Cuisinart ICE-20 Automatic 1-1/2-Quart Ice-Cream Maker, White

This is an excellent little machine that makes just enough icecream for my family and I know exactly what goes in it. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the manual states the bowl will be ready between 6 and 22 hours. I tried using it after 6 and 12 hours. At 6 hours it did not do anything with the blended mixture. Obviously it was not frozen enough. At 12 hours, I got the outside of the mixture sticking to the bowl and the core of the mixture not churned/frozen. This may not be an issue for everyone, but with our freezer and our bowl it takes a good 20 to 24 hours of the bowl being in the freezer to get the icecream just right.

This is a great little machine. Without the hassle of using ice or salt, you're always ready to whip up some homemade ice cream! I've made variations of vanilla, eggnog, lemon, cinnamon, dulce de leche, and others in this. This machine makes ice-cream making SO much fun. I highly recommend this!

This product is easy to use and makes you into a great ice cream maker at first try.

This is the best ice cream maker I have ever purchased. I read the reviews before buying and learned a lot of helpful hints. I put a small zip lock bag full of ice inside the freezer bowl and then put the freezer bowl inside a big zip lock bag and then put the bag in my freezer. As a matter of fact, after the ice cream is made, if I don't get the ice cream out of the freezer bowl before we get it all ate, it even hardens up more.

This machine makes fantastic Java Chip ice cream, just like the commercial brand. Rather than spout about how great this contraption is, I'll instead give the recipe:

2 cups whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp instant coffee
1 2oz. Hershey's Special Dark candy bar (or dark chocolate slab of your choice) (this is optional -- I like it just as much without the chocolate)

The trick to making the best ice cream is to make sure all the ingredients are chilled before you mix them. So, first warm the milk and mix in the instant coffee (it won't dissolve in cold milk). Then chill the milk.

Chop the chocolate bar in small chunks, then chill it. Chill the sugar. Chill the mixing bowl (I use a quart measuring cup for easy pouring). Chill the spatula and/or whisk. Chill the bowl you'll use to hold the finished product (I cover it with a plastic wrap first). You get the idea.

All chilled? Mix them all (except the chocolate) together, whisk a bit to combine well, then pour into the ice cream maker. Run for 25 minutes. Pour in the chocolate chunks and run five more minutes. Yummy!