Average ratings from 4 sites
Wize has read 45 reviews
I've made three batches of "ice cream soup" the first two using a Gelato recipe with water and cream, the next creating a carefully constructed custard base and all of the perfectly ripe Nectarines we have at home. I chilled the base container overnight as instructed and put the ice cream maker on during dinner so it would be ready for dessert.
Many agreed with my experience, and a glance at the reviews for the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker were much more encouraging. So, my husband and I went out and bought the Cuisinart to see if that was any better. In one final ditch effort to salvage the Villaware (since I really did like the look of it better, and that was the one that was my official anniversary gift), I did a test with two batches of the same recipe, one in the Villaware, and one in the Cuisinart, and ran them both side by side. After 20 minutes, my Villaware batch was still soup (though to be fair, when I scraped out the filling a VERY thin layer at the bottom and sides actually resembled ice cream), while I had great ice cream (soft-serve consistency) in the Cuisinart.
I've read all the reviews and will give you some real concrete reasons not to buy this. I didn't expect this product to do all of the work for me and I understand the reasoning behind some of the directions, such as cooling the mixture before pouring it into the freezing bowl (the bowl will thaw out if you don't!!!!!!!!)I received this and a Cuisinart ice cream maker as gifts at the same time. I decided to keep the VillaWare since I Knew they made industrial machines. I made three batches in my VillaWare, one ice cream, one non-dairy "ice cream" and one sorbet.
I used this machine for exactly two batches of ice cream, and actually i thought the ice cream was quite good. Upon freezing the bowl for a 3rd time, I came back 8 hours later to see that it had busted and spread its innards all over my freezer. I called VillaWare and they said that would send a replacement part upon receipt of my broken unit. That was over 5 months ago, and customer service says they're still working on my order.
It was with great skepticism that I made my first batch of ice cream last night in my new VillaWare. What a snap!
I have a Cuisinart and I found that the containers are interchangeable--the same size, bottom fitting, etc. I tried this out a few different ways using this container with the cuisinart, the cuisinart container with this motor, etc. I found that the Villaware motor is just fine. The problem lies with the cooling product in the freezer container.
Wasn't worth the money I "saved". In this case, you truly get what you pay for. I am returning this product and never buying VillaWare again. Don't make the same mistake!
I jumped at the $20 price of this unit, but in retrospect it may be worth spending an additional $20 to get a higher quality unit like a Cuisinart. I've used the VillaWare only once, but I found that the motor base became *very* warm (and emitted that distinctive "electric motor" smell) during operation, and the ice cream didn't freeze all that hard ... I suspect that the motor heat warmed everything up a bit.
Pros: Looks good. Cons: Does not freeze ice cream.
Pros: It works until it breaks. Cons: All but non-existent customer service.
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