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

This ice-cream maker is not cheap. But it's well worth the cost compared to the value you get.A lot of people use the ice-cream makers that rely on the bowls you pre-freeze overnight. I tried one of those once and it didn't stay frozen long enough to get the ice-cream to the soft-serve consistency you need in the finished product. Then you have to wash the bowl and re-freeze it before you can use it again.We also have two of the old-fashioned bucket-type ice-cream makers. Those make a lot of of ice-cream and it's real ice-cream when you're done. We even have the plug-in motor that does the cranking for you. But they make a huge mess and take a lot of ice and salt. And it has to be the right kind of salt.This Whynter ice-cream maker is more of a professional grade ice-cream maker. It has a compressor that freezes the bowl while the motor runs the churn. It's easy to use and doesn't make a mess. And while it does cost more than the other two kinds of ice-cream makers, it is far superior.The recipes in the booklet provided with the machine are all good, but be warned that they all make twice the amount the ice-cream maker can churn at one time. I got good results by churning half the mix, and then churning the other half right away. Keep in mind, if you don't rinse the bowl and plastic churner in warm water, the bowl will freeze into the machine and you'll have to let it sit at room temperature to thaw before you can take it out to wash it.The plastic churner is a really weird shape and it's hard to scrape clean. But it's designed to do exactly what it's supposed to do, so I can live with it.The bowl, the plastic churner, and the lid are all machine washable. You can also soak them in hot, soapy water and rinse them without scrubbing. They are very user-friendly. And the churn isn't cheap plastic. It's built to last.One last thing: the first machine I got didn't work. It didn't get the bowl down to freezing. But there were so many good reviews that I took the trouble to return it for a replacement, rather than a credit. I'm so glad I did. Our test batch of milk and sugar froze in 15 minutes. A higher fat content mix takes about half an hour to freeze to soft-serve consistency. If you churn cream without freezing it, you can make butter. I might actually try it for making herb and honey butters.All in all, I highly recommend this machine.

I like the more compact size of the upright model, fitting on my countertop better. Simple to use, directions are straightforward, The unit is solid and sturdy. The motor is quiet but sounds powerful. It makes delicious creamy ice cream. I like having control over the ingredients. Definitely a worthwhile investment.

This is the best ice cream maker I have ever used. Very easy to use and easy clean up. Very smooth ice-cream it's in the freezer now waiting for me later. Great value for making ice cream with out all the nasty ingredients you find in the store. I can pronounce all the ingredients in my ice cream. This you can have old fashioned ice cream that tastes great. Today I made Honey Chocolate ❤️🍦

This is my first compressor ice cream maker -- I have always used the hand crank or freeze the container versions. I cannot understand why I waited so long to get this! Yes, it is costly, but it has earned it's keep in just a month.The machine is quite intuitive. It comes with clear directions that my 10 year old was able to follow and make her first batch without my help (nor evidently . . . my permission . . . but I digress)This machine is quiet. Seriously -- the first time I heard it I checked to make sure it was really working. Such a change from the old frozen dish version I used to have!! It does have a large footprint, but it's smaller than my breadmaker because it is tall vs long. It fits on my shelf with no worries but if you have tight shelves you should measure. It is heavy so lifting it to the counter is a pain, but worth it.This machine is a workhorse -- there have been days we made four batches of ice cream, each following the last, with no issues. The icecream is consistent -- for example, one day we made strawberry, cherry, cheesecake and eggnog versions, and each batch was creamy and mostly solid despite having different recipes and ingredients. It has the consistency of firm soft serve and if you want it harder you can put it in your freezer, like we did.I do wish the container was larger, it would be great to make bigger batches of ice cream.The first time I used it I was surprised that the recipe only filled half the container, and was tempted to add more to make more . . . the instruction manual showed the mixture to the top of the paddles and mine was about half an inch below. I was glad I didn't. The icecream gets bigger with the addition of air and had it been more full it would have ran all over. Recipes that are pre-beat (like our cheesecake icecream) and don't rise can be fuller, but the ones that the machine is doing the majority of the work need the space.Lastly, this is super easy to clean. Just hand it to your 10 year old and tell her it needs cleaned before we can make another batch. A little soapy water is all it needs.Just love love love this ice cream maker. Any time you're forking out this much money for a machine you're bound to be nervous, but it's a complete win for us!

Awesome awesome awesome!! Best homemade ice cream ever! Quality of ice cream depends on the base recipe. For best results use a custard base (a cold custard takes less than 45mins to churn). It is very easy to use and is very easy to clean up. I used it all season without issue of the generator. Remember not to mix in anything solid (chips/cookie, etc) until the cream is done churning to the desired texture. Only issue keeping me from giving five stars is the size (its twice the size of a KitchenAid!) so make sure you have storage space!!

Quick and easy to use. No freezing of the basin required. Super fun to use. Wish it had more of a flat panel instead of open but still works perfectly. Make carnivore ice cream without a hitch.