Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this because I could not find decent ginger ice cream. I found lots of complaints about ALL of the machines that use this technology, and, after making a few dozen batches I think I can review it and address some of those complaints. The machine, it works. It makes ice cream, not cold goo, but like any machine, you have to use it right and put in the right materials. It also helps to have realistic and complete instruction, which seems to be lacking. 1. The freezing cylinder has to be really actually frozen. Jacking your freezer to 11 helps. Putting it where the freezy air blows right on it helps too. Flexible cold packs (already froze) seem to help when you roll them up and stick them inside, too, but that could be my wishful thinking, as I haven't yet timed it. 2. The mix needs to be cold. No, colder. Colder than that. Really, I mean it. Refrigeration is not enough. I stick mine in the freezer and check every half hour or so until it just begins to get gritty looking. Having a fast thermometer helps, too. I usually churn at about 26 degrees or below. Vanilla (and ginger) need churning to start at higher temperatures or it ends up crunchy, at least for me, but chocolate can get to 19 degrees before I see any appreciable crystal growth and so chocolate comes out almost perfectly tempered. YMMV. 3. The clear plastic cover doesn't do much, thermally, so cover it with a fluffy towel or some other insulating thing. Make sure you don't cover the base up as well, or you might overheat. This allows the cylinder to stay colder longer and give up more of its cold to the ice cream (I know that's thermoblasphemy, but this isn't a physics text), getting the final result colder and closer to actual ice cream. Makes less noise that way, too. 4. Cover the blowhole. I use a custard cup. Keeps cold in and stray dragon poop out. 5. Don't be afraid to stick a spatula in to help it out from time to time, but in general when the ice cream stops moving you've gone as far as the machine can take you. Check frequently after the first twenty minutes or so, especially if you use a thermometer - as soon as the decline stalls, you've run out of cold. 6. The bowl you chilled the mix in, keep it in the freezer. When the machine is finished put the paddle, laden with ice cream and impossible to scrape clean without a tongue (design flaw or cunning plan?) in the cold bowl, scrape the rest into the bowl, clean off the paddle and then take your cold bowl of still slightly soft but not runny ice cream and divide it up or devour it or smear it on the windows or whatever it is you do with it. I try not to judge. But a bit of freezer time will get you a firmer product. Extra freezer inserts could be cheaper. I hope you are listening, Mr. Cuisinart.