Ice Cream Maker 

Ice Cream Maker – So, you are having a cookout and you want to add something special to the meal. An Ice Cream Maker is the perfect way to do just that.

There are three basic types of Ice Cream Maker, Ice-salt freezing, anti-freeze bucket, and mechanical.

The ice-salt freezing type Ice Cream Maker is made up of an outer bowl and an inner bowl. The outer bowl holds the freezing mixture of ice-salt. As the ice-salt mixture melts, it absorbs the heat from the inner bowl and the drop in temperature freezes the mixture. The inner bowl simply contains the mixture, or recipe. This type of ice cream maker is inexpensive, but inconvenient and messy as the ice-salt mixture produces a lot of salty water as it melts, which the user must dispose of, and the ice-salt mixture has to be replenished to make a new batch. Batch size is usually 3 to 5 quarts.

The anti-freeze type ice cream maker uses a double-walled bowl which contains, between the two walls, a solution that freezes below the freezing point of water. This is frozen in a domestic freezer for up to 24 hours before the machine is needed. Once frozen, the bowl is put into the machine, the mixture is added and the ice cream maker is switched on. The paddles rotate, stirring the mixture as it gradually freezes through contact with the frozen bowl. Twenty to thirty minutes later, the solution between the double walls of the bowl has thawed, and the mixture has frozen. The advantage of this type of ice cream maker is low cost, typically under $100. The disadvantage of the pre-frozen bowl approach is that only one batch can be made at a time. To make another batch, the bowl must be frozen again. For this reason, it is usually possible to buy extra bowls for the machine, but of course these take up a lot of freezer space.

The mechanical type ice cream maker has a freezing mechanism built in and does not require the bowl to be pre-chilled. You simply switch it on, wait a few minutes, then, add your mixture. In 20 to 30 minutes, it’s done. This type ice cream maker is usually more expensive and quite heavy.

Whichever type Ice Cream Maker you chose, follow directions and you, and your guests will soon be enjoying the great taste of your favorite recipe.