Ice Cream Maker Information

The UCO Play & Freeze %%price%% is in a category all its own. The Play & Freeze is a plastic ball with a stainless-steel cylinder inside. You fill the tube with ingredients and the space around it with ice and table or rock salt, then kick or toss the ball for about 20 minutes. Reviews say that the Play & Freeze makes very good ice cream. The Play & Freeze comes in several colors and can weigh as much as seven pounds when filled. Owners posting to Amazon.com say the ball made good ice cream and enlivened company picnics and camping trips. It only makes about a pint of ice cream, however.

If buying an ice cream maker seems frivolous, know that you can freeze a sorbet mixture in an ice cube tray and process the cubes in a food processor. Cook's Illustrated reports that sorbet made this way is dense and creamy, if slightly lumpy.

It's also possible to make soft-serve ice cream in a blender using frozen fruit, cream and sugar.

Although the end result will be less than firm, the process is quick and easy.

Manufacturers' websites offer specifications and photos of their ice cream machines:

Cuisinart

KitchenAid

Krups

DeLonghi

Rival

Donvier

Salton