Anyone have any opinions on why my ice cream maker does not make ice cream?

[Mel!]

Could I be using it wrongly?

According to the instructions, I put the bowl part of it in the freezer for 10 hours(well in the garden overnight actually, but it gets to at least -10 Celcius these nights). Then I put the ingredients in the bowl part and then attach the other parts. I switch it on for 40 minutes as per instruction manual. After 40 minutes the ingredients are well stirred by the the paddle thing, but not turned to icecream.

Any suggestions?

 

[Andy M.]

The consistency should be thick but not fully frozen. After the churning, you should plan on putting it in the freezer for several hours to finish thickening.

 

[DramaQueen]

Could I be using it wrongly?

According to the instructions, I put the bowel part of it in the freezer for 10 hours(well in the garden overnight actually, but it gets to at least -10 Celcius these nights). Then I put the ingredients in the bowel part and then attach the other parts. I switch it on for 40 minutes as per instruction manual. After 40 minutes the ingredients are well stirred by the the paddle thing, but not turned to icecream.

Any suggestions?

There are many misconceptions about ice cream making. I don't know what -10 Celcius is in Farenheit, but your bowl should be at least 0 degrees F. for no less thatn 24 hours. It needs to freeze solid.

Second, I'm not sure what you mean by "not ice cream, but I suspect you mean it isn't hard like the kind you buy in the supermarket. Am I right? That's the question first-time ice cream makers always ask.
You did make ice cream. The ice cream is soft because it hasn't been "cured" yet. You have to put the ice cream in a container and freeze it in your freezer for at least 4 hours in order to get hard ice cream.
Look at it this way, if the ice cream got hard in the bowl while mixing how will the paddle (dasher) be able to move? Put the ice cream in the freezer.

You can also eat it as soft serve right out of the bowl after you make it but I prefer hard ice cream.

 

[RobsanX]

-10 deg C = 14 deg F. I put my bowl in my freezer at 0 deg F, and it does the job, but it takes about 30 minutes. Even then, it's soft, and won't harden until it goes in the freezer...

 

[DramaQueen]

-10 deg C = 14 deg F. I put my bowl in my freezer at 0 deg F, and it does the job, but it takes about 30 minutes. Even then, it's soft, and won't harden until it goes in the freezer...

I make a lot of ice cream, always make my own, and I use both a Cuisinart and a KitchenAid attachment, sometimes at the same time to make 2 different flavors. I have never heard of freezing the bowl for 30 minutes so I'm curious. . I really don't think that's enough time to freeze solid. Both of my manuals state at least 24 hours. Does your manual say 30 minutes. What kind do you have?

 

[RobsanX]

I store my bowl in the freezer, so it's usually in there for several days. It takes about 30 minutes to make the ice cream, but even then it's not frozen solid...

 

[Maverick2272]

I don't even know the name of my ice cream maker, LOL. From tips I got on here, I put the 'bowl' (It is actually a metal cylinder) in the freezer (which is set to 0 degrees all the time) the night before I make the ice cream. The next day I make the mixture up, but since it is cooked I have to let it sit in the fridge overnight. The next day I pour the mixture into the cylinder and attache the electric motor on the top. I then take 6 large McDonald's drink cups filled with ice and add 2 at a time to the mixer alternating with salt.
From there, like RobsanX, it takes about 30 minutes and it is ready for the freezer. For me though it seems to take closer to six hours to get as hard as the store stuff, but ready after 4 hours mostly hard. Any less than that and I have soft serve, LOL.

 

[kadesma]

These types of ice cream makers make what is called a soft set ice cream, if you prefer them more hard you have to put them in another container and freeze to what you want...I also have found do NOT bring the bowl out and start adding the ingredients to it..Get them all put into another bowl, mix well and only then put them into the frozen bowl, turn on machine and let it go..See if that helps the initial consistency.
Kadesma

 

[DramaQueen]

These types of ice cream makers make what is called a soft set ice cream, if you prefer them more hard you have to put them in another container and freeze to what you want...I also have found do NOT bring the bowl out and start adding the ingredients to it..Get them all put into another bowl, mix well and only then put them into the frozen bowl, turn on machine and let it go..See if that helps the initial consistency.
Kadesma

Right you are. The ingredients should be very cold before pouring into the bowl to churn. I put all the ingredients in a separate bowl that has been in the freezer overnight. Then pour it all into the mixer bowl. Perfect ice cream every time.
Just a heads up here: If you want to make some great ice cream flavors, I recommend Ben and Jerry's Dessert and Ice Cream book.
Cherry Garcia is one of the best, but my favorite is their Chocolate Heath Bar Toffee Cruch.

