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Ice Cream Science

Lello Musso Pola 5030 Dessert Maker – A Comprehensive Review

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37 MINUTE READ

The Lello Musso Pola 5030 Dessert Maker, available from amazon*, was my recent upgrade from the smaller Lello 4080 Musso Lussino*, which I’d been using for about a year. After close to a month of testing, I’ve found that it produces exceptional ice cream that is extremely smooth, dense, and creamy. It has a maximum capacity of 1500 ml (1.59 quart) of ice cream mix, although I’ve found an optimum capacity of 1100 ml (1.16 quart) of ice cream mix, producing about 1300 ml (1.37 quart) of extremely smooth, dense, and creamy ice cream with about 18% air in 11 minutes 55 seconds. I’ve also gotten great results with gelato: freezing 880 ml (0.93 quart) of gelato mix produces about 1000 ml (1.06 quart) of smooth, dense, and creamy gelato with about 14% air in 10 minutes 45 seconds. My only complaint is the gap between the central pin and the surrounding plastic, which can let in ice cream mix during extraction and cleaning if you’re not careful.

You can view the top selling ice cream machines on amazon by clicking here*.

You might also like to read:

Lello 4080 Musso Lussino – A Comprehensive Review
How to calculate an ice cream mix
Vanilla Ice Cream – Recipe
Why is corn syrup used in ice cream?
The role of fat in ice cream

1. 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 Lello Musso Pola 5030. 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’d like a nice long read, then sit back, grab yourself a hot cup of cocoa, and the enjoy this comprehensive review; it will take 37 minutes to read. 🙂

2. 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 (1 2 3 4 5 6). Small ice crystals, around 10 to 20 µm in size, give ice cream its smooth and creamy texture, whereas larger ice crystals, greater than 50 μm, impart grainy texture (5 7 8). 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 & Hartel9 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. 

2.1 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 (the bowl in the case of the 5030) wall causing rapid nucleation (the birth of small ice crystals) (10). 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 (3). 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 (9).

2.2 Growth and Recrystallisation 

The crystals that form at the cold bowl wall are then scraped off by the rotating scraper blades and dispersed into the centre of the bowl, 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” (11) 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 bowl, the larger the ice crystals will be. Russell et al.12 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. 

3. Factors Affecting Nucleation, Growth, and Recrystallisation 

3.1 The Scraper Blades 

Nucleation is affected by the rate of heat transfer from the mix to the cold freezer bowl, with a high rate of heat transfer promoting a high rate of nucleation (3 13). Because heat travels more slowly through ice than stainless steel, ice build up on the freezer bowl wall acts as an insulator and lowers the rate of heat transfer.

Keeping the scraper blades sharp and close to the bowl wall helps promote a high rate of heat transfer by scraping off any ice that forms at the wall (13). Ben Lakhdar et al.14 found that a large gap between the scraper blades and the bowl 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 (3 mm). When the gap is 1 mm, the ice layer is not strong enough and is periodically removed from the wall. 

Does the Lello 5030 leave a gap between the scraper blades and the bowl wall?

The Lello Musso Pola 5030 comes with a heavy stainless steel dasher that has 2 protruding stainless steel arms, one longer than the other. Only the long, curved arm scrapes the ice that forms at the bowl wall and on the bowl floor. I’ve found that when fitted onto the central pin inside the bowl, the long arm leaves a gap of 1 mm at its closest point to the wall, where it starts to curve upwards, increasing to 2 mm just over half of the way up the arm where it curves slightly away from the wall, and a 1 mm gap at the bowl floor. This results in a 1-2 mm layer of ice freezing to the bowl wall and floor during dynamic freezing, which isn’t thick enough to significantly lower the rate of heat transfer. So far so good.

3.2 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 (15 16). Flores and Goff17 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 & Hartel6 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 the 5030 whip into ice cream?

Goff & Hartel13 note that standard ice cream has between 100% and 120% air (yes, 120% air!), premium between 60% and 90%, and superpremium 25% to 50%. The dasher in the 5030 rotates at a relatively low 86 revolutions per minute (rpm), compared to typical speeds of 100-200 rpm in commercial machines, producing ‘superpremium’ ice cream with between 11% and 25% air, depending on the batch size. I’ve found that, in general, the greater the batch size, the more air is incorporated into the mix (I’ve posted the results of my air content tests below; I used my vanilla ice cream recipe, which you can read here, as the test formulation).

Despite slightly smaller ice crystals being observed in ice creams with 70% air or more, I personally prefer the texture of denser, chewier, ice cream with an air content of between 10% and 30% to the lighter, airier ice cream produced by my commercial Emery Thompson CB-200, which incorporates about 60% air. This also seems to be the consensus amongst the group of creatives that share the building where I have my commercial kitchen space and who also double as my tasters.

Ice cream air content and freezing time results

· 700 ml (0.74 quart) of mix produces about 790 ml (0.83 quart) of frozen ice cream with about 11% air in 9 minutes.
· 800 ml (0.85 quart) of mix produces about 890 ml (0.94 quart) of frozen ice cream with about 11% air in 9 minutes 30 seconds.
· 900 ml (0.95 quart) of mix produces about 1000 ml (1.06 quart) of frozen ice cream with about 11% air in 9 minutes 50 seconds.
· 1000 ml (1.06 quart) of mix produces about 1200 ml (1.27 quart) of frozen ice cream with about 20% air in 12 minutes 15 seconds.
· 1100 ml (1.16 quart) of mix produces about 1300 ml (1.37 quart) of frozen ice cream with about 18% air in 11 minutes 55 seconds.
· 1200 ml (1.27 quart) of mix produces about 1500 ml (1.59 quart) of frozen ice cream with about 25% air in 14 minutes 20 seconds.
· 1300 ml (1.37 quart) of mix produces about 1600 ml (1.69 quart) of frozen ice cream with about 23% air in 16 minutes.

Does the Lello 5030 make gelato?

Yes, the Lello 5030 does make gelato. All domestic ice cream machines are capable of making gelato. Let me explain. 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) (13). Gelato also tends to be softer, more pliable and stickier than ice cream, and is served at warmer temperatures.

How much air does the 5030 whip into gelato?

I’ve found that the 5030 incorporates about 14% air into 880 ml (0.93 quart) of gelato mix, producing about 1000 ml (1.06 quart) of smooth, dense, and creamy gelato in 10 minutes 45 seconds. I’ll be posting the gelato recipe that I used for my tests on the blog soon.

3.3 The Freezer Bowl Wall Temperature 

Decreasing the temperature at the freezer bowl wall causes higher ice crystal nucleation rates and reduces recrystallisation in the centre of the bowl, which helps ice crystals remain small. (8 12). Cook & Hartel18 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 the ice cream mix was frozen on the cold stage varied from -7°C, -10°C, -15°C, and -20°C (19°F, 14°F, 5°F, and -4°F). The researchers found that warmer freezing temperatures gave more elongated and slightly larger crystals with a wider size distribution.

To promote the formation of smaller ice crystals, the temperature of the refrigerant should fall within the range of -23°C to -29°C (-10°F to -20°F) (13), with the freezer bowl wall temperature estimated to be a few degrees warmer. 

How cold does the bowl get?

