{ La Bonne Honte }

Anyone with a freezer and some bowls can make delicious ice cream. I know because I've done it! Living together with Thomas in tiny flat in London, we made our first tandem batch of ice cream in an antique cake tin borrowed from our bohemian-punk landlady. (Or "Her, Upstairs," as she was lovingly referred to.)

Our refrigerator was tiny, in keeping with our flat, and the freezer was basically a sleeve at the top of the fridge near the expansion valve where the cold air comes out. Still, we made our vanilla ice cream, freezing, stirring, refreezing, stirring again until we had our first dessert.

If we can do it in a snug, low-tech London studio, you can do it too wherever you are. And I’m here to help where I can!

First I'll give you a rundown of the three main types of Ice Cream Makers and one machineless method, along the Pro's and Con's of each approach. Below that is an advice section on the different kitchen utensils you will probably need somewhere along the way.

Best of luck!

Different Styles of

Ice Cream Makers

Don’t have any kind of Ice Cream Machine? Not a problem! You can make your own ice cream as long as you have a freezer and a container big enough to hold your custard with a little extra room at the top.

1. Pre-chill your container

2. Transfer your custard into the container and freeze for 20 - 30 minutes, or long enough for the edges to start to freeze.

3. Mix the semi-frozen custard while it’s still in the container. You can do this by hand, which is quite a work out for your arm, (we should know…) or you can use an electric hand mixer (much easier). If certain areas of the custard are too frozen to mix, let the custard relax in your refrigerator until those parts loosen up enough to mix everything thoroughly.

4. Place the freshly mixed custard back into the freezer for another 30 minutes before repeating step 3.

5. Continue to do this every 30 minutes until you have a uniformly stable ice cream! It normally takes about 5 - 6 mixing sessions.

Pros:

- Inexpensive

- No need for counter or storage space

- Medium amount of pre-planning

Cons:

- Time-consuming

- Physically Tiring

- Takes up freezer space

Most people’s first experience with home made ice cream involves that old-style, hand-cranked wooden barrel packed with ice and rock salt. This is definitely a fun activity and the results are often divine. I think of these machines as more of a special occasion everyone-roll-up-your-sleeves-and-take-part kind of affair. (You can find ice and rock salt machines with a motorized churn, which are still lots of fun too! It’s all about the visual of what’s to come.) This style of ice cream making is great for summer parties and teaching kids about old-style home-cooking, but it's not exactly ideal for anyone who wants to make ice cream on the regular.

Pros:

- Fun activity

- Usually affordable

- Medium amount of pre-planning

Cons: 

- Extra ice & salt needed

- Physically tiring  (not necessarily a bad thing)

- Often messy

- Clean-up can take awhile

- Sometimes large and difficult to store (especially if you don't have a garage)

These are a great option for people who are relatively new to the ice cream making game with enough freezer space to accommodate a bowl. Unfortunately, there is a lot of pre-planning required with this style of ice cream maker. Bowls must be pre-chilled well in advance of your churning plans which can take up time and space in your freezer. If that's not a problem, then these models might be for you. They are often affordable and take up far less space on your counter than the self-chilling models. (See below)

Pros:

- Many afforadable models

- Simple to use

- Relatively easy to store

- Takes up very little counter space 

Cons:

- Pre-planning required (must freeze bowls ahead of time)

-  Extra freezer space needed (for pre-chilling bowls)

These bad boys are for people who make ice cream, a lot, like me! I opted for an elegant (slightly heavy) Magimix Gelato Expert with the sexy stainless steel finish. What I like about this model is how easy it is to use, its decent variety of settings,  and how compact it is on my counter. Many ice cream makers with a built-in compressor are quite rectangular and bulky due to the side-by-side placement of the compressor with the churning bowl. (Some might consider this style visually unpleasant  and takes up a lot of space.) My Gelato Expert sits the churning bowl over the top of the compressor, meaning it is tall and narrow, freeing up a lot of much needed counter space.

Pros: 

- Easy to use 

- Very little pre-planning required (no pre-chilling bowls)

- No extra freezer space needed

- Easy to clean

- No extra ice needed

- Often they have multiple settings for different types of frozen desserts (Ice cream, granita, sorbet)

Cons:

- Usually very expensive

- Can take up a lot of room in your kitchen 

- Some models use a lot of energy

- Attracts peckish family members and friends, always wondering what you’re making next…

Whichever machine you decide on, take time to research it and be sure that it fits all of your needs!