 

[ChefJune]

Could I be using it wrongly?

According to the instructions, I put the bowl part of it in the freezer for 10 hours(well in the garden overnight actually, but it gets to at least -10 Celcius these nights). Then I put the ingredients in the bowl part and then attach the other parts. I switch it on for 40 minutes as per instruction manual. After 40 minutes the ingredients are well stirred by the the paddle thing, but not turned to icecream.

Any suggestions?

The bowl of my Cuisinart requires 24 hours at 0 degrees F. so your bowl wasn't nearly cold enough by those standards. My bowl lives in the freezer, so it can be ready at a moment's notice.

The only time I ever had any problems with it was after 10 years, and the freezant in the bowl had dissipated, or something. It was time for a new one.

and yes, after you have made the ice cream, it is more the texture of soft serve. The directions say to let the ice cream season in the deep freeze for a minimum of four hours. Not only does the ice cream set up, but the flavors all meld and it tastes much better.

It is also better to remove the ice cream from the freezer about 20 minutes before you want to serve it, so it can come to maximum flavor.

 

[bglc32]

Wow, I havn't made ice cream in a long time. It sounds soooo good.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I think I will just stick with my old White Mountain hand cranked freezer, and a cooked custard.

 

[Mel!]

Second, I'm not sure what you mean by "not ice cream, but I suspect you mean it isn't hard like the kind you buy in the supermarket. Am I right? That's the question first-time ice cream makers always ask.
You did make ice cream. The ice cream is soft because it hasn't been "cured" yet. You have to put the ice cream in a container and freeze it in your freezer for at least 4 hours in order to get hard ice cream.
Look at it this way, if the ice cream got hard in the bowl while mixing how will the paddle (dasher) be able to move? Put the ice cream in the freezer.

It is just liquid and not turned icey in any way after the stirring with the paddle.

I didnt leave the bowel out for 24 hours. Just 12.

To tell the truth, I am regretting buying this icecream maker. It is just as labour intensive to make icecream with it as it is to make it without it.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[Mel!]

And thanks everybody else too for the comments and tips.

 

[Maverick2272]

Take a small coffee can with a sealing lid, and a large coffee can with a sealing lid and chill in the fridge overnight. Next day, put your mixture into the small coffee can and make sure the lid is sealed and won't leak. Take the large one and put so me ice/salt on the bottom, then add in the small coffee can centering it. Pack more ice/salt around it, then on top of it till the large can is full. Put its lid on and make sure it won't be coming off either.
Put two people (kids work great for this) opposite each other on the floor and roll back and forth until you have... ice cream! LOL.

Seriously, I use lots of salt sprinkled all over my ice, the inside bowl is only half full but the ice is packed all the way to the top, everything is chilled and/or just taken from the freezer and it still takes a good 30 minutes for it to become mostly hard. Still will be soft serve form so into the freezer for at least 4 hours but I prefer 6 and then it is hard enough to make me happy.

 

[DramaQueen]

It is just liquid and not turned icey in any way after the stirring with the paddle.

I didnt leave the bowel out for 24 hours. Just 12.

To tell the truth, I am regretting buying this icecream maker. It is just as labour intensive to make icecream with it as it is to make it without it.

Thanks for your comments.

I'm so sorry you feel that way because ice cream is such an easy thing to make and the flavor possibilities are endless. You can put anything you want in any quantity you want in homemade ice cream.

I have to agree that hand cranking is a pain, but I suspect the big reason your ice cream didn't turn out is because the bowl wasn't frozen hard enough. As I said, it takes 24 hours to freeze well.
If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, I would suggest popping for the attachement or buy a Cuisinart Yogurt and Ice Cream maker. Google both for more information. They are automatic and you just set them up and let em go. I have both of these appliances and they make terrific ice cream but YOU have to make it right or it won't turn out.
Please give it another try, I think you'll really like what you end up with.
Now I'm having second thoughts about what you put into the custard. Did you follow directions exactly? If you don't put enough sugar or too much of anything in your custard your ice cream won't turn out so maybe take another look at that. If you have a library near you, see if they carry an ice cream making book or Ben and Jerry's Dessert and Ice Cream book. The "how-to" books will tell you exactly what to do and what not to do to get great ice cream. Please give it another try and let us know how it turned out.

