Manufactured in the ice cream center of the world, Italy, the Musso Ice Cream Maker officially known as the Lello Musso Pola 5030 Desert Maker is an entirely stainless steel, unquestionably professional standard machine. Unlike many cheaper imitations, the Lello Musso Pola 5030 cuts absolutely no corners in its sturdy metal construction and its extremely powerful motor, enabling you to produce 2 quarts of delicious gourmet ice-cream, gelato or sorbet within just 20 minutes – that’s a massive 6 quarts per hour! Provided that money is a secondary priority and your main goal is to get the most delicious, high quality desserts, the Musso Polo 5030 is the best ice cream maker bar none. However, of course, since the number of ice cream maker reviews for this commercial-grade item are far less than, say, a Cuisinart model of the same Quart capacity, it’s clear that when buying an ice cream maker, most people do actually have to consider the cost.
Each Musso ice cream maker you order ships directly from Italy, which just goes to show that these machines really are meant almost exclusively for commercial Italian gelato shops. The Lello Musso Pola 5030 is therefore an absolute privilege to find available online and its stellar reviews across the internet can justify even this rather steep price.
Main features of the Lello Musso Pola 5030 Desert Maker:
- Authentic Italian commercial gelato/ice cream/sorbet maker
- Durable stainless steel casing
- Maximum capacity 2 quarts
- No pre-freezing required, all desserts made ‘on the fly’
- Powerful, heavy duty motor
- Manufactured in and delivered from Italy
The exclusive Lello Musso Pola 5030 Desert Maker is now available on amazon. Click here to find out more on Amazon.com!
Before we consider any of the ice cream maker reviews for the Musso Pola 5030, we have to remember that we are talking about a very expensive, high-end, commercial piece of equipment here, and so it is not exactly cheap. Yet, for all the 13 customers who have left reviews on amazon, every single one of them has given the Lello Musso Pola 5030 a full 5 out of 5 star rating, which is definitely some feat considering that they have each paid over a thousand dollars to get this item. Only the very best ice cream maker would manage to cost so much and pass the often intense scrutiny that the wonderful customers of amazon place their products under. The first reviewer, for instance, acknowledges that the Lello Musso Pola 5030 Desert Maker costs a lot of money, then adds “but it’s more than worth it”. High praise indeed when you could have just bought a small pre-freezing bowl Cuisinart ice cream maker for 50 to 100 dollars. Unsurprisingly this machine weighs quite a lot, over 20 Kg I would say, and measures about 20″ by 14″ by 12″, but what is amazing is that it is extremely quiet. Compared with the semi-commercial standard White Mountain NDWMIME611, it is extremely quiet yet more powerful, though I still maintain that the White Mountain NDWMIME611 is an excellent buy because it is over 800 cheaper! The recipes that come with the Lello Musso Pola 5030 are also surprisingly delicious; it seems that authentic Italian is not just limited to its manufacturing but the instructions manual itself, a nice addition if you don’t have the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream recipes book which I do recommend. The only small negative I can find about this machine apart from its price is that the bowl can’t be removed so you do have to clean it each time you finish making the batch, which can get annoying given the speed at which you can crank out ice cream over and over again almost industrially – the only thing stopping you is cleaning the bowl! But in all honesty that’s nitpicking; I am meant to scrutinize each item I review but I honestly cannot find any faults with this one. If you do, please contact us and I will duly investigate and report back on this page. My verdict – if you have the money and you are crazy about ice cream, gelato, sorbet or any combination of the three, then this Lello Musso Pola 5030 is the one for you. If you would still like a good quality ice cream maker without the hefty price tag, try the White Mountain NDWMIME611 which I’ve also reviewed. It’s nowhere near as good as the Musso Pola 5030, but it’s nonetheless the best ice cream maker for the price.
Upsides of the Lello Musso Pola 5030 Desert Maker:
Everything!
Downsides of the Lello Musso Pola 5030 Desert Maker:
It’s really expensive!
See additional images, reviews of the Lello Musso Pola 5030 Desert Maker on Amazon here. You can also access other ice cream maker reviews from this link if the Musso Pola 5030 is too expensive for you.
