I have it and it does work well IF the base is very very chilled before you place it in the frozen unit. Also you can't have a warm kitchen. So in Summer, when you usually want to make icecream, you need to find a place in your kitchen that is quite cool. The unit/bucket thaws out pretty quickly. You then take the icecream and place it in the freezer to cure. You can also eat it immediately as soft serve. I got mine free with my mixer as a bonus on Mother's Day during a sale a few years ago. I wouldn't have spent the $100 they were asking otherwise. If you really plan on making much icecream you need to get a real freezer. c

Bellsmom, Ice cream freezers are a pretty mature technology, and Cuisinart isn't likely to turn belly up during your warranty period, so why not? :) I like that the 100 has the different paddles, though I don't know how big a difference it makes. I donated counter space that wasn't all that useful anyway to mine, but I wish it did a magic appear/disappear act. :) Yours should be fine in the pantry if you have a solid counter and a plug. It's sure to vibrate a lot and needs some clear space for the circulation of warm air (i.e., not right up against your foodstuffs because they want cool pantry, and a freezer will warm it up). Those are the biggest problems with putting it in the pantry. Do you have a laundry room where you could put it? Maybe keep a cloth over it when not in use to keep away lint, etc. Or even a protected porch? The lack of water shouldn't be a big issue because of the removable bowl. You can take all the main parts to the sink for cleaning (maybe keep a little dishpan with the machine to dump them in, and just bring a sponge or rag and a small bowl (or the dishpan) of water to the machine for wiping it down. Kids love making frozen treats, and it's also a great way to teach them about what's in what they're eating. Be really honest with yourself, however. Do you really want to be carrying the ingredients back and forth? And the clean-up? Would you rather have it on the kitchen counter? Would giving up freezer space be no issue because you'd be using the space you usually fill with bought ice cream for the bowl of a non-freezer model? Will you use it more if it's just ready to go? Will you use it less if you have to unearth the bowl from a pile of stuff in the freezer? I know the arias are beautiful, but imagine yourself doing the conducting. Read through the instructions online and imagine yourself doing the work. See which model you'd really rather have to fit into your real life and way of doing things, and your particular cooking setup. You're already well informed. That's the next good step to making a choice.

I purchased a Cuisinart 2 qt. and love it. I have checked around and found that Sam's and Costco have the best price for the 2 qt. I make a special tropical fruit ice cream and have been sharing 1qt. with family and friends (1 at a time). The other 1qt. I keep for myself. The ice cream that I make is rarely found sold in stores. If I had the money, I would have purchased a bigger one. In other words, homemade ice cream is always so much tastier and fresher than store bought that you wouldn't have any trouble making it in large quantity.

What a great gift Rachellen. I'm pretty boring when it comes to ice cream. I almost always order "plain" chocolate. But I have made Both the Espresso-Brownie Chunk and the Brown Sugar Pecan and both were a big hit. Here is what you do to get swirls of caramel or chocolate in your ice cream. When the ice cream is ready, place some of it in a container, drizzle in the chocolate sauce, and swirl it just a bit. Use the tip of a knife. Don't mix. Add more ice cream and swirl again. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Espresso-Brownie Chunk Ice Cream ================================ Fatlester - Gardenweb 1/2 pound brownies cut in 1/4 inch chunks 1 cup whole Espresso, French or vienna roast coffee beans 2 1/4 cups half and half cream 3/4 cup sugar 3 egg yolks 1 cup whipping cream . Wrap and firmly freeze the brownie chunks Put the coffee beans on a jell-roll pan and over them with a dish towel. Using a veal pounder or the bottom of a heavy sauce pan, press to crush the beans thoroughly. (Do not substitute ground coffee) Transfer the crushed coffee beans to a medium saucepan. Add the half and half cream and heat it to simmering. Cover and simmer 10 minutes , then set the pan aside, off heat, for 15 minutes longer. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into another saucepan, pressing to remove all liquid from the coffee beans; discard the solids. Stir the sugar into the strained coffee liquid and heat it to simmering. Put the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl and slowly whisk in the coffee liquid (or put the egg yolks in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process, pouring in the coffee liquid). Cool the mixture slightly by stirring in the whipping cream. Set the bowl over ice or refrigerate until the custard is thoroughly chilled. (Can cover and refrigerate overnight). Transfer the custard to the canister of an ice-cream machine. Follow manufacturer's directions and churn until the ice cream is half frozen. Add frozen brownie pieces and continue churning until frozen. Serve immediately, or transfer ice cream to an airtight freezer container, seal and keep frozen until serving time. (Can freeze for several hours). Home Cookin Chapter: Thibeaults Table - Icecream Brown Sugar Pecan Ice Cream ============================ http://www.essetti.com/applncs/frznrecipes.htm#brsugar 1 cup milk 1 scant packed cup brown sugar 4 egg yolks 3 cups heavy cream 1 cup pecan pieces . Heat the cream. milk and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot. place the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk briefly. Still whisking, slowly pour in about 1 cup of the hot liquid. When the mixture is blended, slowly pour it into the liquid in the saucepan, whisking constantly. Cook over heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Be sure not let the mixture boil at any time or will curdle. strain into a clean bowl and cool thoroughly. Stir in the nuts. Pour the mixture into the bowl of the machine and freeze. Makes 5 cups.