Whether you are a pro chef looking to add to your culinary arsenal, or do you just know the value of high end culinary tools in creating culinary masterpieces? Boy, are you in for a treat.
I came across the Lello Pola 5030 Ice cream maker a few days ago. The price tag is eye-watering and I wondered what was so special about it. While its’ price may put it out of the reach of many of us, but I can assure you that the finished product is definitely worth it.
First, this isn’t on the same level as the freezer bowl, hand crank or even your run-of-the-mill internal compressor model. Yes, it IS an internal compressor model, but with many huge differences. This is a professional grade appliance that is also simple enough for home use. Its Italian heritage (it is made by Lello Musso, the gelato machine people), build and looks inspire confidence.
Features
At this level of culinary tech, you have decided that you want to enjoy the highest possible quality of frozen desserts; the Rolex of ice cream makers if you will. You understand that its pricey and may even seem impractical to some, but you value your healthy dessert in the comfort of your home, and you are willing to pay for that comfort.
The ice cream bowl in this is hard-mounted, meaning it is fixed to the steel body of the machine and doesn’t come out. I would have taken this as a drawback, but I have come across other industrial strength ice cream makers that follow this design principle. There are no seams, no visible joins on this machine; that exudes a level of professional craftsmanship, to me. The almost mirror finish of the stainless steel body is another testament to its quality build.
With a 2-quart capacity, you will never be lacking in desserts. The sheer bulk and girth of this machine also gives a reassuring feeling of being pretty solid and well-made. All this, coupled with a super–quick production time just makes this a masterpiece.
With the Lello 5030, you get an industrial strength ice cream maker, as good as professional resturant models. Now, you are really playing in the big leagues.
User-friendliness
The fixed-in-place stainless bowl has a spinning paddle, locking nut and cover. There are only three removable parts, which makes for easy assembly after cleaning. You do need to be careful as these smaller parts can get easily mislaid. All in all, it is a real ‘set it-and- forget-it’ kitchen appliance. The Lello Musso Pola 5030 Dessert Maker has only three controls; one to set the time, on/off for the mechanical operation of the churning blade in the mixing bowl and on/off for the freezing bowl. Simply set the desired time and push the two buttons and walk away.
You can practically prepare any dessert with this machine. It makes ice cream, gelatos, shakes, frozen yogurt, daiquiris and many other frozen delights.
One really nice feature is that it is quiet. I mean, REALLY QUIET. So quiet that you may not even know when the ice cream is all done. Just make sure you scoop it out when it does, or else you will be left with a really solid lump of ICE and CREAM. Whisper quiet, you won’t even know its there. You can carry on conversations while it hums away in the background.
Ease of Cleaning
Making ice cream with the Lello Musso is very straightforward. Cleanup is just as easy. To clean, let it warm up for a few minutes and wipe down with a damp cloth. You can use a mix of water and bleach for thorough cleaning. Dry with paper towels.
Design
The home chef will love how the ice cream maker will fit into their kitchen décor. Its’ all stainless steel construction and finish blends well into today’s contemporary kitchens. The clear lid shows the progress of your desseet, and you do have to watch it as this gadget works hard and quick! The thick metal paddle churns through any consistency of dessert, no worries about snapping paddles here. Being metal too, it doesnt disntegrate over time into your ice cream.
While the Pola is quite large, with dimensions 20” x 14” x 12.2”, it is about the size of a microwave and it will take up some counter space. Weighing in at 70 pounds, it can be excused as it contains a 300 W compressor that can freeze two quarts of mix into a wonderful dessert in under 20 minutes.
Recipe books / Manual
The included recipe booklet contains directions for very smooth and creamy desserts that are on par with the finest store bought ice cream. You can convert anything you want into dessert quickly. It produces 2 quarts in 20 minutes, up to 6 quarts in an hour.
You can blow your guests with 3 different desserts in one night. How is that for a killer dinner party? They will rave about it for months to come.
The Lello Musso Pola 5030 is ready to go as soon as it’s unpacked.
Pros
- Self-contained
- No stressful ice, rock salt or pre-freezing needed.
- Fast, makes a batch in 20 minutes
- Can make a wide variety of frozen desserts and drinks
- Easy to clean up
Cons
- Very expensive for a home ice cream maker
- Very heavy, not portable
- Bowl is not removable for cleaning
One quirk, customers have noticed about this machine is that it is a little slower, at high altitudes. No, not one hour per batch slow. More like an extra 10 minutes.
Summary
Wow guests at your dinner parties with the exotic flavors you can whip up. Simply dream up some flavors that you think will go well together, whip up the base, pop in the Pola 5030 and you will be savoring your creation in 25 minutes max! How awesome is that?!
The Lello Pola 5030 is perfect for pool parties, outdoor barbeques as it works just as well in the heat of summer and the cool of winter. Click here to get one from Amazon, with free shipping.
Photo Credit: fruity ice cream , choc chip ice cream , caramel sprinkles