What a Wonderful Ice Cream Machine To Own! Mmmmm! I Love It!!
Written: May 18 '03 (Updated Aug 12 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Makes Super-Smooth Light Creamy Fluffy Ice Cream With Superb Results! Very Quiet!
Cons: Heavy & Awkward. Demands Quite A Bit Of Counter Space.
The Bottom Line: I highly recommend this machine to anyone who wants a perfectly well-made ice cream machine, but don't want to pay
too much for one!
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| daquan's Full Review: Il Gelataio Electronic Ice Cream Maker |
Ok, everyone! Here it is! I've got it! My very first self-contained ice cream maker, the Il Gelatio Electronic Ice Cream Maker ( Gelato TS-009A )! It's been posted for reviews, so here goes:
I got this unit in January to replace my aging 20-year-old White Mountain ( now Rival ) 4-qt. electric ice cream machine ( please see my review on " Great For Someone Who Can't Afford a Self-Contained Unit " ).
Also, the main problem associated with the machines that require you to pre-freeze the bowl in the freezer first is that they can only be used once at a time for ice cream making, then you have to pre-freeze the bowl again to make more. That could take up to at least 8 more hours! Even the double-bowl pre-freeze units don't measure up to this great machine!
I took it upstairs and opened the box, took the machine out and looked it over to make sure everything was there and everything was. I immediately tried it empty to see if everything on it worked as it should and it did. I was so excited that I tried a cheap inexpensive recipe to see how it works and the results were great! The ice cream was very smooth & creamy.
The second time I used it to make vanilla ice cream it was great also! I was completely amazed at the results! This machine has met or exceeded all of my expectations! All you do after you've plugged it in is turn on the main power switch for the compressor and internal cooling fan, set the timer and push the start button for the timer, and in 40 minutes or so, give or take a few, you've got the best delicious tasting fresh homemade ice cream that's out of this world! Mmmmm!!
You'll know that there are no additives, preservatives or chemicals in your creations because you control what goes in the ice cream. And the machine will, in time, practically pay for itself because you save money over having to buy expensive all-natural ice cream in the stores!
Here are the features:
1.Has its own built-in self-contained sealed refrigerating system.
2. CFC-free R-134A freon helps to protect ozone levels.
3. Main ( compressor ) red rocker switch, located at the back of the machine, turns the main power on / off. The switch also illuminates to indicate that the power is on.
4. Timer can be programmed for up to 60 minutes for churn motor to operate ( I've never had to wait that long, but it's good to have ).
5. Illuminated digital countdown timer counts down from 60 minutes to zero, then beeps to alert user that the mixing time has timed out, but churn motor will still operate.
6. Churn motor head has its own little internal cooling fan at the top of the small housing & shuts off if mixture becomes too hard in bowl, preventing motor burnout. The indication that the churn motor is overheating and is about to shut off comes when the air flow from the motor head is too warm & the machine again makes several beeping sounds to alert you. Also has heavy duty removable sturdy plastic paddle for stirring & whipping.
6A. Churn motor uses a combination of a drive belt and gears to power the mixing paddle.
7. Timer signals with beeps to let you know when timing cycle has ended & when churn motor is about to stop from ice cream becoming too hard.
8. Has removable aluminum bowl with swing handle. More bowls can be bought from company as accessories if desired.
8A. Maximum capacity of bowl with finished product ( batch ) is 1 quart.
9. Amazingly quiet. Internal fan in main unit helps distribute normal heat from compressor and condenser coils.
10. Cooling chamber reaches an internal freezing temperature of minus 4 degrees!
11. Instruction manual with recipes.
12. One-year warranty on entire unit.
13. See-through plastic cover has small opening with cover for adding ingredients like chopped nuts, raisins, etc..
13A. Comes with blue plastic ice cream scoop.
14. See-through cover is attached to motor head.
15 Main power switch can be left on for multiple batches.
16. High-impact durable white plastic housing.
17. Digital timer along with timer set button & start / stop button are located on top of unit.
18. Has rubber gasket mounted around top of the cooling chamber to keep liquids & moisture from getting into mechanical area inside body housing.
19. Rubber feet on legs help eliminate vibration and " walking ".
20. E-mail address & phone number of company is listed in the instruction manual.
21. Needs no lubrication, mechanical adjustment, or maintenance. Maintenance free!
22. Extra bowls for this great machine are now available for a dirt cheap price of only $20.00 each from Chefs Catalog.
The motor head must be removed to get at the bowl. You simply add your room temperature ice cream mixture to the bowl, slowly lower the bowl back into the cooling chamber, put the motor head back on the unit, set the timer and press the start / stop button! This, of course after having flipped the main power switch on.
Freezing ( processing ) times may vary between certain recipes, but usually 40 minutes or less is all it takes. A label on top of the unit warns that the machine must be kept in the upright position at all times and that once the main power switch is turned off, you must wait at least five minutes before turning it back on. I imagine that this gives the cooling system time to equalize & reset itself.
Also, for maximum operating efficiency all of the vents on the sides and back of main unit & motor head should not be blocked in any way during use. Like your air conditioner, if you have one, air MUST get into these vents to expel heat out the other side for maximum operating efficiency.
Cleanup is a breeze! After use just wash & dry bowl & removable paddle ( dasher ), wipe machine with a damp rag or sponge, wait a few minutes and wipe the cooling chamber, reassemble everything back on the machine and you're done!
I'd strongly recommend washing the bowl by hand, since it's made of aluminum and could stain or darken terribly if washed in the dishwasher. It cleans quick & easy anyway, especially if you wash it right after you are finished using the machine. The staining may be non reversible and the harsh bleach-ladened detergents used in dishwashers could eventually corrode the bowl. But that's not a problem for me, since washing the bowl and the paddle by hand takes only a minute or two!
