Hey folks, are you:-
- Tired of having to freeze a bowl 24 hours before enjoying your dessert?
- Fed up with having to layer rock salt and ice in a bucket anytime you want some sorbet?
- Is having to crank a machine, just to have frozen treats, making you cranky? (LOL. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist that.)
Since you are an ice cream fiend, like me, I know simply giving up ice cream is not an option. Hence I found another solution in the shape of an automatic ice cream maker. These models have an in-built, commercial-strength compressor that totally eliminates the need to put any bowls in the freezer or use rock salt and ice. They come with bowls ranging from 1 – 4 quarts, which is enough to feed up to 8 people.
A really cool feature of these automatic models is that you can make multiple batches of different flavours of dessert, almost instantly.
You can have you ice cream ready in as little as 20minutes. All you have to do is pour in a base, turn it on, and you can go off doing other things. As soon as one batch is done, wash out the bowl (especially when you are trying out different recipes) the ice cream bucket and paddles.
Important features to look for in an automatic ice cream maker include:-
In built compressor for freezing – A powerful compressor for freezing the ice cream base to soft serve consistency. Some makers can get the ice cream past soft serve consistency, while with others, you need to put the soft serve in the freezer for about an hour to get really firm ice cream.
Production time – Automatic ice cream makers produce ice cream in times ranging from 30 minutes to 50 minutes. This is from the time you pour your base in until when the dessert is ready to be scooped out and enjoyed. While the preparation time may seem similar to some manual ice cream machines, you should remember that those need to have a freezer bowl frozen for 24houtrs before.
Quantity produced – It must be able to produce at least 4 quarts of your favourite dessert every single time. You will have people around wanting to taste whatever yummy treats you can produce. The more, the merrier!
Multiple uses – Making ice cream is the first step. Soon you will experiment with making gelato, sorbets, frozen margaritas, slushies; and this is all before you start experimenting with adding toppings such as cookies, nuts and sweets. Therefore having a machine that allows you let your imagination run wild, is totally essential.
Easy to use – Don’t be scared. Many ice cream makers have delicate parts and need to be used in the proper manner to ensure their longevity and also that you get the best ice cream possible. That’s why the engineers usually make it really easy to just push a button after you pour in your mix and your dessert it’s on its way to being made.
Easy to clean up – These automatic ice cream machines are a little different from others, as the whole unit cannot (MUST NOT) be dunked in water or plonked in the dishwasher. This is because of the internal compressor and heavy duty motor they use to produce dessert. Fear not though, simply remove the parts that are not attached to the compressor and wash them by hand, and wipe off any bits that may be on the rest of the machine (DO NOT LICK IT OFF!)
Design/Size/Looks – They are basically scaled down versions of the huge monsters that belch out ice cream for you at your local stores, so they are largely made of stainless steel in compact and minimalist cuboid shapes. They are usually a mix of stainless steel and silver coloured plastic.
One feature of these automatic ice cream makers is that these units tend to be heavier (c’mon, they contain a very powerful motor AND a compressor). Another common feature among them is that, even as the manufacturers set the timer and freezing sequence to 60 minutes, keep an eye out at about the 40 minute range. The machine is usually done producing your dessert by this time. You can enjoy it as it is or scoop it into a freezer to get it firmer.
Below is a table showing the best automatic ice cream makers on the market. Go through it and pick the one that ticks all your boxes.
| Model | Dimensions (Inches) | Capacity (Quarts) | Multiple use |
Preparation time (Minutes) |
Warranty (Years) |
| Cuisinart ICE-50 Ice Cream Maker
|
16 x 10.13 x 10 | 1.5 | Ice cream, sorbet, yoghurt |
50 |
3 |
| Whynter IC-2L SNO 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker | 15 x 11 x 13 | 2 | Ice cream, sorbet, gelato, |
20 – 45 |
1 |
| DeLonghi GM6000 Gelato Maker with Self-Refrigerating Compressor | 12.8 x 15.8 x 9.6 | 1 – 1.25 | Gelato, sorbet |
30 – 35 |
1 |
| Lello 4070 Gelato Junior Ice Cream Maker | 11 x 14 x 12.25 | 1 | Gelato, frozen yogurt, ice cream |
45 |
1 |
| Secura Ice Cream Maker with Self-Refrigerating Compressor | 13 x 9.5 x 12 | 1 – 1.5 | Frozen yogurt, sorbet, gelato, ice cream |
35 – 45 |
3 |
I’m pretty sure you will find one of the appliances above suitable for your intended use. Click on the model names in the table to view the current prices on Amazon.
Photo Credit: creamy frozen dessert, different ice cream flavours
