The Cuisinart ICE-30, available from amazon*, is a domestic ice cream maker with a large 1.89 litre (2 quart) freezer bowl that needs to be frozen for at least 12 hours before it can be used. After nearly 7 years of use (this was the first ice cream machine I ever bought), I’ve found that it makes good ice cream that is smooth and creamy, but does have just a few icy bits that are detectable in the mouth. It produces ice cream that isn’t quite as smooth and creamy as the upgraded Cuisinart ICE-70* or the Cuisinart ICE-100*, which has an in-built freezing system. My only complaints are the noise this machine makes and the poorly-designed dasher.
You can view the top selling ice cream machines on amazon by clicking here*.
My Review Method
I’ve used a slightly unconventional method of review. Let me explain. The best ice creams in the world have a smooth and creamy texture. This texture, primarily associated with a high milk fat content, is also determined by the average size of the ice crystals: smooth and creamy ice cream requires the majority of ice crystals to be small. If many crystals are large, the ice cream will be perceived as being coarse or icy.
Because ice crystal size is a critical factor in the development of smooth texture, I’ve discussed the key principles that underpin ice crystal formation and growth, and how these principles are affected by the features of the Cuisinart ICE-30. By having an understanding of these key principles, I hope that you’ll be in a better position to evaluate this machine. If you’re short on time, you can skip to the Summary of this review. If you fancy a nice long read, then sit back, grab yourself a hot cup of cocoa, and the enjoy this comprehensive review.
Table of Contents
1. Ice Crystals in Ice Cream
Ice crystals range in size from about 1 to over 150 μm in diameter, with an average size of about 25 μm in commercial ice cream (Donhowe & Hartel, 1996; Hagiwara & Hartel, 1996; Hartel, 1996; Koxholt et al., 2000; Marshall et al., 2003; Sofjan & Hartel, 2004). Small ice crystals, around 10 to 20 µm in size, give ice cream its smooth and creamy texture, whereas larger ice ice crystals, greater than 50 μm, impart a grainy texture (Marshall et al., 2003; Eisner et al, 2005; Drewett & Hartel, 2007). To produce ice cream with the smallest possible ice crystals, it’s important to develop an understanding of ice formation (known as crystallisation) during the freezing of ice cream.
Ice cream is frozen in two stages, the first being a dynamic process where the mix is frozen in a scraped-surface freezer (SSF) (an ice cream machine) whilst being agitated by the rotating dasher, a mixing device with sharp scraper blades attached, to incorporate air, destabilise the fat, and form ice crystals. Upon exiting the SSF, the ice cream, at about -5°C to -6°C (23°F to 21.2°F) and with a consistency similar to soft-serve ice cream, undergoes static freezing where it is hardened in a freezer without agitation until the core reaches a specified temperature, usually -18°C (-0.4°F). Cook & Hartel (2010) argue that the dynamic freezing stage is arguably the most important step in creating ice cream because this is the only stage in which ice crystals are formed.
1.1 Nucleation
During dynamic freezing, the ice cream mix is added to the SSF at between 0°C and 4°C (32°F and 39.2°F). As the refrigerant absorbs the heat in the mix, a layer of water freezes to the cold barrel wall causing rapid nucleation, that is the birth of small ice crystals (Hartel, 2001). For smooth and creamy ice cream, it’s important to have a high rate of nucleation so as to form as many small ice crystals as possible (Hartel, 1996). The more ice crystals that are formed during dynamic freezing, the more will be preserved during static freezing, resulting in a smaller average crystal size and smoother texture (Cook & Hartel, 2010).
1.2 Growth and Recrystallisation
The crystals that form at the cold barrel wall are then scraped off by the rotating scraper blades and dispersed into the centre of the barrel, where warmer mix temperatures cause some crystals to melt and others to grow and undergo recrystallisation. Recrystallisation is defined as “any change in number, size, shape… of crystals” (Fennema, 1973) and basically involves small crystals disappearing, large crystals growing, and crystals fusing together. The greater the extent of growth and recrystallisation in the centre of the barrel, the larger the ice crystals will be. Russell et al. (1999) found that crystallisation during the freezing of ice cream is dominated by recrystallisation and growth and that these mechanisms appear to be more important than nucleation in determining the final crystal population.
2. Factors Affecting Nucleation, Growth, and Recrystallisation
2.1 The Scraper Blades
Nucleation is affected by the rate of heat transfer from the mix to the cold freezer barrel, with a high rate of heat transfer promoting a high rate of nucleation (Hartel, 1996; Goff & Hartel, 2013). Because heat travels more slowly through ice than stainless steel, ice build up on the freezer barrel wall acts as an insulator and lowers the rate of heat transfer.
Keeping the scraper blades sharp and close to the barrel wall helps promote a high rate of heat transfer by scraping off any ice that forms at the barrel wall (Goff & Hartel, 2013). Ben Lakhdar et al. (2005) found that a large gap between the scraper blades and the barrel wall slowed heat transfer. This was attributed to a permanent ice layer, which forms between the blades and the wall only when the gap is high enough (3mm). When the gap is 1mm, the ice layer is not strong enough and is periodically removed from the wall.
Does the Cuisinart ICE-30 leave a gap between the scraper blades and the bowl wall?
The Cuisinart ICE-30 comes with a plastic dasher that has both a vertical and a horizontal plastic scraper arm. These act similarly to detachable scraper blades in commercial machines by scraping off ice that forms on the bowl wall. When inserted into the bowl, the horizontal arm sits on the bottom of the bowl, and the vertical arm against the bowl wall, leaving a gap of between 2mm and 3mm. This results in a relatively thick layer of ice build up on the bowl wall as the ice cream freezes, which lowers the rate of heat transfer.
Cuisinart have improved the dasher design in the upgraded Cuisinart ICE-70*, which leaves a smaller gap of just 1mm between the vertical arm and the bowl wall, resulting in minimal ice build up on the bowl wall.
TIP #1
About half way up the dasher is a horizontal plastic arm that links the vertical scraper arm to a vertical arm directly opposite. I’ve noticed is that after about 8 minutes of dynamic freezing, ice cream starts to stick to this horizontal linking arm in the centre of the bowl. Because temperatures in the centre are warmer than at the bowl wall, the longer these static clumps of ice cream spend in the centre of the bowl, the more ice crystal growth and recrystallisation will occur, and the grainer the texture is likely to be. It’s therefore important to keep an eye on your ice cream during dynamic freezing and use a spoon to disperse any static clumps that form on the horizontal plastic arm in the centre of the bowl. The idea is to keep ice cream moving inside the bowl to ensure that it makes contact with the cold bowl wall.
2.2 Air In Ice Cream
The amount of air incorporated into a mix during dynamic freezing, referred to as the overrun, affects the size of the ice crystals, with slightly larger ice crystals observed at a lower overrun (Arbuckle, 1977; Flores & Goff, 1999b). Flores and Goff (1999a) suggested that overrun below 50% does not influence ice crystal size, but the amount of air cells at 70% overrun is just enough to prevent collisions among ice crystals, which can result in an increase in crystal size. Sofjan & Hartel (2004) found that increasing the overrun in ice cream (from 80% to 100% or 120%) led to the formation of smaller ice crystals, although the effect was relatively small.
