Are they worth it or are they a hassle? Most of the brands use corn syrup instead of sugar. I want all natural high quality. Can't seem to find it even in the so called premium brands.
Z...Wife and I had one sort of like this. https://www.hamiltonbeach.com/ice-cream-makers-4-quart-ice-cream-maker--68330n.html It was the kind you added ice and salt in a bucket, around a metal container with your ingredients. It has an electric motor. I sold mine at a garage sale when we moved to Texas. Biggest disadvantage was that it was noisy as heck. So, I stopped using it. I'd advise seeing anything in action before you decide to purchase to gauge how noisy it may be. If I were to get another, I'd get one that you don't need to add salt. Like this... https://www.hamiltonbeach.com/ice-cream-makers-1.5-quart-capacity-ice-cream-maker-68320.html You can't beat homemade ice cream! You control the quality of ingredients. How much flavoring. Etc. My grandma had a manual contraption, and every summer we used to make a ton of peach ice cream. She'd slice the peaches and prepare the mix. I'd be in charge of getting the ice and rock salt. Then I'd churn the bloody thing until my arm fell off. It was awesome!! I still think of my grandma every time I eat peach ice cream...T
Wow great memories. I buy a lot of ice cream in the summer. Control of ingredients is the biggest reason. All the expensive brands just seem to be going downhill and not worth the price. Like all of them using the fructose corn syrup. Even Ben and Jerry's had to stop advertising all natural because they add all kinds of cheaper ingredients now.
Nothing wrong with making your own; lets you experiment with unique and unusual flavor combinations, like bourbon/brown sugar/cheddar, Oloroso/roasted fig/chèvre, or chocolate/cinnamon/Sichuan peppercorn (this last one's tingly ). But if the issue is really your inability to find premium ice cream made with real ingredients, then I can tell you that looking to Ben & Jerry's for "premium" or "real" is a huge part of the problem. B&J's has never made premium ice cream, but the original "premium" brand still does: - Haagen Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream, ingredients: cream, skim milk, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract - Haagen Dazs Chocolate Ice Cream, ingredients: cream, skim milk, sugar, cocoa processed with alkali, egg yolks - Haagen Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream, ingredients: cream, skim milk, strawberries, sugar, egg yolks - Haagen Dazs Coffee Ice Cream, ingredients: cream, skim milk, sugar, egg yolks, coffee - Haagen Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ingredients: cream, skim milk, sugar, egg yolks, chocolate, cocoa processed with alkali, peanut butter (peanuts, peanut oil, sugar, salt) - Haagen Dazs Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, ingredients: vanilla ice cream: cream, skim milk, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract. chocolate cookie pieces: wheat flour, sugar, coconut oil, cocoa processed with alkali, baking soda, chocolate, salt. Of course, if you wander off into flavors with fudge swirls, caramel ribbons, etc, then you're going to start seeing ingredients that allow these things to remain soft and gooey while suspended in frozen ice cream, like corn syrup and pectin.
We have had a Phillips HR2302 Ice Cream maker for many years. They were manufactured in Austria and can produce about 1.2 litres in around 30 minutes. The recipe book that came with it is comprehensive and the process is simple to follow. It is used every summer and knocks out a great natural treat every time!
We have an older Cuisinart model that makes 1.5 qts and that's been plenty for us. We actually prefer to make sorbet with fresh fruit as opposed to ice cream. Kitchen Aid makes a bowl and paddle that attaches to their stand mixer if you want to go that route. The nice thing about a self contained one is you can put it somewhere so you don't hear it running.
I think it would be more fun to make my own. Haagen Dazs is available, but very expensive, so stores tend not to carry it. Limited distribution here. Its also owned by Nestle, I try to avoid buying their products whenever possible. I'm still mad about the changes to the Aero chocolate bar and other reasons. In summer on weekends I can have up to 10 people over. So we go through a ton of summer treats, etc. Think it would be better if we made it ourselves.
I have a cheap one that works pretty well, don't remember the brand off hand. It's the kind where you keep the bowl in the freezer until you are ready to use it, then add the ingredients, and it has a little automatic stirrer to do the work for you. The only issue I have with it is that it's too small. When you have 3 kids, ice cream goes fast. So, I suggest that whichever one you get, get the biggest sized model.
Yes, it would be the biggest available. This year I want to go back to how things used to get done. Summers growing up most weekends my family, grand parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc. Would end up at my parents house. We'd all make common summer picnic stuff. Now days similar happens at my house. Few less people. But I've been buying most things in bulk at Costco. Fried chicken, potato salads, even sandwich platters, etc. This year I want to do everything homemade including ice cream. The plan wasn't entirely my idea. I was watching something on the Food Network. I ended up catching this show called The Pioneer Woman. She cooks for an entire ranch. So most of her dishes, etc. are for large family groups. She made ice cream on one episode.
+1 on sorbet. Having high cholesterol, I always tried to cheat on the amount of cream & such. Not liking overly sweet, I cheat on the amount of sugar in recipes. I found it hard to get the right consistency and mouth feel on ice cream if you didn't go whole hog. Fruit sorbet, on the other hand, I could cut back on the sugar and still get something that tasted good (to me) and also good texture...T
If so, have I got the ice cream maker for you! http://www.whitemountainproducts.com/ice-cream-makers/white-mountain-6-quart-hand-crank-ice-cream-maker/PBWMIMH612.html?gclid=CLynuPazqswCFQepaQodRIsEtg&kwid=productads-adid%5E55532709370-device%5Em-plaid%5E81931597930-sku%5EPBWMIMH612-adType%5EPLA Fully Y1K compliant! T
Thanks. That would be perfect. On a summer weekend. I get my parents both brothers, SIL, nephew with a few friends, aunt, uncles with cousins and their friends. Cousin are young, uncle got remarried and had more kids. Can be anywhere from 10 to 20 people all weekend.
I opted for this one http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/big-boss-25l-ice-cream-maker/6000061218668 thought Id try it out. If I like it I'll buy a better bigger one or just buy another and run two makers.
The secret to good Ice cream is the ratio of fat to water. too much water - you get icy crystals too much fat, it never really stays creamy and melts way to fast. I always strain the custard first, and then refrigerate before putting in the maker. use flavoring oils vs. extracts. you can get them at any good cooking store or like at Williams Sonoma. it only takes a few drops to flavor a liter of custard. if you like chunks of stuff in your ice cream, you have to add it in layers and make sure its very cold as well. I love pistachio ice cream and use half un salted and half salted.. I add the salted right towards the end.
