There’s nothing quite like a fresh ice cream cone in your favorite flavor on a hot summer day. If ice cream is one of your family’s most loved desserts, then you should consider making it yourself. You can make as much ice cream as you want in all the flavors you need to satisfy every member of your family, and you’ll save money.

You have a few options for making ice cream at home:

How to Make Ice Cream Using a Manual Machine

These are the most basic of ice cream machines, cost the least, and are hand-powered. Most manual ice cream makers will operate as follows:

  1. Pour salt and ice into the outer bowl.
  2. Pour the ice cream mixture into the inner bowl.
  3. Turn the hand crank until the ice cream mixture is cooled, smooth, and creamy (can take several minutes or up to an hour).

Although these machines are inexpensive and most can be found for under $50, making ice cream with them is time consuming. You’ll also need to replenish the ice as it melts, and this can be a pain. Most manual machines also only allow you to make small quantities of ice cream at each mixing.

How to Make Ice Cream Using an Electric Machine

There are a few different types of electric ice cream makers, and using each one is as easy as putting in your ingredients, turning on the power button, and walking away. The machine does the spinning for you.

The first type is a simple countertop machine; it spins small to medium quantities of ice cream but has no cooling mechanism, so the ice cream must be immediately eaten or refrigerated.  The second type is an ice cream maker that sits in the freezer unit itself. This machine can make large quantities of ready-to-eat ice cream. The third and most expensive type is one that has a cooling mechanism built right in. This machine can make restaurant-grade ice cream in very large amounts. It is well suited for small businesses and big families alike.

While all of these electric machines will give you superior tasting ice cream with minimal effort, the cost of the machine is an investment. However, this price is still lower than buying store-bought containers of ice cream over a long period of time.

How to Make Ice Cream the Old-Fashioned Way

People have been enjoying ice cream for years, long before the invention of electricity. It takes patience, effort, and vigorous stirring, but if you have the time it is the most cost-effective way to make ice cream. This method may also make a fun project for your kids on a rainy summer day.

  1. Make whatever ice cream mix you desire, and chill it in an ice bath. (Note that custard mixtures work best for this method because their texture is already somewhat smooth.)
  2. Pour your mixture into a deep bowl or dish and place it in the freezer.
  3. After about 45 minutes, check the mixture. As it starts to freeze, take a whisk or spoon and beat the mixture vigorously. Really mix in the frozen parts; this will make the ice cream smoother.
  4. Repeat the above step every 30 minutes for the next 2 to 3 hours.

Old-fashioned homemade ice cream is usually not as smooth as store bought ice cream or ice cream made by a household maker. However, it should taste great after all the effort that’s put into making it!

For information or how-to help, locate your frozen dessert maker user’s manual in the ManualsOnline Library.