Ice cream maker

What’s it good for?

It makes smooth-textured ice cream, sherbet, gelato — and memories — by mixing and chilling at the same time. The churning action of an ice cream maker interferes with the crystallization of fluids in the ice cream mixture. Without the movement, the mixture would become a block of ice.

What kinds are there?

The classic style is a churn freezer with a covered canister in the center to hold the ice cream mixture and a bucket to hold ice and salt. The canister has a blade to stir the cream mixture as you turn the canister in the ice. Some churns have a crank that you turn by hand. Others have an electric motor that does the work for you.

Newer styles have double-walled canisters with gel between the walls. You pre-chill the canister in your home freezer, and the cold gel allows you to churn-freeze (again by hand or with an electric motor) without ice.

What did our parents and grandparents use?

Ice cream churns that require ice have been around for generations and the design hasn’t changed much. But we would be remiss if we didn’t mention a classic 4-H and Girl Scout activity: making ice cream with recycled coffee cans. The ice cream mixture goes in a covered 12-ounce can and the ice and salt go in a covered 2-pound can. You set the smaller can inside the larger one and roll the combo on the floor, the driveway or the yard for about 20 minutes.

What’s the state of the art?

Upscale styles with compressor motors that chill the ice cream mixture like your kitchen’s refrigerator-freezer would. With this style, you don’t need to chill the canister or use ice.

Also new is the low-tech Play & Freeze ice cream maker, also known as the Camper’s Dream. It looks like a plastic playground ball. You pour the ice cream mixture through an opening on one side of the ball. On the other side, you pour in a mixture of ice and rock salt. Then you roll the ball around for about 30 minutes — like the roll-the-can method kids use.

« Food & Dining

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