Hamilton Beach Electric Automatic Ice Cream Maker & Frozen Yogurt Machine, Makes Custard, Sorbet, Gelato and Sherbet, 4 Quart, White (68330N)

Would like to let you people know, listen to the five star reviews, they are advising you right.............AMAZON will not post my reviews they are "VISUALLY DISTRACTING"3-16-13:This item deserves a little more attention, than I previously gave it. AMAZON and I were having a little misunderstanding,about writing product reviews. That has been perfected now. Here goes, I received this product two days ago. I havemade two batches of ice cream since then. Both batches turned out beyond supberb. People talk about the noise, if it madeany less noise you couldn't hear it kick off, if you were in the next room. Some people could have got loud one. I amspeaking of the one that I purchased.One thing that really amazed me was, one batch of ice cream took about 45 minutes. I checked the moter, it was cool tothe touch. The moter did not labor, and remained cool throughout the process. Because of all of the good 5 star reviews,was a hugh deciding factor that, I purchased this mechine. Everything the 4 and 5 stars reviewers were saying was factual.Listen to them, they have been owning one of these for awhile, they know. I believed them, and now I highly recommend thisproduct. Look at the price, that's nothing, for a product that performs like this one. By the way, AMAZON delivered theice cream maker to my door, almost before I ordered it. Fast huh?........................3-19-13Just wanted to add a little more good-time info on this ice cream maker. Still making more ice cream, got the flavors, youname it. This machine is putting out the cream I'll tell you. These people, talking about the noise. I DON'T UNDERSTAND.I am not disputing anyone. However, hey, it doesn't make that kind of noise, you have to hear it enough, to hear it cut off,when the ice cream is made. I just can't make people understand, THE PRICE, THE FINE GOOD ICE CREAM, NO MESS, EASY, FUN,NOT COSTLY TO MAKE ICE CREAM ALL DAY. Better than "store bought". At first "soft serve", a few hours in the freezer, superice cream. I just can't say any more better things about this machine. AMAZON will get it there, before you order it.......3-27-13I am just trying to help, some reviewers, in my opinion talk out of the realm of common sense. One reviewer stated to go to Lowesand buy a 40 pound bag of rock salt that, is used to melt the ice on the sidewalks, roads streets etc. People, please don't do this.Morton salt, that is made for ice cream making. You can buy a 4 pound box of this salt at Wal-Mart for a $1.41. Don't buyindustrial salt that is used for roadways, steps or sidewalks. This type salt has chemicals that is used for that purpose. Ice cream salt is made for making ice cream, not thawing out roadways. One box of Morton Ice Cream Salt that is for ice cream making....2-17-14I made ice cream 5 days ago, this machine is still making perfect ice cream as the first time almost 1 year ago. I havehad NO problems with this ice cream maker, since the day that I received it. I still highly recommend this product, forthe price and service you will be pleased.....

This ice cream maker is easy to set up and use. It produces large batches of soft serve ice cream in about 20-30 minutes (it firms up in the freezer) if the ice/salt ratio is correct. It’s loud— really, really loud but it works great and produces a consistent and delicious product. It comes with a recipe book and after use cleanup is a breeze.

If your family is interested in an easy to use ice cream maker for a great price, this is the perfect ice cream maker for you. At an affordable price, it is also a great buy for the first-time ice cream maker.The construction of the maker is very simple and easy to put together. Upon arrival, you will likely be able to put the maker together in less than five minutes as it is composed of only a few pieces. The maker is run by an electric motor that connects to the bottom portion with a cog wheel. It is not a super durable design but for the price you pay it is a great value. Another great feature is a cap to seal the canister for storing leftover ice cream in the freezer. With this you will be able to make a batch and then store the leftover ice cream for use throughout the upcoming week.To make ice cream you simply add the ingredients to the canister and surround the canister with ice and rock salt. After adding the ingredients, you simply plug it in and let it do the rest. This usually takes 35-45 minutes. We’ve only used the vanilla recipe provided with the product manual but there are many other recipes so make specialty ice creams as well.You will be able to find all the ingredients at a grocery store or Walmart, and if you plan you can freeze your own ice in a freezer to save money. We also have been able to reduce the recipe size to correlate with the size of the whipping cream containers sold at Walmart. This has made shopping for ingredients much easier and makes the process of measuring ingredients easier.So far, I have had no issues with this machine. The motor does make noise when it runs but I assume that is normal for this machine. Overall, I highly recommend this ice cream maker to the experienced or first-time ice cream maker. It is a great value for the price and is very easy to use.