I’ve found that the R134A refrigerant is able to get the bowl wall temperature down to between -24°C (-11.2°F) and -32.9°C (-27.2°F), and the bowl floor temperature to between -14°C (6.8°F) and -22.6°C (-8.7°F). These readings I took at different points of the empty bowl with an infra-red thermometer after having left the compressor running for 20 minutes. The warmer bowl floor temperatures suggest that the tubing that carries the cold refrigerant is wrapped around the bowl wall, but not the floor. I think the guys at Musso have slightly missed the mark here. Had they been able to get the bowl floor, which has a larger surface area than the wall and thus contacts more of the mix, down to the same low temperature as the wall, the 5030 would be able to promote higher ice crystal nucleation rates, reduce recrystallisation in the centre of the bowl, and reduce the freezing time, all of which contribute to the formation of smaller ice crystals and smoother texture.

Is the bowl removable?

Nope. The Lello Musso Pola 5030 has a non-removable 1.9 litre (2 quart) stainless steel bowl, which I haven’t found difficult to empty or clean.

What is the maximum capacity?

In a telephone conversation with the owner of Gelatiere Musso, I was told not to freeze more than 1500 ml (1.6 quart) of ice cream or gelato mix per batch. The largest batch I’ve tested in the 5030 is 1300 ml (1.37 quart) of ice cream mix, which produced about 1600 ml (1.69 quart) of smooth and creamy ice cream with 23% air in 16 minutes.

As I’ll discuss in section 3.5 of this review, longer freezing times produce larger ice crystals. Larger batch sizes produce more ice cream (unsurprisingly), but they also require longer freezing times, which produce larger ice crystals. It’s therefore important to balance maximising the amount of ice cream produced per batch with minimising the freezing time. I’ve found the optimum batch size to be 1100 ml (1.16 quart) of ice cream mix, which produces about 1300 ml (1.37 quart) of extremely smooth and creamy ice cream with about 18% air in 11 minutes 55 seconds. 

3.4 Draw Temperature

The draw temperature is the temperature at which ice cream is removed from the bowl once dynamic freezing is complete. In commercial machines, this is usually -5°C to -6°C (23°F to 21.2°F) (13). 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. Decreasing the draw temperature results in more water being frozen and increased ice crystal content (19). 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 (9). 

Drewett & Hartel8 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

Bolliger20 and Windhab et al.21 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 (21).

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’s important to generate ice crystals, air cells, and fat globule aggregates as small as possible (22). LTE helps to prevent air bubbles from coming together, thereby retaining the smallest size distribution (7). 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 (23). LTE also helps to reduce the size of agglomerated fat globules compared to conventionally frozen ice cream (24 25).

LTE generally promotes enhanced fat destabilisation, which is partially responsible for slow melting and good shape retention (23). Fat destabilisation in LTE treated ice cream can be twice that achieved during the conventional freezing process (26). Because of smaller air bubbles and fat globule aggregates, as well as a higher degree of fat destabilisation, LTE ice cream is evaluated creamier than conventionally produced ice cream (22).

How do you know when the ice cream is done?

In line with the beneficial effects of LTE freezing on ice cream texture reported above, I’ve found that ice cream extracted from domestic ice cream machines at draw temperatures of -10°C (14°F) or lower is perceived smoother and creamier than that extracted at conventional draw temperatures of around -6°C (21.2°F). To measure draw temperature, I use a cheap infra-red thermometer*.

I’ve found that the the dasher motor in the 5030 is able to produce sufficient torque to continue agitating the mix to an optimum draw temperature of -11°C (12.2°F). Below -11°C (12.2°F), the dasher slows and comes to a stop. I wouldn’t recommend running the dasher below -11°C (12.2°F), or until it stops, as this will very likely cause the plastic gear wheels connecting the dasher motor to the drive shaft that rotates the dasher to quickly wear. On the few occasions that I’ve let my ice cream get below -11°C (12.2°F), I’ve noticed a very slight smell of warm plastic coming from the front of the machine, which I’m guessing is the smell of the two plastic gear wheels wearing.

TIP #1

It’s important to switch the dasher off if you see it slowing or skipping towards the end of freezing, or if you see that it stops completely. Leaving the dasher switched on once it has stopped will cause the 2 gear wheels connecting the dasher motor to the drive shaft to quickly wear. You’ll smell a warm/burnt plastic smell if you leave the dasher switched on once it starts to slow or skip. 

3.5 Residence Time 

Residence time, which refers to the length of time ice cream spends in the bowl 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 (4 8 9 12 13). Longer residence times mean that ice cream spends more time in the bulk zone (the centre) of the bowl where warmer temperatures cause rapid recrystallisation. Donhowe & Hartel1 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.12 at a slightly different temperature of -4°C (24.8°F). 

A high rate of heat transfer and colder bowl wall temperatures contribute significantly to shorter residence times. Lower bowl wall temperatures lower the bulk temperature of the ice cream faster, reducing residence time and improving the ice crystal size distribution (8 12). Investigating the effect of draw temperature, dasher speed, and residence time on ice crystal size, Drewett & Hartel8 concluded that residence time had the greatest impact on final crystal size distribution, followed by drawing temperature and dasher speed. Contrary to this conclusion, I’ve found that drawing temperature has a greater impact on final crystal size distribution, followed by residence time and dasher speed.

How long does it take to freeze a batch of ice cream? 

I’ve found that it takes an impressive 11 minutes and 55 seconds to freeze an optimum 1100 ml (1.16 quart) of ice cream mix to a draw temperature of -11°C (12.2°F). The residence time is reduced to just 9 minutes and 50 seconds when a batch size of 900 ml (0.95 quart) of mix is frozen, producing about 1000 ml (1.06 quart) of exceptionally smooth, dense, and creamy ice cream with about 11% air. I’ve listed the residence times of all my ice cream test batches in section 3.2 of this review.

TIP #2

Switch the compressor on and leave it running for 20 minutes before you pour in your mix. This will ensure that the bowl is as cold as possible when the mix is added, which will promote higher rates of nucleation, reduce recrystallisation, and reduce the residence time. In a test to compare a batch frozen with a 20 minutes pre-freeze to one with no pre-freeze, I found that the residence time increased from 12 minutes 15 seconds for 1000 ml (1.06 quart) of ice cream mix with a 20 minute pre-freeze, to 22 minutes minutes 45 seconds for the same amount of mix with no pre-freeze.

Interestingly, I’ve also found that when I don’t run the 20 pre-freezing step before I pour in my mix, not only does the residence time increase, but the draw temperature also increases as the dasher stops once the draw temperature reaches -10°C (14°F).

4. Does the Lello 5030 Make Good Ice Cream and Gelato?

Yes I’ve found that the Lello 5030 consistently makes exceptionally smooth, dense, and creamy ice cream and gelato. Because of the low air content that is incorporated into a mix, the 5030 produces nice dense, or ‘fudgy’ as one of the carpenters in my shared workspace described it, ice cream that I prefer to lighter, airier, ice cream with a higher air content. I get consistently smooth and creamy results with my Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe. I will be posting my vanilla gelato recipe on the blog soon.

5. How does the smaller Lello 4080 compare to the Lello 5030? 

Before I upgraded to the larger 5030, I had been using my Lello 4080 Musso Lussino for close to a year. The most significant differences that I’ve found between the two are 1. the freezing capacity, 2. the freezing time, and 3. the quality of the ice cream and gelato.