The White Mountain Ice Cream Maker NDWMIME611 is a heavy duty, commercial standard ice cream maker that is small enough for any home kitchen. With a gigantic 6 Quart maximum capacity, the White Mountain Ice Cream Maker is perfect for family celebrations, parties with friends or special occasions. Unlike many other machines in its category, the White Mountain Ice Cream Maker uses ice and rock salt in the ice cream making process, which eliminates the need for the tedious pre-freezing of freezing bowls many hours in advance. The White Mountain Ice Cream Maker NDWMIME611 also has a professional caliber, heavy duty motor which is considerably more powerful than those of other home kitchen ice cream makers. For ice cream lovers who need higher capacity, high power and professional, premium ice cream every time, this White Mountain Ice Cream Maker is undoubtedly the best ice cream maker out there.
The main features of the White Mountain Ice Cream Maker NDWMIME611 are:
- Heavy duty 12000 RPM motor
- 6 Quart maximum capacity
- Bucket made from handmade New England pine wood
- Canister made from durable stainless steel
- Pause/Restart feature for adding extra ingredients whenever you want
- Wooden blades for even extraction of the final product
The White Mountain Ice Cream Maker NDWMIME611 is available on amazon with savings of $43.50. Click here to get your savings on Amazon today!
While Cuisinart ice cream makers tend to have hundreds of customer-made ice cream maker reviews, the White Mountain Ice Cream Maker NDWMIME611 only has 20. This is probably due to its higher price and overall smaller customer base than the very well known, heavily promoted Cuisinart brand. Casual ice cream makers will buy a $50 ice cream machine from Cuisinart and be very happy, while those who really love ice cream will spend an extra $200 to buy a White Mountain Ice Cream Maker. Based on the product specifications and the ice cream maker reviews from owners of this machine, the White Mountain Ice Cream Maker NDWMIME611 is definitely a high-end, high volume ice cream maker specifically designed for commercial standard ice cream within the home. Customers are reporting that the motor alone is 300% more powerful than any of its competitors, and that the ice cream produced is top quality. Many are declaring the White Mountain NDWMIME611 the best ice cream maker out there right now, as long as money isn’t an object, and I have to say during my testing of it, that statement isn’t too far off the truth. This unit is relatively expensive, yes, but it is far better than the shambles of the Cuisinart ICE-50BC, which is around the same price. What speaks volumes for this White Mountain Ice Cream Maker is that despite the higher price tag, the average reviewer rating stays up at nearly 4 1/2 out of 5 stars, an achievement which surely indicates the true quality that one receives for the price. As for the negative aspects of the White Mountain Ice Cream Maker NDWMIME611, well, being what is often dubbed the ‘king’ of homemade ice cream makers, you can’t be surprised when you turn it on and realise that it is loud, very loud. Louder than any of the small homemade ice cream makers I have seen. But I guess that’s what you get for such durable, high power construction. It’s not a light plastic thing that will break after a few runs, or that will not mix the ice cream properly. It performs everything completely, and will continue to perform just as it did on the first day you used it, for many years to come. The price you pay is the higher cost and higher noise. If you aren’t willing to pay both of those costs, then you should consider a small cuisinart ICE-30BC. Smaller, a lot less powerful, requires overnight bowl freezing, but is quieter and costs a third of the price. It is, as always, all up to your personal preferences and requirements.
Upsides of the White Mountain Ice Cream Maker NDWMIME611:
Much higher volume than its competitors
More powerful motor than other homemade ice cream makers
Durable construction – genuine pine wood and stainless steel
Higher quality overall – bordering commercial standard, the best ice cream maker for high capacity use (6 quart) out there
Downsides of the White Mountain Ice Cream Maker NDWMIME611:
Quite noisy
Relatively expensive (approx $250 vs $50-100 for smaller Cuisinart machines)
If you are sick and tired of pre-freezing bowls for up to 24 hours before you can begin to make ice cream, then this particular Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, the Cuisinart ICE-50BC is the perfect solution. While it can be difficult to know which specific model is the best ice cream maker from the large selection that the Cuisinart brand alone offers, the ICE-50BC is surely the best ice cream maker for those who do not want the inconvenience of having to pre-freeze bowls for hours on end, i.e. those who want instant ice cream.
