Whynter Ice Cream Maker Machine Automatic 2.1 Qt. Upright with Built-In Compressor, LCD Digital Display & Timer, No Pre-Freezing, ICM-201SB, Stainless Steel

This is the most excellent ice cream maker we have ever had. The best part is that you can do multiple batches very efficiently. It produces its own refrigeration, so there is no need to keep re-freezing the inner ring, which is common in most ice cream makers. Additionally, there's no inner ring occupying space in your freezer when it is not in use. The Whynter is exceptionally robust and well-made. It features a see-through top that opens, allowing you to add extra ingredients during the process, such as chocolate chips or any other items your recipe requires. I also love that, when making custard-based ice creams, you don't have to waste time pre-chilling the custard in an ice bath or in the fridge before starting it in the ice cream maker. This unit features a setting that allows it to rapidly pre-chill the custard right inside the machine. The Whynter has been a game-changer for us. It's just so easy and efficient. Now we enjoy making ice cream instead of looking at it as a chore.

The machine got delivered in a very timely manner, but what has been most impressive is its reliability. It has made multiple batches of ice cream already, freezing the mixture down to 16 degrees Fahrenheit into a rich creamy soft serve mixture I can transfer into a container for a deeper freeze within a freezer. And it’s both so easy to use and most importantly easy to clean! I can pull out the churn and bucket with ease to put them all through the dishwasher while I wipe down any residual mess with a warm damp washcloth. So very highly recommend as a reliable ice cream maker!

I've had mine for a couple of weeks too, and I think it's fantastic. A couple of things- -- I know it shows in the manual that the mixture should not go above these things on each side of the churner, BUT I found it better be a half inch BELOW that. It still gets on the underside of the plastic cover as it churns, but then at least it keeps the mix a bit lower and stops any chance of overflowing the bowl. I actually think it wouldn't matter anyway as the bowl seems to sit in a pretty tightly gasketed ring, so maybe I'm being overly cautious. Either way, I'm still quite happy to get 2 Qts (4 pints) of really good ice cream instead of the 2.5 Qts it claims to make. To get the most actual ice cream out of it, add any mix-ins (choco chips, nuts etc) into it AFTER it has finished freeze churning. When it's done churning, it is soft serve consistency... so I turn it out into a big bowl, THEN I mix in the mix ins (gently so as not to incorporate a lot of ice crystal forming air into it). Then I pack it in pint containers tightly, (using the handy plastic flat spatula thing that came with the machine), cover with a circle of parchment paper against the top of the ice cream, and put them all away in the freezer at least overnight. --- If your ingredients are cold (should not be frozen) when they go into the churn bowl, it can take substantially less time than the 60 minute timer is set to default for. If you come back in 60 minutes and the machine is not still churning, it has probably stopped churning and already gone into 'just chill' mode. This will make it more difficult to get the churn bowl out. That plastic spatula thing that comes with the machine is handy here. First try to hold the handle on both sides of the bowl close to the bowl's top (instead of at the top of the handle) at both of the handle's hinges. Try to pull straight up wiggling a tiny bit. If your churning stopped minutes before and it went into keep cold mode, that bowl will be really tightly held to the frozen sides of the machine. Take the flat spatula thing and (GENTLY) put it between the very top of the bowl and the side of the machine it's against (BUT ONLY about 1/4 inch down!!) and move it back and forth. It will sort of break a vacuum hold. Do it 4 or 5 more times in different places around the bowl and then try again to pull it up. Just be careful not to jam that thing down too far or back and forth to hard. This has always worked for me with no apparent damage to anything. Most of my ice cream recipes include 2 TBS of some kind of liqueur (raspberry, hazelnut, coffee, cherry etc) which will help it from getting so rock hard. It shouldn't be added until the last few minutes of churning, as it can affect the freezing too early) OR after churning and after it's gone into another bowl to add mix ins to, before packing (my preferred method). Commercial ice cream has up to 25 percent more air whipped into it- more money for the manufacturers for less actual product- which makes it more 'fluffy' and also less hard in storage. You can leave the liqueur out of course- either way your homemade will be more dense (more flavorful if you ask me). As to the hardness- 2 things can help- keep it in a freezer that's part of your fridge as opposed to an upright or chest type freezer. Or.... don't worry about any of it, and just leave the pint out on the kitchen counter to soften a tad, for 10 minutes, before you dig in. OR dig it out when rock hard, put in a bowl and microwave for 10 seconds or so. You really can't go too wrong, right? The very few recipes that come with the machine (in the manual) are pretty useless to me (for the egg reason). I went on their web site but couldn't even find any there. I got 5 books from Amazon for ice cream recipes (and sorbets, sherbets, etc). Since I make egg free ice creams only (since 'custard-style' recipes are WAY TOO MUCH work with the cooking and tempering the eggs with the dairy), I have found only one book that has more great egg free (also known as 'Philadelphia style') recipes. That was the 'Perfect Scoop' by David Lebovitz. Very nice book, great recipes, great photos. A favorite recent recipe I made was Peach, Vanilla, Pecan ice cream- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk; 1 pint (16 oz) of half and half; 3 cups of uncooked peach puree made from unpeeled (but washed), pitted & chopped peaches pureed in a bowl using an immersion blender; 1 TBS vanilla; 2 TBS raspberry liqueur (added along with the nuts AFTER it came out of the churning bowl into another bowl before packing); 1 cup chopped pecans. I'm sorry to say I don't remember how much this made (ounce wise), or whether I might have also added al cup of whole milk to it also. But the combo of sweetened condensed milk, half and half and whole milk is a great EASY way to get ice cream fast. For chocolate= instead of the peaches- add 4-5 TBS dutch process (dark, european-style) cocoa and 1/4 cup of hersheys syrup, with 2 teaspoons of vanilla, to the dairy combo. Instead of nuts, add in (after freezing & churning and turning out into another bowl) 1/2 to a cup of mini chocolate chips and instead of raspberry liqueur add 2 TBS of Kalua (coffee liqueur) either a few minutes at the end of churning, or with the chips. Don't be afraid to TASTE the mix before you freeze/churn it!! There are no eggs so it's safe to taste- it can then be most to your liking (less vanilla etc). I must say this taller machine fits much better in my kitchen than the wider would. It is quite heavy (as all compressor machines are), so it's not something you want to put on a lower shelf to pull up to the counter to use. But all summer long, this sucker will be sitting on my counter and will be keeping me in ice cream heaven. It appears to be well made, quiet enough when in use, easy to clean, easy to use and I only need to make 16 batches of 4 pints each to pay for itself (our favorite was 5$ a pint before). I think this machine will have no trouble managing that (certainly better than my husband and I can manage eating it all- so it's been a great summer gift to friends !!)