Freezing Capacity

The larger 5030 is able to produce about 1.5 times the amount of ice cream per batch as the 4080. The latter has a maximum capacity of 1000 ml (1.06 quart) of mix, which produces about 1200 ml (1.27 quart) of ice cream with about 20% air in 37 minutes, whereas the former has a maximum capacity of 1500 ml (1.59 quart) of mix, although the largest batch I’ve tested so far is only 1300 ml (1.38 quart) of mix, which produces 1600 ml (1.7 quart) of ice cream in 16 minutes.

Freezing Time

As I’ve previously mentioned, shorter freezing times promote the formation of smaller ice crystals and smoother texture. The 5030 significantly reduces the freezing time compared to the 4080. The former takes an impressive 9 minutes to freeze a 700 ml (0.74 quart) batch of ice cream mix to an optimum draw temperature of -11°C (12.2°F), whereas the latter takes 17 minutes 30 seconds to freeze the same amount of mix to a draw temperature of -10°C (14°F).

Ice Cream Quality

In a taste test, I, along with three other tasters, found that the 5030 produced ice cream that was just very slightly smoother and creamier than that produced by the 4080 when two identical batches consisting 23% butterfat were frozen, although the difference was negligible. When the butterfat content was reduced to 18%, however, the difference in texture was more pronounced: the 5030 produced smooth and creamy ice cream with no detectable iciness or coarseness, whereas the 4080 produced ice cream that felt slightly coarse as it melted in the mouth. Butterfat masks the perception of large ice crystals in the mouth, which is why they are not detected in a high butterfat mix but then become noticeable as the butterfat content is reduced.

Gelato Quality

In a taste test to compare gelato quality, I, along with 3 other tasters, found that although both machines produced gelato that was smooth, creamy, and had very few coarse or icy bits, the gelato produced by the 5030 was perceived smoother and creamier with fewer icy or coarse bits.

6. General Questions

What are the dimensions, Weight, and Voltage?

The Lello 5030 comes in an impressive and commercial-looking all stainless steel finish. The only bits of plastic on the exterior of the machine are the freezer bowl lid, the timer knob, and the dasher and condenser buttons. It’s a relatively big and heavy machine, measuring 31 cm (12.2″) in height (35 cm (13.8″) with the bowl lid in place), 51 cm (20″) in width, and 35 cm (13.8″) in depth, and weighing 31 kg (68.3 pounds). It’s quite tricky to move and is definitely not a machine that you can put away in the cupboard and bring out when needed. This bad boy needs its own space. Here in the UK, it runs on 230v 50Hz and operates at 250 watts (+/- 10 watts). In the US, it’s 110/120v 60Hz.

Is it Noisy?

Yes I’d say this is a fairly loud machine, although I haven’t found it a problem being in the same room with it running. To test the noise level, I recorded an ambient room sound level of 50.5 dbs. This increased to 58.2 db with the compressor switched on, rising to 70.9 db when freezing a batch. These readings were taken from about 15 cm (5.9″) from the front of the machine. Although the 70.9 db of noise during freezing is lower than the 73 db of noise recorded for the smaller Lello 4080, the 5030 still appears to me to be louder (perhaps my iphone isn’t the most reliable device to measure noise?).

Is it easy to clean?

Yes the stainless steel bowl and housing are very easy to clean. I’ve read several reviews on amazon where users have complained that cleaning the built-in bowl is tricky, but I really haven’t found this to be a problem at all. After I extract my ice cream, I usually wait 2-3 minutes for the bowl to warm slightly before using a sponge and warm soapy water to give the bowl and central pin a good clean. This is then followed by some paper towels to dry. The dasher, metal bolt that holds the dasher in place inside the bowl, and the bowl lid I clean in the sink. I’d say that cleaning this machine takes me no more than 5 minutes.

What is the Warranty?

Here in the UK, the Lello 5030 has a 2-year manufacturers’ warranty, whilst you guys in the US only seem to get a 1-year warranty. I have, however, read some ominous reviews on amazon about the customer service in the US.

Can it freeze batches back-to-back?

It can indeed. I bought the 5030 as an upgrade to my smaller Lello 4080, with which I used to to freeze about 9 batches of ice cream back-to-back in around 6 hours, producing about about 8,400 ml (8.9 quart) of ice cream. With the 5030, I can freeze 9 batches back-to-back in about 3.5 hours, producing 13.5 litres (14.27 quart) of ice cream. I’ve found that the 5030 doesn’t overheat during 3.5 hours of near continuous use, but have found that each batch does take slightly longer to freeze. This is to some extent because some ice cream invariably stays in the bowl after extracting the first batch, which increases the weight of the subsequent batch and, consequently, the freezing time.

7. My only complaint

An issue that’s been raised in a review of the 5030 on amazon, which you can read here, is ice cream mix getting in the gap between the central pin inside the bowl and the plastic that surrounds it. This ice cream mix then hardens over time, which increases the friction between the rotating central pin and surrounding plastic, placing more stress on the dasher motor and gears. The user noted that hardened ice cream between the central pin and the hard plastic on her 5030 caused the drive gear to fail, although this was after 10+ years of use.

The instruction manual states ‘not to get the central pin wet’, which I’ve found near impossible during extraction and cleaning. When I first got my Lello 4080, which uses the same central pin design, I used to remove the bolt that screws onto the central pin to secure the dasher, along with the dasher itself, before emptying my frozen ice cream into a container. I quickly realised this wasn’t the best of ideas as ice cream would nearly always fall directly onto the sweet spot between the central pin and surrounding plastic as I scooped it out of the bowl. I’ve now found that leaving the bolt and dasher in place whilst I extract my ice cream is a much better approach as both act as a protective layer that helps keep ice cream off the central pin. Still, even with the bolt and dasher left in place, I’ve found that ice cream mix does occasionally get onto the central pin in the 5030 either by falling off the dasher as it’s removed, or by dripping off my sponge during cleaning. When this happens, I quickly spray a little steriliser onto the pin and surrounding plastic and quickly dry with a paper towel. I don’t think this issue is a show stopper but certainly something to be aware of.

TIP #3

Leave the dasher and bolt fixed in place whilst you extract your ice cream. These will act as a protective layer that will help minimise the likelihood of ice cream getting into the gap between the central pin and surrounding plastic.

8. Summary

In the one month that I’ve been using this machine, I’ve found that the Lello Musso Pola 5030 Dessert Maker, available from amazon*, consistently produces exceptionally smooth, dense, and creamy ice cream. It has a maximum capacity of 1500 ml (1.59 quart) of ice cream mix, although I’ve found an optimum capacity of 1100 ml (1.16 quart) of ice cream mix, producing about 1300 ml (1.37 quart) of extremely smooth, dense, and creamy ice cream with about 18% air in an impressive 11 minutes 55 seconds. I’ve also gotten great results with 880 ml (0.93 quart) of gelato mix, which produces about 1000 ml (1.06 quart) of smooth, dense, and creamy gelato with about 14% air in 10 minutes 45 seconds. In a taste test, I, along with three other tasters, found that the 5030 produced both ice cream and gelato that were perceived smoother and creamier than that produced by the smaller Lello 4080 Musso Lussino*, with the difference in texture being more pronounced at lower fat levels.

