I really like Alton Browns Serious Vanilla Ice cream. I've used Brown Sugar Rum Peach Jam in place of the preserves..No the ice cream doesn't taste like it has peach anything in it...it just gives it that je ne sais quoi... I've made this one in the KA bowl too Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream she also has a Pumpkin one I want to try. You could sub cream or half n half for the coconut milk. My kids don't really like ice creams with alot of cream..they prefer it's texture, mouth feel like store bought..They don't appreciate the mouth feel of frozen cream!!!!! I find it delish and appreciate it greatly!!! And because it's so rich, much less satisfies me.

I have the KA attachment and like it a lot. I wouldn't say there was a problem with the ice cream holding up in the freezer for long since I know we had it in the the freezer for more than a few days, possibly up to a month (although it is doubtful we let it stay that long without eating it!) My only complaint is that you're supposed to freeze the attachment for about a day before using it, so you can't use it spur of the moment unless you have room in your freezer to store it there all the time. Then again, for all I know, all ice cream makers may be this way. Chrissy

This isn't going to help you decide because mine is an antique and was free! I've had a couple Rivals over the years. Gave them to friends... VERY LOUD. I have a Waring right now that a friend gave me... made I think back in the 70's. I think it only has a 2 quart capacity, and I cracked the lid and had to seal it up with plastic weld... looks terrible but the lids are impossible to find since they haven't made that machine in eons. It is the kind that uses the rock salt and ice with a thin aluminum can and a dasher in the middle. I thought about the Cuisinart before, but I would hate to have to freeze the canister. I would forget... I tend to do things last minute. I was also intrigued by the KA stand mixer attachment, but I think it has to be pre-frozen as well. Dealing with salt and ice is very annoying! I found one on Ebay a few weeks ago that had a wooden barrel and a choice of an electric motor or a hand crank top. I wanted it sooooo badly, but couldn't justify it because the Waring still works. Please let us know what you get! I've also seen the ice cream "balls" that you fill with ice cream ingredients and toss back and forth. Anyone have experience with these?

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.