I have this attachment and it does the job for me every time. Things to know/check:
1) Keep your freezer cold and keep your bowl in there all the time--it will always be REALLY cold when you need it.
2) Ice cream should be the texture of soft serve when you are done churning (20-30 minutes). It won't be super solid. You should return it to the freezer for 1-2 hours before serving it. That is normal for almost all ice cream makers as I understand. We always eat some right away, b/c we are impatient like that, but it is a bit melty/soft until it has frozen a bit further.
3) Don't churn for 90 minutes! After 30 minutes or so, you aren't going to get more freezing action, and I imagine your bowl is just slowly thawing until it is actually melting the ice cream you made.

I got the same attachment back in September for a wedding gift.
My wife and I love it and have used it several times. We also got a canister of ice-cream mix that you just add cream and half&half to. and it works like a charm in about 15-20 minutes.

Maybe check your mix. What's the recipe that you're using and I'll try it myself (been looking for one anyway) and let you know how it turns out.

I hope you find the answer here as I had the same problem. I finally just gave up after trying (no joke) 3 dozen different recipes some including tapioca thinking that might stiffen it up.

the closest I got was when I semi froze the mixture in the bowl before mixing, followed by another semi freeze about 1/2 through. and even then the semi soup that resulted wasn't worth the effort.

I tried that vanilla ice cream recipe and I had a similar result. I did find a "desserts" cookbook ar Crate and Barrel and have had much more luck with those recipes. I would agree with previous poster that you need to freeze it for a bit before it will achieve the correct consistency.

You also need to make sure that your mixture is completely chilled before pouring into the frozen bowl. And it helps to have the mixer turned on before you add the ice cream mixture to ensure it does not stick to the sides of the frozen bowl.

I love my KA attachment. The only time I had an issue like this was when my bowl was not frozen for a full 24 hours. Also - you should buy The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz - all of his ice cream recipes are delicious and I have never had a problem with any of them.

I would like to third the turn down your freezer suggestion. Assuming your ingredients are cold etc.

I just got this attachment a few weeks ago, and I've made two batches with it (both recipes from The Perfect Scoop). The first was a custard based recipe (made 1 Qt), and froze up perfectly. The second was an eggless recipe (made 2 Qt). It didn't freeze up as well. It seems the device works best with smaller batches. Are you perhaps trying to make too much?

I have one and I've used it twice. The first time was with an Alton Brown's Chocolate Ice Cream recipe, and the second time was with The Kitchn's 'The Best Chocolate Ice Cream' recipe. I had satisfactory results with Alton Brown's version, but it turned out a bit icier than I preferred. This is something that I attributed to the ingredients since I heard that egg-based ice creams can have this quality. The Kitchn's recipe was a total disaster. It basically never whipped although I had it churning for almost an hour. The ice cream maker was fully frozen for both recipes (I actually store mine in the freezer), but the only difference I could think of was that I didn't "pre-chill" The Kitchn's recipe for as long as the Alton Brown recipe. After my failure with The Kitchn, I did some research about where things could have gone wrong. I found that many ice cream recipes (including Alton's) dictate that the ice cream mixture should be placed in the fridge for at least 4 hours after it reaches room temperature. Some even advise to store the mixture in the fridge overnight. This step was not included in the Kitchn's version, instead it instructed to pour the mixture into an ice cream maker once it reaches room temperature. Next time I attempt an ice cream recipe, I'll be sure to chill the mixture for an extended period of time before I churn it in an ice cream maker.

I know it says you are fully freezing the bowl but are you really---its not just a matter of time in you freezer but you should be able to shake it and hear no noise at all---my apartment freezer could not freeze a bowl in the summer time in less than 3 days, in the winter overnight was fine (apartments always cheap out on the fridge). 2--cool mix in the fridge overnight as well.

I had the same problem. Last week on America's Test Kitchen they were reviewing ice cream makers and said that when you freeze the attachment your freezer has to be set at or below zero degrees - any more than that and it will not work. Maybe that's the problem. But I had a stand-alone ice cream maker that I also had to freeze the bowl for and that one worked fine. So maybe it's just that the bowl is left out in the open on this one.

My freezer's thermostat stopped working a few months ago and I first noticed the problem when I tried to make ice cream. The freezer was keeping ice frozen, but when I tried to make ice cream after freezing the bowl for 2+ days, it never got cold enough.