I haven’t had any reliability issues with the machine in near continuous use for around 3.5 hours, although I have noticed a slight warmed plastic smell that I think is generated by the gear wheels connecting the dasher motor to the drive shaft. This is only noticeable when I extract the mix at temperatures below -11°C (-12.2°F), an an indicator that I may be leaving the mix in the machine for too long. My only complaint is the narrow gap between the central pin inside the bowl and the surrounding plastic, which can allow in ice cream mix during extraction and cleaning. This mix can then solidify inside the gap, increasing the stress on the drive mechanism, which may cause it to fail over time. I don’t think this is a show stopper, but definitely something to be aware of. 

9. 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.

10. References

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Hartel, R. W., 1996. Ice crystallisation during the manufacture of ice cream. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 7(10).

4. Koxholt, M., Eisenmann, B., and Hinrichs, J., 2000. Effect of process parameters on the structure of ice cream. Bur Dairy Mag. 1:27-30.

5. Marshall, R. T., Goff, H. D., and Hartel R. W., 2003. Ice cream (6th ed). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Drewett, E. M., and Hartel, R. W., 2007. Ice crystallisation in a scraped surface freezer. Journal of Food Engineering. 78(3).

9. 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).

10. Hartel, R. W., 2001. Crystallisation in foods. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers.

11. Fennema, O. R., Powrie, W. D., Marth, E. H., 1973. Low Temperature Preservation of Foods and living Matter. USA: Marcel Dekker, Inc.

12. 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.

13. Goff, H. D., and Hartel R. W., 2013. Ice Cream. Seventh Edition. New York Springer.

14. 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.

15. Arbuckle, W. S., 1977. Ice cream (3rd ed.). Connecticut: Avi Publisher Company.

16. Flores, A. A., and Goff, H. D., 1999. Recrystallization in ice cream after constant and cycling temperature storage conditions as affected by stabilizers. Journal of Dairy Science. 82, 1408–1415.

17. Flores, A. A., and Goff, H. D., 1999. Ice crystal size distributions in dynamically frozen model solutions and ice cream as affected by stabilizers. Journal of Dairy Science. 82. 1399–1407.

18. 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).

19. 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.

20. Bolliger, S., 1996. Freeze structuring in food systems under mechanical energy input. Dissertation no. 11914, Department of Food Science, ETH, ZuK rich, Switzerland.

21. Windhab, E. J., Wildmoser, H. et al., 2001. Production en continu de crème glacée, Revue Genèrale Du FROID, 1011. 49-54.

22. 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.

23. Bolliger, S., Kornbrust, B., Goff, H. D., Tharp, B. W., and Windhab, E. J., 2000. Influence of emulsifiers on ice cream produced by conventional freezing and low-temperature extrusion processing. Int. Dairy J. 10:497–504.

24. Windhab, E., and Bolliger, S., 1998. Low temperature ice-cream extrusion technology and related ice cream properties. European Dairy Magazine, 10, p.24-28.

25. Windhab, E. J., and Bolliger, S., 1998. 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.

26. 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.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle

    Hi Ruben,

    I hope you can provide some insight to my problem here as I can’t find useful information anywhere else. The draw temperature for 5030 I find is about -6.6 degrees Celsius. I turned the machine off once the dasher can no longer push through the mix. I’ve tested with batches ranging from 600g to 1100g. Do you think the reason I am not able to achieve -10 degrees as you have is because of the batch size, fat content or water content? Or is there something fundamentally wrong with my machine.

    Thanks,
    Michelle

    Reply

  2. Amanda Roman

    Hi Ruben,
    I am starting a business! I wonder if you find that uniformity of batch sizes is important. I have the 5030 and am curious if I always need to mix each flavour at the same weight to keep my product consistent. Does the average consumer notice the difference between 11% air and 23% air? Or 18% and 23%…

    Cheers from the Canadian prairies,
    Amanda

    Reply

    • Amanda Roman

      Hi again Ruben.
      I’m trying not to bug you too much, but I am really struggling with the overrun in this machine. I am consistently ending up with less ice cream weight than mix/custard I pour into the machine. The latest example is a 1500ml recipe, that after cooking and straining left me with 1390g to put into the machine and I ended up with a total of 1055g of packable product plus 300g of the frozen layer left in the machine. Ending up with 35g less ice-cream than went into the machine. In this review you say 1300ml should end you with 1600ml ice cream. What’s going on??

      I was hoping to sell 700g boxes of ice-cream. This will limit me to 500g, as I need to get two per batch to make money. That size is identical to my competitors’ so I’d like to avoid this.

      Even if you could guide me to some reading on this matter I would appreciate that!

      Amanda

      Reply

      • Ruben

        Hey Amanda,

        Thanks for getting in touch and my apologies for the delay in getting back to you, not enough hours in the day at the mo.

        Domestic machines have dashers that rotate at a relatively low revolutions per minute and so you are going to struggle to get anything over 25% to 30% overrun. You could try whisking the mix with a hand blender before you pour it into the machine to increase the overrun. This is known as pre-aeration, although I’ve never tested it. You can also increase the residence time (the time the mix spends in the machine) and make sure that you have a high not fat milk solids content, which primarily comes from skim milk powder, to make sure there is sufficient protein to stabilise the air that you whip in. A high fat and emulsifier content (egg yolks in domestic recipes) also help stabilise the air that you whip in.

        Hope that helps.

        Ruben

        When you pour your mix into the machine, there will be some wastage as some of the mix will stick to your bowl/jug or whatever you’re storing the mix in. Some of the mix will also stick to the dasher, the bowl

        Reply

        • Amanda Roman

          Thank-you!
          So I am using THIS machine. The 5030, and loosing weight at the end of churning and this includes the weight of the wastage. I am churning to -11C, and use egg yolk OR SMP. I’ll double check the ratios and see that the NFMS is on the higher end, but I am following recipes from a seasoned ice cream maker. (Dana Cree).
          If you think of anything else let me know. Otherwise, thanks so much for your help thus far!

          Reply

  3. Amanda Roman

    Hey Ruben,

    I purchased the 5030 based on this amazingly comprehensive review to start up my own ice-cream business in Saskatchewan, Canada! I’ve been testing out recipes for the past month now and feeling excited about what I’m creating.

    I do have a few questions about the 3mm of product that freezes to the edges. What do you do with this? I find if I add it to my containers the consistency is a bit gummy and chunky once frozen solid. I feel it’s such a waste. For now my family eats it, but once I’m producing 20+ litres per week, it’s going to be thrown out. gasp! 😉 Can I let it soften some and then place it in a container, mixing it up by hand? I’ll test this idea out on my own but wondered what you do.

    Mostly, I also wonder if I am doing say 4 batches of the same flavour back to back is there a need to scrape out all of this frozen excess before each new batch churns, or can it remain in the bowl until I am finished with the flavour?

    Thanks so much!
    Amanda

    PS. I am going to see about 3D printing a ‘cap’ to cover the central pin. I’ll keep you posted.

    Reply

    • Eileen Ziff

      I have the same machine (and mine is more than 15 years old). I make multiple runs of the same flavor and do not scrape off the bottom. It’s perfectly fine. No need to do so. I am a home user. I have even left in the old flavor when adding a new flavor such as vanilla adding chocolate but not vice versa. It depends on the flavor but it would be something like a lighter flavor going into a darker flavor. In a non-commercial setting this is fine where a slight bleed-in wouldn’t make a significant difference.

