Comments for Cusinart Ice Cream Maker

Comment on KitchenAid KSM150PSIC Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, Ice by Susan C. Churchill

Susan C. Churchill — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:58:36 +0000

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Beautiful Color of a Classic Machine, May 17, 2009

This review is from: KitchenAid KSM150PSIC Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, Ice (Kitchen)

Gorgeous color. High performance which we all expect from the KichenAid. I gave this to my daughter for her 21st birthday at her request. Now she can make all those cookie recipes that we made together on MY 20 year old KitchenAid. Unmatched Quality. Has stood the test of time and multiple generation now love this mixer.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comment

Comment on KitchenAid KSM150PSIC Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, Ice by AG Pym

AG Pym — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:18:35 +0000

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Everyone adores this mixer; I am no exception!, January 11, 2007

AG Pym (Bookland) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: KitchenAid KSM150PSIC Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, Ice (Kitchen)

I highly recommend this mixer! I have wanted one of these beautiful KitchenAid mixers for so long, and this year I finally asked everyone in my family to pool their gift money and buy it for me for Christmas. I have been using it non-stop since I received it, and the quality is everything everyone says and more. The metal bowl and attachments are so easy to clean, and the machine is incredibly powerful.

Since there are already so many reviews of the product, I'll just add a word about the colors: My husband insisted that we go look at them in the department stores before ordering from Amazon, and I'm so glad that we did because in person the colors don't always look the way you would think, based on photos from Amazon or the KitchenAid website. I, for example, was originally set on the Surf Green color, but when I saw it in person, it was much darker than I'd expected. By the same token, the Blue was lighter than I'd expected, and the Tangerine was much more appealing that I would have thought. I ultimately ordered this mixer in Ice, and I am so happy with my choice! The color is so cheerful and just bright enough without taking over the kitchen. Anyway, the moral of the story is, if you can go look at them in person before buying, I'd really recommend it.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comment

Comment on 1 Quart Gel Canister Ice Cream Maker by R. Register "Mac Snob, Audiophile"

R. Register "Mac Snob, Audiophile" — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 04:05:56 +0000

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

Not perfect, but a nice product!, July 25, 2008

R. Register "Mac Snob, Audiophile" (Houston, TX) -

This review is from: 1 Quart Gel Canister Ice Cream Maker

We purchased this ice cream maker a week ago, so far so good!

The Pro's:
It's inexpensive- $29.99 at our local target.

It's small. This means easy to store! I have a small kitchen with limited cabinet space and you can store the base in the freezer.

It's quick- only 10-20 minutes of mixing and the ice cream is done.

The Con's:
It's small. Small is good when it comes to storage, but not so good for capacity. It makes a quart- that's all! This is perfect for us though, being a family of three. Two or three small scoops each and there's even enough left to store in the freezer.

It's not "hard" like store bought ice cream when it's fresh from the mixer. You have to put it in the freezer for an hour of two to harden. We don't mind, but some might so I am mentioning it here! :)

You have to plan ahead: Some of the recipes require mixing the ingredients and refrigerating them. Also, you have to freeze the bowl!!! It takes about 24 hours (recommended in the instruction manual) to freeze the bowl. As I said before, you can store it in the freezer so you can make ice cream on a whim. Some recipes are quick and it IS possible to have ice cream ready to eat in 20 minutes.

Ingredients are not cheap. Most recipes require whole milk, whipping cream and heavy cream. I would not recommend this for someone trying to save a bunch of money by making their own. I spent $20 on ingredients the day I bought this machine. These ingredients did make about 4 quarts of ice cream, so it's not very expensive when you think about it. With some ice creams running $3-$4 a pint, it's not really that big of a difference. We enjoy the freedom of making our own ice cream with healthy, organic ingredients...thus the reason we bought this machine. You can however, make sorbets using minimal ingredients like frozen fruit, sugar, lemon juice and ice.

It is a little loud. It's not a big deal though...just leave the room! If you sit right next to it for 15 minutes, it'll probably be annoying. Just turn it on, set a timer and check in on it every few minutes...easy as pie!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comment (1)

Comment on 1 Quart Gel Canister Ice Cream Maker by Chandler

Chandler — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 03:17:34 +0000

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

First hand comparison of 3 ice cream makers, June 14, 2010

Chandler -

This review is from: 1 Quart Gel Canister Ice Cream Maker

COMPARISON:
Cuisinart Automatic 1.5 qt
the Rival Gel Canister, and the
Rival Electric 4&6 qt ice

I have had quite the experience with ice cream makers lately and am happy to pass on my own comparison.

I actually bought the Rival Electric 6qt ice on a whim when I passed by it in the store. This is the same one as the 4qt. ice cream maker that uses rock salt and ice, just larger. (I know it's the same because the inlaws have the 4qt.) It was on sale at Wal-Mart and even cheaper than Amazon.