My guess is that either you're not freezing your bowl long enough or your freezer is too warm. There's no trick to using these things, the bowl just needs to be cold enough.

I've made ice cream with room temperature mixtures before because I was low on time, and they still worked out. I don't recommend it, but freezing the bowl completely is a must.

Some freezers just don't get cold enough to freeze the bowl, particularly older freezers. The freezer needs to get down to 0'F, preferably -10'F. A lot of freezers don't get that cold, even on the highest setting, especially cheap ones in apartments.

90 minutes is way too long! The liquid in the churner bowl would have definitely thawed out by then.

How long are you cooling the custard before putting it in the bowl? I always leave mine in the fridge on the bottom shelf overnight (at least!) to make sure it's as cold as possible before churning.

The bottom line is, unless you have a commercial-style ice cream maker, the best you can get in the bowl is soft-serve. You have to let it harden the rest of the way in your freezer. So don't keep it in there any longer than the directions suggest.

Has anyone here tried to put some kind of insulating layer around the outside of the bowl to keep it colder for longer? I think that may help with the hardening too!

I have the KitchenAid ice cream attachment and it's always worked for me. The first recipe I tried was the vanilla ice cream from the book that came with the machine. I wanted to do it the way they suggested first, so I could get an idea of how it worked and what it was supposed to look like (according to them).

The bowl has never frozen my ice cream to the point of being like ice cream you'd find at the store. I chill the ice cream mix beforehand (it definitely takes a bit longer to mix if I skip this step), and then I leave it churning for however long their book recommends. The ice cream will look more like stirred ice cream (like how it'd look if you put it in a bowl and mixed it with a spoon for a while). Then I transfer it to whatever container, put it in the freezer, and about an hour+ later, it's perfectly smooth ice cream. You should try KitchenAid's recipes and follow their directions exactly so you can see how it's supposed to look. Then you can experiment with other recipes and you'll know precisely when to end your churning. (Mine has never churned past 20 minutes.) I also keep the bowl in the back of the freezer. That's where I store it, it never comes out. (Also, I'm sorry to say, but The Kitchn's recipes almost always fail for me. I would not rule out the recipe as the problem.)

I'll single out what other commenters have noted: most important is to make sure your ice cream base is *completely* cold before churning. I will make the base + any add-ins in the evening, store it in the fridge overnight and put it in the Kitchen Aid in the morning. 90 minutes is waaaaaay too long for this attachment - should be soft serve by 15-20 minutes. Dump it quickly into a freezer container and freeze it for at least 3-4 hours before serving.

It's probably for the best that homemade ice cream takes so much time and effort to produce. Otherwise, we'd be eating way too much of it!

If the bowl isn't frozen, can you hear liquid sloshing? Maybe you got a defective one and if you can't hear it, it might have leaked out or something. Kitchenaide is good about warranties. I'd call them and see what they recommend.

Thanks for the suggestions, folks... Maybe my freezer is just not cold enough (though this is the second freezer). And I have tried 4 or 5 totally different recipes (egg custard, cornstarch, etc.) with no luck. This past time it didn't even thicken at all—stayed liquid the whole time.

BUT I am encouraged to see so many people say to get that bowl colder. I'll give it another shot, crank down the freezer, and hope for the best. Thanks folks!

If it doesn't work, I'm going with the old-fashioned hand crank style with rock salt. :)

-YOU HAVE TO FREEZE THE BOWL FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS

-YOUR CUSTARD SHOULD BE CHILLED AT LEAST 8 HOURS, OR OVER NIGHT.

-CHURN UNTIL THE DASHER "CLICKS" (OR 20 MINS IF IT DOESN'T CLICK)

-RESULTS WILL BE SOFT BUT FREEZING WILL FINISH THE ICE CREAM

I don't have this model, but I do have the type of maker where I have to freeze the bowl/core overnight. I've never chilled the custard and have never had any problem. Chilling the custard will probably help, but I doubt that is the real source of the problem. Making sure the bowl is completely frozen is probably the issue.

Ditto all of the above---I have this attachment too and love it! Get a fridge/freezer thermometer and confirm the temp there; overnight in the freezer should be more than enough for the bowl to freeze up. Like others said, make sure the mixture is chilled (though I've pushed it on this front and still gotten decent results---shouldn't prevent it from working entirely). The whole process should be done in 20-30 minutes depending on the recipe.