      Reply

    • Ruben

      Hey Amanda,

      Thanks for getting in touch. Good to hear that you went with the 5030. If I’m making a single batch, I try and scrape out as much of the mix that sticks to the bowl as I can using a wooden spoon. I then tend to sacrifice the rest to the wastage gods once my arm starts to go numb. If you find this frozen mix a bit gummy, you can try and let it warm slightly before you scoop it out. This may take a few tries to perfect because if you let it warm up too much, the small ice crystals that you have made in the machine will melt and then recrystallise in the freezer and produce much larger crystals, which will likely give the ice cream a grainy texture. You need to let it warm just enough so that it’s scoopable, but not so much that you melt many of the small crystals Just make sure that you don’t leave the other ice cream that you scooped out at room temperature whilst you’re waiting for the mix left in the bowl to soften.

      No I wouldn’t recommend scraping out all of the mix in between batches, this just won’t be feasible if you’re making several batches to sell. I’ve frozen 8 or so batches in the 5030 back-to-back before without cleaning between batches and didn’t have any problems with texture. Not cleaning between batches will also reduce your wastage.

      A 3D cap for the central pin sounds cool but a reader of the blog (thanks David Shoemaker, senior research scientist at MIT) pointed me in the direction of these cheap o-rings from amazon that do the job very nicely. I need to update my reviews of botht eh 5030 and the 4080 to include these o-rings.

      I hope that helps.

      All the best,

      Ruben

      Reply

      • Amanda Roman

        Thanks so much for this thorough reply Ruben. I’m excited to get this business up and running! And your website is an integral part of my learning. Thanks for all your work here.

        And I hear ya on the arm falling off. You don’t get used to it after years of this work, eh? 😉

        Reply

  4. Howard

    Ruben, I’m also curious why the freezing time for 1100 ml is shorter and the density is greater than 1000 ml? There seems to be a discrepancy as the numbers should increase as the quantity increases right?

    Reply

  5. Howard

    Hi Ruben, you should include in your measurements which quart measurement you are using to avoid confusion. Although a quick search will do the trick, it would be convenient if “U.S. quart” is indicated since you are living in the UK which uses imperial quart am I right?

    Reply

  6. Violeta

    Hello Ruben!

    I’ve had the musso pola 5030 for about two weeks and I’m very happy with it. Do you turn off the compressor in between consecutive batches?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  7. Rezwana

    Hi! We are a little late to homemade ice cream but eating healthy and Covid were the reasons we finally bought a 4080 based on your fantastic reviews. First batch of mango ice cream was good, need more work on the recipe.

    Question on maintenance: Looks like the middle shaft was oiled, which in my enthusiasm to not get any ice cream down it and during cleaning, I wiped away a lot of the oil.

    Is there a maintenance cycle you would recommend – maybe oiling with a particular oil? I am just worried thah regular use would break down the oil leading to friction in the shaft.

    Thank so much for your great blogs on ice cream!
    R

    Reply

    • Stephen

      Hi Rezwana

      
The 5030 I bought earlier this year had a dark grey grease applied to the drive shaft but probably only meant to be around the thread for the knurled securing nut.

      
Excess grease had spread out onto the mixing blade near the square hole, the face of the securing nut and the drive shaft around the square locating boss.

      
So I wondered if something similar may have been applied to your 4080.

      
There didn’t seem to be much chance of the grease getting into ice cream. Even so, I was still surprised to see any grease at all being used on areas so close to the ice cream mix.

      
So to be on the safe side I decided to remove all of the grease apart from a tiny amount that was still on the threads of the spindle and nut which I have left for the time being. I may remove that too at some stage, or use a suitable Food Grade grease. It might help reduce long term wear on the threads.

      
I hope the above may be of some help in your situation.

      
Best Wishes
      

      Stephen

      Reply

    • Ruben

      Hey Rezwana!

      Thanks for getting in touch. Great to hear that you went with the 4080, how are you getting along with it? I actually need to update my review of both the 5030 and the 4080 to include a small rubber o ring that fits neatly over the central pin and minimises mix getting in through the gap. I got these from amazon.

      Adding a bit of food grade grease to the central pin every now and again might not be a bad idea; this would be very infrequent if you use a rubber o ring. You can also open the machine up, take out the central pin somehow to clean it, although I’ve never tried this myself and think it’s quite tricky.

      My advice would be to buy yourself some cheap o rings and clean them every time you use the machine. A tiny bit of food grade grease in the central pin gap might not be a bad idea, although I don’t think this will be necessary with the o ring. I’ve had my 4080 for nearly 4 years without greasing the central pin and it’s still going strong.

      I hope that helps.

      All the best,

      Ruben

      Reply

      • Tom

        Hi,
        Can you explain how you use the O ring? Do you only put the O ring on when cleaning with the dasher off, or do you install the O ring and tighten the knob down to keep it in place when the dasher is churning?
        Thank you
        Tom

        Reply

        • Amanda Roman

          I have the 5030, and happened to have an O ring kicking around the house, but it’s a bit more ‘sturdy’ looking than the ones Rueben links to. As in, it’s not a perfect cylinder in a circle, but more like a square rubber band in a circle…. It happened to fit perfectly, fairly snug and I just have it on my machine full-time and have not taken it off to clean yet, as I haven’t dropped any large amounts on it. I feel it fits so snugly it’s like a part of the machine. I don’t think much of anything gets past it. Anyways, it’s on while churning and then I just wipe it off with a cloth. I’m not sure if the O rings Rueben suggest will be similar, nor how it works for sure on the 4080, but think if it fits under the dasher bolt, then it should be fine to leave there. Hope this helps some. Cheers!

          Reply

        • Matt

          I have a 5030 and bought the ones he linked from Amazon. I only take the one off to clean between batches. It fits fine while it’s in use.

          Reply

  9. freddie

    i used them for a few years! so good! it was in the storage for 15 years, the past chef didnt use it, so i took it and still work perfectly churn sorbets back to back up to 10 litres! recomended! now thanks to you i found it in amazon will buy and ship to Indonesia, been looking this bad boy!

    Reply

  10. Jane

    Hi Ruben,

    Your detailed reviews are extremely helpful, thank you! We want to upgrade our 15 year old Cuisinart “put the bowl in the freezer” machine with one with a built in compressor. Since we are not at all ice cream experts in this house and I’m not sure how much we would notice subtle texture differences, I was planning on getting the Whynter ICM-200LS. However, a used Lello Musso Pola just popped up for sale near us for the same price as a new Whynter ICM-200. The current owner is not the primary owner so does not know its age or past use. Supposedly it works perfectly, but then again all used products seem to magically “work perfectly” when their owner is trying to sell them!

    So, here is my question – would a used, history unknown, Musso Pola be better than a new Whynter for a household full of people who just want a way to make ice cream that doesn’t involve pre-freezing a bowl? Would the difference in ice cream texture and speed of freezing be enough to offset the large size and weight and unknown history (esp given the known potential for ice cream mix to get into the machine by the central pin) for people who aren’t super picky about their ice cream? Any insight you could provide would be extremely appreciated!

    Reply

  11. Eileen Ziff

    I have an older model of this machine and after my husband replaced the main gear (d/t broken teeth after turning it on with some frozen base in the bowl) it works fine. He did make me a hydraulic ice cream cart that I can wheel around at the level of the sink and lower (for storage). I have pix but don’t know how to post them (except if you email me).

