Homemade Ice Cream without all the fuss

My husband and I bought the Rival Ice Cream Maker GC8101 as a sort of anniversarry present to each other. It cost us around $30 on sale at Wal-Mart. It makes up to 1 quart of ice cream.

The Details

This Rival Ice Cream Maker consists of the freezer canister, the paddle, the paddle extender, and the cover with on/off switch. The motor is attached to the cover. There is a mixing feeder chute on the top of the cover as well.
It is actually a very small and simple piece of equipment.

It also comes with 1 packet of vanilla ice cream mix which is enough to make 2 batches of ice cream.

You place the freezer canister in the freezer until you are ready to make ice cream. BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR CANISTER IN THE FREEZER FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS BEFORE USING. I prefer to just store mine in the freezer that way it is always ready when I want ice cream.

This Ice Cream machine also can make Sorbets too.

Usage

To make ice cream all you need to do is attach the paddle to the paddle extender and then to the cover. Remove your Frozen Freezer Canister from the freezer and attach the cover to the freezer canister by matching up the notches and turn slightly till it locks into place. Plug it in, and turn it on. Add your ice cream mixture to the Ice Cream machine through the feeder chute and in about 20-40 minutes you will have ICE CREAM. I have read some reviews about other ice cream makers and how the timer shuts off the motor after 40 minutes and you can't get it to start again, but this certain model doesn't seem to have that problem. I have left my motor going for upwards of an hour and it never shut off.

There is no need to use ice or rock salt. The freezer canister is a double insulated bowl with liquid/gel in between the layers. When you place your freezer canister in the freezer it freezes this liquid in between the layers. This is your "ice" for the ice cream making process. You will know when your freezer canister is ready when you no longer hear liquid moving in between the layers and the canister becomes really heavy.

As I stated before I prefer to store my canister in the freezer that way it is ready when I am. All you have to do is wrap your canister in a plastic bag to prevent freezer burn.

Tips

If you are making ice cream with any chunky pieces (chocolate chips, gummy bears, cookie pieces), it is best to add them towards the end of the freezing process. This is usually after about 15 - 20 minutes. If you try to add the chunky pieces in at the beginning of the process they will sink to the bottom and freeze onto the canister, then the paddle won't be able to move, and then you have a mess.

Make sure your Freezer canister is properly frozen before using, otherwise you will only end up with a melted ice cream mixture.

Cleanup

After the ice cream is made I usually use a spatula and scoop all the ice cream into a freezer safe container. One batch usually fits perfectly into the ziplock soup sized canister.
The cleanup can be a pain in the butt. It is not dishwasher safe. I tried cleaning up right after I was done making my ice cream and my dishrag kept freezing to the canister, or the water would freeze inside the canister. So, I either wait until my canister melts completely or I use HOT water and spray it into the canister. Use a soapy dishrag and swish it around really quickly. Rinse it using HOT water and then Dry with a paper towel really quickly before it re-freezes.

How does it taste?

It tastes GREAT. I love my new ice cream maker. I cheat and buy the Ice Cream Mixes and add stuff to them. The Ice cream mixes come in two flavors vanilla and chocolate and each mix packet is enough to make two batches of ice cream for this machine. The mixes come in a box with 2 vanilla and 1 chocolate for about $4.

The first batch of Ice Cream I made was plain Vanilla Ice Cream. I used the ice cream mix that the machine came with and added more vanilla extract for a stronger taste. I used 2% milk, mixed it up in a bowl and added it to my machine. This was my first batch and It didn't end up at all.
I figured I didn't freeze the canister long enough (I had only frozen it for about 10 hours this time).

My second attempt at making ice cream was much better. I had my canister frozen for about 2 days and went to the store and bought some half and half, I also picked up some mint extract while I was there. I mixed up the the half and half with the rest of the vanilla ice cream mix. Added a few drops of mint extract and added it to my machine. After about 20 minutes I checked on my machine and discovered a thick fluffy looking ice cream being made. I let the machine work for about 30 minutes and I turned it off. Scooped out the ice cream, and I am pretty sure my husband and I finished off this batch before the night was over. It was delicious.

I found the ice cream to still be a bit soft for my taste, but After placing the ice cream in a freezer safe container and placing it in my freezer for about an hour. It was the harder ice cream that I like.

Every attempt at making ice cream after the first two attempts have ended up as close to perfect as one can get with homemade ice cream.

I remember from my childhood and making homemade ice cream at home that it is supposed to end up a little soft when it is done, I just prefer it a little harder, so I just throw it in the freezer for a little longer.

I have so far made mint oreo crunch ice cream, rocky road ice cream, mint ice cream, and vanilla ice cream. vanilla with caramel and mint chocolate chip are my next recipes to try, along with a strawberry sorbet.

I love

The size of this machine. It makes just enough ice cream for me and my husband and usually a little left over for later. It actually makes enough for 4 small(1 cup size) servings. So, if you have company over you can still have a little dessert to share. The size also comes in handy for small kitchens like I have. Since I keep my freezer canister stored in the freezer, all I actually need to store away is the cover and paddle, which doesn't take up that much room at all.

I also put size as a con because I know when me and my husband decide to have children, we are going to have to upgrade. This unit is almost certainly too small for a family with children.

Not having to buy rock salt and bags of ice is really nice. When my husband and I were looking at which ice cream maker to get, our selling point was the fact that we didn't need to buy the rock salt and ice. The cord for this machine is ample for its purpose.

This machine is So easy, I absolutely love it.