Cuisinart ICE100BCU Silver Professional Gelato, Ice Cream, Frozen Yoghurt and Sorbet Maker 1.5L, Stainless Steel, 150 W, 1.5 liters

Amazing piece of kit - makes the finest ice cream you'll ever eat, with minimal effort and you don't have to keep waiting 12 hours for a bowl to freeze! Believe me, once you've had this ice cream, you'll never want to touch any commercial variety again (not to mention goodness knows what additives.)This is a heavy chunky machine that you probably won't want to keep dragging in and out of a cupboard (and it really shouldn't be moved around anyway) so you ideally need permanent space on your worktop. I've sat mine on one of those black oven liners so I can easily slide it aside when I want to clean the granite worktop underneath etc.When the machine arrived, I left it to settle for 24 hours before using it. Next day I made a batch of strawberry gelato and blackberry/mango gelato, using the gelato paddle - pic attached shows the strawberry. The results were out of this world - smooth, creamy and full of fruit. I used one of the online recipes from the excellent 'Ask Chef Dennis' website using fresh strawberries, half full-fat milk/half double cream, lemon juice and granulated sugar (I used less sugar than the recipe called for, as the fruit was quite sweet.) And that was it. No messing about with egg yolks and making custards. You can substitute virtually any fruit.I don't find this machine excessively noisy at all - it's a lot quieter than even most kettles and you can easily talk over it.Some people have also marked this machine down because they say the ice cream is hard to remove from the paddle but I had no problem with that at all - I just used two small silicone spatulas. TIP: get a teaspoon ready to just eat the residue left on the paddle - it's too good to waste! Getting the lid in place can be a bit of a knack but once you've got it, it's very easy - just make sure the small lock icons line up on the lid and the machine.The handbook is very clear and well-written. It's got a small but good selection of basic recipes but I find the (free) 'Ask Chef Dennis' recipes much less of a faff to prepare and give great results.Although the handbook states that 1 litre is the total maximum quantity you should make at a time, I'd actually recommend using slightly less because as the mixture freezes, it expands massively and depending on what you're making and how long your chosen cycle is, it rises right to the very top of the bowl.If your paddle squeaks as it goes round when the mixture starts thickening, a tiny drop of cooking oil or butter on the top part of the paddle spindle where it touches the lid should stop it. You'll probably have to re-apply the oil every time though because it will come off when you wash the paddle.All in all, although this is a relatively expensive machine, it's solidly built and imo worth every penny. My only regret is not buying one much sooner.

This is a great little addition to my kitchen. I followed the instructions to use it which are nice and simple, but I didn’t use the recipes that come with it as I wanted a lower fat/sugar ice cream. The first one I tried I used skimmed milk, coconut cream and granulated sweetener, I thought it might take me a couple of goes to get it right, but my first batch was spot on, tasty with a great consistency, and with a little bit of grated chocolate on top to finish it off. I’ve also used it to make some apple juice slush drinks for my son who gave it a thumbs up. These again were nice and simple to make.My recommendation with this is to follow the preparation instructions. I tried mixing my first batch straight from the freezer without leaving it to stand and it was a bit of a struggle to get the wand through. But the next batch I let stand for 10 minutes and it was much easier.The wand itself feels well-built and sturdy. It arrived well packaged and wrapped in recyclable materials rather than loads of plastic. I’ve tried ice cream makers before, and I’ve found them to be bit of a faff and bulky to store when I’m not using them. This wand is simple to use and nice and compact to store when it’s not in use which is a bonus. The containers are a perfect size for single portions or two smaller portions for kids, but I would like some additional containers for bigger batches for if I was entertaining. Yes, you have to prepare the mixture and freeze the day before, but with other ice cream makers I always found myself preparing the ice cream the day before anyway.I can see myself getting plenty of use out of this and would recommend it to anyone.

I absolutely love this ice cream/gelato maker. It is so convenient to be able to make ice cream any time without having to pre-freeze a drum. The machine works wonderfully well, and makes ice cream in as little as 25 minutes depending on which recipe you use and how much you are making. I often make a half-batch as it is so quick to make and that way I can make a greater variety of flavours at once.I didn't much like the recipes that came in the machine's recipe book- they didn't have a great texture and got very hard in the freezer. Instead I prefer the Ben & Jerry's recipe book for quick no-cook bases, or the BBC Good Food Vanilla ice cream recipe for a cooked custard base. Both of those recipes turn out rich and smooth and don't get too hard in the freezer- you can still scoop them immediately after taking them out.I've had this machine for a year now- I've used it very regularly, about twice a week every week- and it still works just as well as when I bought it. I've loved playing around with all sorts of different flavours and textures in ice cream and gelato. This has become one of my most-used kitchen appliances, I've grown very attached to it!The machine is a little noisy but it isn't loud enough to bother me or to be a nuisance. FYI the first time I used it I thought it was broken when it got stuck and stopped turning after about 40 minutes- it turned out that's perfectly normal and it just meant the ice cream was ready to be taken out!I adore this ice cream maker and would highly recommend it! It is worth the investment!

Bought on a whim to help battle the hot weather, best decision of the summer. It’s super easy to use and makes the most delicious ice cream with the perfect texture in seconds. So far I’ve tried ice cream with cookies, and a sorbet, I can’t wait to play with the other features. Unlike other ice cream makers, it tidies away nicely so is great for my smaller kitchen. Bonus points for the paper packaging, I love it when brands show they care.