Ice Cream Maker

[echokilo]

At the risk of sounding stupid - how do these work?! I realise they make and freeze icecream to ready to eat stage, but then what .... do I have to box and transfer to freezer or can it stay in the machine for a period of time and stay frozen?

[andrew1707]

As the bowl of the machine is very cold (as you have to stick it in the freezer for a good bit) it will keep the ice-cream frozen for a while but I would recommend sticking it is a box and putting in freezer asap.

Or a better idea that we tend to use is to simply eat it!!!

[Old_Geezer]

Do folk have enough space left in their freezer for putting a bowl into ? Sounds like they're running a freezer larger than they really need.

[andrew1707]

We need a BIG freezer to put all the veg from the garden in...oh and all the treats that the kids force us to buy them.

[heathfield]

The instructions that come with these bowls will tell you that, once made, you should transfer the ice cream to a suitable container and keep it in the freezer.

[echokilo]

Thanks - does anyone use one? Once in the freezer, does it say airy and fluffy??

[heathfield]

If it's airy and fluffy when you put it into the freezer, it'll stay that way.

[murraymints]

as others have said you freeze the bowl before making ice cream then transfer to freezer to store..as seen in come dine with me !!!..problem usually is finding space in a drawer to freeze bowl !!!

[echokilo]

Can't the ice cream be decanted into a more suitable container (ie 2 smaller ones)?

[boxtops]

You have to take it out and rewhip it etc in the machine, which is why it might as well stay in the bowl.

[woofgang]

Yes once it's made you can store it in a different container. Home made ice cream is a lot denser than supermarket type stuff.....Ben and Jerry's is the nearest commercial one I think. This means that if stored, it comes out of the freezer rock hard and needs to sit in the fridge for a while before serving. If you leave it in the open bowl you froze it in, the top will dry and skin over.

If you want an expensive toy, then magi mix and gaggia make a machine that sits in th work top and hoax a freezer motor built in so no need to keep a bowl in the freezer and you can make ice cream continually. A potful takes about 30 minutes to chrn and freeze so if you put it on as you serve the starter or main, depending on how fast you eat, it will be ready for dessert.