Recommend me an ice cream maker

[draftsmann]

Given that this forum is the fount of all knowledge…

I have a real craving for an ice cream maker. I hate most additive-filled processed foods and am definitely a quality-over-quantity person, and if there has been one positive for me over the last 17 months or so it has been daily cooking with fresh ingredients.

My brief is that it will live in a second home- too dangerous to have a product like this around all the time- and the kitchen isn’t huge so I could do with something reasonably compact. Plus the freezer in that house tends to hold the obligatory bag of frozen peas plus a bottle of bisongrass vodka and a bottle of tequila- I only buy fresh food when I’m there- so if I went for a machine without compressor where you have to pre-freeze the bowl I have plenty of freezer space.

Beyond that I haven’t thought of the pros/cons of inbuilt compressor versus pre-freeze bowl models. I do want something that isn’t flimsy rubbish.

I would very much appreciate suggestions and recommendations.

[tertius]

Honestly? Don’t bother. All an ice cream maker really does is stir the mixture every so often while keeping it very cold. As long as you have a freezer and a timer then it’s straightforward to do this by hand: it will take a few hours (elapsed) but you only need to do it a few times.

I would put the ice cream maker in the same category as the bread maker - ie something we bought and then realised it was completely unnecessary as you could do the whole process by hand and not have a single function device taking up space. Both now disposed of and bread and ice cream making continues unabated. Indeed bread making has increased such that buying bread has become a very rare event, however, I digress ... ;)

[mr.chef]

If I need to make ice cream without a maker I use a parfait recipe instead, can be scooped, sliced or set in individual moulds

[Raffe]

I have a UNOLD 48845 ice cream maker, not sure that's available in the UK as Unold is a German brand?

Very good machine, but I warn you: ice cream making is a rabbit hole worse than any of my other food passions. I bake bread and pizza, make my own sausages and pasta - but it is ice cream that is the most difficult to arrive at good results.

You'll have to plan for a long learning curve because making a good ice cream is a very technical process where the smallest change in recipe will render the result catastrophic. You have to get the balance between the various ingredients (water, fats, sugars and neutrals) right, or make do with ice cream hard as concrete. I have tried to build my own recipes using complicated tables, Excel sheets and a refractometer but have basically given up on my career as a gelataio, nowadays I only follow other peoples' recipes.

The Ben&Jerry book is very good and my favourite recipe book is here in pdf form. A bit technical, but I warned you.

[Ray_Singh]

We have a Magimix Gelato and this is brilliant. Although its used less than once a year these days. I was considering selling but as soon as I did, the kids started to use it again. Basil ice cream is ace.

[bigvic]

We used to own one, as said previously it's a bit of a faff.
However to best way to avoid a rock solid block of ice-cream is to add alcohol.

[Raffe]

inbuilt compressor versus pre-freeze bowl

Do it right or don't do it.

[Franco]

Hi
I have had personal experience with “gelataio delonghi” owned thankfully by my sister (in Italy). If it was mine it would be a disaster.
Absolutely get a self- refrigerated one, will work every single time. Then the quality of the product will be proportional with the quality of your ingredients. Very easy the fruit sorbettos, very easy the stracciatella (especially with the excellent British cream. Important to never exceed the total volume of initial mix.
I think you can also buy it here
Bws
Franco

[craggie]

+1 you don't need one! Just make it up, pop in freezer, after 2 hours stir it up ( this improves the texture.)

[draftsmann]

Many thanks for the replies gents- and particularly to Mr Raffe for the inimitably detailed post, which confirmed my decision to get a machine.

I’ve just got back to London and am awaiting delivery of a Buffalo DM067- built in compressor.

I have to admit part of my motivation was and is to be able to make ice cream that is less sweet and sugary than the bought stuff so the comment about getting the balance of ingredients right is highly educational. I have a feeling the internet will be my friend.

Anyway, I have some lovely vanilla pods, some rose water and some crystallised ginger at the ready, not all of which will be used in the same batch!

[Raffe]

Good choice.

I made some pistachio ice cream yesterday, that's the only one where I have calculated my own balance model as the Master Corvitto only gives hazelnut and nougat (p. 280) recipes. It isn't that difficult, you only have to consider the properties of pistachio paste and then re-balance the other ingredients until the outcome is within the accepted borders. This is my pistachio model:

This ice cream is so delicious, you wouldn't believe it.

Just finished preparing a milk chocolate ice cream for my daughter, she doesn't like my dark variations. So I slaughtered the remaining chocolate easter eggs and prepared the ice cream according to Corvitto's recipe (p. 257) for milk chocolate (slightly adjusted for 30% chocolate versus the 40% in his recipe). Please note this one contains neither milk nor cream, just a bit of milk powder.

I mix all my gelati for storage in a -18° household freezer (professional gelataios are working with -11° freezer, which is the reason that nice family pack of artisan gelato you bought the other week turned into a block of concrete in your home freezer).

[gcleminson]

I came here looking for a thread on ice cream makers and I knew I wouldn't be disappointed.

Been mulling one for a month or two - head has been saying "it's yet another large appliance which once the novelty wears off will sit gathering dust". Heart says "but ice cream.."

So of course I went ahead and bought one. Went for a Cuisinart one that has a separate paddle for gelato which I'd like to have a go at making. It's just arrived so that's my evening taken care of.

Only started looking at recipes since ordering it, and must admit to naively thinking it was just a case of putting all the ingredients in the machine then pushing start - sound like that couldn't be further from the truth. I like the idea of combining some interesting flavours that you wouldn't neccessarily be able to buy. I found a recipe online earlier and made smoky bacon butterscotch, and I'm just about to make a start on the maple syrup ice cream..