 

[jim262]

There is probably a simple heat equation that describes making ice cream, but in its simplest terms, the bowl is storing up cold from the freezer with the purpose of delivering that cold to the custard in the bowl to lower its temperature to the point where the custard thickens and the paddle can no longer churn it.

Let’s leave mass out of the equation and assume that the chill goo in the bowl and the custard are of equal mass. Chill the goo to 0º F [-18º C], add custard from the refrigerator at 40º F [4.5ºC]: churn for 30 minutes or so and the custard and the bowl equalize in temperature around 20º F [-7º C]. I believe that this is the temperature where the custard would be thick enough to slow the paddles, but will melt very quickly if it is not put in the freezer to drop the temperature to 0º F[-18º C]

If you start with the bowl chilled to 15º F [-10º C], the lowest temperature that can be achieved by mixing it with custard from the refrigerator is approximately 28º F [-2º C] and I do not think that sugared custard has even begun to freeze at this temperature.



Try it with a bowl chilled in the freezer for 24 hours or more and the problem should disappear. It really does take that long for the bowl to reach the temperature of the freezer.

 

[Mel!]

I'm so sorry you feel that way because ice cream is such an easy thing to make and the flavor possibilities are endless. You can put anything you want in any quantity you want in homemade ice cream.

I will still be making icecream, without the icecream maker. A good way to get plenty of air into it before freezing is to put all the ingedients in a blender and switch on to full for around half a minute. It is very quick and easy. I made some delicious orange and almond icecream like that during the weekend.

When I bought the icecream maker, I thought all I have to do is plug it in and it will make the mixture airy and frozen for me. I will put it down to a buying mistake.

Glad I found out that making bread with breadmakers is just as much work as making it in without and it does not make better bread before I bought a breadmaker.

Anyway, thanks to all the others who replied too.

 

[DramaQueen]

I will still be making icecream, without the icecream maker. A good way to get plenty of air into it before freezing is to put all the ingedients in a blender and switch on to full for around half a minute. It is very quick and easy. I made some delicious orange and almond icecream like that during the weekend.

When I bought the icecream maker, I thought all I have to do is plug it in and it will make the mixture airy and frozen for me. I will put it down to a buying mistake.

Glad I found out that making bread with breadmakers is just as much work as making it in without and it does not make better bread before I bought a breadmaker.

Anyway, thanks to all the others who replied too.

Sorry but you didn't really make ice cream in a blender. If you like what you made then by all means go for it, but you can't make true ice cream unless you use a frozen bowl and slow churning beaters (dashers). A blender can't freeze the custard and can't put air into a product. The air is pumped into the mix slowly giving it volume, and the frozen bowl is what gives the ice cream it's consistancey. When you use an ice cream maker, whether a crank model or electric, notice that the volume increases substancially during the mixing process. Your are pumping air into the product. Too much air and you lose flavor, too little air and the ice cream becomes too dense and loses the creamy consistancy. The people who make ice cream makers have done all the technical study for you. You just have to follow their instructions and voila! Ice cream.

What you actually made was a frozen milk/cream dessert. I used to own an ice cream shop and made our own ice cream. You have to follow the basics if you want to make true ice cream. It's so simple, really.

 

[Mel!]

Sorry but you didn't really make ice cream in a blender. If you like what you made then by all means go for it, but you can't make true ice cream unless you use a frozen bowl and slow churning beaters (dashers). A blender can't freeze the custard and can't put air into a product. The air is pumped into the mix slowly giving it volume, and the frozen bowl is what gives the ice cream it's consistancey. When you use an ice cream maker, whether a crank model or electric, notice that the volume increases substancially during the mixing process. Your are pumping air into the product. Too much air and you lose flavor, too little air and the ice cream becomes too dense and loses the creamy consistancy. The people who make ice cream makers have done all the technical study for you. You just have to follow their instructions and voila! Ice cream.

What you actually made was a frozen milk/cream dessert. I used to own an ice cream shop and made our own ice cream. You have to follow the basics if you want to make true ice cream. It's so simple, really.

I can see that being traditional about your icecream making means a lot to you and I wouldnt dream of arguing with you about your methods. Rituals are important in life! I hope you will now and again advise me on exciting new flavours I can try in my own icecream.