All the Equipment You Might Need

Blender or Food Processor - There will be times when you will want to blend your custards to make them more uniform. For this I suggest an immersion blender (also known as wand and stick blenders). Immersion blenders are extremely easy to use, easy to clean, and are pretty affordable especially compared to freestanding blenders. You can also use a normal freestanding blender or food processor, though it will be a bit more time consuming and slightly harder to clean. We use a Moulinex Quickchef 800w * and we love it! Easy to maneuver, easy to clean, and we use it for everything.

* Courtesy of Thomas' parents. Merci beaucoup!!

Digital Scale - Although uncommon where I come from, in France, pretty much every kitchen has a well-worn scale somewhere within easy reach. The measurements for ice cream do not need the same kind of accuracy as in pasty-making, but a digital scale facilitates the measurement of dry goods and comes in extra handy for things like weighing out chocolate chunks. I found a digital scale that reads in both metric (grams) and imperial (ounces) at the home goods store on Marienplatz for a very reasonable price 23€. Search for one with a "tare function." This zeros out the weight of an empty bowl sitting on the scale so that you can measure out ingredients without having to subtract the weight of the container in your head. Avoid the scales with a bowl pre-secured to the top. The concave shape will make weighing long or flat ingredients difficult (looking at you spaghetti!). 

Double Boiler - A double boiler (or a bain-marie in French) is a great way of gently heating your ingredients, especially if you have an aggressive stovetop like I do. Add water to the bottom pot, just enough to reach midway to the bottom of the top bowl. The water should not touch the bottom of the top bowl, otherwise the ingredients will cook too aggressively. Don't have a double-boiler? Good! Neither do I! Make your own double boiler in two seconds with a normal pot and a big mixing bowl that sits snuggly over the top of the pot. The mixing bowl should drop down far enough into the bottom pot to hold the liquid of the custard at least 1/2 to 3/4's below the pot's lip but not so far that it touches the water below. (In that case either remove some water or find a shallower bowl to go on top.

 Flat baking dish (non reactive) with tallish rim - For those of you interested in making a Granita (Respectable Italian Slushie), but don't have an ice cream machine with a granita setting, don't worry! You don't need one! As long as you have a large flat baking dish with tall sides, you can make it in your own freezer. Ideally the sides should be around 1.5 - 2 inches tall to keep the fluffy ice crystals from spilling over. It is best to make fruity desserts like granita in non-reactive dishes like ceramic, stainless steel, glass, and metal cookware with enamel coating. If you don't use a non-reactive dish, the natural chemicals of the fruit will mingle with certain types of metal and take on a metallic taste; Generally, not desirable. And avoid anodized aluminum at all costs! (*see my health note below in the "Sauce Pans, Skillets, and Pots" section)

Food-grade Tupperware (preferably BPA free) - Ideally you will need a clean, odorless, airtight container to store your custards while they "mature" (typically 4  - 48 hours). It is important that the Tupperware be odorless and airtight because ice cream really loves to absorb smells. If you want a pure flavor, store it in something airtight! I've got two different sized Tupperware containers exclusively for our custards to avoid fragrance cross contamination. Before you buy Tupperware, check the packaging to see if it's BPA free. If it's not, maybe look at your other options. Glass containers with fitted lids are a great alternative, but can stick to wet fingers when icy!

Ice Cream Container - It doesn't have to be fancy, as long as it's freezer friendly and preferably BPA free as well. I use SUMO double-walled (insulated) ice cream tubs.* They are conveniently elongated to make the scooping motion a pinch and easy to store in a crowded freezer. The double walls provide insulation from the external temperature, meaning the internal temp stays stable longer.

*Courtesy of my sister and brother-in-law. Thank you!

Ice Cream Scoop - Once you create your first cold and creamy masterpiece, you're gonna need a serious way of forming those perfect spherical scoops to awe the hell out your guests. Trying to dish ice cream with a normal kitchen spoon is near nigh to impossible and such a pain in the elbow. A good scoop is a pretty affordable utensil, most clock in around 14$. I use a Zeroll 1020 scoop,* which makes the typical medium sized ball of ice cream and is filled with anti-freeze to help cut through the frozen cream with ease. Most solid scoops like this should not be run through a dishwasher (gotta protect the finish and the anti-freeze), but are easy to clean anyways. (It's ice cream, not lasagna.) The other type of scoop has a spring-loaded release but they're generally a bit flimsier and harder to use. If you go this route, opt for the professional grade spring-loaded scoop. They cost more, but will withstand a lot of scooping and are much easier to get the ball out of.

*Once again, courtesy of my sister and brother-in-law. Thank you… Again!