Equipped with a powerful, commercial grade internal freezer, you can start making your ice cream, sorbet or frozen yoghurt instantly. The ICE-50BC is seen as the natural step up from the ICE-50BC from the same manufacturer, the main difference being the internal compressor freezer, which is not featured in any of the lower models. Although the ICE-30BC has a higher 2 quart capacity than the ICE-50BC, the lack of compressor freezer means that you would have to wait a day to pre-freeze the bowl. This is why the the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker ICE-50BC is a revolutionary in the home ice cream making field: You can switch it on at any time and it’s ready to go!
Main features of the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker ICE-50BC:
- 1.5 Quart maximum capacity
- Robust stainless steel frame
- Powerful motor for thorough mixing of a variety of frozen desserts
- Internal freezer/compressor to make ice cream without pre-freezing
- Ingredient spout to add delicious treats to the mix
- 100% Automatic push-button ice cream making
The Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker ICE-50BC has been reduced by 41% on amazon. Click here to find out more on Amazon!
Now that the general product information is done, we proceed as always to the all important consumer reviews regarding this ice cream maker. First of all, the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker ICE-50BC is significantly more expensive than its predecessors, the ICE-20 and ICE-30BC. This marked difference in price is attributed to 2 main factors: one, the stainless steel casing and two, the internal compressor freezer – the latter being, naturally, the greater factor. One can’t begin to underestimate the convenience of not having to pre-freeze the bowl for an entire day before you can even think of making ice cream. You can’t “feel like” making some ice cream, no, you have to plan it in advance, which sort of takes the fun and spontaneity of cooking up then eating a delicious dessert such as your very own ice cream or sorbet. Now, the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker ICE-50BC eliminates this inconvenience entirely: it comes with its own commercial grade freezing mechanism so that you can get started immediately. It’s almost an entirely different type of ice cream maker as a result. Warning: you will have to pay at least $100 or $150 extra compared to previous models without the internal freezer, but for most people who love ice cream it is worth it. If you’re more casual and really don’t mind waiting 24 hours every time, then the ICE-30BC is an excellent and very popular alternative.
Possibly as a result of the substantially higher price tag, the average star rating on amazon for the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker ICE-50BC is slightly lower than its much cheaper predecessors, at 3.5/5 over 150+ ice cream maker reviews for the ICE-50BC. It’s a decent average, but it could be improved. Lower reviews are common for higher priced items as the star ratings are in general a measure of a user’s overall satisfaction with their purchase, not simply an absolute measure of the quality of the item. However, it is always constructive to explore the possible negative issues that current owners are raising. The main complaint we are observing from both consumer reports and amazon is that the compressor freezer simply is not strong enough, which only partially freezes the mixture in one cycle. Indeed, it is extremely difficult to freeze a mixture at such an accelerated pace, unless you have a high power, commercial grade compressor freezer. Unfortunately, Cuisinart seems to have bitten off a little more than it can chew in the sense that it is trying to provide a commercial standard item within very much the price range of amateur home appliances. About two thirds of reviewers are very happy with the results they are getting, so it could be something they are doing (or not doing), or it could be that the freezer just isn’t strong enough. There are also complaints regarding the high noise levels when operating this item – I am not surprised given how hard a little machine like this would have to work! In my humble opinion, it is far better being safe with a dependable ICE-30BC than it is to splash out on an ambitious item that may or may not work. If it works, brilliant – you’ve got ice cream home made without 24 hours to pre-freeze any bowl, but if it doesn’t work, you will just have to return it. Yes, the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker ICE-50BC is covered by a 3 year warranty, but it’s likely the replacement would have the exact same problems. It’s not necessarily a ‘fault’ in the kit, it’s just a case of a small unit being overly ambitious as to its capabilities. I fear this one item could unnecessarily tarnish the otherwise stellar reputation of the Cuisinart brand. My advice: stick with the ICE-30BC and you will be happy, although you will, alas, have to pre-freeze your bowls like everybody else!
Upsides of the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker ICE-50BC:
No need to pre-freeze anything
Strong steel frame
Downsides of the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker ICE-50BC:
Freezer not quite powerful enough
Machine is very loud
Without doubt the most best ice cream maker out there right now in terms of sheer popularity, the Cuisinart ICE-30BC offers high volume (2 Quarts, to be precise) frozen desert making capabilities to any home kitchen without the skyrocketing costs of comparable professional ice cream makers. Depending on the retailer you choose to shop at, you can get the ICE-30BC for anywhere between 68 and 150 dollars, which means that even the most occasional users will find their investment recouped after just a handful of full rounds of the premium ice cream, sorbet or frozen yoghurt created by this impressive machine. With nearly 600 positive customer ice cream maker reviews for the ICE-30BC on amazon alone, you’re unlikely to run into any problems with the Cuisinart ICE-30BC, but even if you do, rest assured as you will be covered by the limited 3 year warranty on the entire machine.
