We have to confess that an electric ice cream maker is our sole guilty-pleasure single-use gadget. Fortunately, we get a lot of use out of it to justify the real estate it occupies in our tiny kitchen. If we didn't already own one, we'd consider this hand-crank version from White Mountain. After all, it's summer. The kids have plenty of free time. Why not put those busy little hands to work churning out ice cream for the whole family?
Of course, you could always just use a bag, but if you prefer to go the mechanized route, we like the old-timeyness of this contraption. The White Mountain Co. has been in the ice cream business for 150 years, so we reckon they've probably got it figured out by now. Their manual ice cream maker can crank out a gallon of ice cream or frozen yogurt in 20 to 40 minutes.
The bucket is hand-crafted from white pine, and the freezer’s works feature noncorroding cast-iron dashers and a three-gear drive. (We're not sure what that last part means, but it sure sounds impressive.)
But if you feel exhausted even thinking about all that cranking, the company also offers a newfangled electric version.
$149.95 at Williams-Sonoma
Hey, turns out it's Ice Cream Month! Quel coincidence!
view TammyE's profile
My husband's family uses one of these and has for years. We make ice cream every Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. My mother-in-law threatens every once in a while to upgrade to the electric version, but we all insist that turning the crank is part of the fun. (You don't eat if you don't crank, even if it's only once or twice around for the little ones.)
view mlsnash's profile