We had never used one of these in my family before, as we were always content to go to Cold Stone Creamery or Braum’s to satisfy our collective sweet tooth. Lately, though, I had been remembering how an elementary school teacher had made “homemade” ice cream for us using one of these, and I really wanted to try it out.
I’m so glad we did. It really is a lot of fun to make your own ice cream, and, of course, you get to enjoy the fruit of your labor too! Just be sure to be kind and share with the rest of the family!
We had a real blast, and our only problem was trying to keep Honey, our 7 year-old Golden Retriever, away from the ice cream! Don’t worry, we let her try some for sure. Good thing we went with vanilla instead of chocolate for our first batch!
Now I love nostalgic things, but I’m also kind of lazy when it comes right down to it. So I really prefer to get an electric machine instead of having to do all of the work myself. (Yeah, I know it’s a character flaw, but what are you going to do, right?)
What I liked about this product was that it had an old-fashioned look and feel to it, including real wood for the main unit. The canister inside is plastic, which makes it easier to clean, but not as expensive as the stainless steel models.
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A few folks have complained that the dash is too small and doesn’t scrape the ice cream off the wall properly, but I’m guessing that these customers just got unlucky with their unit, since most of the customers were happy with their purchase. The good news is that Amazon does accept returns!
Other Electric ice cream makers
Since different readers will have different needs, I thought I would mention a couple more options for you guys and gals that are looking forward to the joys of ice cream making!Maximatic makes a machine that is both manual and electric. This model is made out of pine wood, while the canister itself is made from heavy-duty aluminum. This is a great idea, since you can switch from electric to hand crank whenever you want.
Why would you want this kind of combo unit? Well, for one thing, churning by hand can give you the finishing touches and provide a thicker consistency. Secondly, you get to have the nostalgia of doing things the old way like you might have grown up with. Lastly, you’ll have a backup in case the motor ever goes out.
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Ice cream maker with Wooden Frame
If you really want to find a machine with wooden construction, you shouldn’t have any trouble. All of the 6-quart models I found on Amazon were made from wood, and the canisters inside are typically plastic (or stainless steel for the higher-end models).If you prefer the look of a modern, plastic unit, you’ll have to go with one of the smaller units instead.
Machine with Hand Crank
Now, like I said, personally I’m a bit lazy when it comes to manual operations. But I completely understand that some of you might be looking for an old-fashioned machine where you can just use a hand crank like in the old days.Maybe you remember your parents or grandparents using these and want to pass on the joy to your kids and grandkids. Well, there are some purely manual versions like the White Mountain Appalachian Series, but the reviews on Amazon aren’t the best. I would probably go with the electric/manual combo above to get the best of both worlds.
If you like using the hand crank, just remember not to force it too much once it gets harder to churn. Some reviewers were doing this and then wondered why their cranks broke!
I wanted to have mine ready for the next time my nephews and niece are in town, and I think we’ll have a blast making our own ice cream for a change. This can be a great activity to bring the whole family together.
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Be sure to check out one of the machines I researched above and let me know what you think.
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