I usually don't run to the computer after the first time I use a product and review it... because I feel that it requires at least a month of use to really get a good feel for something.However, I am extremely impressed by this ice cream maker!I had gotten another one last year at the big W on a whim and never used it because the directions were so bad that following them never resulted in ice cream... and I dislike Rival's oval ice bucket design.So I ordered this one as it was about the same price as I paid for my (smaller) Rival (and when I thought that the Rival wasn't working... it was. Just had a hiccup); and the round ice bucket appealed to me as well as the size.It was so much easier to use. Getting the ice and salt in was a snap. It turned itself off when it was done... and it WAS done. It was fast compared to my other. The directions were accurate too, which is a huge plus (3 cups of rock salt... perfect ratio. I didn't have to guess).Plus, I know everyone keeps saying how cheap the materials are... but TRUST me, they're not. My Rival is way more cheaply made.The dasher (paddle) has a metal shaft, not plastic, the canister the ingredients go in... it's not flimsy... it's the same thickness as any other. The dasher is a nice thick quality plastic, not flimsy. It's very well made. The bucket seems nice and sturdy too.It turned out the perfect batch of ice cream without me having to fuss over it like I do with my other one.If you're having trouble getting ice cream (out of any ice cream maker) a hint that really helped me was to make sure you always have enough rock salt, don't skimp on it; and make sure that you let the ice melt. Don't pour out the water, the water is important. The salt water (saline) helps the heat transfer out of the milk/cream/custard and freeze it. It's the water, not the ice, that makes ice cream.I would totally recommend this one to anyone looking to buy an ice cream maker. It was so easy to use. Hopefully it keeps up the good work and doesn't die on me.... but I think I'd probably buy another if it did.Oh and yes, it is noisy. But you'd be hard pressed to find one that isn't. There's no insulation for the motor.... I can't imagine how heavy and huge it would be if they insulated the motor. It wouldn't be practical. But I will take the noise (I tune it out) to have home made ice cream.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:I bought a 'used' version of this ice cream maker, never used one before, and got it for my husband as a gift. We were very happily surprised at how well it worked and how easy it was to make a batch. We have used recipes from the included booklet, the powered kits and recipes we found online and all have worked out really well. The ice cream maker is a bit loud, and snapping the top in place is a bit tough, but overall, it's a great ice cream maker and well worth the price, even if you only use it a few times a year.Easy to take apart and clean. Stores well in the box. The ice cream and frozen yogurt turned out amazing.

1st, a great value. If you get cream at a bulk store, 6 bucks for a 50 pound sack of rock salt, ice from your freezer, and a few pennies for the other ingredients (sugar and vanilla), you're looking at a gallon of high quality ice cream for 5 bucks or less. Figure you're saving 5-7 bucks a use. That means this unit pays for itself if you use if 6 times, maybe 10-20 times if you're spending a lot on added ingredients.2nd. Simple to use. Really well designed. Can't for the life of me understand people sticking plastic orange juice container parts to "fix" it. If it doesn't work, bring it back! Otherwise, top only goes on one way, and there's a locking feature that means that the unit must be properly assembled to fit correctly.3rd. For people saying "it uses a lot of ice, and I had to run to the store . . . " my lord people, are we that helpless? You own a freezer, right? Make your own ice. All it takes is just a bit of planning. Just a bit people, not invading-Soviet Russia level planning. If you have an auto ice maker on your freezer, just empty it into a very large zip lock 2 or 3 times and you're good to go.4th. The unit stops spinning when the ice cream reaches a given viscosity. I've made several batches of several different types and the only time the ice cream was "runny" was when I didn't break up the cookies and they clogged the mixer holes and caused the unit to stop prematurely - my fault. The other batches all came out about the same - like a very thick yogurt consistency. Into the freezer, and a day later it's getting there and 2 days later it's the same consistency as store bought. If you're getting runny ice cream, you're doing something wrong. BTW - if you use more crushed ice and/or salt, the mixture gets colder quicker, and you'll get more-crystally ice cream. If you use regular ice and/or less salt, the mixing takes longer and you get a creamier texture - adjust to desired consistency!5th. As for using Ben and Jerry's recipes, be aware that this can affect the mixer. Maybe BandJ's recipes require a higher torque motor. We have made several types of ice cream from the instructions that came with the mixer, and they all work great. If you load the ice cream with pretzels and what not, this might not be a powerful enough mixer.Great unit. Highly recommended.EDIT - It's now late July and I've used this mixer one or two times a week since we bought it in March, which means we've done about 30 batches (lots of kids and friends and such). Still on the same 8 dollar bag of rock salt. Have made a dozen or so of the recipes that came with the book. Love it, recommend it even more than I did a few months ago.2nd Update - It's now November, 2012, and the mixer motor is still going strong. Alas! The plastic bucket has a crack in it because a very zealous ice cream making person pounded on it to try to get some sticking salt/rock out after a run (argghh!). The new unit has just arrived. No issue whatsoever with the unit - it made a fantastic batch of vanilla with chocolate chips and walnuts right before its bucket was injured. I suppose I could have attempted to seal the crack, but at this price, I just decided to get a new one and use the old motor as a back up.Regarding some of the negative comments, it's very clear that some folks have unrealistic expectations from this machine. "It's made out of plastic, so it's cheap." The space station has a lot of plastic on it, as do Mercedes cars. "It's too big." Really? The volume of ice cream produced was not concealed! "It never froze the mixture." You're either not using the enough salt rock and ice, or you're putting warm ingredients in - everything must be very cold prior to putting them into the mixer (cream, milk and egg mixture, and so on). "The paddle wasn't stirring because it has to be firmly pushed into the motor." True. The paddle does not stir using magic - it must be affixed to the motor. "Ice cream was not completely frozen." Correct - it's a slurry to somewhat solid when it's done. Mix a bit by hand, then put in freezer until solid! "It doesn't make Ben and Jerry's flavors." Too much stuff in the mix will hinder the mixer - go buy Ben and Jerry's. This machine works well, but it's not an industrial ice-cream maker, nor is it intended to be. Used properly, it will provide you with gallons of home made ice cream with the ingredients you choose and without chemical preservatives! Great deal.

