Item: Cuisinart ICE-100 Ice Cream and Gelato Maker
Price: $299
Overall Impression: An easy and reliable way to make consistently good ice cream at home.
I love making ice cream, but after being spoiled by a glorious industrial ice cream maker I got to play with at the Culinary Institute of America and scarred by a series of misadventures with a "rock salt and ice bucket" model, I was skeptical that I'd ever be able to make it to my satisfaction at home. A compressor model sounded like the ideal solution, so I was curious to try the latest one from Cuisinart, the ICE-100.
The Review
Characteristics and Specs: The ICE-100 is a compressor model ice cream maker, which means it has its own internal freezer so there's no ice and salt to deal with, and there's no heavy bowl that needs to be frozen for a year and a day before it can make ice cream. It comes with two paddles, one for gelato and another for ice cream and sorbet, and a clear plastic lid with a door for adding mix-ins at the end. It has a digital display and a built-in timer that beeps when the freezing cycle is finished. It also has a keep-cool cycle to hold the contents for awhile after mixing if for some reason they can't be removed right away. It's bright silver, and the dimensions are 17 x 11 x 9 inches.
Favorite details: It's a piece of cake to use and clean up, so all you have to think about is what kind of flavors you want to play with.
Potential problems: It's big and heavy, and it has to be kept upright when moved or stored. The ice cream improves dramatically when the base is chilled overnight, so it doesn't necessarily save time over a canister model.
Splurge-worthy? Yes, if you love ice cream and plan to make your own regularly.
Good for small kitchens? No, but it can be stored in a closet when not in use.
The first thing I noticed about the Cuisinart ICE-100 was its size. When the box arrived, I told my husband that surely most of the box was full of cardboard and Styrofoam; the actual machine couldn't possibly be that big. I was wrong; it's exactly that big. But the size is due to the machine's best feature: an internal compressor freezer, so it makes its own cold. I could have ice cream without having to sacrifice all my cocktail ice? Sign me up!
For the first try I made up a batch of vanilla custard-style ice cream from a base I'd had good luck with in commercial ice cream machines. I followed the instructions that came with the machine and let it agitate for the recommended 40 minutes while I left the room, because while the ICE-100 is not nearly as loud as the other machines I've used, it's still about as loud as a hairdryer. The first batch shook my optimism. While the flavor was fine, there were definite ice crystals, which are an utter deal-breaker for me.
Before giving up, I figured I had to give the machine another chance or three to redeem itself. After going more thoroughly through the instructions and reading some reviews online, I decided to try a batch where I let the base cool overnight in an ice bath in the refrigerator. The directions say that overnight chilling is recommended but not necessary. I found it necessary.
That second batch was a miracle. It was rich and creamy and there were no offensive ice crystals. That one actually got really hard after 40 minutes and had a texture more like hard ice cream than soft-serve. The hardness made it difficult to remove the paddle from the mixing bowl, but it was also ready to eat right out of the machine. The third try gave me the same richly creamy results, and I remain a stalwart advocate of chilling the base overnight.
Once the ice cream process is straightened out, sorbet is absolutely foolproof. Just mix up the base, throw it in, and come back an hour later to find a delightfully fresh, fine-grained slush. After a bit in the freezer to firm it up, it's perfect.
It took a little trial and error, but the best thing about this machine is that it's so easy to use and clean up. With the logistics out of the way, there's nothing left to do but go crazy with recipes, which is really the best part of all this. A future Whiskey Smash sorbet is chilling in my refrigerator as we speak, and for some reason I find myself contemplating cumin.
Find It! Cuisinart ICE-100 Ice Cream and Gelato Maker, $299.00 at Amazon
Related: Review: Cuisinart ICE-50BC Supreme Ice Cream Maker
(Images: Elizabeth Licata)
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I have the behemoth Ice-50BC sitting on my counter all summer. I love it but if anyone wants to hear each other speak while its on I have to downgrade to my old Ice-20. If one of them heads to the ice cream man in the sky this one is next for sure. I love making protein ice cream http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2008/08/protein-ice-cream.html great guilt free dessert on hot summer nights.
Do you have to put the whole base in the freezer or does the bucket come out? I have a similar type that came with super limited instructions and never mentioned freezing the base, but it is enormous and I can't put it in the freezer on most occasions.
Refrigerating the base, I mean...
@Blueschiz no, this is a compressor model of ice cream maker, which means that it has its own internal freezer. You don't have to pre-freeze any of the components.
Blueschiz: I think they mean the custard/ice cream base, not the machine itself!
Question: Any word on making gelato with it? I see where this says it comes with a separate paddle, but there's no mention of having tried it. I'm more interested in making good quality gelato. Thanks!
@Blueschiz: Oops! Sorry, I meant the liquid ice cream base, not any part of the machine. It worked better if the batter or cream or sugar water was well cold before going into the machine.
@Annette G: Good question! I didn't try a gelato because all the gelato recipes that came with the machine included liquid pectin, which I wasn't able to find at my local store. But I've got a batch of chocolate based on this recipe spinning now. I'll let you know how it works out in about 20 minutes.
@bibliovore: I can't speak to other compressor models, but this one definitely produced a better product when the ice cream mixture was allowed to thoroughly chill in the fridge before going in the machine. Nothing had to go in the freezer, though.
OK, the gelato is finished. Wow. It's insanely rich and dense. Like, two teaspoons and you have to go lie down. I am not an expert on gelato, but this machine seems to handle it quite well. The main difference, aside from recipe, is that there is a separate gelato paddle that incorporates less air when mixing than does the ice cream/sorbet paddle.
However, I've also learned a new thing about this machine: I paused the machine near the end of the cycle to take some in-progress pictures, but while I was taking pictures, my paddle froze in place and got stuck. Just FYI. (Luckily it was basically at the end anyway.)
Wow, ask and you shall receive! Thanks, Elizabeth, that's great to know. I've been coveting an ice cream and/or gelato maker since last summer. This -- "insanely rich and dense" -- may push me over the edge! Grazie!
I have a similar machine but from a different manufacturer. My experience is the same as yours. It's huge and really really heavy. I keep it stored most of the time. Yes, it's convenient since it has a compressor but like you said, results are better when you freeze the canister. Come to think of it, there are not many advantages over the traditional Cuisinart non-compressor model.
I have this icecream maker and it is really good. We love it at home!
It is pretty common to have to chill the liquid ice cream base before putting into any ice cream machine!