How much air does it whip into ice cream?
Unlike most domestic ice cream machines, the powerful drive gear in the ICE-30 rotates the large 1.89 litre (2 quart) bowl around the dasher, instead of the other way around. The bowl rotates at 20 revolutions per minute (rpm), which I’ve found incorporates about 22% air into 900ml (0.95 quart) of ice cream mix, producing about 1100 ml (1.16 quart) of ice cream that is nice and dense, which I prefer over lighter ice creams with a higher air content.
I’ve found that as the batch size increases, so too does the air content: 1200 ml (1.27 quart) of mix produces about 1580 ml (1.67 quart) of ice cream with about 32% air.
Does it make gelato?
Yes, the Cuisinart ICE-30 does make gelato. Italian-style ice cream is referred to as gelato, the Italian word for ice cream. There are, however, significant differences between traditional gelato and regular ice cream: gelato is typically lower in milk fat (4-8% in gelato, 10-18% in ice cream), total solids (36-43% in gelato, 36->40% in ice cream), and air (20-40% in gelato, 25-120% in ice cream) but higher in sugar (up to 25% in gelato, 14-22% in ice cream) (Goff & Hartel, 2013). Gelato also tends to be softer, more pliable and stickier than ice cream, and is served at warmer temperatures. Because the ICE-30 incorporates about 22% air, well within the typical 20-40% range for gelato, as long as you use a gelato recipe, it will happily produce gelato.
2.3 The Freezer Barrel Wall Temperature
The temperature at the freezer barrel wall, or the bowl wall in the case of the ICE-30, has also been found to affect the rate of nucleation and recrystallisation. Drewett & Hartel (2007) found that decreasing the coolant temperature at the freezer barrel wall caused higher ice crystal nucleation rates and reduced recrystallisation in the warmer bulk mix, which helped the ice crystals remain small. Similarly, Russell et al. (1999) found that as the freezer barrel temperature was lowered, the nucleation rate increased accordingly. Cook & Hartel (2011) simulated ice cream freezing in an ice cream machine by freezing ice cream mix in a thin layer on a microscope cold stage. The temperature at which ice cream mix was frozen on the cold stage varied from -7, -10, -15, and -20°C (19, 14, 5, and -4°F). They found that warmer freezing temperatures gave more elongated and slightly larger crystals with a wider size distribution.
To promote rapid nucleation and minimise recrystallisation, the temperature of the refrigerant should fall within the range of -23°C to -29°C (-10°F to -20°F) (Goff & Hartel, 2013), with the freezer barrel wall temperature estimated to be a few degrees warmer.
Do you have to freeze the bowl?
Unlike the Cuisinart ICE-100, which has an in-built freezing system, the 1.89 litre (2 quart) removable bowl in the ICE-30 has to be pre-frozen for at least 12 hours, 24 hours preferably, before it can be used. I’ve found that the ICE-30 produces ice cream that is significantly creamier when the bowl is frozen at -26°C (-14.8°F) than at -18°C (-0.4°F). This makes sense because, as stated in section 2.3 above, lower bowl temperatures promote the formation of smaller ice crystals. I’ve also found that it takes about 7 minutes longer to freeze a 900 ml (0.95 quart) batch of ice cream when the bowl is frozen at -18°C (-0.4°F), which, as we will see in section 2.5 below, results in larger ice crystals and grainier texture.
In a question posted on amazon, which you can read here, a user has asked why, after a week in the freezer, their bowl ins’t freezing the mixture. I’d bet my last litre of ice cream that this is because their freezer was somewhere around the -18°C (-0.4°F) mark, if not warmer, when they froze their bowl.
TIP #2
It’s important to get your freezer down to as cold a temperature as it will go when freezing your bowl. The colder you can get the bowl, the quicker it will freeze your ice cream, and the creamier the texture is likely to be. I’d recommend freezing your bowl at around -26°C (-14.8°F) for 24 hours. If your freezer is warmer than -18°C (-0.4°F), you may find that it takes longer to freeze your ice cream mix, or that your mix doesn’t actually freeze properly and remains in a sludgy state. A tip to check whether the bowl is ready to use after it’s been frozen is to shake it. If you hear a sloshing sound, the freezing gel inside the bowl needs longer to freeze. It’s also important that you start churning your ice cream as soon as the bowl is taken out of the freezer. The freezing gel will start to warm as soon as the bowl is taken out of the freezer, resulting in warmer bowl wall temperatures. It’s also a good idea to cover the top of the bowl with cling film when placing it in the freezer. This will prevent vapour from condensing and freezing to the bowl wall and then melting into your mix.
What is the bowl made from?
The 1.89 litre (2 quart) bowl is made from aluminium coated with xylan (polypropylene). It’s important not to use sharp objects when scooping out the ice cream to avoid scratching the xylan coating. A wooden spoon does the job nicely.
2.4 Draw Temperature
The draw temperature is the temperature at which ice cream is removed from the barrel once dynamic freezing is complete. In commercial machines, this is usually -5°C to -6°C (23°F to 21.2°F) (Goff & Hartel, 2013). Draw temperature significantly influences mean ice crystal size because it determines how much water is frozen during dynamic freezing and, consequently, how many ice crystals are formed. Caillet et al. (2003) found that decreasing the draw temperature resulted in more water being frozen and increased ice crystal content. The more ice crystals that are formed during dynamic freezing, the more will be preserved during static freezing, resulting in a smaller average crystal size and smoother texture (Cook & Hartel, 2010). Drewett & Hartel (2007) showed that ice crystals were larger at draw temperatures from -3°C to -6°C (26.6°F to 21.2°F). When the draw temperatures were colder than -6°C (21.2°F), the mean ice crystal size decreased.
Low Temperature Extrusion
Bolliger (1996) and Windhab et al. (2001) investigated the influence of Low Temperature Extrusion (LTE) freezing of ice cream, where ice cream exiting the SSF at -5°C to -6°C (23°F to 21.2°F) is frozen further to about -13°C to -15°C (8.6°F to 5°F) in an extruder with slowly rotating screws, on the ice crystal size in comparison to conventional draw temperatures. It was shown that the mean ice crystal size was reduced by a factor of 2 by means of the LTE process compared to conventional freezing. Sensorial properties like consistency, melting behaviour, coldness, and scoopability also showed clearly improved values (Windhab, 2001).
Besides the ice crystal size, the size and distribution of air cells and fat globules are of primary importance, especially on the sensorial aspect of creaminess. To obtain creamier ice cream, it is important to generate ice crystals, air cells, and fat globule aggregates as small as possible (Wildmoser et al., 2004). LTE helps to prevent air bubbles from coming together, thereby retaining the smallest size distribution (Eisner et al., 2005). Air Bubbles in the 10-15 μm range have been reported in LTE frozen ice cream, compared to conventionally frozen ice cream samples with bubbles in the 40-70 μm range (Bolliger et al., 2000b). LTE also helps to reduce the size of agglomerated fat globules compared to conventionally frozen ice cream (Windhab & Bolliger, 1998a, b). Furthermore, LTE generally promotes enhanced fat destabilisation, which is partially responsible for slow melting and good shape retention (Bolliger et al., 2000b). The percentage of the fat droplets destabilisation in the LTE treated ice cream can be twice that achieved during the conventional freezing process (Soukoulis & Fisk, 2016).
