Home made ice cream equipment - how do you make it?

[supersprout]

No.1 son is lobbying for an ice cream maker, and I'm tempted (he says he'll pick up the tab if I make the ice cream :D)
How does everyone make their ice cream - frozen in fridge in a plastic tub and beaten to a pulp with a fork? Antique bucket churn with sprocket handle, ice and salt? Top-of-the-range Gaggia?
Hope you can help us on what sort of kit (if any) you'd recommend (or not) for making your own ice cream at home and anything to watch out for* ??? :P ::)

*apart from eating too much ice cream ;)

[supersprout]

[OliveOil]

My Mum used to freeze it in plastic container!  I bought a maker - cant remember which make now. It was really easy to use and easy to assemble - except i lost one of the bits so i dont have it any more.

[tim]

Funny that you should mention this, Sprouty - wanted one for No1 Daughter's b'day on 28th - saw this in the paper - ordered it from QED - choice of delivery dates - tried it out  - brilliant!!

Max 720 ml but I'm not proud. First trial - for a smaller batch - took 2 hours.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/icm.jpg

[supersprout]

Which of the four was it tim? ::)

[tim]

Ooops, sorry - the one she raves about!

Came 2nd to the Gelato Chef in the Which report.

I'm going to try to get a spare bowl.

http://www.epinions.com/pr-Panasonic_BH-941P_Ice_Cream_Maker/display_~reviews

[Curryandchips]

I am very much a basics person, so use a balloon whisk and fork for making my ice cream. Incidentally, I made a second batch of the rhubarb crumble ice cream last week, using double cream. It ended up a lot more 'solid', I am not sure whether it was the cream (as opposed to whipping cream), or whether in my zeal, I actually added more cream, and so made it too heavy. I suspect the latter.

Whatever your final choice, I wish you many hours of delicious experimenting ... :)

[tim]

Or make Nigella's Seville ice cream which doesn't need stirring?

I don't do stirring these days!

[Jill]

I've a ten+ year old Magimix ice cream maker.  The bowl has to be kept in the freezer and to make the ice cream you take it out and fit a motor on top with paddle attached.  Takes about 30 mins for it to freeze sufficiently but you can only do one batch before the bowl defrosts and you then can't make any more for about 12 hours.  Bit of a pain really but does make very nice ice creams and sorbets.

[moonbells]

Aha - interesting. I love icecream and have an old magimix too. But this little shove-in-freezer job sounds great!

Managed to find the whole Guardian review that Tim's piccies come from:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/family/story/0,,1787597,00.html

moonbells (who had a Gaggia on the wedding list but we didn't get enough spare John Lewis vouchers! :( )

I hate the fact that if you are modifying a post and hit back space, it loses what you just typed... *humph*

Which was...

ps: Tim, if you haven't already found this, then the batteries for the Panasonic are £1.35 each (or £7.79 for six: £1.29 each) at http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_3&products_id=6869

For a recharger, http://www.battery-force.co.uk/detail_URCR12001B.html £13.96 including one battery, and a second one is http://www.battery-force.co.uk/detail_URCR12001A.html £6.19

[tim]

Yes - thanks!

That girl must have done her homework - can't better her prices.

[vaca]

I've used both the cheaper magimix ice cream maker where you need to freeze the bowl in the freezer before using it and the Gelato Chef that has a built in freezer so you can make many batches without needing to refreeze the tub (and is more expensive).

I did find that the ice cream actually came out better with the magimix machine. The electric one never gets as cold and so takes too long to freeze the ice cream which means that the mixer keeps turning and incorporates more and more air, and too much air is not good. My ice cream would take 20 minutes to freeze with the magimix and 30 minutes with the Gelato Chef.

and to think I gave away my magimix when I bought the other one  :(  - should've kept both  :P

If you're not bothered about making several flavours in one day and have space in your freezer, I'd recommend the magimix type.

Vaca

[supersprout]

Thanks to all for advice - will relay the link to son! :P ::)