You can also do it the really old fashioned way -- the same method that has long been used to make sorbet. Just pour the mixture into a baking dish, and set that into your freezer. Also, you will need a heavy glass or metal bowl, an electric hand mixer, and a bowl of ice big enough for the first bowl to sit in. Put the heavy glass or metal bowl and the beater attachments for the hand mixer into the freezer at the same time as the ice cream mix to chill them. When its almost but not quite fully frozen, use a fork to break it up into small lumps about the size of a nickle or a little less. Then put it back into the freezer about 10 minutes to set up a bit again. Now, working as quickly as possible, take the pre-chilled heavy bowl out of the freezer,and set it in a bath of ice cubes in the 2nd larger bowl. Quickly transfer the ice cream mixture into the chilled bowl, and beat it as much as possible with the electric mixer ONLY until the lumps are broken up, and it begins to whip up a bit. Then, back into the freezer for another 15 to 30 minutes, until its not at all "melty" but still a little soft. Repeat the beating/whipping process several times -- the idea is to whip as much air into it to make it creamy and fluffy as possible, without melting it too much at each whipping. The chilled bowl, the ice bath, and the chilled beaters help, but beware that the very act of beating it creates friction between the bowl and beaters, which makes heat, so this process is a balancing act between beating in air and melting the ice cream. Done right, which isn't at all hard to do with just a little practice, this method does work, albeit it will never be quite as fluffy as commercial ice creams you are used to, which not only incorporate a large volume of air into the mix using specialized equipment, but which also generally use gums and stabilizers which prevents the product from melting and turning liquid as fast as a pure, cream and milk only product will. Good luck.

Well, I learned something in the preview of Jeni's book on Amazon (and ordered the book to thank her): Like the Sicilian gelato, she uses starch to stabilize the frozen yoghurt. I have tapioca starch! I'm going to try that. The book also has the best frozen yoghurt instructions I've seen. They're for a more commercial grade of frozen yoghurt, but might be worth the trouble if I want to make a serious effort for a lot of company. Being able to make ahead and store in the freezer would be a boon. Unlike Jeni, I'm trying to reduce the richness of the dessert, rather than boost it, and her ice cream flavors sound a bit muddy for me, but the depth she goes into on techniques for storing and serving should be very useful.

I bought one extra one because I would get free shipping, and the shipping was close to the cost of another $15 ice cream maker. Might as well get something for the $$. \ The Kohl's card gave you free shipping and another $1.75 off, or something like that. I don't have a Kohl charge card either, but it was still a good deal at $15.

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.