Because of smaller air bubble and fat globule aggregates sizes, as well as a higher degree of foam stability (fat globule destabilisation), LTE ice cream is evaluated creamier than conventionally produced ice cream (Wildmoser et al., 2004). What I’ve found during testing is that ice cream extracted at draw temperatures of between -11.4 and -12.9°C (11.48°F and 8.78°F) is indeed perceived as being slightly creamier than that extracted at conventional draw temperatures of around -6°C (21.2°F).
How do you know when the ice cream is ready?
The gear system and motor under the bowl is strong enough to continue rotating the bowl until the ice cream freezes to a low draw temperature of between -10°C and -12.8°C (14°F and 9.°F). This is a plus because on some machines I’ve tried, the drive mechanism isn’t strong enough to continue rotating the dasher until sufficient water has frozen, resulting in relatively warm draw temperatures. A cheap infra-red thermometer is a good way to check when your ice cream is ready.
Extraction Time
During extraction, it’s important to balance trying to minimise wastage with minimising the extraction time. The longer it takes to extract ice cream from the bowl and get it into a freezer for static hardening, the longer it spends at relatively warm room temperatures where recrystallisation and growth occur very rapidly. The greater the extent of recrystallisation and growth, the larger the ice crystals are likely to be. It takes me about 1 minute to extract my ice cream from the ICE-30. I’ve found that removing the dasher before extracting the ice cream makes things easier.
2.5 Residence Time
Residence time, which refers to the length of time ice cream spends in the barrel and takes to reach its draw temperature, has a significant effect on the final ice crystal size distribution, with shorter residence times producing ice creams with smaller ice crystals due to a decline in recrystallisation (Russell et al., 1999; Koxholt et al., 2000; Goff & Hartel, 2013; Drewett & Hartel, 2007; Cook & Hartel, 2010). Longer residence times mean that ice cream spends more time in the bulk zone of the barrel where warmer temperatures cause rapid recrystallisation. Donhowe & Hartel (1996) measured a recrystallisation rate at -5°C (23°F) of 42 μm/day. At this rate, a size increase of around 8 μm would be expected over a 10 minute period. This matches almost exactly the increase in crystal size observed by Russell et al. (1999) at a slightly different temperature of -4°C (24.8°F). Clearly, the longer ice cream remains in the barrel at temperatures where recrystallisation occurs very rapidly, the greater the extent of recrystallisation and the larger the ice crystals.
A high rate of heat transfer and colder barrel wall temperatures contribute significantly to shorter residence times. Lower barrel wall temperatures lower the bulk temperature of the ice cream faster, reducing residence time and improving the ice crystal size distribution (Russell et al., 1999; Drewett & Hartel, 2007). Investigating the effect of draw temperature, dasher speed, and residence time on ice crystal size, Drewett & Hartel (2007) concluded that residence time had the greatest impact on final crystal size distribution, followed by drawing temperature and dasher speed.
How long does it take to freeze a batch of ice cream?
I’ve found that it takes 31 minutes and 30 seconds to freeze 900 ml (0.95 quart) of ice cream mix to a draw temperature of around -12°C (10.4°F). This is slightly longer than the 28 minutes and 30 seconds to freeze 900 ml (0.95 quart) of ice cream mix to a draw temperature of between -11.4°C and -12.9°C (12.02°F and 8.78°F) in the upgraded Cuisinart ICE-70. I’ve also found that increasing the batch size results in an increase in freezing time: it takes 39 minutes to freeze 1200 ml (1.27 quart) of mix to a draw temperature of around -10°C (14°F).
How much ice cream does it make?
Although the instruction manual, which you can read here, states ‘do not fill the bowl higher than 1/2 inch from the top’, I’ve found the optimum quantity to be far less at 900 ml (0.95 quart) of ice cream mix. Although it can freeze more than 900 ml (0.95 quart) of mix, doing so increases the freezing time and, more importantly, pushes ice cream up against the lid and into the rim of the bowl where warmer temperatures cause rapid ice crystal growth and recrystallisation. I’ve tested it with 1200 ml (1.27 quart) of mix and found that although it produced smooth and creamy ice cream, there were far more icy and grainy bits.
Can the Cuisinart ICE-30 make 1/2 quart?
Yes it is able to freeze 500ml (0.53 quart) batches, producing about 570 ml (0.6 quart) of ice cream with about 14% air in 25 minutes, which has the same smooth and creamy consistency as the larger 900 ml (0.95 quart) batches.
Can it freeze batches back-to-back?
Unlike the Cuisinart ICE-100, the ICE-30 can’t freeze 2 or more batches consecutively. Once you finish churning a batch, the bowl has to be cleaned, dried, and frozen again for a minimum of 12 hours, ideally 24 hours, before the next batch can be churned.
Can I buy more bowls?
If you’re looking to make more than 1 batch at a time, you can order spare 1.89 litre (2 quart) bowls from amazon*. Just make sure that you have enough space in your freezer for the extra bowls.
3. General Questions
What are the dimensions, Weight, and Voltage?
The Cuisinart ICE-30 measures 29.7 cm (11.7″) in height with the bowl and top on, 22.5 cm (8.9″) in length, and 20.8 cm (8.2″) in width, and weighs 4.7 kg (10.4 lbs) with the bowl, dasher, and the lid on. The bowl by itself weighs 2.1 kg (4.6 lbs) and measures 19.7 cm (7.8″) in diameter, and 16.4 cm (6.5″) in height. Here in the U.K, it runs on 230v 50Hz and draws 25 watts. In the U.S it’s 120v 60Hz and draws 50 watts.
What is the Warranty?
In the U.K, the ICE-30 comes with an impressive 5 year warranty; in the U.S, it’s a 3 year warranty. In the 7 years that I’ve had this work horse, I haven’t had any problems with it, nor have I needed to have it repaired. The only slight hiccup I’ve had is a crack in one of the corners of the plastic lid after dropping it on the floor. Oops.
Is it easy to clean?
Yes I’ve found it very easy to clean. The dasher and lid are dishwasher safe but the bowl isn’t. The brushed chrome finish does attract a lot of finger marks and so needs to be regularly wiped with a damp cloth.
Does it make good ice cream?
I’ve found that the Cuisinart ICE-30 produces good ice cream that is smooth and creamy but does have a few coarse or icy bits that are detectable in the mouth. This shouldn’t put you off this machine as the texture of the ice cream is, in my opinion, smoother and creamier than the Haagen Dazs I bought last night from the supermarket.
How does the Cuisinart ICE-30 compare to the upgraded Cuisinart ICE-70?
The Cuisinart ICE-70*, sadly not yet available for sale here in the U.K, is the update to the ICE-30 released in August 2014. When I tested both machines, I really wanted to be able to write that the cheaper ICE-30 makes exactly the same ice cream as the updated ICE-70. After all, both use the same 1.89 litre (2 quart) aluminium bowl. Alas it was not to be. After churning two identical 900 ml (0.95 quart) batches of ice cream after having frozen both bowls in the same freezer at -25°C (-13°F) for 24 hours, I found that the batch made in the ICE-70 was slightly creamier, with that made in the ICE-30 having more pronounced sandy bits.
