Ice cream maker -" to buy or not to buy"!

[nazar]

 mama fergie
 what recipe do you use for  semmifreddo's  l look on forum but could not find one
l googled it but wanted a thermomix recipe ,

[judydawn]

Are you going to post that Delia recipe Marie?  Glad I am not the only one to have trouble assembling the workings 

Here's a semifreddo recipe nazar.  Hard to find anything for this one.

[Mama Fergie]

I have a few Nazar but all non thermomix. Will post one now it's a coconut-lime

[Emme]

 Sorry Judy, I am having connection problems again.  Everytime I try and do a link it won't copy for some reason, will keep trying.  If I can't get it to work I will type it out from my book
Marie

[Emme]

Here is the recipe for Caledonian Icecream
The recipe is at the bottom after the haggis (sorry about that).
Pin head oats are sometimes called steel cut oats here. Sometimes make it without the oats, but I think they make it nicer.
Marie

[JulieO]

I have the Cuisinart compressor one and I haven't had any problems with it at all.  It has its own place in my kitchen (out of the way)  so I don't have to move it.

You do have to have the 'custard' very cold before churning like with any of the machines.  I make up the custard one day and churn the next morning, it comes out just like Maddy's photo above where you then put in a container and freeze until firm.

It doesn't churn it any better than the cheaper version but I like not having to keep a bowl in the freezer ready to use, plus I sometimes make 2 lots of different flavoured custards and I can churn one straight after the other whereas with the freezer bowl one you have to wait 24 hours for the bowl to refreeze before using again.  That really isn't a big selling point for me, but I have taken advantage of it in the past.

For some reason I don't really know why, I find this one less 'fiddly' to use than my old one, maybe because it's already sitting there, I literally just pour in the custard and turn it on, but I am v happy with it. 

[mcmich]

This all very interesting as I was considering buying an ice cream maker last summer. I think there was similiar thread.
Now I think I will try a few in the TMX and then if enthusiastic still will look into getting one.  

[judydawn]

Julie, with the trouble I have connecting everything I have to leave it as you have it and then pour the custard into the bowl through the hole in the lid.  You can imagine how hard that is to do but it's the only way I can make sure the arm is connected correctly to the lid and that the arm sits flat in it's place.  If I try to assemble it after the custard is in the bowl, I cannot for the life of me get the arm to sit flat or connect to the lid.  

[Jonvic]

Afternoon Everyone

I am new to posting, so hope this ends up in the correct place.

I would highly recommend getting an ice cream maker. I originally began with the Cuisineart with the compressor & also found the problem with the lid not going on correctly, so I gifted it on.

I then purchased the Sunbeam machine with the compressor & I love it. I make up my base, then put the base in a container in the fridge to become cold. Once it is cold, I then churn it in the Sunbeam, I make a double batch at a time & do not have any problems with the ice-cream being too soft. However, we rarely eat it straight after it's been made, so it does go directly into the freezer after churning.

That said, the ice-cream when served directly from the freezer has the consistency of shop bought ice-cream.

Happy hunting!!

[Amanda]

Julie - I have the dual bowl Cuisinart so can make two different flavours at the same time.  So long as the custard is cold, they churn to soft frozen within an hour most times. I have plenty of room for the bowls in the freezer & just make sure I wash them and get them straight back in every time.

[JulieO]

Ooh Amanda, I haven't heard of a dual bowl one, sounds really good 

Judy, wish I lived in Adelaide then I could have had a look at it for you, no wonder you are frustrated.  Is it possible to have a play with it when not actually wanting to use it, just to see if you can get it locked in properly? You shouldn't have to put up with that.  That little opening is just for adding nuts etc.

Jonvic, is yours a Gelateria?  I've read good reviews on them. 

[Emme]

I had a Sunbeam Gelateria before the Cuisinart and the only thing about it that I did not like was having to put the salt & water under the bucket. One time I even ended up tipping the salt & water in the bucket  before the icecream mix not thinking what I was doing.  It was awful.  Don't know whether with the later models you still have to do that.
Marie 

[cookie1]

I have the Sunbeam compressor model and must admit I have been very pleased with it. I don't have trouble putting the teaspoon of salt in a tablespoon of water under the bucket. This helps with the freezing.
I make my custard the day before, leave it in the fridge overnight and churn the next day. It is lovely and creamy. Some icecreams do go rather hard, but I get around that by adding some vodka to the mixture and that stops it from going too hard.
I use mine summer and winter. I love the condensed milk one on here?which I churn in the icecream maker) and a couple of icecreams that Chookie has posted.

[judydawn]

Julie I have fiddled with it until I could have thrown it in the bin.  It is reasonably easy to put together when there is nothing in the bowl but almost impossible to do so when there is.  I guess I should write to Cuisinart and discuss my complaint with them, it certainly wasn't cheap.

[JulieO]

You should do Judy, you never know what you might hear back.