I then exchanged the above ice cream maker, after issues I will get to, for the Rival Gel.

You'll notice, however, I have the "verified purchase stamp" on my review of the Cuisinart 1.5 qt automatic ice cream maker. That's because I gave up with Rival after continued problems with my first two ice cream makers and ordered the Cuisinart from Amazon. It's a keeper. However, you may actually prefer one of the other ones I used more if your needs are different from my own so I'll break down my experiences and you can decide:

But first...some TROUBLESHOOTING that may help you regardless of the ice cream maker you choose. Is your icecream more of a milkshake than ice cream? I have some chef tips:

1.Never put in chunky ingredients from the beginning. They don't allow the butterfat to freeze correctly. They need to be added at the end (chocolate chips, fruit, etc.)
2.Never use imitation vanilla extract. It contains propylene glycol which not only isn't as good as regular vanilla, it prevents milk and cream from freezing well. Use pure vanilla only.
3.Your ingredients should be cold prior to adding them to the ice cream maker.
4.If you have an electric ice cream maker it needs to be on and spinning prior to putting the ingredients in. If you add the ingredients first and then turn it on, the edges will freeze first to the bowl and your middle won't catch up. (Unfortunately you can't do this on the Rival 4 and 6 qt electric so it always wound up a little runny for me.)
5.If you use an electric gel-bowl ice cream maker the bowl should be stored at the back of your freezer where it is coldest. If your freezer is full of other foods, it will actually be colder than if it is empty so an empty freezer may mean you need to freeze your gel-filled ice cream bowl longer.
6.Cream has a higher butterfat content than milk so it begins to melt far faster and will take longer to freeze so you will see differences from soy milk, milk, non-fat milk etc.

ICE CREAM CAPACITY:
Rival Electric (RE) 4 or 6 qts, depending upon which model you choose.
Rival Gel (RG) one quart
Cuisinart Automatic (CA) 1.5 qts

NOISE LEVEL:
RE: loud; cannot hold a conversation in the same room it's in
RG: loud; cannot hold a convesation in the same room it's in
CA: surprisingly quiet...not silent but quite a purr compared to the other two.

BUILD:
RE: Cheaply made which wound up being our problem. The outside core is a very flimsy plastic. Thinner than my Tupperware. Not only did this not insulate the ice well which resulted in fast melting, it also wore down after a week of the motor popping out of the locked position and it's flexibility allowed pieces of ice to get lodged in the sides and make the motor stop. This is so common that it says in the owner's manual that when it does this you need to stop it and move the ice. This means you always need to be watching it during making. Happens on both size models which is why I had to exchange this originally for the gel model at Wal-mart. That flimsy plastic wore down after just one week from the motor popping off of the lock sockets.
RG: Made better than the other model except the top leaves air in too close to ice cream which means it doesn't freeze as well and the fill hole is on an angle rather than top and is very small so ingredients spill easily.
CA: I like the make, compact so no warm air is inside, sturdy, stores more easily with cord compartment, heavy-duty with no flimsiness or easily broken parts.

CONCEPT:
RE: Winds up costing more due to needing to buy rock salt and crushed ice each time. The manual states to use crushed ice only and this is because the top pops off easily and ice can get lodged between spinning bowl and the side. For some crazy reason, the paddle doesn't spin, the bowl does which means it makes the ice migrate and melt easily. Rock salt should not go down your sink so we would also walk it outside to the street. You don't want it in your yard either. Very messy with all the rock salt and ice being poured in while running in comparison to the other two models.
RG: Freeze the gel bowl for about 24 hours and use no rock salt or ice.
CA: Same as the RG.

ISSUES:
RE: Had lots of problems with having to fool with it during the process to... Read more

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comment (1)

Comment on Euro Cuisine 2qt Yogurt Maker – Electric by A. Lawless

A. Lawless — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:01:20 +0000

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

Great Product! Great Results!, December 2, 2009

A. Lawless -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Euro Cuisine 2qt Yogurt Maker - Electric

I am very satisfied with the product, especially the price. The only negative is that the yogurt container could have a grip to lift out of the maker when done. Other than that small issue, I would highly recommend this product.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comment

Comment on Euro Cuisine 2qt Yogurt Maker – Electric by M. Le Beau

M. Le Beau — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:25:22 +0000

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

Euro Cuisine 2 Qt Yogurt Maker, December 6, 2009

M. Le Beau (Albuquerque, NM) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Euro Cuisine 2qt Yogurt Maker - Electric

This works beautifully! Thanks to the large 2-quart capacity, now I can make enough yogurt to last a week and avoid using all of those store-bought plastic yogurt containers. Note: The recipe provided by Euro-Cuisine is not as good as the one from Diet for a Small Planet, which--doubled for the 2qt capacity--makes a delicious yogurt with a much thicker consistency.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comment (1)

