The Cuisinart ICE-30BC Ice Cream Maker, available from amazon, is a domestic ice cream maker with a 2 quart double-insulated freezer bowl that must be frozen before it can be used. It has a maximum capacity of 1200 ml (1.27 quarts) of mix, producing about 1370 ml (1.4 quarts) of extremely smooth, dense, and creamy ice cream with about 14% overrun. This will be a comprehensive and impartial review of my experience with the Cuisinart ICE-30BC Ice Cream Maker.
THIS POST WAS FIRST PUBLISHED ON 13th JUNE 2012 AND UPDATED ON 9th April 2016
I’d also recommend having a look at the following machines:
- Lello Musso Pola 5030 Dessert Maker
- Lello 4080 Musso Lussino 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker
- Cuisinart ICE-100 Ice Cream and Gelato Maker
- Whynter ICM-200LS Stainless Steel Ice Cream Maker, 2.1-Quart, Silver
- Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker
- Cuisinart ICE-70 Electronic Ice Cream Maker
To view the top selling ice cream makers on amazon, please click here
The Cuisinart ICE-30BC Ice Cream Maker comes in a nice brushed stainless steel finish. It measures 8.2 inches (20.8 cm) in length, 8 inches (20.3 cm) in width, and 16.5 inches (49.1 cm) in height, and weighs 12 pounds (5.4 kg). It’s very easy to move and stores easily in my kitchen. Overall, I’m very impressed with its simplistic appearance.
- 2. The formation of ice crystals
When making ice cream, the two salient points you should always consider are flavour and texture; the best ice creams in the world are bursting with flavour and have a smooth and creamy texture. Smooth and creamy texture is determined to a large extent by the size of the ice crystals that develop during the freezing stage: small ice crystals contribute significantly to smooth and creamy texture, whilst large ice crystals produce ice cream that is coarse (Goff and Hartel (2013)).
Freezing is done in two stages : 1. dynamic freezing where the ice cream mix is frozen in a machine to incorporate air and to limit the size of the ice crystals that form; and 2. static freezing where the ice cream is hardened in a freezer. Both the dynamic and static freezing stages have a significant effect on ice crystal size.
So because small ice crystals contribute significantly to the development of smooth and creamy texture, we will be looking at how effective the features on the Cuisinart ICE-30 Ice Cream Maker are at promoting the formation of small ice crystals. These will include the freezer bowl, the dasher, the freezing time, and the extraction time. Let’s start with the freezer bowl.
3. The impressive 2 quart freezer bowl
The Cuisinart ICE-30 comes with an impressive 2 quart removable bowl that allows you to churn a maximum of 1.5 quarts of ice cream at a time. Of all the domestic machines I’ve tried, only the Lello Musso Pola 5030 Dessert Maker and the Cuisinart ICE 30BC come with a large 2 quart bowl. Well done Cuisinart.
The 2 quart bowl is fairly large and does take up a lot of space in your freezer. It’s a good idea to check that your freezer compartment is big enough to accommodate the bowl before investing in the Cuisinart ICE-30: the bowl measures 7-1/2″ x 7-1/2″ x 6-1/2″.
Unlike the Cuisinart ICE-100, whose in-built compressor means that it’s good to go as soon as it’s switched on, you have to freeze the bowl on the ICE-30 before you can churn a batch of ice cream.
Cuisinart states that the bowl be frozen for at least 12 hours but I recommend leaving the bowl in the freezer overnight to ensure that it is fully frozen.
A good way of checking whether the bowl has been properly frozen is to shake it. If you can hear a gushing noise, it means that the freezing gel in the bowl (this is what acts as the refrigerant) isn’t fully frozen. If this is the case, you need to put the bowl back in your freezer.
It’s important not to churn a batch of ice cream if your bowl isn’t fully frozen: your ice cream is likely to turn out course and wet if you churn a batch when the bowl hasn’t been sufficiently frozen. If you’ve frozen your bowl overnight and it is still makes the gushing noise after you shake it, it’s probably because the temperature in your freezer is too high and needs to be turned down.
When you freeze your bowl, it’s a good idea to cover the top with cling film and place it in a plastic bag. This helps to prevent water vapour in your freezer from freezing to the inside of the bowl and then melting into your ice cream mix.