I’ve had a few ice cream makers over the years, and this one has been hands-down the best. The built-in compressor is the real winner for me — no pre-freezing bowls, no planning ahead. We can make a batch whenever we feel like it, and it turns out great every time. For the price, the quality is honestly impressive. It makes a big enough batch for the whole family, and everything comes out smooth and consistent. On top of that, it’s extremely easy to use. The controls are simple, cleanup isn’t a hassle, and the whole process just works the way you hope it will. If you want something reliable, convenient, and capable of making really good ice cream at home, this is a great choice.

I received this as a Christmas gift and we just made our first couple batches of ice cream. Super easy to use and quiet. Simply pour in the mixture, press a couple buttons, and the machine does the rest. We've used the "old fashioned" style of ice cream maker for many years that involves using rock salt and ice cubes. This is so much easier and faster, yet still produces the same quality of ice cream. One mistake we made with our first batch was to pour in the ice cream mixture when it was still warm. It still worked fine, but just took longer for the ice cream to thicken up. It has a nice compact design that will be very easy to store. If you've been considering this style of ice cream maker, I highly recommend this brand.

Unlike the popular Creami this device doesn't require any Pre-Freezing for 24 hours. You just make your base and pour it in. About an hour later you'll have ice cream. It's also not as loud as the Creami but does make a constant low humming sound while operating due to the compressor and mixer. So far so good. The ice cream quality seems nice and smooth but a little soft after one cycle.

This ice cream maker is top notch! It's very easy to use, plug it in, add the ingredients and press go. My favorite feature aside from the delicious ice cream, is how easy it is to clean. There are only three main pieces that need to be hand washed. I researched a lot of ice cream makers and definitely chose the right one for our family.

I wasn't sure what to expect, really, since the price was pretty low and the ratings were really high. But let me tell you, it's a great little machine. We've done three batches of ice cream in four days, it's addictive! I bought the pink one, it was even less expensive for some reason. I like how it looks on the counter, in fact will probably leave it there instead of hiding it in a closet. This machine is basically tiny, it's about the size of one you'd have to freeze the container in the freezer with, but it's NOT. It's got its own compressor and does a perfect job. All three batches have finished in less than 60 minutes. It's quiet, it's cute, and it doesn't take up much space! Love it!