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This article was taken from the August 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
How we tested
Éric Lanlard, award-winning French chef and author of Chocolat, made matcha green-tea ice-cream -- an exclusive recipe for Wired, which you can find at the end of this article -- using five ice-cream makers. Each machine was assessed on aesthetics, performance, value and quality of ice-cream. We timed how long each model took to create a batch of dessert that met Lanlard's high standards: "You want the ice-cream to be scoopable and not too set," he says. Operating noise-levels were monitored using the Decibel Meter Pro ioses app (69p).
KitchenAid 4.8L Stand Mixer + Ice-cream Maker
[ImageLibrary##306512/Any##Title¬KitchenAid 4.8L Stand Mixer +
Ice-cream Maker]
This stand mixer has an add-on ice-cream maker, so although it's expensive, itis versatile. The 4.8-litre bowl must sit in the freezer for 12 hours before use, so planning ahead is essential.
Chef Éric Lanlard thought its ice-cream set too quickly, as "it wasn't as creamy and fluffy as the other makers".
Wired: Very fast
Tired: Pre-freezing
Score: 6
Cost: £429 + £77
Specifications
Churn time: 36 min
Decibels: 88
Freeze bowl: Yes (12 hours)
Bowl size: 4.8l
Wattage: 300W
Weight: 9.5kg
Dimensions: H36 x L22 x D34cm
Cuisinart Gelator & Ice-cream Professional ICE100BCU
[ImageLibrary##306513/Any##Title¬Cuisinart Gelator &
Ice-cream Professional ICE100BCU]
Unlike the KitchenAid, this maker uses a compressor system, so there's no need to pre-freeze the bowl. You have to serve up the mixture quickly, as it only stays cool for ten minutes or so, but the ice-cream churned beautifully. "This was my favourite machine," says Lanlard.
Wired: Professional-standard results
Tired: Large size
Score: 8
Cost: £250
Specifications
Churn time: 45min
Decibels: 79
Freeze bowl: No
Bowl size: 1.5l
Wattage: 150W
Weight: 10.2kg
Dimensions: H24 x W30 x D42cm
Magimix Gelator Chef 2200
This compact machine does its job well, but took the longest overall, as you have to wait ten minutes for the bowl to chill before placing your mixture in. Lanlard found the ice-cream "nicely aerated and a very satisfying scoop". As well as a removable 1.6-litre bowl, it has a second, fixed bowl -- good for mixing another batch.
Wired: Easy to use; handy second bowl
Tired: Pricey
Score: 5
Cost: £280
Specifications
Churn time: 44min
Decibels: 85
Freeze bowl: No
Bowl size: 1.6l
Wattage: 150W
Weight: 10kg
Dimensions: H34 x L24 x D24cm
Kenwood Ice-cream Maker IM200
The bowl on this maker does need freezing for 12 hours beforehand, but it was the fastest model at churning ice-cream. As it was so powerful, Lanlard felt that the ice-cream came out a little too set, so the texture wasn't as creamy as that produced by the other models. It's also very noisy at 92 decibels.
Wired: Compact
Tired: Ice-cream sets a little too stiffly
Score: 6
Cost: £30
Specifications
Churn time: 26 min
Decibels: 92
Freeze bowl:Yes (12 hours)
Bowl size: 1.1l
Wattage: 6kW
Weight: 2.9kg
Dimensions: H21 x L19 x W19
Swan Come Dine With Me Ice-cream & Gelato Maker
What makes this machine stand out is the way the bowl rotates when mixing, while the paddles remain stationary. "This could be why the ice-cream was so light," says Lanlard. It was the loudest unit on test, getting even louder as the ice-cream set, so it's probably not ideal for smaller kitchens.
Wired: Fluffy and light scoop
Tired: Very noisy
Score: 4
Cost: £48
Specifications
Churn time: 32 min
Decibels: 94
Freeze bowl:Yes (12 hours)
Bowl size: 2l
Wattage: 50W
Weight: 4.28kg
Dimensions: H29 x L24 x W21cm
Here's Lanlard's recipe for green-tea ice-cream, which he used in Wired's test machines.
Ingredients
50ml sake
50ml milk
60g golden caster sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoonmatcha powder (easily available from Japanese delicatessens or online) blended with 2 tablespoons of water to form a smooth paste
200ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla-bean paste
Method
-- Mix the sugar, milk and sake over low heat, stirring it until the sugar dissolves.
-- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Slowly pour in one-quarter of the hot milk, whisking as you go, then add this mixture back into the remaining hot milk.
-- Stir the mix over a low heat, until it thickens slightly. Pour it into a bowl, via a sieve. Combine the matcha paste, cream and vanilla, and add the milk mixture. Whisk to blend and cool, then cover and chill. Follow the directions for your ice-cream maker.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
