Ice cream maker: how it works

In short: An ice cream maker continuously cools a mixture of milk, cream, or fruit purée while stirring it at the same time, preventing large ice crystals from forming. This constant stirring during freezing creates the characteristic creamy texture of ice cream.

In more detail: Without stirring, water in the mix would freeze into large, noticeable crystals that feel grainy rather than creamy.

In detail

• Cooling system: A compressor cools a freezing chamber in which the mixture freezes directly, without needing to pre-freeze a bowl.
• Pre-frozen bowl: Cheaper models use a bowl filled with coolant that must be pre-chilled in the freezer for several hours before use.
• Paddle mechanism: A motor continuously turns a paddle that scrapes the freezing mixture off the cold walls and incorporates air.
• Air incorporation: The incorporated air (overrun) makes the mixture lighter and creamier, but too much air dilutes the flavor.
• Sugar content: Sugar lowers the mixture’s freezing point and directly affects how creamy or firm the finished ice cream turns out.
• Hardening: Freshly made ice cream is usually still soft and should harden in the freezer for a few hours before serving.
• Cleaning: The paddle and container should be thoroughly cleaned after each use, since milk residue quickly breeds germs (kuehlschrank-funktionsweise).