3 stars

It's a shame that none of these reviews have helped me make a decision. It really doesn't sound like the manufactures did a good job with the instructions while the product might be ok. I personally know that you need to have the mixing bowl frozen, the mixture chilled (below 40 deg the better) and the machine running when you pour it in. All three of those steps are 100% necessary for good ice cream. But you'll still need to freeze the batch because it will come out like soft serve. After looking at the Cuisinart and Deni manuals, both mention having the mixer on and bowl frozen but Deni only mentioned chilling the mixture in the hints/tips section and Cuisinart didn't mention it at all. For Rival I couldn't find the manual on-line so I don't know if they recommended the important 3 details. If you have a machine please use these tips and give it another chance. Good luck, I'm still deciding.

4 stars

I've always wanted to try and make my own ice cream so I bought this one because of the price. Well after reading the directions and buying the ingredients and 2 batches of ice cream later, I can say it's great little machine. After about 40 mins or so the ice cream is like a yogurt consistency so it has to go into the freezer for a few hours before it's really ready to eat. If the motor was a little quieter I'd give it 5 stars but overall very good machine for the price.

5 stars

I have used this item once so far, and it was awesome. I followed all of the directions (made sure the canister was totally frozen, made sure the ice cream mix was very cold). I made dairy-free ice cream with almond milk and banana pudding mix - just make it like regular pudding, then put it in the ice cream maker. I also put a towel around the canister to make sure it stayed really cold. In 10 minutes I had great ice cream that was the consistency of soft serve (even though the directions said it could take up to 40 minutes). I put it in the freezer and it froze to ice cream consistency in about 10 more minutes.

Excellent purchase for the price.

5 stars

We love the simplicity and adaptability of this little ice cream maker! A recent guest with dietary restrictions can enjoy goat's milk, so we prepared the most subtle -- and delicious -- mango, lemon (from his tree), and banana goat's milk ice cream. Previously we've made ice cream from mostly yogurt to desserts extra rich in cream, and in all combinations; with flavors that included: blueberry/blackberry, ginger-peachy (from organic ginger root and fresh local peaches), chocolate fudge with orange, and more. The simplicity invites creativity and makes it possible to avoid sugars and corn sweeteners and other additives that we might all do well to avoid. There is a wonderful ice cream place in Guadalajara, Mexico (with a branch in Tijuana) that offers more than 100 flavors of ice cream, including "rose," "lavender," and some remarkable vegetable and even chile flavors. This little machine lets us imagine and create a thousand flavors. Anything you can imagine making into "a smoothie," or some other blended drink, you can convert into a stunning dessert.

5 stars

It seems that all of the people writing bad reviews either don't know how to read directions or are just impatient. It's pretty simple really, freeze the core OVERNIGHT, and when the mixture gets to frozen yogurt/soft serve consistency, either enjoy it or freeze it further. It's a process, and it's not quick, if you want ice cream right away, you should probably be buying it pre-made, ya know? obviously if the core is not frozen enough it's not going to make ice cream, that makes sense, right? I just wish people would take a little more time and think about things before they post negative reviews, it just ruins it for everyone else.
I think this machine works like a dream, you just have to do it right, it's obviously not idiot proof.

1 stars

Don't waste your time and money. The motor burns out every 20 or so minutes, especially when you make back to back batches. I spent more time hand cranking this while I was waiting for the motor to cool off, than I did eating and enjoying it. Yes the ice cream finally finished, but after alot of trouble and effort. Although, I had to sit next to the machine when the motor shut down, so I could take over and crank, before the ice cream froze to the sides, and to keep it mixing. The manual says this is a safety feature, but it creates more work and hassle. I do like the idea of a frozen bowl rather than using ice, that's easier and saves trouble. Also, the this machine makes great tasting ice cream, once it finally finishes. However, the malfunctioning, high maintenance motor negates the advantages.

My advise: Don't get this. Spend the extra 20-30 dollars and buy an upgraded model or brand name. My friend has a cuisinart and loves it. The only reason I didn't buy it initially is I couldn't find one in stores and wanted to get one immediately. I guess Cuissinart is a specialty item or internet only. I've learned my lesson. I'm ordering one on the internet and taking my rival back for a full refund. Learn from my mistake, save some time and headache. Save the headache for brain freeze, after eating yummy homemade ice cream :) ha ha.

4 stars

quality made, convenient and easy to use, used many times, never a failure...would and have, recommended this machine for people to purchase.

3 stars

I recently purchased this product, but I haven't used it yet. I'm seeing mixed reviews here, so I thought I would ask if anyone has used anything less than whole milk. I typically use only skim milk in my house, which works fine with many things, such as instant pudding, but I wouldn't think it would work with ice cream. I was planning on using whole milk, but I thought there may be someone who has used something else. If so, I would really like to know the results. Thanks in advance for your advice.

5 stars

I found this review on a different ice cream maker product, and I thought this would help a lot of people:
The first several times I used this product, it didn't seem to work--the ice cream never really froze, it just turned into a very cold soupy sludge. I had checked all the obvious things--made sure the bowl was completely frozen, made sure my ingredients were well-chilled, didn't overload it and let it run the recommended amount of time. I was going to return it, but thanks to all the positive reviews here, I thought maybe there was something I was doing wrong.

There was.

For flavoring, I was always using a certain artificial vanilla flavor that I like. And because I like it, I use a lot of it. One of the main ingredients of this flavoring is propylene glycol. If any of you who read this are chemistry buffs, I'll bet you're laughing now. Propylene glycol is often used in food flavorings and colorings, but also is used as antifreeze when a non-toxic antifreeze is required. So I was pouring in a good deal of edible antifreeze with my ingredients--next time I'll just use chocolate or something!

So, if you're having trouble getting your ice cream to freeze and you've checked everything else, make sure your flavorings don't contain propylene glycol!!

5 stars

Hey, I bought this yesterday and I am enjoying homemade ice cream tonight.
I used a packaged mix from Rival and chilled everything prior to use.
Seventeen minutes from freezer to bowl. The ice cream is a little fluffy but tastes good and was lots of fun to watch as it churned.

The downside is a quart of ice cream is pretty small, but it is the perfect dessert for two.

Be sure to freeze the canister completely before you use the maker. Also, chilling the liquid before you start helps.

I will probably buy a second one to use at school.