The ICE-30 took slightly longer to freeze the mix to a draw temperature of between -12°C and -12.8°C (10.4°F and 8.96°F) (36 minutes for the ICE-30, compared to 31 minutes for the ICE-70). Interestingly, I found that although both bowls were frozen in the same freezer, the ICE-30 bowl was just very slightly warmer (-25°C (-13°F), compared to -26.8°C (-16.24°F) for the ICE-70 bowl). My guess is that this may have been because I have had my ICE-30 bowl for 7 years and perhaps the freezing gel isn’t as efficient at freezing as it used to be.
If you can afford it, I think the updated ICE-70 is worth the extra pennies.
4. My complaints
The first of two complaints I have about this machine is the amount of noise it makes. It produces a whopping 91db of noise, measured at 15cm (5.9″) from the machine, after 25 minutes of use, the loudest of any domestic machine I’ve tried. I’ve found that sitting in the same room with this machine on isn’t the most comfortable way to spend an afternoon. The noise this machine makes seems to be one of the most common complaints from users in their amazon reviews.
My second complaint is that the dasher could be better designed so that 1. it sits much closer to the bowl wall, and 2. so ice cream doesn’t clump in the centre of the bowl during freezing, where warmer temperatures cause rapid ice crystal growth and recrystallisation.
5. Summary
After 7 years of use, I’ve found that the Cuisinart ICE-30* produces good ice cream that is dense, smooth, and creamy, but does have a few icy or coarse bits that are detectable in the mouth. It doesn’t quite match the quality of the ice cream produced in the updated Cuisinart ICE-70* or the Cuisinart ICE-100*, which has an in-built freezing system. It has an optimum capacity of 900ml (0.95 quart) of ice cream mix, producing about about 1100 ml (1.16 quart) of ice cream with about 22% air in 31 minutes and 30 seconds. I’ve tested batch sizes up to 1200ml (1.27 quart) of ice cream mix and have found that although it’s able to freeze these larger batch sizes, texture deteriorates.
To get the best out of this machine, it’s important to get your freezer’s temperature down to as low a temperature as it will go. Lower bowl temperatures promote the formation of smaller ice crystals and creamier texture. I’d recommend freezing the large 1.89 litre (2 quart) removable bowl for 24 hours at around -26°C (-14.8°F). Freezing the bowl at -18°C (-0.4°F) produces ice cream with larger ice crystals and coarser texture. My only complaints are the noise this machine makes (it’s the noisiest domestic machine I’ve tried), and the design of the dasher, which leaves a relatively large gap of between 2mm and 3mm between the scraper arm and the bowl wall and allows ice cream to clump to the horizontal arm in the centre of the bowl, both of which contribute to greater ice crystal growth and sandier texture.
Overall, I’ve found the ICE-30 to be a reliable machine that makes good ice cream, albeit with icey or coarse bits that are detectable in the mouth. If you can stretch your budget, I’d recommend going with the updated ICE-70 because of the smoother and creamier ice cream it makes.
6. What The * Means
Transparency is key. On that note, I haven’t been paid to write this review, nor was I given this machine for free. I paid for this bad boy with my own money and have written this review in my own time. If there is a * after a link, it means that I will earn a payment if you go through it and make a purchase on amazon. This doesn’t increase the cost of what you purchase, nor do these links influence what I write, ever.
References
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Ben Lakhdar, M., Cerecero, R., Alvarez, G., Guilpart, J., Flick, D., and Lallemand, A., 2005. Heat transfer with freezing in a scraped surface heat exchanger. Applied Thermal Engineering. 25(1), 45–60.
Bolliger, S., 1996. Freeze structuring in food systems under mechanical energy input. Dissertation no. 11914, Department of Food Science, ETH, ZuK rich, Switzerland.
Bolliger, S., Goff, H. D., and Tharp, B. W., 2000a. Correlation between colloidal properties of ice cream mix and ice cream. Int. Dairy J. 10:303–309.
Bolliger, S., Kornbrust, B., Goff, H. D., Tharp, B. W., and Windhab, E. J., 2000b. Influence of emulsifiers on ice cream produced by conventional freezing and low-temperature extrusion processing. Int. Dairy J. 10:497–504.
Caillet, A., Cogne, C., Andrieu, J., Laurent, P., and Rivoire, A., 2003. Characterization of ice cream structure by direct optical microscopy. Influence of freezing parameters. Lebensm Wiss U Technol. 36:743–749.
Cook, K. L. K., and Hartel, R. W., 2010. Mechanisms of Ice Crystallisation in Ice Cream Production. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 9(2).
Cook, K. L. K., and Hartel, R. W., 2011. Effect of freezing temperature and warming rate on dendrite break-up when freezing ice cream mix. International Dairy Journal. 21(6).
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Donhowe, D. P., and Hartel, R. W., 1996. Recrystallization of ice during bulk storage of ice cream. Int Dairy J. 6(11–12):1209–21.
Donhowe, D. P. (1993) Ice Recrystallization in Ice Cream and Ice Milk. PhD thesis, University of Wisconsm-Madison.
Drewett, E. M., and Hartel, R. W., 2007. Ice crystallisation in a scraped surface freezer. Journal of Food Engineering. 78(3).
Eisner, M. D., Wildmoser, H., and Windhab, E. J., 2005. Air cell microstructuring in a high-viscous ice cream matrix. Colloids Surf A. 263(1–3). 390–9.
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Flores, A. A., and Goff, H. D., 1999a. Ice crystal size distributions in dynamically frozen model solutions and ice cream as affected by stabilizers. Journal of Dairy Science. 82. 1399–1407.
Flores, A. A., and Goff, H. D., 1999b. Recrystallization in ice cream after constant and cycling temperature storage conditions as affected by stabilizers. Journal of Dairy Science. 82, 1408–1415.
Goff, H. D., and Hartel R. W., 2013. Ice Cream. Seventh Edition. New York Springer.
Hagiwara, T., and Hartel, R. W. 1996. Effect of sweetener, stabilizer, and storage temperature on ice recrystallization in ice cream. J Dairy Sci. 79(5):735–44.
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Hartel, R. W., 2001. Crystallisation in foods. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers.
Koxholt, M., Eisenmann, B., and Hinrichs, J., 2000. Effect of process parameters on the structure of ice cream. Bur Dairy Mag. 1:27-30.
Marshall, R. T., Goff, H. D., and Hartel R. W., 2003. Ice cream (6th ed). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
Russell, A. B., Cheney, P. E., and Wantling, S. D., 1999. Influence of freezing conditions on ice crystallisation in ice cream. Journal of Food Engineering. 29.
Sofjan, R., P., and Hartel, R. W., 2004. Effects of overrun on structural and physical characteristics of ice cream. International Dairy Journal. 14, 255-262.
Soukoulis, C., and Fisk, I., 2016. Innovative Ingredients and Emerging Technologies for Controlling Ice Recrystallization, Texture, and Structure Stability in Frozen Dairy Desserts: A Review, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 56:15, 2543-2559,
Wildmoser, H., Scheiwiller, J., and Windhab, E. J., 2004. Impact of disperse microstructure on rheology and quality aspects of ice cream. Food Sci. Technol. 37:881–891.
