Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL, Brushed Stainless Steel

After using many years an ice cream maker that you need to get froozen first in the freezer, I decided to buy this one: should make it possible to:- Make a few batches after each other- No need to wait till the bowl is frozen in the freezer- Better quality of the ice creamAnd it all came true!The 'pre cool' option makes sure that the machine is nice and cold when you put the ingredients in. One warning !!Make sure that your ingredients have cooled down before, when you use this option. Else it might stick to the edges of the bowl, and when you've to add other ingredients later, those will not be mixed with the layer that is set on the edge of the bowl. In my case I had to add fruit later to the custard mixture, when scraping the bowl in the end, the custard had set as a layer on the edge of the bowl, as I was inpatience, and didn't let the custard cool down enough. So in the end there were some frozen custard pieces in the ice cream.Some people complain about the difficulty of cleaning the machine, taking the ice out, or that ice cream might go over the top. I had the problem with all of this, but got used to it:1: Prevent that ice cream goes over the top by making sure that your ingredients total volume/weight don't exceed 0.9 liter or 1 quart in volume, what is more or less 1 kg or 2 lb in weight. Those are the measurements I will use when using the machine. Works great when you keep this in mind. Yes the capacity is a little bit larger, but those measurements really help to prevent that ice cream goes over the edge2: Taking the ice out: I always first take out the spatula that spins in the bowl. Use the manual spatula to clean it, and afterwards hand it over to one of your kids to do the further cleaning of this spinner. The spatula that comes with it, just fits in between the bowl corners and the 'pole' in the middle. This one is annoying compared to the freezing bowl I had before, as there is no pole in the middle. I understand that this bowl is needed to move the spinner, but it doesn't make it easy to get the ice cream out. The handle of the bowl is dangling around when you try to get the ice cream out, making it more difficult. Lucky that I've large hands, so I'm able to put my ring finger in the hole in the bottom, and my thumb can just reach the handle. Holding it firm I'm able to get the ice cream out in a reasonable way.3: Cleaning: don't give the bowl where you make the ice cream in to your kids to 'clean it', it is attractive to use your tong to lick out the left over ice cream, but for sure your tong will stick to it, and get stuck to it!! (Experience). Just use some half warm water to clean it, and make sure it is completely try before you make another batch . When you want to make immediately another batch, make sure the bowl is try, else it get froozen to the machine, and there is no way you get it out, until you defroze it!! (yes, you need to read the instruction, but getting there with experience is sometimes also fun). When ice cream has gone over the edge of the bowl, you might get a mess on the edge and inner bowl, which is not easy to clean.4: When you put your ingredients in the bowl, also make sure that you don't put it on the edge, but nicely in the middle, that prevents that the edge get dirty, and difficult to clean.So far the 'be aware' items. Then the rest is simple: use the instructions, and you can create the best ice cream yourself!Pre-cool, put in the ingredients, and wait for 30-60 minutes, but it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes for a nice firm structure, and you can surprice many friends and family members with great ice cream!My favorite so far: Tutti Frutti !Take 200 grams of fruit:- 75 grams golden raisins- 75 grams of dried apricots - cut in small pieces- 50 grams of canned maraschino cherries - quartered - can also use candied cherries- Put them in a bowl with a nice splash of dark rum and use of half an orange: the dried fruit should absorb the juices, but just not all (so make sure there is enough juice, but not to much: you can always add a little bit of more rum).Now the custard:- Take 300 ml of milk, and bring that to a simmer, add a splash of vanilla (beans or liquid): don't boil- Take 5 egg yolks and mix them with 75 grams of sugar, takes about 5 minutes, till you have a nice firm substance.- Add the milk slowly to the eggs while sturring.- Add 300 ml of whipping cream.- Take a metal pot, and bring everything slowly to 85 celcius temperature, not warmer !! When it get's warmer you are making an omelette.- When it has reached 85 degrees, let it cool down.- When it has cooled down, pre-cool the machine, and put in the custard mixture, set the machine to the hardest possible settings: the alcohol will prevent in the end that you are making a 'brick' of ice.- When the machine tells you 'add ingredients' start to slowly add the fruit mixture: fruits and left over liquidLet it turn in the machine till it is ready !Put it in the freezer for about 1 hour before you enjoy it!You can keep it for a few days, the alcolhol of the rum will prevent that it gets very hard.So far my favorite !!

Whether or not this is worth it's above-average price tag really depends on how much you use it. Like any appliance, it's value goes up the more you use it. If you only use it once, then I don't care how amazing your ice cream is, you're not going to agree that your $400 bowl of ice cream was worth it.Like all ice cream makers, the ability to know what you put into your ice cream is a huge draw. Possibly more important is what you *don't* put into your ice cream. Purchasing ice cream from the store is infinitely easier than making your own from scratch, but then so is ordering pizza and fast food over cooking your own, and most of us are aware that doing so comes at it's own cost. If you want to make your own ice cream that is healthier, usually tastes better, and can be made to whatever ice cream cravings you happen to be having at the moment, then you want your own ice cream maker.As to this ice cream maker specifically:Since you're looking at this review, you probably already know that you want *an* ice cream maker, you want to know if this particular ice cream maker is worth it's fairly hefty price tag. Breville's Ice Cream maker tries to make the process of creating your own ice cream as easy as possible by giving you everything you would want in an ice cream maker, all in a convenient and sleek looking package that you would be proud to keep out on your countertop for all to see (and to encourage you to use more often).First off, the biggest difference between ice cream makers is if it comes with it's own refrigeration unit, or it you have to do things like put the bowl in the freezer first or surround it with a ton of ice cubes. This isn't nothing, especially if freezer space is already near maximum like mine often is. This really is an all-in-one. Get your ingredients together, dump them in the machine, set your desired softness, and let it do its thing until it plays the chime/melody you have it set to play, letting you know that your ice cream is ready. And yes, it comes set with whatever Ice Cream Truck jingle you may have grown up with. It can keep the ice cream cold on it's own, and stir it up as necessary to keep your ice cream at the softness level you have it set. Even the always dreaded cleanup is made simple with a base that just pulls out of the machine, and all with easily washable parts.Is it pricy? Yeah, it assuredly isn't going to win any votes from the super-budget minded. Is it a great ice cream machine? Yes, it really is. It does everything you could want it to do, it's very aesthetically pleasing, and you can tell it is very well built. This is not something I can see breaking down on me, something that you always risk when choosing a budget appliance. Is it worth it? That really comes down to how much you'll use it. I have a vegan ice cream book I bought (N'ice Cream: 80+ Recipes for Healthy Homemade Vegan Ice Creams) specifically so I would have all the recipes I'd ever want, to make sure I made use of this purchase. I recommend the book also, even if you're not vegan, as there are some great recipes for inspiration if nothing else.