Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker

A purchase that makes me smile to this day (a few tips in the review)
This Breville is a workhorse! I bought Jenis Splendid Ice Cream at Home book after I realized that the traditional egg based recipes weren't cutting it for my taste(I strongly urge others to do the same if ice cream is your thing).
This machine replaces my hardly used Kitchen Aid ice cream maker (the kind you freeze the bowl prior). We just didn't get along too well. I also like to make a few batches at a time which is prohibited by a bowl that needs a recharge after every use.
I was surprised how quiet this machine is in use. The controls are well thought out and it is built to Breville industrial-style standards. I found the included spatula useless and instead opted for a silicone spatula for removing finished product from blades and bowl.
Advice to those buying this machine - Shave off 30 minutes of churn time by first chilling the hot cream in a covered smaller metal bowl placed in an ice+water filled larger bowl for 30 minutes. This greatly reduces wear/tear on...
Would have liked 2 quart for the size/weight of the machine
I can't say anything about reliability yet.

PRO:
It works, the controls are easy, it isn't overly noisy.

CON:
It is heavy and bulky - lifting it out of a lower cupboard isn't something you do casually, some grab handles would have been nice.
Not a huge capacity. At 1.5 quart (1 liter) maximum, you're making two tubs of ben and jerrys, maximum.
The bucket is neither dishwasher safe, nor do they recommend you put it in the freezer, or use anything metal to scoop from it. So you need a chilled container ready to transfer the desert after it is done. Although it does have a keep cool option if you know it'll all be eaten. 1.5 quart is what you start with but by the time you're done transferring, you've lost a bit more.
I think they could have been a bit more generous with the recipe booklet, but no matter there is always the internets.

This is the first ice cream / sorbet / gelato maker I've used. The rotary dial selects at what...
Could not be any better: best ice cream possible
First I have to say that I paid over $400 when I got this at Williams Sonoma so the prices, as of this review, on Amazon are stellar (or maybe it has just gone down since it's introduction a year ago).

I have reviewed several ice cream makers, always looking for the holy grail to find one of ease in making, but the golden nugget of taste. Nothing beats this. Nothing.

For many reasons.

First, even if you cook your ice cream base for a custard, this has a pre cooling stage to cool it down for you (don't use it otherwise if it's not warm or your ice cream will freeze too fast on the sides only and stop before it is supposed to.)

More importantly, this is the only one I have found that whips up ice cream just like commercial ice cream so that it does not become a brick once you put it in the freezer and want to eat some the next day. The air being whipped in is what makes grocery store ice cream so light and fluffy. Hard to get in most home...
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Cuisinart ICE-100 Compressor Ice Cream and Gelato Maker

BIG Improvement over ICE-50BC
Cuisinart has taken the ICE-50BC and improved upon it's design shortcomings. the biggest improvement is moving the drive system from the overhead arm to underneath the bowl. This system now resembles the much more expensive Lello unit but with a removable bowl. This unit also has a newly redesigned Ice Cream Paddle and includes a Gelato Paddle as well. That's two machines in one. the small door on the top of the lid for adding nuts, candy pieces, etc it easy to open and close although it's a tad narrow.

One thing I noticed the first time I ran mine. after about 20 minutes, there was a squeaking sound. after pausing it and making sure the paddle and the bowl were seated properly, it was ok for a few more minutes but started squeaking again. I tracked the squeak down to the plastic stabilizer atop the paddle that fits in to a poly-lined-slot in the center of the lid. I used a tiny bit of butter on a qtip to coat the inside of the poly ring and it hasn't squeaked...
If you make ice cream frequently, this might be the machine for you.
My ancient and well-used Cuisinart ice cream maker with the pre-freeze insert died in May, and I had every intention of replacing it with the same machine. When I saw the relatively reasonable price on this built-in compressor model however, I decided to buy it instead. I'm glad I went with this model.

Pros:
--Some say it's noisy, but it's far quieter than my old Cuisinart ICE-20. We can have a conversation in our smallish kitchen when it's on without problem.
--It's convenient to make two (or more) batches in a row.
--It produces consistently good ice cream and it's easy to get all of it out of the container.
--It comes with two types of paddles. The gelato paddle does seem to make for a smoother, silkier dessert.
--If you don't have much freezer space, it's nice to not have to dedicate a spot to a pre-freeze insert.
--The stainless finish looks great if that fits your aesthetic. I keep the machine out on the counter top and it fits right in...
Better than expected
We have been using the Cuisinart Ice-20 for the past 5 years to make small (1.5 quarts) batches of ice cream in a variety of flavors. I was looking for a batch freezer so that I could make multiple batches without having to refreeze the bowl for 24 hours. After looking around at several units, I decided on the Ice-100.

The unit is much smaller than I had expected, but not quite a easy to store as the Ice-20. A lot of people comment on the noise level of the batch freezers, but I find the Ice-100 to be at a level at or below that of the Ice-20. With just the mixing blade turning instead of the entire bowl like the Ice-20, it seems to have lowered the noise level a little bit. It is no louder than the electric motor on our large (6 quart) traditional ice cream maker (but a lot less mess than dealing with ice and rock salt).

The removable bowl makes getting the batch of ice cream out and the mess cleaned up a lot easier. I will warn people to follow the directions...
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