The motor head plugs into a connection socket inside its
operating position. The best way to judge how much mixture you've got in the bowl is to fill the bowl to no more than about 3/4 full. This is because as the paddle beats & stirs the mixture, it also aerates & whips air into it as well, increasing volume by about 1/4 more during the freezing process. This is the headroom or expansion room needed to make the ice cream fluffy & light.
I also recommend that you prime the finished product in either your refrigerator's freezer or your separate whole freezer for several hours before serving. This allows the ice cream to harden and become more firm so that enjoying it is twice the fun! The firmer it is when you remove it from the bowl, the less chance it has to melt between getting it from the machine to the freezer.
The bowl itself, even though it looks pretty small, has a swing handle that makes it look like a little boy's sand bucket but it can hold up to one quart of finished ice cream! Finished meaning that you MUST leave at least about 1/4 of space at the top of the bowl for expansion, or else you run the risk of the ice cream overflowing out of the bowl, creating a big mess!
My landlord had accepted delivery of the machine and his 11-year-old son was with him at the time of delivery. His son knew what was in the box, so he's been after me to make some ice cream for him. "Could you make some peanut butter
ice cream for me?", his son kept asking me. So I finally did that just this weekend! It was actually peanut butter fudge ice cream though. But the unit performed effortlessly! And the ice cream again was smooth, light & creamy!
This great machine is a far cry from the olden days of having to use ice and salt and the old fashioned churn! I especially love the fact that you never have to rely on ice, salt or pre-freezing the bowl in the freezer before use!
About my only shortcoming with this machine, and it has nothing to do with style or performance, is that it is fairly heavy, big and awkward. Finding a permanent spot for it is highly recommended, as it does strongly demand a considerable amount of kitchen real estate.
That seems to be the norm with just about everyone's review that I've read who purchased the self-contained units. It can be like carrying around a small air conditioner from room to room!
To combat that problem I devised a neat little trick! I keep the machine on the kitchen table. Then I ran a heavy duty 3-prong extension cord from the outlet behind the fridge that sits directly across from the table, along the back wall, since there is no outlet on the wall where the table is. I then put the female end of the cord just behind & above the table, hooking it on the wall close to the machine. Now, when I use the machine, I just plug it into the cord instead of having to carry it to where an outlet is.
I had expected it to be a bit noisy, but amazingly, I found out that it's fairly quiet for such a big powerful heavy space-demanding machine!
I really can't say enough good things about this machine. It's like a dream come true! By the way, for anyone who is interested in buying it, I purchased it online from Chef's Catalog's website for $199.99, marked $200.00 down from the original price of $400.00! This particular machine itself is made in Italy by Lello Appliances Corporation, a company who probably makes a host of ice cream machines for other companies as well.
If you are tired of the old fashioned method of making ice cream using salt & ice and would like to move on up to the superior high-tech advantages of having a self-contained unit, then this one is the perfect machine for those of you who want an all-in-one machine but don't want to pay a whole lot of money for one!
I really love this machine! After the peanut butter fudge ice cream that I made for the landlord's son, I've just made some Royal Vanilla ice cream for myself!! All of these ice cream recipes that can be made one right behind the other with this unit simply cannot be accomplished with those flimsily-made units that make you freeze the bowl ahead of time in the freezer!
It's a simple basic moderately-priced unit without a whole lot of confusing frills and a minimum of bells & whistles! Making some of my favorite frozen treats & frozen drinks just couldn't be easier now! The instruction manual is very easy to read & understand! I'm just plain flabbergasted!
One more thing that I might add is the landlord's 11-year-old son's love for ice cream. He'll be asking me to make some more ice cream for him I'm sure. But I don't mind at all! He can ask as often as he wishes! He's just a boy & all kids love ice cream! What child doesn't?! That's one nice thing that we all cherished as children ourselves! And one of the things that we NEVER outgrew. And we probably never will!
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Another neat little tip:
The Glad Ware plastic containers that are available at your local supermarket work hand in hand with this machine and yours also, if you have one! They are very handy If you find yourself making ice cream quite often. These containers can be used to store your delicious frozen creations. They come in various shapes & sizes.
I chose the 64-oz size because I found it to be the perfect size if you are doubling an ice cream recipe that
yields one quart! When I made the peanut butter fudge ice cream for the landlord's son, I used one of these for him to keep his ice cream in! Very ideal for any size up to the half-gallon size! Perfect for when you don't want to give out ice cream to someone in your expensive Tupperware or Rubbermaid containers!
Keep some of them one hand and you will always be ready when you're about to make those tempting sweet frozen treats! The half-gallon size does not steal any more space in the freezer than the 64-oz box of ice cream that you get from the store! Mmmm! Yummy!
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An update:
For even more ice cream-making fun, I just purchased two bowls for this machine.
That means that I can make even more batches in less time just by filling the bowls about 3/4 full and placing one bowl right after the other in the chilling chamber!!
This is good for when you are doubling or tripling your batches of your favorite frozen treats!
Do yourself a great favor. Get this great machine for the
forthcoming hot summer months ahead, or for all year round!
It's still dirt cheap. Still only $200.00!
And get some extra bowls for it too! You'll be so glad that you did!!!!
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Another marvelous update:
A new larger version of this great machine has been introduced! Now you can get this machine in a TWO-QT. size!
Also, like the one that I own & wrote about above, this larger one also lets you use optional two-qt. size bowls!
Same great quality in a larger size!!
The only shortcoming is, it's $200.00 more, totaling $400.00. So now, you have two sizes from which to choose from of this great machine!
-Daquan.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
daquan
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Location: East Boston, MA.
Reviews written: 245
Trusted by: 63 members
About Me:
Was born & raised in Boston. I like kitchen gadgets & appliances. Love to cook!!
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