Ice cream makers have been around for a while now, they have improved to the extent that you do not have to wait three or four hours for your ice cream to be ready for the table.There are two different types on the market,there is the manual type that involves some small physical effort on your part to produce the ice cream,or there is the more expensive electric type which makes the proccess much easier.

The manual type can be time consuming and a bit messy when making ice cream,they have a large bowl that contains a smaller bowl inside it, this is where the handcranking mechanism can be found.
You fill the outer bowl with ice and salt to provide the cooling power for the ice cream,this fusion occurs when the salt melts the ice it takes the heat away from the ice cream in the inner bowl causing it to freeze.

With the manual type after the salt has melted the ice it leaves you with salt water in the outer bowl,which you have to dispose of before you start another batch.

The more expensive electric type is much easier to use,it is not as messy as the manual type and you can produce ice cream in 20 to 30 minutes with certain brands.There are some types of electric ice cream makers where you have to put the bowl in the freezer for the process to work,this can take time and could be a problem if you do not have enough room in the freezer.

If you want the easiest way to make your home made ice cream,then you need to purchase a stand alone electric ice cream maker.These types of machine come with the coolant and the electric motor for turning the mixing paddle built in them,you just add your ingrediants and switch it on and wait for twenty or thirty minutes for it to produce your ice cream,this will give you time to do other things while the machine is working,where as with a manual machine you are constantly working to produce your ice cream.

These units can be quite large and take up some room in your kitchen,so make sure you have a space for it before you purchase the machine.The reason for this is that on some machines after you have finished making your ice cream they cannot be moved for twelve hours as this upsets the cooling mechanism in the machine,you would normally keep this type of maker in a permanent position in your kitchen.They can be more expensive than other ice cream makers on the market,but for the time saved and ease of use it is worth the extra cost.

The best thing about having your own ice cream maker is that you can create a great ice cream with the ingredients and flavours of your choice,there are tried and tested recipies out there that you can use,but why not try to be creative and use different ingredients and flavours to make your own style of ice cream.