It’s very important to get your freezer down to as low a temperature as it will go. This is because the colder you can get your freezer, the colder it will get your bowl, and the faster the Cuisinart ICE-30 will freeze the ice cream. Quicker freezing of the ice cream in the machine will reduce residence time and improve ice crystal distribution (Russell and others 1999).
Residence time is the time a mix spends in the machine and has a pronounced effect on ice crystal size. To obtain the smallest ice crystals it is necessary to have the shortest residence time possible (Goff and Hartel (2013)).
So to reduce the residence time and promote the development of small ice crystals, you need to get the freezer bowl as cold as you possibly can. This means getting your freezer temperature down to as low as it will go.
I’ve found that my freezer’s temperature has a noticeable effect on the time it takes the Cuisinart ICE-30 Ice Cream Maker to freeze a batch of ice cream. When I set my freezer to ‘super freeze’, which gets the temperature down to about -27°C, it takes about 18 minutes to churn an 800g batch of ice cream. When I set it to -18°C, it takes about 24 minutes to churn a batch.
This is a considerable difference in freezing time and so the importance of getting your freezer as cold as possible before you freeze the bowl should not be overlooked.
5. The dasher
Another factor that contributes to the formation of small ice crystals is the dasher. The dasher has two functions: 1. to whip air into the ice cream mix and 2. to scrape off the layer of ice that freezes at the side of the bowl.
This scraping of the side of the bowl prevents a layer of ice from forming. Because ice does not conduct heat as fast as steel, ice that is permitted to form a layer at the side of the bowl will act as an insulator, slowing the release of heat from the mix to the refrigerant, thereby increasing residence time (Marshall and others 2003).
The closer the dasher gets to the side of the bowl, the less ice will form there, and the more efficient the heat transfer from the mix to the bowl. The more efficient the heat transfer, the shorter the residence time and the smaller the ice crystals are likely to be.
The Cuisinart ICE-30 Ice Cream Maker comes with a large and extremely durable plastic ice cream dasher. When placed in the freezer bowl, the dasher does leave a bit of a gap between the plastic scraper blade and the side of the bowl, which allows a layer of ice to form as the mix is frozen.
Although the dasher could certainly be improved to get closer to the side of the bowl, I have found that the Cuisinart ICE-30 Ice Cream Maker still manages to produce excellent ice cream that is smooth and creamy.
A good way of preventing this build up of ice is to use your thumb to push the scraper blade firmly against the side of the bowl as it churns. Although this does add stress to the motor, I’ve been using this trick for 6 years on my Cuisinart ICE-30 and haven’t had any issues with the motor.
On most domestic ice cream machines, the dasher sits inside the freezer bowl and is rotated by the motor. On the Cuisinart ICE-30, however, it is the freezer bowl that is rotated by the motor, which works extremely well.
On some machines I’ve tried, the motor simply isn’t powerful enough to continue rotating the dasher as the ice cream hardens, which means that the dasher gets stuck and stops rotating way before the ice cream has been sufficiently frozen. This is a fundamental flaw because a machine that doesn’t have a motor powerful enough to continue rotating the dasher as the ice cream hardens will likely make ice cream that is coarse.
I have never had an issue with the dasher or the motor on the Cuisinart ICE-30 stopping before the ice cream has been sufficiently frozen.
The powerful motor on the Cuisinart ICE-30 certainly gets some brownie points from me.
6. The freezing time
The time it takes for a machine to freeze a batch of ice cream is another factor that has a pronounced effect on ice crystal size. This is because the quicker a machine can freeze a batch of ice cream, the shorter the residence time and the smaller the ice crystals are likely to be (Russell and others 1999).
Commercial machines usually take between 8-10 minutes to freeze a batch of ice cream. So how does the Cuisinart ICE-30BC Ice Cream Maker compare to commercial freezing times? Let’s have a look.
In my first test, it took 20 minutes for the Cuisinart ICE-30 Ice Cream Maker to churn an 800g batch of ice cream. In my second test, it took 25 minutes to churn a 1000g batch. These freezing times were achieved after freezing the bowl overnight at -27°C.
Do remember that the freezing time on the Cuisinart ICE-30 is very much dependent on the temperature of your freezer: the colder you can get your freezer, the shorter the freezing time is likely to be.