Kitchen Knives - Whatever it is you're cooking, you're gonna' need some good knives. Throughout my experiences making ice cream, I’ve run the gamut from mincing to full on chunky chopping. You will too probably, especially if you like to diversify your menu a lot. I suggest investing in some decent (and sharp) kitchen knives of varying sizes. Personally, I use mostly pairing knives and chef knives in our ice cream experiments.

Measuring Cups & Spoons - Regardless of whether or not you have a scale (although I highly recommend it) you will definitely need measuring cups and spoons. I prefer clear glass measuring cups especially for liquids as it is much easier to accurately measure and to clean. When using a recipe from another country, take into consideration the differences in measuring regulations. For example, I often follow recipes from the U.S. but I bought my dry measuring cups while I was living in England where the measurements are slightly different. As long as I remember the difference, I can tweak our measurements to accommodate it. 

Mixing Bowls - You will probably need several bowls of different sizes. Especially if you're using a homemade double boiler like I do. When it comes to mixing, you don't need fancy bowls. Glass, stainless steel, ceramic, and metal covered in enamel is best because they are non reactive. I would avoid using reactive materials like aluminum, cast iron, and copper as they will taint the taste of your acidic or alkaline ingredients.

Mixing bowls you will (probably) need:

2 big bowls (1 for cooking the custard & another for the base of the ice bath)

2 medium bowls (1 for mixing egg yolks & another to form the floating nesting bowl in the ice bath)

A few small bowls to prep your other ingredients when you want to add them quickly (Like when cooking caramels! Scary stuff.)

Sauce Pans, Skillets, and Pots (non reactive) - You will need at least one large pot (to make the bottom of the double boiler) or a double boiler for the basic ice cream recipes. As you diversify your recipes you will find yourself needing other types of pans and skillets. For all of your ice cream needs, it is usually best to use heavy-duty pots and pans. They disperse the heat evenly so you can better control how your ingredients cook. Once again non-reactive cookware is best. Glass, stainless steel, ceramic, and metal covered in enamel is best because they are non reactive. I would avoid using reactive materials like aluminum, cast iron, and copper as they will taint the taste of your acidic or alkaline ingredients.

{ Health note: I strongly urge you to avoid anodized aluminum like Calaphon and T-fal, simply for the health risks that come with cumulative exposure to aluminum, namely declining intellectual functions, Alzheimer's, dementia, along with other bodily issues like bone mass loss and soft tissue damage. (Yes, the industry has created "hard" anodized aluminum with a non-stick coating, but the new coating alone  is a health issue when exposed to high heat or is scratched. And the aluminum exposure is still there underneath it all. I strongly suggest avoiding aluminum as much as possible.) }

Sieve / Strainer - a strong stainless steel strainer is a great way to keep cooked egg out of your final custard. It also comes in handy for fruit purées where you want to remove the flesh and seeds from the juice. A medium mesh will work no problem, although, I prefer a fine mesh strainer since I like to make sauces like raspberry coulis. Those little seeds are a nightmare to keep out of my sauce!

Spatula - heat tolerant silicon spatulas are the best  for getting every little ounce of custard or egg yolk from one container to the next. I only have one medium sized spatula (7€) which seems to work well for all of my needs, though it does mean I have to wash it constantly to prevent tainting all my ingredients. 

Stirring Spoons & Whisks - You will need at least one metal whisk for egg yolks, and it’s great to have at least one medium wooden stirring spoon. (Wood is great for custards because it can help you to know when the custard is finished cooking and it also won't transfer heat between you and whatever you're stirring.) Having other types of stirring utensils on hand is helpful, but I get by with just the two plus the spatula.

Thermometer - Although not entirely necessary, an instant-read digital thermometer is a top-notch way to control your cooking and keep track of nuanced temperature changes in your custard. Thomas uses a Lavatools Javelin PT12 thermometer, which works extremely well. The large digital display and its ability to switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius make it simple for both of me and Thomas, who’s from the old country, to use in a hectic kitchen. Thomas did a lot of research to find an accurate and fast thermometer that complies with  international food-safety guidelines, such as NSF, CE, and RoHS. This means the thermometer is free from lead, mercury, cadmium and other nasty stuff.

(I like to cook the custard slowly and just sort of feel when the cooking has reached its peak while Thomas likes precision and speed while he cooks. You can guess who uses the thermometer more.)

Zester -  For most of childhood, I used a box-grater for zesting and it never came out right, always too acrid because of the extra rind. Box graters, in my opinion, are completely useless except for grating cheese! Microplane (aka Rasp) style zesters are the best for zesting. Easy to use, incredibly affordable, and easy to clean and store. Go for the Microplane.