Windhab, E., and Bolliger, S., 1998a. Low temperature ice-cream extrusion technology and related ice cream properties. European Dairy Magazine, 10, p.24-28.
Windhab, E. J., and Bolliger, S., 1998b. New developments in ice-cream freezing technology and related on-line measuring techniques. In W. Buchheim, Ice cream (p. 112-130). Special Issue 9803, Brussels, Belgium: International Dairy Federation.
Windhab, E. J., Wildmoser, H. et al., 2001. Production en continu de crème glacée, Revue Genèrale Du FROID, 1011. 49-54.
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OK
1. You’re a nerd. Thankfully, the world needs more nerds.
2. The richness and less-iciness of ice cream results in cooking, on a stove/over heat: milk (or cream), sugar and, most importantly, egg yolks. Once cooled, chill for four (4) hours in fridge or cooling device of your choice (rigorously tested and approved by the scientific community, no doubt). Then churn by hand or whatever mechanized means of your choice. Then freeze a minimum of two (2) hours.
3. Be sure to share your now splendidly creamy/iceless ice cream with a suitable mate for procreation because future generations need that big brain of yours. Don’t let them down, they are counting in you!
Hi,
Do you thin using the ICE-70 dasher in this would provide better results? Sort of a cheap upgrade to the machine?
I want to turn my Popsicle machine into two in one. I just got that idea to reduce cost and bill everything. you know the Popsicle machine is water based and has tank. The water which is glycol gel Or salt solution; is cooled and remain at temp like -17 or so.
I recently got an idea to put a steel bowl in the tank. Then make a blending unit whose blades will cover the bowl and it would stand on floor. While the bowl will remain cold and freeze mix being in tank; the blender will blend it. based on your experience do you think this idea can work.
Or i better buy some gelato machine
Hi Sobia,
Thanks for getting in touch. Your popsicle machine idea sounds interesting. If modifying it isn’t expensive, it may be a good idea to give it a try. My only concern is that the temperature of your bowl will probably increase from -17°C when you add the relatively warm ice cream mix. Warmer bowl temperatures mean that it will take longer to freeze the mix and produce larger ice crystals, which will likely give you grainy texture. Ideally, you want to leave your freezer bowl in a freezer set to around -24°C for 24 hours.
I hope that helps.
Ruben
I hope you are still taking comments.
Great blog, and I learned a lot. I’ve made 20-30 batches of ice cream and sorbet in my Cuisinart ICE-21. I have tried to be very scientific, which is why I like your blog, but while I now have a pretty good idea of how cold to get my bowl (-8 degrees F seems to work well, as measured by a point-and-shoot infrared thermometer), and when to pull the ice cream (about 21 degrees as measured by my Thermapen thermometer), I have not been able to find any good advice about how cold to chill my ingredients before pouring them into the machine. Most recipes just say to “chill in the fridge for several hours,” but provide no temperatures. Your blog is the first place I’ve found that at least provides a range says to get the ingredients to a temperature between 32 and 39 F.
I’ve done a lot of experimenting and for awhile, in order to get the nucleation to happen really quickly, I was putting the ingredients in the freezer and getting them down to 28-30 degrees. The fat and sugar keep them from freezing at that point. However, what I found is that this low temperature caused little frozen lumps to appear during the early churning phase which then never broke apart. The worst example of this is when I bought some dry ice, which I put inside the freezing container, after it was already chilled to -8 degrees F. I did this on the theory that if I could get the container REALLY cold I’d get some great ice crystals. I put my 28 degree mixture into that super-chilled container (about -25) and had “ice cream” in about four minutes, but it was really lumpy.
So, I’ve settled on -8 degrees and won’t be buying any more dry ice, but I’m still stuck wondering what the optimal mixture temperature might be. I’m about to make another batch of vanilla ice cream (half & half, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla bean) and this time am going to use a warmer mixture of 34 degrees. I’ll keep moving up in temperature until I no longer get any frozen lumps.
So, if you’ve experimented with this at all, I’m all ears to learn what you found about the optimal mixture temperature just before pouring it into the machine.
Thanks!
Hi Ruben, thanks for the blog which has been very helpful in choosing an ice cream maker for personal use. I made my first batch of ice cream with the ICE-30 and it worked well, though I’m not completely satisfied because of the layer that builds up along the side of the bowl. If the ICE-70 had been available for purchase in the UK I would’ve bought it instead, as you mention the dasher design leaves less of a gap during the mixing process. I will try the thumb trick you posted in one of the comments below, but I was wondering if the ICE-70 dasher would fit in the ICE-30 machine. The bowl size appears to be the same…
Many thanks in advance for your advice
Hi there Jamie,
Thanks for getting in touch. Good to hear your ice cream turned out well. I tried the ICE-70 dasher in the ICE-30 yesterday and yes it does fit perfectly. You might want to check on amazon.com, or go directly through Cuisinart, to see if you can buy an ICE-70 dasher. I use my ICE-70, which i got from the US, with an inverter, which does the trick. I wouldn’t worry too much though about ice build up on the side of the bowl wall. Although not ideal, I’ve still managed to get decent results in my ICE-30.
Hope that helps. Let me know if you need a hand.
All the best,
Ruben
Where can I find the video of your preparing (pasteurizing) an ice cream base? I seem to recall its being on YouTube — now it seems to have disappeared! But where do I find your reply?
Hi there Jo!
Was it you that I replied to over e-mail about this question? If not, I took the videos of me preparing my mix off the blog because they were terrible. I’m planning on uploading some new recipe videos in the coming weeks.
All the best,
Ruben
Hi Ruben,
I learn how to make ice cream by following you!!! Your post and experiments are very detailed and useful! And I’m so excited to read your post whenever u upload them!!! .
Keep it up!!!
Love from Malaysia 🙂
Thank you Chern! 🙂
All the best to you in Malaysia.
Ruben
Hello, I have cuisinart CIM-60PC model Ice cream maker. Please tell me where can I find Mixing arm for this model.
Hi there Lhagva!
Thanks for getting in touch! The CIM-60PC appears to be exactly the same as the ICE-30 but in a different colour. I’d recommend getting the dasher for the ICE-30 from cuisinart.com to see if that works.
I hope that helps.
All the best,
Ruben
Ruben, I really appreciate this site and the way you share your expertise and passion about ice cream.
I have an ICE30 and I was wondering if it would help to apply a coating of oil to the inside of the freezer bowl before using it — if this might prevent the build-up of the conducting-blocking residue where the dasher makes incomplete contact with the bowl.
Hi there Jenn!
Many thanks for getting in touch! That’s a very interesting question. I probably wouldn’t recommend coating the freezer bowl wall with oil primarily because I wouldn’t want it getting in to my ice cream; oil may impart an unwanted flavour, depending on the oil you use, and also leave a lingering fat note in the mouth. You actually want the ice cream mix to touch the side of the bowl to promote nucleation, or the formation of many small ice crystals. Nucleation only occurs on the freezer bowl wall where the temperature is low enough. I don’t know know whether a coating of oil would have a detrimental effect on nucleation rates or reduce heat transfer. I say give it a go and see what the results are like!
Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the best,
Ruben
Hi Ruben
I’ve just tried my new ICE 30A and the first batch of gorgeous ingredients didn’t work! It was much the same consistency after the 35 mins as when it went in so I had to freeze it in the freezer. The recipe used pre-soaked almonds, cacao butter, cacao and honey (from a super healing ice cream recipe book), so not the usual fare. So I am wondering whether it might be the ingredients (although the guy has made tons of them and imagine they must work), or what could it be? I pre-froze the bowl for days. Could it just be the freezer temperature (although everything seems to freeze food fine and doesn’t ever go off). My fridge doesn’t have a thermometer showing the temp, but you can increase of decrease the coldness. Do you keep your freezer super cold all the time, or just when you make ice cream? And also wondering if there is an essential ingredient to making ice cream – i.e. like a certain amount of liquid or something? Thanks!
Hi there Viccles!
I’ve just realised that I didn’t reply to your question so apologies! If your mix is the same consistency after 35 minutes then I suspect that the bowl isn’t properly frozen. What temperature is your freezer set to? It’s advisable that you get your freezer bowl temperature down to -23 to -29°C (-10 to -20°F) for best results. Try switching your freezer down to its coldest setting to see if that helps. I use a super chill button on my chest freezer, which I always leave on because it’s my dedicated ice cream freezer, that gets the temperature down to around -27°C (-16.6°C).
You also need to make sure that the water content in your mix isn’t too high as this contributes to an increase in the freezing time and coarse or sandy texture. I’ve found a water content of around 45% in homemade ice cream to be ideal for smooth and creamy texture. I’m not sure what the water content in your recipe would be but I’d recommend adding more cocao butter and almonds to increase the solids and decrease the water content.
Protein is key in ice cream production but I don’t know what effect it, or a lack of, will have on your recipe as I haven’t tried non-dairy recipes before. Maybe this is something I will start playing around with when I have some free time.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the best,
Ruben
Many thanks Ruben … I’ll turn down freezer first – just located the button!
Hi Ruben!
Really appreciate this post as it is one of the most insightful reviews that I have come upon. You not only cover the ICE-30 itself but you also give us readers some advice on domestic ice cream machines and ice cream in general. I truly appreciate it, and it seems like you’ve helped countless others here as well.
I was hoping that you’d have the expertise to give me some advice on my ice-cream making. I bought the Cuisinart ICE 30 and intended to use it on coconut cream/milk based ice cream. I have tried several recipes on it already, but the main problem is that the machine does not freeze the recipe. I have kept the bowl frozen for more than 24 hours, and yet it comes out as liquid as it was before I placed it in the canister. I did notice that at the very bottom of the ice canister though, there were parts that almost formed ice cream (soft-serve), and so I believe that is a, good sign. I know the ICE 30 should be able to turn most kinds of recipes into creamy awesomeness, including coconut cream. I’m pretty excited to make that awesome creamy ice cream you describe here.
Hoping to hear from you!
Thanks!
Hi there Marcus!
Thanks for getting in touch! I hope the review helps. I suspect your freezer isn’t cold enough if your ICE-30 isn’t freezing your mixes. What temperature do you have your freezer set to? It won’t matter how long you leave your bowl in if your freezer’s temperature is too high. I’ve had trouble in the past with my ICE-30 not freezing a batch when I set my freezer to around -15°C to chill the bowl.
Does your freezer bowl make a gushing sound when you take it out of the freezer and give it a shake? If so, the freezing gel isn’t sufficiently frozen probably because the temperature is too high.
Your freezer should be at around -18°C, preferably between -20 to -25°C. Also place your bowl in the back of your freezer where the temperature is coldest.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you continue to have the same problem.
All the best,
Ruben
Hi Ruben!
Thanks for your advice, really appreciate it! So, I was actually able to get results. You were right, I needed to get the freezer bowl down to a lower temperature. I actually used the shake test, but even if there were no slushing sounds, I realized that the temperature of the liquid inside the bowl needed to go lower than freezing point. So, I froze my bowl for over 48 hours, instead of 24 hours. I also chilled my mix overnight. It worked like a charm! In fact, the mix formed in over 15 mins. Perfect.
Thank you also for your advice with regards to specific temperatures. I will take note of them. In fact, I’ve been meaning to measure the temperature of my freezer by placing a cooking thermometer (or a diff. kind) inside a container of alcohol or a certain oil. Hope it will work.
Really grateful for all the knowledge you’re sharing on this site. I’ve already learned a lot. Would it be possible to contact you through email? I actually tried using the email you gave on your site but I’m not sure if its still the right one.
Cheers!
Hi again Marcus!
Good to hear you got your ICE-30 working.
Sure, you can contact me at rubenporto at icecreamscience dot com (just change that at to @ and dot to .)
All the best,
Ruben
Hi Ruben! Love your page! Thanks for all the great info you’ve give me!
Hi Deborah!
No problem. I hope the blog helps.
All the best,
Ruben 🙂
Hi Ruben,
Would be glad if you helped with specs for the Cuisinart IC 30. I’d like to get one however what’s putting me down is the fact that in India you’l need appliances to work on a 240 V whereas IC 30 or any North American appliance works with a 110 V.
I could use a step-down converter/transformer to plug it in – however what’s more important are the Watts. I’ve searched Cuisinart’s website thoroughly and there’s no mention of Watts, Amps etc for IC30. Would you be able to share it for me to make an informed decision.
Thank You.
Regards from an Ice-cream lover,
Thomas, Kerala, India.
How much do you recommend when filling the freezer bowl? I have the same model of Cuisinart as you with a 2 quarts capacity. My instruction booklet says “Use Cuisinart’s recipes from the pages that follow, or use your own recipe, making sure it yields 2 quarts or less. Do not fill the freezer bowl higher than 1/2″ from the top.” This confused me because if I filled the freezer bowl no higher than 1/2″ from the top wouldn’t the freezer bowl be filled with 2 quarts of the ice cream mixture leaving not a lot of room to expand? 1/2″ as I measured is about from the top of the rim of the freezer bowl to where the opening of the freezer bowl would be which is where a 2 quarts ice cream mixture would fill.
Hi there Britt!
Thanks for getting in touch. I go by weight when filling the bowl and have never actually tried measuring the room that’s left. The most I have filled the bowl is about 1400g worth of ice cream mix. Don’t let the ice cream hit the lid as it expands as this is likely to cause it to lose shape and the ice crystals to start melting, which will likely result in coarse texture. If your ice cream touches the lid as it expands, you have used too much mix.
That doesn’t really answer your question but I hope it helps.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
All the best,
Ruben
I mix my recipes in a blender, and the max I can get in there is 6 cups (3 pints or 1 1/2 quarts)– or if I add just a little more it goes up to 1.50 liters on the metric side. This gives me a pretty big batch of ice cream, and my machine does well with it.
Thanks Ruben, much appreciated.
Hi Ruben,
I’ve just discovered your blog and love it. Great job!
I’m looking to buy my first ice-cream maker and start experimenting at home for the first time. So I have been reading your blog and other sources of information as there is quite a few considerations when making ice-cream.
