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.

You're welcome, bbabers! Oh--the sale only lasts through tomorrow and if you use your Kohl's credit card you can get an extra 10% off. You can go to the Cooking forum and see the details. Veta, yes it comes with a recipe book. Very easy to use. Freeze the bowl (preferably overnight) and dump in the ingredients. In 20 or 25 minutes, it's done. The mixture is thin so I put it in a big glass bowl that has a tight lid and stick it in the freezer. I know the girls wouldn't use it or I'd get them one. Sure would make a nice wedding gift.

I missed that sale but know what you mean about shipping costs....and I was able to use the USPS flat rate boxes. My sister in law was telling us about her Cuisinart ice cream maker.....but she bought the totally automatic one for about $300....just for herself. I am so happy for her!

I have a Lello with compressor/freezer. There are many things I like about it (not the price!) and some things I find frustrating, but I would never choose one that requires freezing the bowl. The thing I find most frustrating is that this is a simple machine--sturdy as a house--which has only two controls and a timer: Cold on/off and Churn on/off. I would like to be able to adjust the temperature and speed. With the cannister/bowl from the freezer you have even less control over the temperature because ambient is such a great impact, and you're generally setting the freezer for optimal food storage rather than optimal ice cream. The only version that has tempted me is the one that goes with the KA mixer, because one could whip for frozen mousse. One of the great things about the Lello is that the bowl is not removable. Yes, that's one of the best things. There are no seams or crevices around the bowl for gunk to get into. The whole thing is steel, including the dasher, which is super easy to remove--just a capnut with textured sides to unscrew. Then one uses a sponge and bowl to clean. I keep a dedicated sponge in the machine. It's a little more work than just cleaning a bowl in the sink, but so much less work than trying to get gunk out of unexpected places! What I have is actually somewhat between an ice cream maker and gelato maker. It doesn't have the up and down action of a standard gelato maker, and isn't as fast as a standard ice cream maker. It's best at custards, which come out with an amazingly good, silky texture, and not so good at low/non fat because the water freezes too quickly. The same is true for ice creams with a high fresh fruit content, again because there's so much water that it actually makes them low fat. That's a standard problem with any freezing method. Usually, gum is added, but I don't really like doing that. I may experiment with starch this Summer, which is traditional for gelato and might work with leaner mixes. Cooking down the fruit will reduce the water, but perhaps not enough unless you take it down to jam. I also want to experiment with using a mixer or blender to aerate the mix before freezing. I don't know if the churning will knock out the air, but it sounds fun to try. Recommendations: The more control you have over temperature and speed, the more you can make the machine adapt to you rather than you adapting to the machine. The more easily you can clean, especially right around where you're likely to spill, the less likely you'll have sour gunky messes requiring toothbrushes and elbow grease. You'll get more consistent results with a machine with a compressor/freezer. The easier and less complicated the method is, the more you'll use it. Accessories: One thing about homemade ice cream is that it may not keep well in the freezer, especially if it's not full fat. Again, the water freezes too hard and crystallizes. Even full fat ice cream can get unpleasantly hard, and having to thaw to get one scoop is not good for the ice cream or your patience. The only really good answer is to have a special ice cream freezer that you keep to the optimal temperature. For the full fat ice creams my machine is best at, however, these insulated containers keep it well in the regular freezer. If you're keeping your ice cream in the freezer, it also helps to have a solid body scooper with a thick neck, rather than the food scoop or lever style. There are a great many books and treatises out there about ice cream. Sometimes, however, you just want a clear recipe that makes great ice cream without hours of study. I highly recommend The Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein. Every recipe I've made from it has been great, including the fresh strawberry. That one didn't keep well in the freezer, but straight from the machine it was fluffy clouds of strawberry goodness. Re ingredients, you get what you pay for. The same chocolate ice cream recipe is vastly different depending on your cocoa powder, for instance. Trader Joe's fancy cocoa powder gives you standard chocolate ice cream. Valrhona, even reduced in quantity to compensate some for the higher fat content, is stupendous, intense and fudgelike.