Ice Cream Maker, 1 Quart Automatic Electronic Gelato Maker with 4 Operation Modes, Built-In Compressor, Portable Homemade Dessert Maker with Spoon, Ice Cream Machine for Home, Dorm (White)

The media could not be loaded. I researched and really couldn’t beat this ULIT ice cream maker for the price. It has a compressor, 1 Qt. capacity, timing features and 4 mode functions. Simple controls.Mine arrived yesterday.I made 2 bases:‘Strawberry Hibiscus’ froyo and ‘Coffee & Donuts’ ice cream - based from Salt & Straw’s tutorial for NYT on YouTube. ‘Philadelphia style’ contains no egg which is great for fruit based frozen treats. I’d describe the Strawberry Hibiscus adventure as ‘sherbet’ style - but a hybrid because of the cream %.Both took about 20 minutes to reach ‘soft serve.’I made two, then chilled overnight. It was easy. They turned out great!My bases were made 6-8 hours in advance to infuse more flavor and chilled to 38°F in my refrigerator; which is soooo easy,I read the instructions - which were confusing. Instructions were overly detailed, but also not complete in sections. For example: who knew this machine could also make yogurt!? I mean,, it could if I ever understand the yogurt section in the instructions. Hee.I’m glad reviews didn’t scare me off.For example: the magnetic lid nodes must be.dry for the unit to function. And it really functions!!Clean up was a cinch.During the second batch, the ice condensation made the churn bucket stick to the cooling chamber and I had to pour in a few cups of warm water up loosen it. Not a problem,It did a great job! Twice!It’s 2-3 times more affordable than Cuisinart or Whynter..Relatively small footprint and it’s not very loud.1 Qt. is a small volume capacity - especially for families considering ice cream base is recommended to be 60% fill and yogurt is 80% fill due to expansion. It’s more than enough for 2 or 4 (with smaller portions). With the right prep, this unit will also make multiple flavors in very little time - so 1 Qt. is not really a deal breaker..It’s not very heavy.I’ll update if there are changes.So far, so great!3rd and 4th batches were banana based ‘nice’ cream.Pandan Coconut Banana (vegan)1 - 14 oz. can full fat coconut milk1 - 11 oz. can sweetened condensed coconut milk3 small ripe bananas (ripe increases sweetness and banana flavor - you can use greener bananas for less sweetness or banana flavor)1/2 -1 tsp. Pandan extract to taste1/4 tsp. coconut extractTiny pinch salt1/4 tsp. Xanthan gumBlend all until smooth.Refrigerate overnight (36-40°F).Churn in ice cream maker about 20-25 minutes until very thick ‘soft serve’ consistency.Place in container overnight in freezer covered with parchment paper edge to edge.Enjoy!5th and 6th batches…They were great. A lavender lemon sorbet and a toasted coconut with caramel swirl.I’m really luving this machine.Update: It’s almost been a year and it’s still working many many batches later. I figured out the yogurt setting too, that was interesting.

I’m about a dozen batches in with this machine. Here’s what I learned:1. For me it has been a great, well made machine. Batch size will probably be the only real deciding factor if this machine is right for you. The batch size is limited to 3 cups/churn tops. Most ice cream recipes yield 4-5 cups of base. You’re going to have to perform (2)-thirty minute churns per full recipe. The container can hold 4 cups, but ice cream increases in volume as it churns and filling the container more than 3/4 full will absolutely kill it by squeezing mix up and into the dasher (paddle) motor. I only go 2/3 full. The churning is the easiest part, and with the compressor you can churn back to back batches (which I do all the time) with little down time in between.2. Make sure that the inside freezing well is entirely dry before every use. Your first batch of the day should be a non-issue, but if you’re going back to do a second churn for the last half of your base, this metal well will be covered with frost. Use the warmth of your hand to completely melt all of it and REALLY dry it. You will also want to completely melt and dry the outside of the metal bucket you add your base to. Any moisture between these two metal surfaces will freeze the metal to metal and have your churned ice cream held hostage in the machine as you wait for the ice to melt (about 10 minutes - guess how I know). DO NOT force them apart if this happens!3. There are two metal dots on the inside rim of the machine, that correspond to 2 metal prongs on the lid. When they line up, they provide the power to the dasher motor. If your machine turns on but the dasher won’t spin, try turning the lid tighter. My first 3 batches did not require a “click” sound, when I closed the lid, I just turned the lid to the right and off we went. Since my 4th batch I’ve needed to give the lid a little pressure towards “lock” to get that “click”. Don’t let mix or condensation get in the way of that 2 dot connection - wipe those dots off as the last step before securing the lid.4. The dasher bottom rests and then spins on a dimple on the bottom the metal pail. I’ve had chocolate chips get in between that spot, so now I rest my dasher in the pail and then add my mix or let the mix churn a few minutes to stiffen it up before adding any “bits” in an attempt to keep them suspended higher in the mix while getting the dasher lined up. Once it’s seated and moving, I’ve never had an issue.5. There are no timers or beep alerts (mentioned in the instructions) that I’ve found. Most mixes take about 30 minutes to churn. Set a timer if you need to walk away and be nearby around the 20-25 minute mark. Every time you open the lid the timer restarts to zero.6. You’re making a soft serve product. Imagine the force needed to “churn” a frozen half-gallon of ice cream from the store…you’d need something akin in size & strength of a cement mixer to do that…this is a small machine. If you hear it start to switch gears or begin to struggle it’s time to turn it off, you’re done with the churning stage, put it in the freezer to let it harden up.This is a quality machine! I’ve used it hard since I bought it and besides thinking it was broken when the dasher wouldn’t spin (until I realized the lid wasn’t tight enough to get that 2 prong - 2 dot connection lined up) it has done everything it needs to. I did 6 churns back to back and this machine did great.

I bought this for my moms birthday. She eats way too much store bought ice cream so I figured homemade w fresh fruit would be healthier.The machine has some minor flawsCons:-Instruction manual is hard to read and not very helpful-Recipe is weird and calls for powdered milk with water-Loud beeps and no visible volume controlThe machine is intuitive on its own that the instruction manual and recipe can be basically ignored. The only con that really bothers me is how loud the control panel is and there doesnt seem to be a volume control. Makes it hard to sneak make ice cream at night.Pros:-The machine itself is pretty intuitive. You just select the 3rd option for ice cream. Lock the chamber with the arrow aligned. Press start and hear the motor spinning (if you hear beeping or no spinning you didnt lock the chamber properly) and you'll have perfect homemade fresh ice cream in less than 60 minutes.-You can put whatever you want in it and it works like a charm. I ignored their recipe. All you need is Whole Milk and Heavy Cream. Half of each, or w.e. you want. Fill the bucket up to about halfway or the ice cream might overfill.-Bucket seems very well made and components are easy to take apart and clean as well as reassemble.So far have made blueberry, cucumber, and peach ice cream. All of which came out fantastic. Tastes amazing fresh and is best eaten right after being made.HIGHLY recommend the machine. Works like a dream so far.