Can the Cuisinart ICE-30 churn a 1kg batch or does it need to be done in two lots? In your comparison of machines you talk about the capacity and churn time. I really like the sound of the Cuisinart ICE-30 but I want to clarify whether I would need to churn my batch in two lots?
Reason why I ask is because I have the Gelato Messina recipe book and all recipes make 1kg batches. Gelato Messina makes the best gelato in Australia. After trying it I’ve become quite obsessed by Gelato Messina so want to try and recreate these recipes at home.
Many thanks,
Sandra
Hi Sandra!
Thanks for getting in touch! The ICE-30 can indeed churn a 1kg batch and it doesn’t need to be done in two lots; I think the most I have churned is about 1400g. The ICE-30 would be a good place to start for your first machine as it is relatively cheap and makes excellent ice cream. I’ve had mine for about 5 years now and it is still going strong!
Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
All the best,
Ruben
Sorry– the is the page with scott123’s comment– the link wouldn’t post. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/735591
Ruben– thanks for your reply. Today’s batch came out amazingly well, though I made it before I read what you had to say. I think you were quite correct about needing a “high Total Solids percentage” in my mix. I have been fooling around trying to concoct a non-dairy, low fat, healthy fat, low sugar, lower calorie ice cream. I am so badly addicted to ice cream, this is my last ditch attempt to try to find a way to eat ice cream without totally ruining my health, and growing completely out of my clothes. I have been investigating all the natural thickeners and stabilizers that they used to put in ice cream, before they did us all a “big favor” by replacing them with higher percentages of butterfat. I found a very good and detailed comment on this page, by scott123 I was making a one quart batch. So I started with an almond milk base (unsweetened), and added two avocados, for the healthy fat. I also added 2Tbs. grape seed oil. The flavor I was aiming for was to replicate pistachio almond, using 2 tsps almond extract. I should have gone out and gotten some amaretto liqueur for the suggested tablespoon of alcohol, but all I had was Southern Comfort, so I used that.(kind of made it weird). For sweetener I used 4 tsps. stevia, and added extra agave nectar until it was sweet enough (maybe 1/8 cup). About 1/4 cup almond flour, for some more solids and fats. Then my crazy collection of thickeners and stabilizers: 1/4 tsp guar gum, 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum, 2 tsps. arrowroot powder, 4 tsps. lecithin, and 2 Tbs. benecol fiber (really– there was a store brand that wasn’t that expensive). All in the blender, then the ice ceam machine for 25 minutes. I kept stopping and starting the machine for the first few minutes, because the dasher kept tilting over and getting stuck. I finally was able to pull the dasher completely out of the mix, and when I put it back in, it didn’t seem to go down all the way, which worried me. But I got the lid on, and for the first time it all stayed in place and didn’t thump every revolution of the bowl. I was AMAZED how thick it got. I was able to pull the dasher out this time, and spoon the very thick mix into the bowls for the freezer. In a couple of hours, I tried it, and was amazed at how creamy it was. I didn’t quite get the flavoring and sweetness right, but the texture was quite acceptable. I’ll keep fiddling with it. Maybe I can make it good enough that it will keep me out of the supermarket freezer case. So I guess the machine works pretty well, once you get the hang of it. Thanks again.
I have made three batches so far with my ICE-30, and have had a LOT of trouble each time. I try to center the dasher over the bump under the bowl, and put on the clear plastic lid that seems to be intended to keep it centered. And as everybody is complaining, I get a great deal of icy build-up on the sides of the freezer bow. After running the machine for a few minutes, the dasher comes off of the center bump and freezes diagonally to the bowl. Totally stuck. So when I want to empty the bowl, I have to take a big plastic spoon, and poke my way around the frozen dasher, so I can try to hurry and ladle it into the containers that will go in the fridge. The delay in getting the product out of the bowl makes it start to melt, and so much product is wasted on the sides. Even after I give up scooping, when I try to melt the ice build-up to get the dasher out, filling the freezer bowl several times with warm water, it takes a long time to get the dasher out. In your photo, I see you are using the machine without the clear plastic cover, and holding the dasher, perhaps off center to make it scrape the sides. So is using it that way OK? Do you inadvertently make the machine slow down and make the motor strain by doing that? I don’t want to damage the machine. Since you stand there the whole time with your thumb holding the dasher, would it be just as well to take the dasher out completely and use a rubber scraper to let the mixture churn?
Hi Lisa!
Many thanks for getting in touch. The build up of ice around the bowl is a ubiquitous feature of domestic ice cream machines; all the machines I have tried have this slight issue and it is only when you get to commercial machines that you find a spring-loaded dashers that are pushed against the side of the bowl.
If emptying the bowl is taking a long time and your ice cream is melting, then this is indeed a big problem and will likely cause grainy texture as the melted ice will then re-freeze onto the large ice crystals, creating even larger ones. Do try and be as quick as you can when emptying the ice cream and transferring it to the freezer. A good trick is to freeze the plastic container that you will store the ice cream in for a few hours before you add the ice cream. This will remove any heat that is stored in the container.
So does your dasher freeze to the bowl and get stuck? This has never happened to me before. I always remove the dasher as soon as I switch the machine off and scrape off any ice cream before I start emptying the bowl. Do you leave the dasher in the bowl whilst you are emptying?
I do use my thumb to push the dasher against the side of the bowl but you really don’t have to do this; the Cuisinart still makes excellent ice cream without the thumb trick, as long as you use a good recipe with a high Total Solids percentage. The thumb trick helps but it is not essential to get excellent ice cream. I leave the plastic top on though whilst the machine churns.
The motor does slow when I push the dasher against the side of the bowl, which does put strain on it. I have had my machine for 6 years now and the motor is still going strong so I am not too concerned with the added strain. I wouldn’t recommend using a rubber scraper instead of the dasher because this would give you a lot more work.
Try using your thumb to push the dasher against the side of the bowl for just the 10-20 seconds before you switch off your machine. Then quickly remove the dasher, scrape off any ice cream that sticks to it, and then empty your bowl.
Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.
All the best,
Ruben
I have this machine too and can only say that I’m more than disappointed that the dasher does not scrape the bottom or sides. I also think that the bowl is rotating too slow, normally one would expect it to rotate at least one turn per second. The result is, even if I am using the best Italian commercial ingredients, an awful and sandy texture and a loss of ice cream that has frozen on the surface of the bowl. I think that this machine is just crap.
Steffo
I have a similar model to the Cuisinart ICE-30 you have. Mine is called the Cuisinart CIM-60PC with similar features to the ICE-30. I got mine from Costco & I think the Cuisinart ICE-30 & Cuisinart CIM-60PC are basically the same model just different color accents and a different model name because my Cuisinart came from wholesale so they gave it a different model name which is CIM-60PC instead of ICE-30 which is the original model name. Anyway, when I used mine I refrigerate my ice cream base before freezing it & some how as it freeze the sides freeze so fast that it created a layer of frozen ice cream before the churning process even started. What I did do was turn the machine off & tried to scrape the frozen layer as fast as I can because I don’t want the freezer bowl to defrost but I don’t think this convenience since if I do this for too long the freezer bowl won’t be as frozen. Also, the ice cream didn’t get frozen to the sides when I used the ice cream base at room temperature. The reason I put my ice cream base in the refrigerator before freezing into ice cream is because most recipes tells you to plus I think that the ice cream base freeze more properly & faster if it’s at a cold temperature but not frozen. Do you also have this problem and do you think I should just use my ice cream base right away at room temperature and not refrigerate it? How do I overcome this problem?