Also, know that this attachment will initially make softer ice cream than other ice cream makers like the Cuisinarts. You will need to build in time to let the ice cream freeze the rest of the way in the freezer. It's worth it, though; we've had both the KA and the Cuisinart, and think the ice cream made in the KA (from the same recipes!) is superior.

I also love David Lebovitz's book and routinely make his recipes successfully, so maybe start off with some of his simple ones (many are on his website) to eliminate the recipe as a factor.

If none of this works---call KitchenAid. The problem could just be that you got a lemon. Good luck!

I have the KitchenAid ice cream maker and I used it to make 2 recipes from the Ben & Jerry ice cream book. Both turned out successful although somewhat softer than their store bought versions. I didn't cool he mixture before pouring into the bowl but I do keep my bowl in the freezer all the time. After mixing, the icecream also goes in the freezer for a few hours to harden up.
After reading up on icecreams (as I'm trying to find lower fat versions for the husband), ingredients also matter, as some ingredients freeze better than others.

You people kill me. Your comments fell into three categories: 1. Freeze the bowl better (after the woman POINTEDLY told you she did) You are the throng who asks if a computer is plugged in as soon as someone has a problem with one. And, 2., - it works for me; and 3. I don't own this but I'll give you my worthless opinion anyway crowd.

There was not one useful suggestion posted. I can't take you nabobs any longer. I am out of here - never to return. I know - you don't care.

Call KA support and get a new one. The one you have is most likely defective.
Have you removed the bowl from the freezer (after it has been in there for more than 8 hours) and noticed the liquid inside is still sloshing around? If so, then you need a new one because the coolant that is used to keep the icecream maker frozen is not freezing. My first KA icecream maker was defective and I called KA support. They offered to send a new one, but I was able to exchange it at the store.

I have this attachment and had the same problem. It was definitely because I had not chilled the mixture long enough. It was cold to the touch so I threw it in and it didn't churn. I put it back in the fridge overnight and refroze the bowl and the next day (same mix) churned perfectly.

Wow, that last guy was harsh.

I had a similar problem with my Cuisinart, and like others have noted, even though I thought the bowl was frozen, it turned out my fridge was in the process of dying and the damn thing wasn't freezing through. I gave it to a neighbor to put in her freezer, to see if indeed, it was my fridge (at that point I thought I might have somehow killed the bowl by getting hot water on it when it was last frozen). Lo, it froze up solid at her house.

Seriously! Most people don't know the temperature of their freezers because most people don't need to know. This is one of the few things that is affected by small changes in freezer temperature...and you could freeze the bowl for days in a freezer five degrees too warm and never get better results. So, yes, in this particular instance, "freeze the bowl better" *is* useful advice (as is the advice to check and see if it is actually freezing at all, since faulty coolant could be the issue).

The only possible solution is that the bowl (for whatever reason) is not cold enough. The recipe should not matter whatsoever, unless you're trying to make vodka ice cream! Check the freezer temp.

I agree with "call the kitchenaid people". If you bought from a place like Bed Bath and Beyond, they don't necessarily remove defective items from the floor- even if it's been returned before.

We've had excellent results with ours. We keep it in the freezer all the time, and the mix needs to be perfectly cool before starting to churn.

Check your vanilla. If you're using artificial vanilla or 'natural' vanilla it most likely contains propylene glycol aka antifreeze as well as alcohol, neither of which freeze well. Instead opt for vanilla beans or 100% vanilla extract.

One tip for getting the bowl to chill faster than 24 hours - I fill it to the top with freezer bags full of ice, and somehow it really does seem to cut down on the time needed.

Do NOT ever just throw in a bunch of ice without the bag, though - they will freeze to the bowl in a solid chunk that can not be removed for love or money, and you'll just have to leave the freezing bowl in the sink to thaw and start the whole process all over again.

My major problem right now is that I can not get soft sorbets. They're great right out of the mixing bowl, but if I put any leftovers in the freezer for the next day, they turn ice hard. :(

Oh, another thing that the ATK testers noted was that your base mixture needs to be chilled to 40 degrees (F) before you churn it in order for the freeze-the-bowl makers to work. I am not one for taking temperatures, but I suppose this is one instance where it's really all that important.

