Cuisinart Ice-45 Mix-It-In Soft-Serve 1-1/2-Quart Ice-Cream Maker
by Cuisinart
|
List Price: Our Price: $89.99 You Save: $145.01 (62%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $79.00 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
|---|
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart Ice-45 Mix-It-In Soft-Serve 1-1/2-Quart Ice-Cream Maker
Customer Review: Pass this one up
Summary: 3 Stars
I've used the freezer 5 times now and I would not reccommend this product. It takes a longer time than stated to freeze the product. I keep my freezing bowl in a deep freezer all the time so it's very cold. When the product is done, usually 30 minutes or more, it is nothing like a soft serve you'd get from a Dairy Queen. I'll probably give this one away a purchase a good standard freezer.Customer Review: Fabulous sorbets!
Summary: 4 Stars
Bought this at a kitchen store for a lot more money- should have checked here first! My initial attempt was a lemon-berry sorbet, modifying a recipe I found on the internet. It turned out wonderfully, though it doesn't make much. As recommended, I had my ingredients very cold (used frozen berries in a blender with simple syrup, then strained), and it took about 15 minutes. Getting ready for the chocolate ice cream in the recipe book now. I only gave this 4 stars because the possibilities haven't been fully explored yet!Customer Review: FREZZER BOWL
Summary: 5 Stars
Thishas work awesome. we mak ice cream at least 4 times a week and this has been perfect every time.Customer Review: Delivers on what it promises - just make sure you understand what it promises!
Summary: 5 Stars
In reading the reviews for this product, I've noticed that some people may have been expecting something more than what Cuisinart is selling. Having used this unit several times now, here are my impressions and thoughts.
- The unit uses a freezer bowl to freeze the product. That means that the bowl MUST be frozen solid and the product MUST be very well chilled, otherwise you will not get good results. We have just kept our freezer bowls in the deep freeze when not in use so that we can make ice cream fairly quickly. It's probably best to mix up your soft serve mix at least an hour in advance and put it in the coldest part of your fridge or (as another reviewer suggested) in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to get it as cold as possible without prematurely freezing it.
- The freezer bowl doesn't have a huge capacity. It can make "10-12" servings - if your servings are small. 6-8 is probably more like it. If you want more, make certain you purchase an additional bowl and keep it frozen.
- The instructions on time expectations generally say 10-15 minutes, and this can be true if you chill the ice cream mixture very thoroughly. Otherwise it will take longer, probably more like 15-20 minutes.
- The first serving or so may be fairly soupy - I have found that I can dispense some into a cup and then re-add that into the top of the bowl.
- The "mix-ins" really don't mix in to the soft serve at all, they are really topping dispensers. If you're expecting something like a DQ Blizzard, it's not the same. Also, don't over-fill (or pack in) the mix in bins. I've had good luck with chopped peanuts, sprinkles and the mini M&Ms.
The differences between this unit and a more conventional ice cream freezer are mainly that this unit has a freezable bowl vs. a bowl that is placed in a mix of ice and rock salt. That means it is a little more convenient, but lacks the capacity of the conventional freezer. Our ice cream freezer makes about twice as much ice cream as the soft serve, but it is much louder, generally requires more clean up and doesn't dispense the product. On the other side, I think a conventional freezer has more versatility if you are making things like frozen custards that set up harder than soft serve. Finally, the freezer just isn't really as much "fun" as this one is which has real appeal if you've got kids in the family.
Overall, I've really enjoyed this gadget - but I did some research first and made certain I understood what I was buying. This is NOT like the soft serve dispensers in restaurants - but it's very nice for a treat on a summer afternoon.
Customer Review: Save your money, drive to DQ
Summary: 3 Stars
I was so excited to buy this to make homemade treats for the kids. Like others said, it's a pain having to freeze the container and it's only good for making one batch. If you insist on buying it, you might want to buy a spare container (about $40).
You won't have soft-serve like at Dairy Queen unless you are good at tweaking recipes. My first attempt was a disaster but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. It's something you'll definitely need to practice. I've had to wait over 20 minutes each time I've made it. I think putting the ingredients in the freezer for about 20 minutes before making the icecream helps to speed it along.
If I could do it over again, I'd save my money, it's not worth the hassle.