apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Ah, ice cream season! Thanks for the reminder, Sara Kate! I'll find room for the ice cream maker bucket in my freezer tonight so I can make some over the weekend.

I'm curious -- why do you recommend a wooden spoon for the custard? Also, what kind of a thermometer do you use -- is it a candy thermometer?

I know you guys have posted about this before, but my experience (with my mom, WHEN I WAS LITTLE for the record) with ice cream makers was from back in the 70s --and they were uber unweildy. the new machines make the whole process easier, no?

I have a countertop maker, and it is awesome. no wiggling... or anything.

also, i thought that if there were yolks, it was custard?

Lisa - yes, life is grand with the new-fangled models. We have a Cuisinart one that has two freezable inserts, which makes ice cream season all the more spontaneous.

Sara Kate - Thanks for the reminder to haul our machine out. I can't wait to make some cardamom-spiked ice cream (or custard - as long as it's cool and creamy!).

I tasted a burnt-caramel ice cream some weeks ago that was pretty nice. I tried to make it at home, by heating the sugar in the basic recipe above along with a few tablespoons of water, in a saucepan over medium heat until it started to caramelize.

I got scared and took it off the heat at one point when it started to burn. The resulting ice cream was nice caramel flavor that wasn't too cloying. I think next time I will let the caramel burn a little longer, to get a much deeper carbon flavor.

WBGuy - I make a salted caramel ice cream that I loooove - but the first time I made it I burned the caramel to the point of inedible bitterness, so now I am all nervous every time I make it! But it is so good. And talk about your custard ice creams: one batch of this stuff takes 10 egg yolks! It's worth it, on special occasions.

Custard ice creams take a little more work, but I have found that they give much better results in home ice cream makers than simpler, less fatty recipes without eggs. Those often turn out real icy. One exception that I love is the Chez Panisse Honey Lavender ice cream. As long as you use cream and don't sub lowfat milk or something like that, it is luscious. Ice cream is one of those things you just have to do the whole-fat thing, imho. If you want lowfat, sorbets or granitas are better and can show off fresh fruit flavors even better than ice cream.

I have a Cuisinart machine that I scored on sale on Amazon for about $40 and I find taht as long as I use cream and whole milk it comes out creamy and delicious and not icy, with no need to use eggs.
I do plan on making my next batch custard style, though. Just to compare. You can click on my name for the recipe for one of my favorites so far this season: Jasmine Tea-Honey.

I keep hearing that this cuisinart machine is the cat's pajamas. I *really* want one, even though the last thing i need is another kitchen appliance.

thank you! i just got an ice cream maker and have found it surprisingly difficult to find a really good, simple vanilla ice cream recipe. the booklet that came with my machine lists only really avant-garde flavors (asparagus sorbet, anyone?) and the recipes i found by googling were all needlessly complicated.

one trick i discovered on my own is that, rather than cooling the custard at room temp or in the fridge for hours upon hours, you can just stick the hot custard into the freezer for half an hour and get the same result -- i stir every 10 minutes or so to prevent freezing. not sure this is up to snuff for high end or retaurant use, but honestly it works and the result is still the best EVER.

Are there different kinds of Ice-Cream makers? I notice some recipes say to just add the ingredients and switch the machine on, where as other recipes mention cooking some of the ingredients in a pan and then putting in the ice cream maker.

If anybody could explain the different types of models and which one is the best to get that would be so helpful. Also the price points are wildly different, from the $40 basic model to the $595 Stainless Steel Lussino Ice Cream Maker on cooking.com. I would love some guidance on buying an ice cream maker, these recipes all look so good.

WRT the Cuisinart
For a "My First Icecream Maker" I think it's perfect: inexpensive and easy to use. Some of the reviews I read said it was loud and although it does hum as the cansiter rotates, you won't even notice if you have the stereo on. It's not like that rock tumbler you got for Christmas when you were 12.

I've made 4 batches of ice cream and they've all turned out great, although the strawberry I made was a little icy, which I think was due to the water in the strawberries.

i have a krups, and i think mine's damn near perfect. seriously, i can't even think of anything to say about it other than that it works, is relatively quiet i guess, and looks good to boot (very space age white plastic - matches my iBook!). no idea how much it cost as it was a gift, but considering the source it can't have been outrageous.

Opoponax, Please be careful when you put hot things in either the fridge or the freezer: the steam can seriously wreck the refrigerator's motor.

It is impossible for steam or water inside a refrigerator to wreck the refrigerator's motor. The motor is outside the sealed food compartment. Hot stuff inside the refrigerator simply makes the cooling or freezing unit turn on until it has cooled the hot stuff down to the temperature it is set on. Refrigerator motors are TOUGH- they average 20 years of life and many much longer- no matter what the abuse. It is BEST to put hot foods into the refrigerator while still HOT to cool them as fast a possible to prevent bacterial growth. That is straight from my microbiology teacher in college.

I have a KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment and I find that after I freeze the ice cream, it becomes rock-hard and impossible to scoop out. What did I do wrong?

what do you do when your icecream won't freeze even after 4 hours? HELP!!!