Comment on Euro Cuisine 2qt Yogurt Maker – Electric by J. Varga

J. Varga — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 09:37:19 +0000

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

Easy to Use, December 6, 2009

J. Varga -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Euro Cuisine 2qt Yogurt Maker - Electric

The product description says, "Timer on the side of the unit marks time as to when yogurt will be finished cooking." That can be misleading; there is no automatic timer that makes a signal or shuts off when the desired cook time has been reached. Besides that, the machine is easy to use and makes really good yogurt.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comments (2)

Comment on Hamilton Beach 68220 1.5-Quart Capacity Ice Cream Maker, White by Tri Chick

Tri Chick — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 04:26:05 +0000

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

Best ice cream you'll ever have, March 9, 2008

Tri Chick (Burlington, Kentucky United States) -

I bought this product on a really hot summer day when I was craving ice cream but wanted something fat-free and sugar-free and finding a product like that in the store seems impossible. This machine is awesome! Not only did it make delicious fat free, sugar free ice cream, it also made amazing real ice cream! The recipe book it comes with has lots of great flavors you can make and with a little creativity you can make many more! The product works well, is super easy to use, cleans up with warm water and is something I find myself using all the time. If you buy this, you won't be disappointed. My only advice is keep the cylinder in the freezer all the time. That way, you never have to wait to have homemade ice cream in minutes!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comment

Comment on Hamilton Beach 68220 1.5-Quart Capacity Ice Cream Maker, White by Ken W. List "Ken W. List"

Ken W. List "Ken W. List" — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:38:37 +0000

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

Hamilton Beach freezes up on call!, August 25, 2006

Ken W. List "Ken W. List" (Wooster, Ohio, USA) -

My new Hamilton Beach 1.5 Qt Ice Cream Maker has become my most cherished kitchen appliance. It makes delicious ice cream, and allows me to be creative by using basic recipes and adding ingredients - you ought to taste my Chocolate-Orange ice cream! I have even taken my Ice Cream Maker to a friend's home, and in the course of a nice visit (since I had pre-frozen the freezing well, and kept it so until time to prepare) and had as much attention as the television program we were supposed to be watching before dinner. Needless to say, my H-B was more than equal to the test - and I got the kudos! It's a good and reliable product, available at a reasonable price, and is well worth every penny that I spent for it!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comment

Comment on Hamilton Beach 68220 1.5-Quart Capacity Ice Cream Maker, White by Brian Sharp

Brian Sharp — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:37:28 +0000

107 of 110 people found the following review helpful:

Inexpensive, but you get what you pay for, August 3, 2007

Brian Sharp (Austin, TX USA) -

OK, first off, all the 1.5qt ice cream makers on the market -- this one, Cuisinart's, and Krups' -- are fundamentally the same. It's a metal bucket full of some fluid that you put in the freezer; it gets very cold, cold enough to freeze 1.5qts of ice cream mix. That, and it's a motor with a mixing arm. That's really it.

So I figured, when I bought this one, that I was getting a deal; it's the cheapest of the three. Now that I've used it a few times, I'm wishing I'd just splurged, spent the extra twenty bucks, and gotten either of the others.

The mixing blade on this model doesn't seem to actually mix very well. I made a cantaloupe sherbet last night and I looked into the bowl as the arm turned, and it was just shoving the sherbet around in a circle. It wasn't churning. The sherbet wasn't frozen solid or anything, it was still pretty slushy. The arm just seems poorly designed.

I think the motor's pretty weak, too. It turns so slowly that it doesn't need to be very strong, they just gear it way down and even a weak motor can push pretty hard. But this routinely gets stuck on bits of ice cream that freeze in a layer on the bottom of the bucket. I made a frozen yogurt, which you have to put in the bucket to start (vs. pouring it through the opening while it's running) because of the thickness of the yogurt, and it had real problems churning after that. I ended up having to churn it by hand with a spatula for a while at the end.

Finally, there are just design details that aren't very good about this. The top of the motor / lid assembly is sloped, and the on/off switch is on that surface and protrudes a bit.

When you take that motor / lid off and set it down, the obvious way to do it is to rest it on its top (with the mixing arm sticking up.) This invariably hits that switch and turns it on. Whenever I'm taking it off, I'm trying to move quickly, stir the ice cream or scoop it off into a container to put in the freezer, so it's always irritating to take that lid off, quickly set it down, and have it turn on, the mixing arm starts turning, ice cream splatters, etc. This happens every time. There's not really a better way to set it down. So I have to unplug it whenever I want to put it down on the counter. It's just not very well thought-through.

Similarly, the locking mechanism involves pivoting that big blue arm up and over from one side to the other, which is cumbersome; the electric cord gets in the way, and even when you get it right, it's not a terribly snug fit; the motor can rock back and forth a bit.

Overall, you get what you pay for, and the other brands really aren't that much more expensive. Don't be a tightwad like me; splurge for one of them instead of this.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comment (1)