice cream is soft, but not soft serve anymore. Kind of like when you can't finish your blizzard and you plunk that in the freezer for another hour to finish later. Like that. Yet it was perfectly scoopable, airy, and amazingly AMAZINGLY delicious. And this is a low fat, low sugar recipe. The full fat full sugar ones are even better. You can literally take anything and make it delicious in this machine. I wonder if I can figure out a way to make broccoli sorbet to get my kids to eat it. Take notes. We are going on shark tank people. haha.
4. One thing I did find is that if I filled the bucket more than half full of base, it tried to overflow on me. My suggestion is to fill the bucket halfway and no more. If you have extra base, save it and do a second round when the first is over. The second batch will freeze even more quickly because the bowl and everything are already cold. Do yourself a favor and don't go above half on the bucket. It will be almost full when it's done.
5. It's tricky to get the ice cream out with the paddle still in there. I found it was easiest to have 2 spoons-- one for scooping it out, and one for kind of "pushing" it off the spoon into the container (like when you do cookie dough-- one grabs and one pushes onto the sheet). When you get most of the sides cleared out, lift the paddle straight up, and then use the spoon technique again to get the ice cream out of the paddle attachment.
6. For lower sugar and fat recipes, I found that it helped to chill the base well beforehand. And definitely you will want to freeze these in the Sumo before eating, since they aren't quite as creamy. But darnit they are amazing. You can literally make diet ice cream (lots of recipes on pinterest and the many cookbooks I bought-- David Lebovitz' The Perfect Scoop is my favorite). You can turn protein shakes into ice cream. You can turn fresh, beautiful summer fruit from the farmer's market into gelato, granita, sorbet. Folks, it's bliss. Pure bliss.
Oh and in case anyone is interested, they sell larger belts here on amazon too. Asking for a friend. *cough, cough*
*Update* I have been using this machine nonstop for the past year for the most GLORIOUS ice creams, sorbets, sherbets . . . even low fat, low sugar frozen yogurts and just plain healthy frozen treats. I added a few more photos of what the ice cream looks like after you freeze it overnight after churning (more like soft serve right after churning). It is DIVINE with those classic little ripples of beautiful airy loveliness. Sigh. There are hearts coming out of my eyes, beautiful Cuisinart, and they are coming right to you.
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