Basic, Low Cost Model Was the Best Choice for Me!

I decided to purchase an ice cream maker in order to make healthy frozen desserts such as sorbets and ice creams based on low fat milk products. I thought that creating frozen desserts would be fun and economical.

After reading ice cream maker reviews, I decided against the seemingly more convenient gel pack model. The factors that turned me against the Gel Pack version were: 1) Need to freeze the container several days in advance, 2) Small capacity of container, 3) Impression that ice cream may come out softer than with other methods. This led me to covet models with a built in freezer, but I found the price too high for this option.

I found that Walmart carried two "old fashioned" models that required rock salt and ice. I chose the smaller of the two that can produce a gallon at a time. The price was under $17. Walmart also had the rock salt available for only $1.50 per bag.

Upon reading the instructions, it became immediately apparent that this method was going to take a lot of ice. The four quart version requires 17 pounds of ice for making and hardening ice cream. I estimate this to be about 20 trays of ice cubes. You can harden and ripen the ice cream in the freezer, so you actually need only a little more than half of this. This will also save 2 cups of rock salt which should cut out 2/5 of the rock salt expense as well.

I immediately emptied my four ice cube trays into the ice bin and started to work on ice production. Since I hadn't done any research on healthy frozen dessert recipes, I figured I had plenty of time, so I didn't even bother to dig out my extra ice cube trays.

But suddenly my careful planning was circumvented by my husband who had initially greeted the purchase with "What did you do?" Within 24 hours, he had become desperate to make the standard vanilla ice cream recipe that came with the machine. This would definitely be neither healthy nor economical after we bought ice, cream, half and half, and milk. The cost was at least as much as a gallon of pre-made vanilla. I wanted chocolate or something more interesting than vanilla, but he said "NO!"

The recipe started by scalding the milk, dissolving the sugar, adding in the cream and half and half and then refrigerating for 30 minutes. Then the freezing began.

The instructions said "crushed ice," but my husband didn't read the directions and found that cubes worked fine. You do need to make sure that large cubes don't stop the cannister from rotating around the paddle.

The ingredients did not fill to the 3/4 line on the cannister, so the machine never stopped on its own (according to the directions this is to be expected in these circumstances). You need to stop it when it looks like "Fluffy mashed potatoes."

The only thing you need to do while it is mixing is add more ice as the original ice melts.

My husband also disagreed with my conclusion that hardening in the freezer was the way to go. He was impatient and thought that it would be faster to use more ice and rock salt. The instructions indicate "Several hours" for all options. And there is no question that putting the covered cannister in the freezer is the most convenient.

I have no idea whether hardening in the machine could yield ice cream of "normal" hardness, but when my husband served the ice cream it was like soft serve. After few hours in the freezer it was as hard as store-bought ice cream.

The result was very good, but vanilla. I also think that it was a little too sweet and... not chocolate! I don't think that the result was worth the cost to make it, but this was only an issue of flavorings, not of product smoothness, hardness, creaminess, and overall quality.

I am very happy with the machine, the ease of use, and the results. I believe that in the end it will be more convenient and flexible than the more expensive Gel pack models.