Would be interested to hear how Mr.Draftsmann got on with his.

[Raffe]

Welcome to the rabbit hole.

[gcleminson]

Rabbit hole indeed. Had a play around at the weekend - definite room for finessing, but pleasantly surprised by first-time results.

Feedback from the family on the Bacon & Maple Syrup was:

a. it was far too sweet (It was. Needed much less maple syrup).
b. the bacon taste was too subtle.

I made a sugar brittle with the finely chopped pieces of crispy bacon, then once cooled broke that up again to small pieces and added to the ice cream in the machine. Might look into adding smoke to the ice cream somehow next time too..

[Mj2k]

Maple and bacon sounds amazing.

[gcleminson]

Maple and bacon sounds amazing.

I’ve just ordered a Sage food smoker gun and some hickory woodchips, and I’m going to try making another batch, but dialling down the maple and adding smoke to the ice cream mixture before mixing/freezing. If it’s any good I’ll report back.

[Mj2k]

Interested to learn how you get on with the smoke gun as always fancied the idea of one.

[Raffe]

[draftsmann]

Would be interested to hear how Mr.Draftsmann got on with his.

Thank you for the reminder.

In the interests of waistline (ha ha) I intentionally parked it in the occasional home, so have only used it twice.

First outing was to make pistachio and rose water. Soaking and de-husking the pistachios was a PITA but worthwhile for the vivid green colour and smooth texture once they were finely ground.

Second outing I made a batch I served to a guest with a pear crumble- flavoured with orange zest and orange blossom water.

Both times - flavour better by far than anything “bought”. I found a basic custard formula that is working well for me. As I intended from outset I’ve been using less sugar than published recipes. Always adding a good pinch of sea salt.

The machine I bought will keep the product chilled for a time plus can be restarted. Some judgement needed to get it served at the perfect consistency but eminently do-able.

I’m happy with it!

[gcleminson]

Pistachio & rose sounds great. How smooth did you manage to get it?

I found a basic custard formula that is working well for me. As I intended from outset I’ve been using less sugar than published recipes. Always adding a good pinch of sea salt.

Would you mind sharing? The gelato recipe I've been following uses 4 egg yolks (per approx 1L of finished ice cream) and I wouldn't mind trying something a little less rich /sugary.

[draftsmann]

Pistachio & rose sounds great. How smooth did you manage to get it?




Would you mind sharing? The gelato recipe I've been following uses 4 egg yolks (per approx 1L of finished ice cream) and I wouldn't mind trying something a little less rich /sugary.

From memory (I wrote it on paper and am not there now) the proportions were 300ml double cream, 300ml full cream milk and 3 egg yolks.

[draftsmann]

The pistachio came out reasonably smooth considering it was ground nuts and that I only have a pestle and mortar and Nutribullet, not a full size blender, in that house. I blanched the nuts with boiling water and gave them a good soak to remove the skins before grinding by hand then adding the milk to whizz them in the Nutribullet.

[gcleminson]

From memory (I wrote it on paper and am not there now) the proportions were 300ml double cream, 300ml full cream milk and 3 egg yolks.

No sugar at all?

The pistachio came out reasonably smooth considering it was ground nuts and that I only have a pestle and mortar and Nutribullet, not a full size blender, in that house. I blanched the nuts with boiling water and gave them a good soak to remove the skins before grinding by hand then adding the milk to whizz them in the Nutribullet.

Thanks, I'm very tempted to try this myself.

[draftsmann]

No sugar at all?

I ignored the amount of sugar in the recipe as it was far too much for my taste, and just sweetened it until it tasted right to me. Plus the aforementioned pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes, which really does add something flavour wise in my opinion.

[gcleminson]

Interested to learn how you get on with the smoke gun as always fancied the idea of one.

It arrrived today and I couldn't wait so I've tried it out already.

Made a new batch of ice cream base (following draftsmann's reduced sugar recipe). Covered the bowl with clingfilm, poked a small hole for the smoke gun hose, then fired it up. not a lot of smoke at first, until I realised it needs a through-flow of air. As soon as I punctured a second opening the smoke was much more forthcoming. Ran it for maybe a minute and a half, then covered the bowl and into the fridge for 10 mins. Stirred then repeated; rested for another 10 mins. The result was very potent - the whole liquid ice cream base was well infused. One blast of the smoke would have probably been enough, to be honest.

The gun itself is pretty easy to use - gets going within seconds and as above, it doesn't need long with the smoke running. Sage sell a fancy Cloche for this with an aperture for the hose, but all you really need is clingfilm, or perhaps a large tupperware tub with a couple of holes cut in. Apparently it works well with things like tea leaves too. Pretty impressed.

[Mj2k]

Thank you for that, sounds like I could have a lot of fun with one. Off to research!

[reecie]

The gun itself is pretty easy to use - gets going within seconds and as above, it doesn't need long with the smoke running. Sage sell a fancy Cloche for this with an aperture for the hose, but all you really need is clingfilm, or perhaps a large tupperware tub with a couple of holes cut in. Apparently it works well with things like tea leaves too. Pretty impressed.

Intrigued by the smoke gun as I have hickory smoked syrup for doing a Smoked Turkey cocktail that I had at Disneyworld and wanted to recreate. Turns out you can use it for cocktails though not quite in the same way. See https://spicedblog.com/smoked-old-fashioned/ for an example. Another for the gadget list :-)