    Reply

  12. Matt

    This may end up being a “longish” post, but maybe it’ll help someone. In a nutshell, I bought my Pola/5030/Stella (whatever) in 1999. I was young, single, and found it at a place that had “seconds” from places like Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn. (I assume this was from the former as they sold them at the time.) Point is: I don’t remember exactly what I paid for it (*maybe* $400?) but it was purchased on an whim and it was years before I even knew what I had. (Or before I had an owner’s manual.)

    I just knew I could take an ice cream recipe, dump the ingredients in, and within an hour (I wasn’t exactly pre-chilling anything) I’d have ice cream. Somewhere along the line I figured out what it really is, found the owners manual online which had the phone number for the US importer in NJ. I ordered a couple parts (a “foot” that had been bent since before purchase and a replacement switch – both of which were *fairly* easy repairs for me.) and all was well.

    But (there’s always a but), years into it, I fell victim to the top seal/central pin gap issue (2016?). I mean, it just worked and I had no idea you weren’t supposed to overfill it (again, no owner’s manual.) So it just got louder and louder and then one day it finally stopped spinning. The compressor was still getting things cold, and I could hear the motor humming, but no movement.

    So I took it apart (scratching the center column while removing it with pliers/vice grips despite my best efforts). Called NJ and while their tech guy was as helpful as he could be (I talked to him several times and I don’t know that I would have known to remove the center pin support without his help. That thing was LOCKED in place.) He had just never encountered someone trying to basically refurbish their machine without just buying new internals.

    I cleaned out the gears (they were moldy from the dripped down ice cream mix – which shouldn’t have surprised me I suppose.) I lubed them with silicone grease as I’d read that was the best for plastic gears, and put THAT part back together.

    The hard part was the motor. The top bearing had taken the brunt of the ice cream mix and was fully seized (I could crank it with pliers but the motor wouldn’t turn). So, not knowing a thing about bearings, I disassembled the motor, I read the part # off the bearing and ordered one of those (6202-ZZ). Well, I didn’t notice that the bearings in the motor have shims in them. So when the new bearing arrived, I tried to pull the shim from the old one. It broke.

    I talked to the tech in NJ and he reiterated that the option was to spend the $350ish (I think?) on getting a replacement motor.

    But then I called a bearing store (yes, there is such a thing. MANY in fact, but the one I called was 123bearing) and asked about purchasing a shim. A 6202-zz has an internal diameter of 15mm, but when I measured the shaft/internal diameter of the bearing with the shim, it was 1/2″. Turns out, they make a 6202 bearing with a 1/2″ internal diameter. So they recommended I do that. Shims aren’t really a thing, but correctly sized bearings are. I ended up with a (2 actually) 6202-1/2 2rsc3 (or 6202-2RS-1-2-C3). And it works swimmingly. (Look, there’s a LOT to know about bearings, but the key thing is that this one is not only the correct size for mine, but also listed as “high speed” and “waterproof” so it was more expensive. But, considering I don’t plan on doing this often, an additional $7 was worth it.)

    Turns out that might have been a good move because after re-assembly and using it twice, the center pin support came unscrewed and flooded the interior with liquid ice cream. So I had to do it all over again (this time placing food-grade loctite on the threads for the center support upon re-assembly.)

    My point is: this took me weeks to accomplish – probably months… And maybe someone with better mechanical skills would have just figured all this out in an hour (and had the right tools/parts/lubricant/food-grade loctite on hand), but I didn’t then.

    But I learned a lot and I know my ice cream maker “drive train” is assembled as well and with as good of parts as possible. And although it’s tough to remember 20 years ago, it sure seems quieter than it ever was – even “new.”

    Reply

    • Ruben

      Hey Matt,

      Thanks for that helpful post. Very interesting to read that you were able to clean the gears and get them working again rather than buying a new central pin and gear. I’m going to try and take my 4080 apart when I get some time to see how difficult it actually is to remove and replace the central pin. I suspect I will also find a nasty surprise in the shape of dried ice cream mix!

      The bearings/shims paragraph sounds very useful and will hopefully save some people the cost of having to replace the entire motor.

      Is your 5030 still going strong and have you had any other issues with it?

      All the best,

      Ruben

      Reply

      • Matt

        To reiterate: it wasn’t easy disassembling everything, and I do consider myself fairly mechanical. But it’s also not rocket science. Just time consuming (except the center shaft. That was difficult, plain and simple.) and without any kind of parts diagram or roadmap to disassembly, I felt a little like I was flying blind.

        I’ve always worried that my 5030 wasn’t getting cold enough. But the tech at the importer said it was either cooling to the correct temperature or it wasn’t working at all – there is no in between. So I basically let that worry slip from my mind (more on that below.)

        Like I mentioned, the motor is MUCH quieter now. We can hold a normal conversation right next to it or watch a movie 10-15 feet from it (did both yesterday) without too much issue. That wasn’t the case when I first bought it. (I thought about measuring sound level yesterday but ended up forgetting to do that.) But again, I have no idea about the state of the “guts” when I bought it.

        I have no clue if these are helpful or not, but here are a few photos if anyone’s interested:

        http://hp13.com/musso/

        The last one is from yesterday. The movie is of a cheap probe/contact thermometer (after reading your review I’m definitely going to have to get an infrared non-contact thermometer) reading 17F (-8.3C) so it’s certainly within a conceivable margin of error of your readings. Also, I’m at about 4600′ above sea level.

        The photos prior to those two are of the disassembly in 2017 and what everything looked like while, uh, moldy, and then later cleaned. The 5814 one shows the motor disassembled (the shaft and two bearings are in the upper right).

        I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned all the issues I’ve had with it. (Well, do NOT put the clear plastic lid/cover in the dishwasher. I think I did that twice and it probably has more wear and tear on it from the heat than the rest of the last 20 years combined. Look at it in the most recent pic. Cracks GALORE.) I broke a switch somehow and replaced that (wish I’d done both as they don’t match now as you can see in the final pic – the new dasher one is curved, the original cooling switch is straight, but that’s just trivial/aesthetic) and I replaced one of the feet that came bent. Oh, and at one point I didn’t tighten the top bolt enough and the dasher came loose and gnarled its center and the square part of the top of the shaft a little bit. But that was YEARS ago and it hasn’t happened since.

        I clearly don’t make as much ice cream as this thing would merit, but it still hasn’t let me down yet (for any reason other than my own faults.) I do not have many (maybe 2-3) 20 year old products that still work as well as this one does.

        Reply

        • Matt

          Just another long term update. 1.5 years since my last and 3.5 yrs since I “refurbished” mine as mentioned above.
          Kind of a boring update as nothing has really changed. Everything is still chugging along good as (better than?) new. Just made maybe 20 quarts of lemon gelato (probably closer to ice cream than true gelato but whatever) for Christmas gifts to the neighborhood.
          I am realizing that although my temps are similar to Ruben’s according to my own cheap infrared thermometer, I think the gap between the blade and bowl is larger than his because there’s no way I’m finishing a batch in 12 minutes – even with a 20 min pre-cool. Mine are closer to 35 or 40 min with roughly 1.5 quarts mix added. I do often get a thin layer of “ice” on the bottom of the bowl though. But it’s always been like that for me. I’ll measure it one of these days but I don’t know if I can somehow bend the blade down a bit. Maybe a new dasher is in my future. (Or maybe I just don’t pre-chill the mix to a cold enough temperature.)

          But other than that, zero complaints. Just bought the o-rings mentioned in the comments.