I've only made about 5 batches of vanilla so far, but it is SOOO much better than store bought. So far, no problems, and the unit has worked perfectly. I considered the White Mountain one, but wasn't sure if I would really use it much, and didn't want to drop $200 on an ice cream maker to have it sit around collecting dust.I'm too lazy to do the "custard style" ice cream where you have to bake the ingredients and then chill them before putting them in the ice cream maker. The recipe that came with the unit is quite good. I've tried varying the amount of whipping cream, and it always tastes great right after making it. However, with more whipping cream (I've settled on 4 cups after trying from 2-6 cups), it seems to stay softer and taste better out of the freezer.Now I'm spoiled, and don't want to eat storebought ice cream any more. I had a "drumstick" (those cones with ice cream and chocolate with nuts on top) that you can buy in the grocery store, and was disgusted with the ice cream. That may be the only downside to this ice cream maker.......for thirty bucks plus shipping, you can't go wrong.As everyone else has noted, this style of ice cream maker is noisy, and this one is no exception. I was well aware of this from all the reviews here, and initially ran it out in my garage, but since I don't have a sink out there, I again got lazy and now do it in the kitchen sink where I can tolerate the noise if I don't have to wipe up the water afterwards.One minor knit - the power cord is too darn short at a mere 2ft long. I know most of us have an outlet in the general vicinity of the kitchen sink, but not necessarily within 2 feet. I just attached mine to an old power strip I have laying around for now. I guess copper is expensive these days, and for the price, they couldn't extend the cord another 2-4 feet, LOL.Chad

I got this guy for Christmas and proceeded to start making Ice Cream twice a week. I usually do two batches to make better use of all of the ice and salt. I was using it happily making two batches per week but this weekend the machine died. So for about 12 weeks I made two batches a weekend until this weekend when during the second batch the plastic (I presume) gears in the motor assembly gave up and now the machine no longer turns the paddle. My 2nd batch was still a little soft but I managed to salvage it.30 bucks for approximately 24 uses, it seems pretty wasteful but that's way cheaper than most of the other ingredients.I'm currently shopping for a new one because I love the taste of homemade ice cream and can't go back to store bought. Many of the reviews for more expensive units have me afraid that these consume lever units are just not designed to be used regularly. But for the price of a White Mountain (about 200 dollars) I can get 6 of these. And the reviews for even those units sound like they are pretty poorly built too.Not sure what I'm going to do but I need to have a new maker in the next 5 days.EDIT:I decided to stick with the cheap and purchased two more of these. I make 2 batches a week to try to get double duty from the salt and ice. Now that i have additional makers i can swap out the motors between batches which is what i'll try to do. Lets see how long they last this time.TIP:I've seen a few people comment on ice cream taking longer than about 30 minutes, the problem is that you're not using enough salt. You need a *lot* of salt to get down to the temperatures that you need to freeze the ice cream quickly. I use rock salt, the kind that we use to de-ice our drive way. I have a couple of 50lb bags in the basement now. I hope that's enough to get us through the summer.TIP2:Homemade Ice Cream is expensive. No getting around that. Cream is probably the most costly ingredient. I've found that the price of cream varies quite a bit from store to store. It seems though to be consistently cheaper at Target than at the local super markets.

It arrived several days quicker than projected,Bought whole milk and heavy cream and made a batch of vanilla and getting ready to make dark cherry very soon.Seems to be very well made.

Después de varios dias de realizar y pagar el pedido se me notifico que esta maquina no funcionaba en España. No entiendo porque se ofrece una maquina que no funciona aquí. Me sentí estafada

Compramos esta máquina de helado porque la de nostalgia se descompuso, el motor en esta es muy bueno pero si es un poco más chica la parte donde se pone el hielo y eso hace que se tarde de 30 como a 45 minutos o casi una hora, pero el helado quedó bien hecho.

GREAT PRODUCT, CHURNS OUT YUMMY ICE CREAMS. JUST LOVE IT

Excelente, práctica y muy fácil de usar y sobretodo económica