OK, I think I have a tip that I haven't already seen. One difference between the KA and other ice cream makers is that the KA has a completely open top. A lot of cold can escape out the top, especially if your kitchen is warm (say, over 72 degrees or so). I love my KA ice cream maker, but I did have a too-warm kitchen problem at one point. A fix that worked for me was to tent plastic wrap or foil around between the mixer head and the bowl. Sort of make a wide cone the drapes down over the top of the bowl, closing it as much as you can at the top while still allowing the moving parts to move. Do whatever you can to keep warm kitchen air out of the area at the top of the bowl, since it's not protected by a lid or anything like you see on other ice cream mixers.

Your freezer isn't cold enough.

I have the same model--I tried making the french vanilla ice cream that's among recipes that come WITH the attachment, and it came out horribly while also spilling all over my counter. What I'm saying is, I feel your pain. Smaller quantities seem to work much better. Here's a recipe I've found success with:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art34342.asp

(I used frozen blueberries, which may have helped a bit)

I will also second (or third, or forth) any suggestions to start the mixer before pouring in the ice cream mix.

Make sure that the ice cream maker attachment is frozen. check the temperature of your freezer and also of the bowl when it comes out. You can put the attachment behind other things in the freezer and make sure you're not storing it in the freezer door. This will help it hold a freeze longer and make your ice cream turn out better.

check out the link at http://whichkitchenaidmixer.org/kitchenaid-ice-cream-maker-attachment/ for other trouble shooting ideas.

Ok....I've been making ice cream with the freezer bowl method for years....a Donvier hand-crank and a Cuisinart. The problem is most definitely that your bowl/and or your mix are not cold enough. I am fortunate to have a deep-freeze and I also chill my mix (usually overnite). I've NEVER had a problem with it not churning. It's the temp for sure!

I use my attachment all the time and I have never had a problem with it.
I haven't tried any of the recipes that came with the attachment... I bought a book called Ice Creams & Sorbets by Lou Seibert Pappas. I find the recipes from this book simple, and they don't use as many eggs as the recipes that came with the machine. Also, make sure that you are cooking your custard to the right point.

My kitchenaid bowl works perfectly. I would start by calling Kitchenaid and requesting a replacement- I agree with the person who pointed out that Bed Bath and Beyond doesn't have the best record of removing defective items from the floor- one reason why I always look in the boxes to buy only the factory fresh packaging!

Also- the alcohol content in the flavorings could be at fault, or the source of fat. I like to make my own vanilla extract, but it definitely affects frozen stuff, and the time my husband tried bacon ice cream, the excess grease made a mess.

I have this attachment and previously has a Cuisinart. I can tell you that the Cuisinart works better -- I am so sad I gave it away when moving across the country. As someone said already, my hunch is that it's because the Cuisinart is totally enclosed whereas the KitchenAid is open to the heat of your kitchen. With the Cuisinart I could immediately dip into my ice cream---it would always be firm when done. With the KitchenAid, it usually comes out as *very* soft soft-serve and I have to chill it for a few hours. Frozen yogurt works better with KA: instant gratification *if* you use thick, full-fat Greek yogurt.

I have this attachment and I hate it. I keep in the freezer all year. I chill my base -when I put it in the KA it does not freeze. If I use my krups - which is in the same freezer I get ice cream in minutes. I think the attachment is defective and does not have enough coolant. Althought the KA is a larger capacity than the Krups, when it is defrosted -which it does very quickly it sounds like it has a lot less coolant than the Krups. In 20 min the KA has turned liquid and the Krups is still solid. I made three batches of ice cream this week. Krups - perfect creamy and good texture. KA was a block of ice. I finished one batch in the Krups, that had already been used to make a batch and was cold enought to do another one.

I think Farrahlarie is on the money. I've had the same issue with my KitchenAid and the bowl was in my deep freeze for almost two MONTHS so I can confirm that it was cold enough. However, I live in the tropics and so I think the ambient temperature has a lot to do with it. What I will try next time is to put the ice cream custard in the freezer for an hour before churning (after leaving in the fridge overnight) and also close up my house and turn the air conditioner on. So maybe if we work out where everyone lives we will understand why it works for some and not others. A closed, insulating bowl would be a much better design.