The problem that I have is that I refrigerate the ice cream base before freezing it into ice cream therefore as it turn the ice cream base get frozen to sides in chunks that it make the freezer bowl move around because the mixing pad is in place what do you suggest I do?
Hi Lena!
Thanks for getting in touch. You will always have some of the mix freezing to the side of your bowl. If this happens, the theory is that it will act as an insulator and slow the release of heat from the mix to the bowl. This suggests that the ice cream will then take longer to freeze; the longer ice cream takes to freeze, the sandier the texture gets. I get around this by using my thumb to push the dasher against the side of the bowl on my ICE-30 to scrape off ice cream that freezes there. I’ve made plenty of batches though where I have left ice cream stuck to the side of the bowl and the texture has still turned out extremely smooth. So, you will always get some of the mix freezing to the side of the bowl and this really isn’t a problem.
I don’t have any issues with my freezer bowl moving around though and am a bit concerned that yours does. When you say it moves around, does this movement make the bowl stop turning or is it just a bit of movement? Also, does a lot of ice cream get stuck to the side of the bowl?
I wouldn’t recommend churning your mix at room temperature. Fat globules begin to crystalise when you age your mix overnight, which is important for texture. If you leave your mix at room temperature before you freeze it, those crystals might start to melt. I’ve never actually tried churning a batch at room temperature myself though so can’t confirm whether this does in fact have a negative effect on texture.
Hope that helps. All the best,
Ruben
Thank you for your response it was helpful and I figured out the problem I was having was just that my ice cream base was too cold from sitting in my refrigerator and so I should of turn on the machine and then pour the ice cream base in. Since I poured mine in before it started churning the cold ice cream base started to freeze to the side of the bowl before the machine even started churning and that’s why when I turned the machine on and when it started churning it started to move around because the ice cream that was stuck to the sides was too much and kept the dasher out of its place and dasher being out of place was causing the bowl to move around while it is churning.
It just seems most of these “very-dependent-on-very-low-temp-in freezer-bowlls” ice cream makers are NOT for me.I would wind up throwing all my food out of my side-freezer-in fridge freezer,and i can’t do that.Plus, my old fridge would probably get junked, & have to buy new fridge.Just to get the bowl cold enough!! I’ve had makers with bowls in freezer, its too much work, & they don’t function..They are never frozen enough.You’d be better with a whole freezer separate, just for the bowl!!Really, this “frozen-bowl-in-freezer-“‘ is too much 9f a strain on my whole fridge.I’m not going to do all the work & planning, or go buy a new fridge.
So maybe I need a compressor or a motor?does the ll gelato jjunior work, or is it junk? cause i just need something simple and unfussy, without tons of work.?? any comment? My fridge is old, but fine for food,and some ice cubes; not much room..I don’t wanta get a different fridge!!
Hi there!
If you are looking for a machine with an in-built compressor, then I would recommend the Cuisinart ICE 100. It’s a bit expensive but is the only machine with an in-built compressor that I have found that makes the same smooth and creamy texture as the Cuisinart ICE 30.
Hope that helps! Ruben
Hi, I have a Cuisinart ICE-45 and can’t get the bowl out of its plastic casing! I don’t want to break the plastic, and I can’t imagine that it is supposed to be put in the freezer that way (replacement bowls are just silver – not with the bottom attached!). The instructions are basically worthless, not addressing this issue at all. Any help you can give is greatly appreciated! Thanks.
Hi there Maya! I’ve never used the ICE-45 before so don’t know how much help I can be but i’ll give it a try! What do you mean by the bowl’s plastic casing? From what I can see from videos on youtube, the bowl on the 45 looks the same, albeit smaller, as on the 30 so not sure what you mean by the plastic casing. Can you take a picture or upload a video to youtube? I might be able to help if I can see the bowl.
All the best, Ruben
Hi Ruben,
I have Cuisinart ICE-21C. How is it different from ICE 30 and what do you think about it (the ICE 21 that is)?
Thank you
Hi there! I’ve never actually used the ICE-21 before but it doesn’t look like there is much difference to the ICE-30. The only difference I can see is the smaller freezer bowl on the 21. I really can’t see there being a difference in the quality of the ice cream made using both machines.
Hope that helps. All the best, Ruben
Thank you very much Ruben!
All the best.
Alina
I have Cuisinart Soft Service Ice Cream Maker ICE-45. I have a large party tomorrow and was wondering if I could use dry ice to help freeze the bowls between use. …..any help between now and 10 AM on 9/1/13 would be very helpful.
Robin
Hi Robin! I fear this reply is looooong over due. I’ve never actually used dry ice to freeze a bowl but would recommend wrapping the bowl in a towel just to make sure that the dry ice doesn’t damage the bowl.
Did you try using dry ice for your party ice cream making?
All the best, Ruben
would it be a good idea to leave the ice cream in the bowl, instead of transferring to another container, if I wont be making more than a batch at a time?
Hi Lisa! I have never actually tried leaving the ice cream in the bowl and then putting that back in the freezer. I don’t know whether the ice cream would take longer to freeze in the bowl or not.
If you do try this, do let me know what the texture is like! Just be careful you don’t use a metal ice cream scoop as this might scratch the side of the bowl.
Hope that helps. Ruben
In the trackback you spelled Cyisinart
can I know how to make the ice cream more dense? is it because of the ice cream maker I use or the ingredients I use?
Hi there! It could be both! If the paddle in the ice cream machine you are using turns quickly, it will incorporate more air compared to one that turns slowly; this will incorporate more air and make the ice cream lighter. What ice cream machine are you using?
You can also increase the total solids in your mix (sugar, fat, eggs, or milk solids non-fat) to make it denser and creamier. I would, of course, recommend that you try one of the recipes on the site and then compare that to what you made before.
Hope that helps. Ruben
hi! i’d like to buy an ice cream maker. Of the self refrigerating models, which one would you recommend me? I love ice cream and i found your blog great man! Thanks.
Hi Hernan, many thanks for your message.
I wouldn’t recommend ice cream machines with built-in compressors as I think they are too expensive and not worth the cost. I have only tried two ice cream machines with in-built compressors – the Cuisinart ICE 50 and the Andrew James professional machine – and I wouldn’t recommend either.
I use the Cuisinart ICE 30 and would recommend this over the Cuisinart ICE 50. With the ICE 30, you need to freeze the bowl in your freezer overnight but I really don’t find this a problem. The ICE 30 is also much cheaper than the 50 and makes, in my opinion, better ice cream.
You do need a really cold freezer to get the best out of the ICE 30; I set mine to about -25°C and it takes about 16 minutes to churn a mix of ice cream. The colder the freezer, the colder the freezer bowl will get, and the smoother the ice cream is likely to be. The bowl isn’t too big but you do need a bit of space in your freezer to accommodate it, which might put some people off.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you need more help.
All the best, Ruben