          Reply

          • Peter Olsen

            Hi Matt. I have a comment of freezing times. I own this machine too and I too have wondered about the 11 min freezing time which I have never managed to obtain myself. Using a 1.1-1.2 kg. of mix it takes around 32 min without prechilling the machine and around 17 min with prechilling (approx. 20 min.). I have managed to obtain used (and therefore cheap) semi-professional machines (Telme Gel 5 and Staff BTM 5). Both machine have around 2.5x the amount of refridgerant and are much faster than the Musso. But price wise (when buying a new machine that is) the Musso still is very good and makes excellent ice cream 🙂

            Reply

  13. Hans

    Hi Ruben…;-).

    Thanks for a really great review of the Lello Musso Pola. I currently have the Magimix La turbine a glace ice cream machine which makes ok ice cream but I am looking for an machine that will create better ice cream and can accomodate larger batches.

    Unfortunately our kitchen is not big enough for the Lello Musso Pola to be placed on the countertop when it is not in use. Do you think the machine will be negatively affected in any way if we move it back and forth between the pantry and the countertop?

    Regards
    Hans

    Reply

    • Matt

      Hans, obviously I can’t guarantee anything, but mine has been moved around a LOT over the past 20 years and keeps chugging a long (pretty sure the stuff I posted above had nothing to do with moving around). It moves from counter to pantry several times during the summers and then to the basement every winter. It’s not light but it’s doable, and I’ve obviously tried to be gentle moving it. But still, 20 years is 20 years…

      Reply

    • Ruben

      Hi Hans,

      Thanks for getting in touch. No I don’t think the 5030 will be negatively affected if you move it (as long as you’re careful and don’t bang it when you place it back down); I move both my 5030 and 4080 around my kitchen all the time.

      I would recommend having two people around if/when you do move it as it is a fairly heavy machine.

      I hope that helps.

      Ruben

      Reply

    • Ruben

      Hey Andrew,

      Thanks for getting in touch. Yes I do think the 5030 is good for sorbets because of its relatively fast freezing rate. The faster you can freeze/churn your sorbet, the smaller the ice crystals will be and the smoother the texture. I’d recommend including something to increase viscosity (make your sorbet mix thicker) and bind water in your sorbet recipe, something like sodium alginate or inulin.

      I hope that helps.

      Ruben

      Reply

  15. Jim Danielson

    Perhaps for those who are really concerned about getting ice cream in the machine, have a cover 3D printed for the centre bolt.

    Reply

  16. Amahl Turczyn

    Hi Ruben, I’ve had my Lello Musso 5030 for about a year now and have just stumbled across your blog. My ice cream consistency has been pretty good, but no better than what I can buy from local artisan ice cream shops. Until you taught me the protein denature step! That’s made a huge difference in the smoothness of the ice cream and gelato I’ve been able to make — it’s now superior to anything I can buy. Previous to that, the biggest breakthrough I’d found was substituting dextrose for table sugar…this produces a softer-consistency product after the ice cream has reached its final temperature in the freezer. By adding in the extra cooking time of 30 minutes at 77C, I’ve finally produced a batch that was ultra smooth, and still soft after days in the freezer thanks to the dextrose. The only thing that could be improved is that I find the taste of the milk powder off-putting. It’s possible I just need to find a better quality dry milk, but…I have made mixes with malted milk powder (and brewer’s dry malt extract, which has a stronger flavor that I much prefer)…would it be possible to sub malt extract powder for skim milk powder as the solids component in your vanilla recipe? Is there any other solid that would not lend such a strong flavor to the ice cream (maybe inulin?).

    Thanks so much for your efforts and extensive research in this blog!

    Reply

  17. Eileen Ziff

    I have an older model of this exact ice cream maker and I did have to have the main gear replaced due to “operator error”–mine! You can avoid this by NEVER doing what I did:

    I made one batch of ice cream and had to go out and do an errand. I did not clean out the freezer bowl as I was going to make more of the same flavor. I came home and turned on the machine (with a thin layer of ice cream base in it) to “pre-chill” for the next batch. NEVER do this! The bowl got cold and the dasher got stuck on the frozen ice cream base and when I turned on the dasher there was a terrible grinding sound as the machine had to work harder to “unstick” the dasher. That wore off a few of the teeth of the main gear. So never leave any liquid in the bowl and then turn on the freezer. I had to order the gear from some guy in Germany (though Ebay for around $64 with shipping) and it took about a month to get it d/t severak PO glitches). My husband was able to fix it himself but not everyone can do this.

    Bottom line: if the machine is handled with care you should have many years of problem-free use.

    Eileen Z

    Reply

  18. Anonymous

    Ruben, wanted to thank you for the advice on the machine. Just arrived and it looks great. Made sure it worked and going to make some ice cream this weekend. The machine in massive. I think I could Have gotten by with the Breville but I figure the 5030 will be a stronger machine. I used Your link so I hope You get something from amazon. Tim in Phoenix

    Reply

    • Ruben

      Hey Tim,

      Very kind of you to use the link in this review, thank you. Let me know if you need any help with your 5030.

      All the best from the UK,

      Ruben

      Reply

  19. Alex

    Hi Ruben – Thanks so much for your detailed review. I am planning on purchasing the Pola 5030 and was wondering if you would recommend getting any spare parts at the same time?

    I ask because the shipping charges for the store I found are quite high so I’m trying to decide whether to pick up spare parts now and save on the spare parts shipping costs down the road. If the Pola 5030 is quite reliable and doesn’t generally break down, then I’ll hold off on the spare parts for now.

    Thanks so much!

    Reply

  20. Anonymous

    Hello Ruben , I have reading your Page from top to bottom and analyzing your ice cream machine reviews. I am Looking to purchase the Musso 5030 . I see you recommended Amazon as a good place to purchase the machine. Have a question. On Amazon site they say maker is Lello , not Musso? Are these actual Musso machines. Also looking at your machine it has the Musso initials stamped in the stainless on the front of the machine. The machine does not look the same on Amazon. Just want to make sure I get a genuine Musso Italian machine, not a China knock off. Thank you Tim

    Reply

    • Ruben

      Hi Tim,

      Thanks for getting in touch. Yes the 5030 is known as the Lello Musso Pola 5030 in the US, and the Musso Pola Stella 5030 here in the UK; they are both the same machine made by Musso SRL in Italy just with a different name. There isn’t a Chinese nock-off of this machine and the link I’ve got on the blog review page takes you to the correct machine. Which country are you in?

      Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

      All the best,

      Ruben

      Reply

  21. Anonymous

    Hi, Ruben
    I’d like to buy lello-musso-pola-5030 for making ice-cream at home, but one shop assistant from a local shop warned me about using wrong recipes. He said that if some ice-cream mixture doesn’t have the right consistency or proportions, tubes in the ice-cream maker may burst and this expensive machine will naturally be good for nothing and so he recommended me to buy ready mixtures, which is what I don’t want to do. His words were quite discouraging. How do you make sure you recipes have the right proportions without the fear of breaking this machine down? Is there any decent book with recipes you could highly recommended that will safeguard against breaking this machine down (I will follow its guidelines and time of cooking of course). I’ve never cooked ice-cream before but don’t see any point in cooking lower quality ice-cream.
    Thanks very much for advice.
    Alex

    Reply

  22. Peter Olsen

    Hi Rand.
    According to the Musso website it is only the largest model (Consul) which uses another refrigerant (R404a). The others use the same R134a (which all small ice cream makers uses). Whether the R404a is better in general or just better when dealing which larger capacity bowls I do not know.
    I assume the Giardino/Club are just scaled up versions of the Stella so stronger compressor/moter because of the larger capacity but in relative terms you get the same. Try to write to the company. They are reply quickly (at least they did to me last year). If you need the larger capacity and the stronger motor/compressor then I definitely think you should purchase the Giardino/Club models. Considering that the machines are not super expensive and last for 20+ years 😀
    Considering the sorbets I think I get very good results with my receipies but they also contain glucose powder, dextrose and/or invert sugar in addition to saccharose and also some stabiliser and fiber. I have not tried to freeze only a mixture of water, juice and saccharose. But I would assume even the Musso Pola would not give a perfectly smooth result in these cases? I would not be surprised if the sorbets you tasted in Italy also contained the above mentioned ingredients (but that does not imply they would be lower grade products).

