You can make delicious ice cream at home, just as good as any premium brand in the store, if you choose a good ice cream maker and follow a few tips. Ice cream makers can range in price from under $100 to over $500. The most expensive models contain built-in freezer compressors. The less expensive models are perfectly suited for home use and come in two basic types. There’s the kind that uses rock salt and ice to chill the ice cream mix and the kind that has a container that sits in the freezer. Each of these is equipped with either an electric crank or a manual crank. Your particular needs will determine which one is right for you.
If you want to make a large batch of ice cream, you’ll need to purchase a model that uses rock salt and ice. Canister models will only make up to 1.5 quarts at a time. If you want to turn the ice cream parlor into a family activity, you can choose the hand-cranked model, which will also use rock salt and ice. The crank must be turned manually for quite a long time, thus allowing each member of the family one turn. An electric crank is quite a bit easier than manual crank models. You’ll also get more consistent results because the bowl rotates at a constant speed. Most electric hand crank ice cream makers will have an auto shut off feature that will stop the motor when the ice cream reaches the desired consistency. Consistency is judged by the amount of resistance as the bowl rotates.
After choosing which type of ice cream maker is right for you, you’ll need to find the perfect ice cream recipe. Remember that the faster the ice cream freezes, the better it will taste and the smoother the texture. It is best to pre-mix all the ingredients and allow them to cool for several hours before placing them in the ice cream maker. When the ice cream is done, it will look like soft serve. You can place the container in the freezer for a few hours and you will be much more pleased with the results. If your container is plastic, consider removing the ice cream as soon as it’s done and placing it in a metal container covered with aluminum foil. The metal will allow the ice cream to freeze faster and harden faster than in a plastic container.
You can buy a mix that is easy enough to turn into ice cream very quickly. While the mix-ins are convenient, the best homemade ice cream is made with fresh ingredients. Milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cocoa, if you like, will give you the best results. You can find numerous ice cream recipes, some that require cooking, others that do not require cooking. No-cook ice cream recipes are generally just as good as the cooked type and require much less time. The best ice cream recipes usually call for eggs, however there are many recipes that do not use eggs if you or someone in your family is allergic to eggs.
