Donvier Ice Cream Maker 1 Quart

Pros: Easy to use; makes a variety of frozen desserts; easy to clean
Cons: Small; must freeze overnight to use

I got my Donvier ice cream maker many years ago as a gift. I never would have purchased it myself because it looks to easy to use and it's kind of a treat item. It came with a nice recipe booklet and when I ventured into the sorbet area I was ...

Pros: East of use, ease of clean-up, moderate cost, great end-result.
Cons: Small. Can make only 1 quart of frozen treat at a time.

I bought my Donvier ice cream maker 15 years ago and just dug it out again this past weekend. It is so easy to use, and the results are so good, I have to recommend the product. There is no reason to spend hundreds of dollars on electric machines when you can have smooth, creamy ice cream in 20 minutes with just a few turns of the crank. The only problem is that you can make just one quart of ice cream (or frozen yogurt, ice milk, or frozen daquiris) so you can't serve a crowd. But for small families it's definitely worth the money. Keep the cylinder in the freezer all the time, and you can have home-made ice cream any time you want!

Pros: Compact, simple design and simple to use, easy to clean, durable.
Cons: Only 1 quart (plus some if you add milk to top of cylinder), heavy cylinder

I bought several of these in the mid-1980's and gave the extras as gifts.  We have used ours over the years to make all kinds of frozen and slushy treats.  I keep the cylinder in my freezer and store frozen goods inside and around it. Then it's ready at a moment's notice (although you may need to experiment with your freezer to make sure the cylinder gets cold enough).  We often make vanilla ice cream without a recipe:  using 1-2% or whole milk, half-and half, or cream in any mixture, 3/4-1 cup sugar, and vanilla.  We save candy canes from Christmas, crush lots in a bag with a rolling pin, then reduce the sugar and vanilla to make great, refreshing peppermint ice cream.  It's a much-requested treat when friends are over, and fun for kids to do themselves.