    Cheers, Peter

    Reply

  23. rand

    I bought the musso pola, I am happy with the machine but not overly so. I notice the next step up is the Fiume which comes with a more powerful motor and a different type of refrigerant. It is of course probably too expensive for home use but I just spent a month in Italy and two frozen dessert experience stand out. Both were sorbetto’s which I think were just fruit, simple syrup and perhaps a bit of lemon. Mouth feel told me there was something else in there but I can’t know that. The Pola can get cream based deserts realtively hard in 20 or so minutes as long as you use about a quart of liquid and don’t try to max it out but when dealing with sorbets which are what I am really interested in the machine generally produces a somewhat icy product. Not icy, but not what I experienced with some regularity in italy. A friend had purchased a gaggia off ebay and I have used it to roughly similar results as the musso. I would consider looking for one of those machines and saving a whole bunch of money.

    Reply

  24. Win

    Hi Ruben, I currently have a Cuisinart ICE100 at home but am thinking of switching to one of the Lello Musso options out there..

    I’ve been having trouble getting a good, creamy, dense texture to my home made ice creams. I want to be able to cook the base for longer (right now only ~15 minutes).. Ideally how long would you recommend cooking it for? And do you have a good strategy/tool for keeping the temperature constant without over cooking or boiling the mixture? I find I need to constantly stir it on the stove top, otherwise the heat is inconsistent and will overcook certain parts of the base.

    Thank you for your help, I love your blog!

    Reply

    • Ruben

      Hi Win,

      Thanks for getting in touch and apologies for the long delay in getting back to you; I think I missed your question, oops.

      Did you end up upgrading to one of the lello machines? I’d recommend heating your mix to 77°C for 30 minutes; prolonged heating times have excellent results on texture because of the effect of heat and time on promoting reversible protein unfolding. Have you tried any of my recipes before? If not, I’d recommend trying my vanilla bean ice cream recipe where I discuss the effect of prolonged heating on texture.

      When I first started making ice cream, I found that keeping about half my pan off my induction hob helped maintain a constant temperature without over cooking. Also try and keep the heat at low to medium. Yes you definitely need to keep constantly stirring during the heating stage or you’ll end up with egg yolk that cooks to the bottom of your pan and imparts a horrible flavour.

      Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

      All the best,

      Ruben

      Reply

  25. Sandra

    Hi Ruben!

    I’ve been wanting to buy the Musso Pola Stella machine. Now I’ve come across the newer version ‘Musso Pola Stella CHEF’.

    The difference between these two is roughly 400 euros. So I was wondering what the difference really is and wheter it’s worth it. Do you have any answer to that?

    Thank you,

    Sandra

    Reply

    • Ruben

      Hi there Sandra!

      Thanks for getting in touch. I had a chat with the owner of Musso in Italy about this when I was choosing between the two and the only difference is that the dasher on the Stella Chef stops rotating either when the lid is off, or when the mix gets too hard; I’m pretty sure it’s the former. The owner said that some people were forgetting about there ice cream whilst it was in the machine, which meant that it got very hard and stopped the dasher, which in turn caused the gears to wear quicker.

      My advice would be to save yourself 400 euros and go with the non Chef version. Just make sure that you keep your eye on the mix when it’s in the machine and don’t allow it to get so hard that it stops the dasher from rotating.

      Hope that helps.

      Ruben

      Reply

      • Sandra

        Thank you Ruben for your advice! Also big thanks for keeping your homepage updated and full of interesting details which one can learn from!

        Reply

  26. David

    Hi Ruben,

    Thank you for the review!
    For making test batches, what is the smallest portion you’ve tried making with this?

    Reply

    • Ruben

      Hi there David!

      Thanks for getting in touch. I think the least amount of mix I have frozen in this bad boy is 700ml, which gave good results.

      Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

      All the best,

      Ruben

      Reply

      • David

        Thanks for the reply Ruben, pretty close to buying this thanks to your review but have one more question about the different models, perhaps you might know the answer?

        As far as I can tell, the Musso comes as a 230V/50Hz model and a 110V/60Hz model.
        I plan to use this in Eastern Japan (100V/50Hz standard) and can either use the former stepped down or the latter as is.

        The 110V/60Hz can be used as is which is good, but it’s possible that being 60 Hz standard, will output only 80% of the power it should which could affect the rotation speed/power? and freezing ability. However, if the machine determines output using an onboard thermostat, perhaps it would compensate automatically?

        Otherwise, the 230V/50Hz model carries the risks/costs of having to use a transformer.

        If you were in this situation, which would you pick?

        Reply

  27. Nikki

    Hi Ruben – thanks so much for this blog. We just got a Lello Musso 4080, and the information in your blog is not only great reading, but is unbelievably helpful – especially your ice cream calculator. Question – you say in the review above that you are going to post a gelato recipe. Is that coming soon? Would love to give it a try.

    Reply

    • Ruben

      Hi there Nikki!

      Thanks for reaching out. VERY happy to hear that the blog helps; I know it still needs a lot of work to improve many of the posts. I still haven’t had time to fully test my gelato recipe. I got good results texture wise, but my gelato had an overpowering taste of maltodextrin. I need to run a few more tests and reduce the amount of maltodextrin I use.

      If it helps, the recipe I’m working on at the moment consists of 11% non fat-milk solids, 8% fat, 16% sugar, 11.7% maltodextrin, 4.2% egg yolks, and 51% total solids. Let me know if you want me to send over the spreadsheet with this gelato recipe on.

      All the best,

      Ruben

      Reply

  29. Eileen Ziff

    I have this same machine and used to have the smaller one and I seem to have a problem that nobody addresses: buttering. I find that fat tends to accumulate on the flat surfaces of the dasher leaving a greasy residue. I don’t know how to avoid that. Do you? I might add that I never add eggs to my bases. They are all Philadelphia style. I usually chill the machine down for about 10 mins (I see you recommend 20). Any thoughts? I also wish the dasher actually touched the sides of the bowl and did a better job of scraping.

    Reply

    • Ruben

      Hi there Eileen,

      Thanks for getting in touch. What fat are you using in your mix? If you’re using milk and cream, are these homogenised or unhomogenised? My guess is that the fat content in your mix is way too high, especially since I just read your no eggs comment; too much egg yolks would have been my second guess. Do you use any artificial emulsifiers in your mix? I’m with you on the dasher comment but I’m not surprised that it doesn’t touch the sides as my guess is that this would require a much stronger motor that would significantly raise the price of the machine.

      All the best,

      Ruben

      Reply

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