Hello, y’all. Adrian here with a review of the White Mountain F64306-X 6-Quart Hand-Crank Ice Cream Freezer. Will the 6 quart Capacity be enough to keep ice cream lovers satisfied?
Will the nostalgia of using a real hand crank machine make you buy this? Or will its not-so-good points put you off? Read on to see what I think.
First off, I have to admit that I was blown away by the possibility that you can actually produce a whopping 6 quarts of any frozen dessert without buying one of these industrial ice cream makers. I was also struck with nostalgia of the hand crank machines of days gone by, like I am sure many of you are.
Traditionally, making ice cream with those old machines was a proper family activity. You had mum prepare the base; whilst dad, older brothers and uncles crush the ice and fill the bucket with layers of ice and salt and a crew of kids waiting to take turns turning the crank to produce delicious dessert for everyone.
Well, you can recapture some of that nostalgia with the White Mountain F64306-X. It replicates the machines of old, but is the quality of the modern models the same? I am sure some of you have or have seen some of these hand crank models from the 60’s still going strong and making lovely ice cream today.
Personally, I had mixed feelings about this White Mountain 6 quart model, but you can make your own judgement after this review. Lets dive right into it.
Features
This ice cream maker is made of these parts:-
Bucket: A large wooden bucket made out of pine from New England. The bucket is held together using strong metal hoops to guarantee lasting stability.
Canister: The tower shape of the stainless steel canister allows the ice cream to come in constant, close contact with the layers of melting ice and rock salt ensuring a consistent freezing temperature
Dasher: White Mountain holds a patent for the metal and beech wood, self adjusting dasher that churns and mixes the ice cream in this machine. It is made of high grade cast iron, to make sure that the blade on the dasher does not warp over time due to the thickness of the dessert it constantly has to mix.
How it all comes together
The White Mountain F64306-X makes ice cream, in 20 – 30 minutes, by quick churning of an ice cream base, nestled in the rapidly cooling steel canister. This agitation is made extremely thorough by the unique 3-way motion of the outer canister turning clockwise whilst the dasher turns both clockwise and anticlockwise. This guarantees a smooth and thoroughly mixed dessert.
Cleanup
Once your ice cream is made, take off the hand crank assembly. Next carefully pull out the canister containing your frozen treat and open up the top. Pull out the dasher and and scrape them down with a plastic spatula. You can wash the dasher under running water. Scrape out the rest of your ice cream either straight into bowls to enjoy immediately or into a large container to place in the freezer for later. Wash up the canister and you are all ready for the next batch.
People, ensure you wipe thoroughly each part of this machine that has been exposed to the rock salt and ice mixture. This is because the metal parts will rust over time if not properly dried.
Dimensions
The White Mountain is a large appliance. It stands at 19.2 inches tall, it is 13.9 inches in diameter; It weighs 16.7 pounds. The cool wooden bucket adds a rustic feel to a modern appliance. The hand crank will definitely get many people misty eyed reminiscing about their youth.
This machine sounds brilliant, (that may just be the nostalgia kicking in), but will I recommend this machine? It has got a lot of varying opinions regarding it.
A few things I didn’t like:-
- Being a wooden bucket that is constantly exposed to water, swelling and warping of the bucket can occur.
- A few parts on this model are also a little flimsy as they shear/snap off during use. Some people say this is due to the different materials used to make the newer models of the ice cream machine.
- The gears tend to strip themselves during use leading to a sprinkling of metal dust falling into your ice cream. I think it has something to do with the type of metal used or a lack of lubrication. Either way, I didn’t sign up for metal-flavoured sorbets!!
- The rust that will occur if you ever forget to thoroughly wipe down the steel inner bucket due to exposure to salt water.
- Some other parts of this machine seem ill-fitted for the purpose they are meant to serve. Like the metal tab that is supposed to keep the crank in place, whilst you crank.
What do I think of this machine?
The 6 quart size is very appealing. It takes a lot of stress out of thinking of how to produce enough dessert for everyone at picnics, birthdays, family and religious gatherings. The fun that can be had cranking the machine is always welcome at family gatherings.
All that being said, would I have silver metal dust with my ice cream? No, thank you. Would I risk the machine breaking down on me, 3 uses in? No, Thank you.
If you really want this model though, it is available here on Amazon.
