Ice Cream Makers

There are two types of electric ice cream machine; both versions have a motor that drives the paddle which stirs the mixture, but they differ in the way that they cool the ice cream.

Cheaper machines use a double-walled bowl which contains coolant. This is placed in a freezer at least 8 hours before the machine is needed, then placed into the machine. The ice cream mixture is then added and the machine switched on, creating wonderfully smooth ice cream 20-30 minutes later. The advantage of this type of electric machine is that it is relatively cheap (typically under £60). The disadvantage of the pre-frozen bowl is that only one batch can be made at a time. However, it is usually possible to buy extra bowls for the machine, although these do take up a lot of freezer space.

The more expensive state-of-the-art machines have integral compressors that freeze the bowl whilst it is in the machine. When using this type of equipment, the cooling system needs to be switched on about 5-10 minutes before the machine is needed, and then the mixture can be added and the paddle switched on. As with coolant-bowl machines, the ice cream is ready in 20 to 30 minutes. The advantages of this machine are that batch after batch of ice cream can be made with no pre-planning. The disadvantage is the cost: from around £200 and upwards. This type of machine cannot usually be moved without waiting 12 hours to allow the coolant to settle, so must normally be kept permanently on the kitchen work surface, which may be impractical for smaller kitchens.