Freezing times on the Cuisinart ICE-30 do vary considerably between 18 to 37 minutes depending on the recipe you use, the size of the batch, and how cold you set your freezer. Even after a 37 minute freezing time, I’ve found that the Cuisinart ICE-30 still manages to make exceptional ice cream with smooth, dense, and creamy texture.
Below are the freezing times for the domestic machines that I have tried. Do bear in mind that the greater the batch size, the longer the freezing time will be.
Cuisinart ICE-100: 800g batch – 32 minutes
Lello Musso Pola 5030: 1000g batch – 13 minutes
Cuisinart ICE-100: 800g batch – 32 minutes
Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker: 800g batch – 32 minutes
KitchenAid K45SS Classic Stand Mixer: 1000g batch – 30 minutes
DeLonghi GM6000 Gelato Maker: 600g batch 30 minutes
Although residence time has a pronounced effect on ice crystal size, I can’t stress enough that a short residence time will not guarantee smooth and creamy texture. Freezing time should only be one of the factors you consider when choosing your machine.
The quality of your ice cream is, in my view, 70% dependent on the recipe you use and only 30% dependent on the machine. You can make excellent ice cream with a good recipe and a mediocre machine, but you will not get smooth and creamy texture with a $10,000 commercial machine and a bad recipe.
Check out my Vanila Bean Ice Cream Recipe for an idea of what is needed for the promotion of smooth and creamy texture. This recipe does take some time to prepare but believe me the smooth and creamy texture more than justifies the effort.
7. The extraction time
So we know that ice crystal size is critical to the development of smooth and creamy texture and that ice cream with many small ice crystals will likely have a smooth and creamy texture, whilst large ice crystals will impart a coarse texture.
The extraction time, that is the time it takes to empty the ice cream from the machine and get into into your freezer to harden, is another factor that has a considerable effect on ice crystal size.
This is because as you empty your ice cream from the bowl and into a plastic container, it spends time at room temperature. During this time at relatively warm room temperature, some of the ice melts from the large ice crystals and those crystals that were initially small melt completely. This is known as ripening and occurs when ice cream is held at elevated temperatures (Goff and Hartel (2013)).
When you then get your ice cream into your freezer for the static freezing stage, the melted ice re-freezes onto the large ice crystals that survived. The result is that the total number of ice crystals is reduced and their size increases, the perfect formula for coarse texture.
It is therefore imperative that you empty the ice cream from the freezer bowl and get it into your freezer as quickly as humanly possible.
The large bowl on the Cuisinart ICE-30 Ice Cream Maker makes emptying very quick and easy. There is plenty of space to manoeuvre a large spoon and I find that removing the dasher first makes emptying a lot easier.
Of all the domestic machine I’ve tried, I find the Cuisinart ICE-30 the quickest and easiest machine to empty.
8. The static freezing stage
Ice cream is extracted from the freezer bowl at around -5°C. Once you place your ice cream in the freezer to harden, significant changes to the ice crystals continue to take place until the temperature decreases to -18°C (Goff and Hartel (2013)). Marshall and others (2003) noted that during hardening, ice crystals grow by about 30% to 40%.
The longer it takes for your ice cream to reach -18°C, the larger the ice crystals will grow and the sandier the texture is likely to be. Donhowe (1993) showed that faster cooling of ice cream during hardening resulted in smaller mean ice crystal size.
So, to promote faster cooling to get your ice cream down to -18°C as quickly as possible, I’m going to come back to the importance of getting the temperature in your freezer as low as it will possibly go. Also, try and place your ice cream in the back of your freezer where the temperature is coldest.
It is also a good idea to place your empty plastic container in the freezer for a couple of hours before you start churning a batch. This will remove any heat stored in the container and will help prevent ice crystals that come in contact with the relatively warm plastic from melting.
9. Cleaning
After you finish churning a batch, it’s a good idea to leave the bowl to warm up at room temperature before you start cleaning. Cleaning the bowl is very easy with soapy water and takes me no more than a few minutes. Cuisinart emphatically state that the bowl not be placed in the dishwasher.
It’s important to ensure that the bowl is completely dry before placing it back in the freezer. Again, this helps prevent water from freezing to the inside of your bowl. The dasher and freezer bowl lid are equally as easy
10. The noise level
The one issue that I have seen come up time and time again on amazon is the noise the Cuisinart ICE-30 makes. It is quite loud when it churns and standing next to it certainly isn’t the most pleasant thing to do but I fervently believe that the creamy results far outweigh the annoyance caused by the noise.
