High price, low quality
Don't let the high price on this ice cream freezer fool you into thinking you're getting something that's high quality. We ordered one in late November, anticipating lots of fun "cranking" together at family get-togethers over the holidays. The "trial run" in early December went fine. But the second time we got the freezer out of the box -- on Christmas evening -- we saw that metal filings had shifted out of the crank mechanism. Then, as we attempted to make just our second batch of ice cream, the crank handle broke. (The crank mechanism seems to be poorly made, which overly stresses the crank handle.) Not what we expected from a $159 ice cream freezer.
Lots of fun, but poorly made
If you are looking for an old fashioned hand crack ice cream maker that uses salt and ice - this is the only choice I have been able to find. Unfortunately, I was only able to make ice cream about 5 times before I noticed the gears were stripping. I then took a closer look at the hand crank system - and it is made very cheaply. Additionally, even though I have been diligent about rinsing out the bucket when I am done, it is still rusting on the inside. This is presumedly from the salt water needed to freeze the ice cream. Still, since I very much like hand cranking, I am now looking for a replacement piece for the hand crank system and hoping it will last more than a season.
The good news is that you can still buy an old fashioned ice cream maker. The bad news is that no one has come out with one that is made to last.
My suggestion is to look at garage sales for one built years ago - when they were built to last generations. If you don't find one, then this will...
terrible quality; a really unfortunate purchase
Two years ago, I purchased this hand-crank ice cream freezer for $130 on the web. My wife and I loved the idea of kids taking turns cranking the handle.
But the very first time we made ice cream, we found that the crank would jam incessantly. If I pressed in on the handle in a certain way while cranking, the jamming was reduced a bit, but this was a nuisance. If one did not apply force in just the right way, the thing would jam again. (So much for friends and kids enjoying taking turns at the crank!)
The second time we made ice cream, the jamming was even worse, and we noticed that metal filings were dropping down from the gear mechanism and were making their way into the ice cream.
When I took the gear mechanism (the "crank assembly frame") apart, I discovered the problem: The gears inside are designed and manufactured badly. The gears are not held in place, but rather have about 1/8" play. That is a lot of play. When the gears drift apart, they jam...
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