It has been called the Cadillac of ice cream makers. Others have called it the Rolls Royce of ice cream makers. What makes a kitchen appliance worthy of being classed with such prestigious names?
With an above average price tag, it still has 97 ‘5’ star reviews out of 140 ( 17 of the remaining are ‘4’ star reviews.) I was intrigued and I had to find out myself. Let’s review the Lello 4080 Musso Lussino 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker.
Features
The Lello Lussino is the real definition of a self contained fully automatic ice cream makers. With its gleaming stainless steel body that shows no seams or joins; its’ minimalist but functional approach to buttons, there is little doubt that this is an Italian made piece of kit. I repeat, this machine has no visible moving parts, the sheer beauty just blows your mind. Even the included plastic scoop is finely crafted to conform with the contours of the ice cream makers’ bowl. There is a a large lift off lid that helps keep the cold in and is large enough to chuck in crushed candies, nuts, fruits.
The really smooth shape makes it look like the Lello is made from one large solid stainless steel piece. This is the impression you get when you realize there are no seams or joins. This is part of what gives it its super sleek look. The weight coupled with the beauty just oozes of proper workmanship and assures you that the Lello will be quite durable.
The paddle is a huge piece of stainless steel that is finely machined to fit the bowl exactly, so that as it turns the whole ice cream base is churned and agitated for really creamy consistency.
The availability of Churn and Freeze mode removes the need to freeze then churn or churn then freeze. You get to do both at the same time with this baby.
This bowl has a capacity of between 1 – 1.5 quarts. This will make silky sorbets, yummy gelato, rich ice creams, and other frozen drinks perfectly. You may have to tweak recipes because whilst the manufacture says it can make up to 1.5 quarts of dessert, I advise you to make 1 quart batches. This is because the churning and agitation of this machine will fluff out the dessert, and if it is more than 1 quart that you have poured it, you will have an overflow of ice cream on your counter top. The included timer lets you adjust for differing desserts.
Quick tip – Add 5 minutes either way for best results. If the recipe book says your dessert will take 20 minutes, set the timer for 30 minutes. this will give the machine 5 minutes at the start to start getting cold and 5 minutes at the end to chill the prepared dessert.
This baby arrived ready to go, right out of the box. No special preparations needed. #WIN
Use
Despite its sleek looks and cool exterior, it is a beaut to use. All you have to do is pour in your pre-cooled ice cream mix and place the lid on. Turn the dial to the appropriate time for the dessert you are making and push the 2 buttons on the ice cream maker. Give it 20 – 40 minutes and you will be enjoying delicious dessert. Watch this video to see just how easy it is.
As this has its own in built compressor, you can immediately start another batch as soon as the previous one is done. If whilst churning, a batch becomes too hard, the ice cream maker shuts itself off.
This ice cream maker is also unique as you don’t have to scoop out the ice cream maker from the machine when the cycle is done. If the consistency is still too soft for you, simply, turn off the churn button and leave the chill button on. This baby will freeze your ice cream maker further. Talk about multiple use. An ice cream maker and a ‘freezer’ in one. #WIN. I must have died and gone to ice cream maker heaven.
Don’t be put off by the seemingly small 1 quart size. You can create desserts back to back, batch after batch, as there is no reason to re-freeze the bowl,or drain the melted ice, like other ice cream makers. The ease of use and re-use encourages you to try new flavors and mixes. Go on, dream up summin. With the Lello 4080, you are only limited by your imagination.
Clean up
The stainless steel used to make the Lussino makes it easy to clean. The fact that there are practically no seams or ridges in this baby, also make thorough cleaning easier. The down side is that you cannot dunk the whole machine in the sink and be done with the washing (you wish!!)
when you are done with your nth batch of ice cream for the session, simply, take off the plastic lid, unscrew the lug nut that holds the dasher in place (KEEP THIS SEPERATE AND CAREFULLY), pull up the dasher.
Quick tip – Scoop out about half of the ice cream whilst the dasher is still in. This guarantees that you don’t drop any dessert down the spindle of the dasher.
Now scoop out the rest of the ice cream with the curved plastic spatula. Now sponge off any ice cream residue left and wipe down the machine with a mix of water and 10 % bleach. Wring the sponge, dip in the bleach water and wipe again. Pat dry with paper towels. It will take a few trips, but you end up with a clean machine ready to go.
The bleach water solution can be used to clean the dasher and lug nut too.
Size
A 100 W motor, coupled with the 7 ounce dasher ensures that your dessert is churned PROPER (like my Brit friends would say). The dasher has a unique shape, it seems to twist in every direction, but I guess its just so the ice cream base gets well agitated.
Weighing 40 pounds, the Lello Lussino ain’t no Play and Freeze. You will have to create a space in your kitchen for it to sit. Hey, this thing is as big as a small microwave, but I can bet you, it is worth every inch it takes up.
Like many other fully automatic ice cream makers, it needs to be placed in one position and not moved ever so often to minimize the agitation of the refrigerant. It makes a noise when working. While its not as loud as a washing machine, it is louder than a blender. It comes with a one year warranty
An included instruction booklet shows the basics of operation (not that you will need any), and a couple of recipes. My favorite ones are right at the end of the book *wink*. If you would like more recipes to experiment with, you can pick up Ben and Jerrys’ recipe book for yummy ideas. Weinsteins’ Ultimate Ice Cream book for non-egg recipes, Leibowitzs’ Perfect Scoop for multiple treats.
My Opinion
The Lello 4080 Musso Lussino 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker is more expensive than many other ice cream makers, and for good reason too. This is a finely designed piece of kit that not only looks good, it works brilliantly too. The desserts it produces are rated as being better than what you can get from Italian gelaterias, and if you know your ice cream, that is saying A LOT. The quality of its build is evident in the reviews of people who have used it at least twice a week for up to 4 years straight and it is still going strong.
Yes, it costs a pretty penny, but by Jove, its worth it. Pardon my gushing, you can visit Amazon to buy this brilliant gadget.