Although I appreciate that some people may be put off buying an ice cream maker because of the noise it makes, I really don’t think this should be an important factor you give importance to, especially if the ice cream maker makes smooth and creamy ice cream. I personally don’t mind having a loud machine as long as it makes excellent ice cream.
The Cuisinart ICE-30 Ice Cream Maker is loud but I do think that this is mitigated by the exceptionally smooth, dense, and creamy ice cream it produces.
11. The quality of the ice cream
So this brings me to the last and I think most important point to consider when investing in an ice cream maker: the quality of the ice cream it produces.
I’ve found that the Cuisinart ICE-30 Ice Cream Maker makes exceptional ice cream that has a very smooth and creamy texture. The dasher rotates at a very low 21 Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) and so doesn’t incorporate a lot of air, meaning that you get ice cream with a very low overrun that is really nice and dense.
Overrun is the amount of air that is whipped into the mix by the dasher during the dynamic freezing stage. Overrun ranges from 20-100% in ice cream, with low overrun generally associated with premium ice creams.
I have found that the ice cream made by the Cuisinart ICE-30 is comparable in texture to that made by the more expensive Cuisinart ICE-100 and the Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop, both of which have in-built compressors.
12. Final thoughts
So would I recommend the Cuisinart ICE 30BC? Absolutely.
It makes exceptional ice cream that is incredibly smooth, dense, and creamy. It comes with an impressive 2-quart freezer bowl that is easy to clean and after 6 years of extensive use, is still going strong in my kitchen.
It is, however, by no means perfect. The dasher could certainly be improved to get closer to the side of the bowl. Some users have also complained that it is extremely noisy when churning, although I don’t think this should be a factor to consider when investing in an ice cream maker.
I think the Cuisinart ICE30 Ice Cream Maker is a very good machine for the home cook who is just starting out in the world of ice cream making as it makes excellent ice cream and is relatively inexpensive. This was the first machine I ever bought and the one I started my business with.
For the home cooks looking for the convenience of a machine with an in-built compressor, I would recommend either the Cuisinart ICE-100 or the Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop. Both machines make ice cream that is extremely smooth, dense, and creamy.
I do think that the Cuisinart ICE-30 makes ice cream that is identical in quality to that made using the more expensive Cuisinart ICE-100 or the Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop. The only advantage these two machines have over the Cuisinart ICE-30 is the in-built compressor. You really don’t have to spend a lot of money to make exceptionally smooth and creamy ice cream at home.
The Lello 4080 Musso Lussino and the Lello Musso Pola 5030 are also worth a look, although both are considerably more expensive.
I’d be happy to answer any questions if anyone needs a hand.
All the best,
Ruben 🙂
If you’ve found this review helpful and would like to say thanks, you can support me by using the links below to order your Cuisinart ICE-30 from the chaps at amazon.
Pros
- Large 2 quart bowl
- Makes ice cream that is extremely smooth, dense, and creamy
- Durable; still going strong after 6 years use in my kitchen
- Relatively inexpensive
Cons
- You have to freeze the bowl overnight before you can churn a batch
- Ice cream dasher leaves a gap between the blade and the side of the bowl
- A bit noisy
References
Cook, K. L. K & Hartel, R. W. (2010). Mechanisms of Ice Crystallization in Ice Cream Production. Comprehensive Reviews of in Food Science and Food Safety.
Donhowe, D. P. (1993) Ice Recrystallization in Ice Cream and Ice Milk. PhD thesis, University of Wisconsm-Madison.
Goff, H. D. and Hartel R. W. (2013). Ice Cream. Seventh Edition. New York: Springer
Marshall, R. T., Goff H. D. & Hartel R.W. (2003). Ice cream, Sixth Edition. New York: Kluwer Aca-demic/Plenum Publishers.
Russell A. B., Cheney P.E., Wantling S.D., (1999). Influence of Freezing Conditions on Ice Crystallsation in Ice Cream. J Food Eng 39(2):179–9
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Hi guys! I'm Ruben. I run a small-batch ice cream business in Wiltshire, U.K.
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