Now *this* is what i consider an interesting alternative!i'll defnitely try this out!

Wow, all this work to save $35 on an ice cream maker!

Awesome. I don't have room in my kitchen for yet another appliance, but I adore making ice cream. I'd just been using the double bag method, and freezing my hands off even through potholders.

Be sure to try Mark Bittman's Super Simple Sorbet - very tasty and easy. I added 1 Tbsp Chambord when making the raspberry sorbet....yummo.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/dining/10mini.html

Sygyzy: it's not just the money for a lot of people, it's the space.

Yeah, it really isn't about saving money. It is partially the space, and partially the fact that I just find it silly to have a ton of infrequently used, single-use gadgets (aka junk) cluttering up my home. Waffle iron? Sure, it is pretty hard to make waffles without that, and I love waffles. Soda maker? Yep, I like having cheap, fresh soda water on hand for mixing. But rice cookers? Ice cream makers? I eat rice like once a month, and want to make my own ice cream maybe 3 or 4 times per summer, and it does not take much effort to just make these things by hand when I want them. Maybe if I actually planned to, or wanted to, make my own ice cream weekly, year-round, but I really dont need that much ice cream. So, to me, ice cream makers just seem like junk. And considering how many ice cream makers/bread machines/rice cookers/quesadilla makers/etc. I see at thrift stores around here, I think a lot of people who go in for these gadgets end up coming to the same conclusion.

You know, for some people $35 is a big investment. I know for me a few months ago it would have been out of reach. Now that I can afford that, I find I still don't want an ice cream maker as I can make a similar (or better) product without.

I remember a couple years back AT told us how to make banana ice cream like this. I'd immediately recommended to my dear friend who barely cooks herself (husband is the one), who tried it and whose kids then found it their favorite dessert!

I agree that it's about lack of space. (At least for me)

Also, CalKatie11 thanks for sharing the Mark Bittman sorbet recipe!

The floodgates are now open for me to eat a quart of fro-yo a day without spending $8 on a tiny cup. I can't fit the ice cream maker's insert in my tiny freezer!

Even easier, though possibly not quite the same texture---put some frozen fruit (strawberries, peaches, mixed berries, bananas--whatever you have/like) in the food processor, add sugar to taste, and start processing--after the fruit has started to break up, add heavy cream gradually while continuing to process, until the texture seems about right. Eat immediately! I bought my first food processor--many, many years ago--primarily to make this quick and easy dessert.

I agree with holler - it's not about the money. I actually had no idea ice cream maker cost that little but I have a small kitchen and a gadget that I will use 3x a year is not worth it. Besides, if I bought the ice cream maker maybe I would be eating a lot more ice cream and it's exactly the last thing I need!

BTW, Jeni's ice cream is amazing. She does unique original flavors and sources locally when possible...flavors like Goat Cheese and Cognac Figs, Salty Caramel, Brambleberry Crisp. You can buy it online now, very worth it.

Here's The Kitchen's own link to 15 Homemade Ice Cream Recipes!
http://www.thekitchn.com/15-homemade-ice-cream-recipes-recipe-roundup-171503

Exactly, no uni-taskers (as Alton Brown says). And as far as freezer space goes, a flattened freezer bag full of base takes up less space than an ice cream maker's insert.

I like this idea as well. A friend gave me her ice cream maker, and since I live in a studio, my fridge isn't the large one you find in a regular apartment. So, instead of taking out the rack to make room to freeze the bowl, I gave it away to someone else. I do have a food processor that would allow me to make small batches of ice cream this way.

After I eat the pint of HD I bought last night, I'll have to try this. Especially since I've an idea for my friend's crawfish boil next week. . .

Come to think of it, this is a cheaper version of a PacoJet.

SYGYZY, I have an ice cream maker, but it takes up a lot of space for something I rarely use, so I find this interesting. (Anyway, I don't think most ice cream makers cost $35.)

I would really like to try this one! Thanks for sharing

I tried this a few days ago using Jeni's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream recipe. It worked like a charm! The only other thing I'd add to the instructions would be to let the frozen bag of ice cream base soften for a few minutes before putting it into the food processor. It took a long time for the solidly frozen chunks to process. The recipe I used fit into a large loaf pan for freezing, and made four very generous servings. My family raved about it. I served it topped with fresh Georgia peaches tossed in vanilla sugar and a little lemon juice. It was outstanding! Can't wait to try some other recipes.

I just tried this to make lavender ice cream (modified Jeni's Vanilla Bean recipe). I agree with Kayla about the chunks taking a while to process, but I think for me it was because of two things: 1) I didn't make the chunks small enough, and 2) my food processor is El Cheapo. I had to stop the processor a few times and really move the larger chunks around, but once it got going it worked great. My ice cream is also in a loaf pan and is currently chilling down. I can't wait to have a little after dinner treat!