Does this product make hard ice cream as well as soft serve?
1091507
No. We have been using it since December 2013 when we got it. We have probably used it 10 times. It is only a soft serve. No matter what we have done, it has never came out as a hard ice cream. We make ours and put it in the freezer overnight, and it's been fine. Not so rock hard we couldn't get it out of the bowl. It's hard, but nice. Lately that's what we have been doing. Letting the kids make it and putting it in the freezer overnight and eating it the next day. It's never gotten too hard for us and had to be softened before we could eat it. My kids still really like making the ice cream.
1091508
It does not get hard in the ice cream maker, but I think you could put it in the freezer for a while if you wanted it to be harder. In my experience, once put in the freezer for too long (as in overnight) though it can get too hard and has to be softened.
1091509
Neither. It makes a smoothie texture frozen desert, but you'd be lucky to get anything close soft serve. it's more of a shake mixer. It'll chill the ingredients, but it still needs to be frozen for a few hours inside a freezer for soft serve. Overnight for a hard ice cream. If this isn't what you expected, then this might be better: Cuisinart ICE-100 Compressor Ice Cream and Gelato Maker
871895
Dear Leesa,Yes it can. Here is a review from one of our satisfied customers:This ice cream mix is VERY yummy and VERY easy to make! We used it in the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine and it was fabulously rich!Regards, DianeCustomer Care
1944383
You can make smaller amounts with this one. I made delicious coconut milk ice "cream" and the container was less than half full with the recipe I used. Turned out like chocolate soft serve- DELISH!
159712
Yes! I've only made ice cream with my machine. I have yet to make Gelato. I looked up ice cream recipes online and made Ice cream. It worked perfect. The unit isn't huge but it's heavy. I'm not sure exactly how much Ice cream it makes, but I would guess 1 to 1 1/2 quarts.
1798655
Absolutely. Just mix ice cream, very cold milk and a little syrup for more flavor. Just mix it until all the ice cream liquifies.Just a few seconds.
725815
Hi,To date we have only used it for ice cream; so, I cannot answer your question. Excellent product - I'm sure it would make good sherbet and gelato - check reviews as to those usages.
159711
No, because the paddle that comes with this machine only makes gelato. Gelato and ice cream are different. Ice cream is a churned frozen dessert that has an overrun of 25%-50%(this means that if you add 1 qt of base into an ice cream machine, approximately 1.5 qts will come out). Gelato has an ideal overrun of 10%, which means 1 qt gelato base is going to be 1 qt and about half a cup gelato. The difference in ice cream and gelato is not necessarily ratios vs fats...it's about how much air is whipped/churned into the final product. The paddle for this machine is a gelato paddle. You'd need a different kind of paddle to make an ice cream in this machine.
1282869
We've had this for a month or two - and so far with our experience it seems to depend on the recipe of ice cream you use. The "cook" recipes where you prepare something on the stove top the day before then refrigerate it and mix the following day in the maker seems to be very hard like store-bought ice cream after it's in the freezer for a night. But the ice cream we've made that does not require any cooking has stayed relatively soft in the freezer even after several days. We've only made maybe 3 or 4 different recipes though so it may just be the recipes we're using.
1730119
It's not very strong ... You can feel it flex a little with the dough. I suppose in the case of tender ripened melons or softened ice cream you could... But that would be an exception not a rule.
1254442
Sent mine back...Tried ice cream, gelato, & frozen custard...chilled ingredients first, ice crystals formed in all 3 recipes but didn't solidify...i like soft ice cream but all 3 efforts had the consistency of frozen slushies. Maybe it was the unit, but wasn't willing to retry. My sense is that the compressor was fine, but the small paddle was plastic and not powerful enough to actual churn the mixture adequately.
1945394
Yes, when it starts just going back and forth it's time to transfer the mix to a separate container and stick it in the freezer for another couple of hours. Of course, you can eat it as soft serve immediately if you like!
294080
No, just put the ingredients in the tube, fill the outside with ice and salt and plug it in. When it stops the ice cream is ready.
1424656
sorry, I was sent to Afghan while I ordered this product, but never gotit. The company was great about a refund. I do have a bigger Haier Frige MOdel HMSEO5WABB, that everyone uses here in the Sand Box, we keep it at 5 1/2 just right for everyone. The ICE cream does become soft due to a poor seal on the freezer box and extreme Temp changes here 90-100F in day and 60F at nght and constant opening of the door by everyone.
563232
Yes the machine does make fluffy or dense ice cream/gelato.It really depends on the mixture that you put inside it to freeze.We have made both and they have both turned out great.Hope this helps.Only complaint about this product and this is not really anything to worry about, but the bowl could be bigger as the amount it produces does not last long in our house but apart from buying one of the super sized industrial models, this is the only machine that is available for the consumer that is heads above all the competition.Happy New Year. Yes the machine does make fluffy or dense ice cream/gelato.It really depends on the mixture that you put inside it to freeze.We have made both and they have both turned out great.Hope this helps.Only complaint about this product and this is not really anything to worry about, but the bowl could be bigger as the amount it produces does not last long in our house but apart from buying one of the super sized industrial models, this is the only machine that is available for the consumer that is heads above all the competition.Happy New... » Read More Yes the machine does make fluffy or dense ice cream/gelato.It really depends on the mixture that you put inside it to freeze.We have made both and they have both turned out great.Hope this helps.Only complaint about this product and this is not really anything to worry about, but the bowl could be bigger as the amount it produces does not last long in our house but apart from buying one of the super sized industrial models, this is the only machine that is available for the consumer that is heads above all the competition.Happy New Year. « Show Less
319983
In my experience, it is denser than what is produced by a normal ice cream maker but probably not as dense as you'd get in a commercial gelato shop with larger, professional grade machines. And regardless, you'll probably want to let it set up in the freezer for a little while before serving it.
2037165
you do not have to make 4 qts,however, you may want to fill ice & salt to top so that your icecream will freeze better.you can always stop the freezing process to make a softer serve icecream. enjoy. to maximize the use of the freezer,fill it full to lines. you just will have more ice cream to enjoy & share
1777132
Yes, and I have made a lot of great ice cream. However, I have had to do it manually; with the crank. The motor broke after about five uses.