Key features of the Cuisinart ICE-30BC:
- Can make not only ice cream, but frozen yoghurt and sorbet as well
- Operates completely automatically
- Ability to add solid extras e.g. chocolate etc. via spout
- 2 Quart freezer bowl maximum capacity
- Machine dimensions – 8.25″ x 8″ x 11.25″
- Comprehensive manual which includes a selection of delicious recipes
The list price for the Cuisinart ICE-30BC is around $150 but amazon can offer you a gigantic discount of over 50%! Click here to get your discount on Amazon now!
Before I go into the user-written positives and negatives of the Cuisinart ICE-30BC, I simply have to get this off my chest: I don’t think I’ve ever seen an item with anywhere near 606 views on amazon, at least in the appliances department, and judging by the impressive average 4.3* out of a possible 5*, then it’s pretty safe to say that the response from the ice cream maker reviews written by current owners of the Cuisinart ICE-30BC has been and continues to be overwhelmingly positive. The first review, a 5 star, 7 paragraph write-up which has helped 746 our of 757 people who read it, begins with a simple debate between the smaller Cuisinart ICE-21, or the larger Cuisinart ICE-30BC: The reviewer wondered at the beginning whether it was really necessary to get a large 2 Quart ice cream maker. Well, particularly if you have storage in your freezer, it works out much more cost-friendly to spend the extra 20 bucks or so on amazon to get the larger Cuisinart ICE-30BC, especially because it is still a pretty small item. (See dimensions of just 8 by 8 by 11 inches or so.) Though, if you do decide to get the smaller ICE-21, that’s still a very good product as well (check out our Cuisinart ICE-21 ice cream maker review for more information). If noise is your particular concern, then you should know that the ICE-30BC is somewhat louder than the ICE-21, so that could definitely be a factor in some people’s decisions, though it hasn’t deterred that many so far. However it’s our duty to report negatives and a couple reviewers have touched upon the noise as the only possible ‘weakness’ of the Cuisinart ICE-30BC.
Looking at the hundreds and hundreds of ice cream maker reviews on this product it becomes apparent that on the rare occasion that a customer has a problem with this machine, the manufacturer Cuisinart is more than willing to honor the warranty and ship replacements. We would expect nothing less from one of the most famous names in small kitchen appliances. Of course, out of the hundreds of reviews there are bound to be a few who have problems but as of today the vast majority of these have been resolved by the manufacturer. I’m definitely impressed with Cuisinart’s dedication to the preservation of their good reputation, because even they are not perfect but they have done very well to correct it on the rare occasions they are at fault.
Another thing that strikes me as a stay at home mom and home cooking enthusiast, is the praise that the manual’s recipes have received! Usually I tend to ignore all recipes that come with a product and instead look at an actual cookbook for ‘proper’ recipes. A lot of the time, the ‘in-box’ recipes can often be terrible, but it seems that customers are in love with them, so I am looking forward to trying that mango gelato tomorrow! Regarding recipes, one golden tip from a very helpful buyer, the best ice cream recipe book is “Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book” – many recipe books take too much time and effort for little or no reward, but the Ben & Jerry’s book has the magical mix of simplicity and delicious taste. Combine that with the Cuisinart ICE-30BC and you have probably the best ice cream maker of 2 quart capacity currently available to the public.
Upsides of the Cuisinart ICE-30BC:
High average rating over 600+ reviews
Large 2 Quart capacity
Surprisingly impressive recipe book
Downsides of the Cuisinart ICE-30BC:
Loud compared to other smaller Cuisinart models
On a purely price to effectiveness basis, the Cuisinart ICE-21 is certainly a viable candidate for the title of best ice cream maker currently on the market, with many ice cream maker reviews from amazon to best buy to consumer reports reflecting this, although of course there are also some other very fine competitors for this title, reviewed elsewhere on our site. Making ice cream, sorbet or frozen yoghurt has never been easier thanks to the automatic simplicity of the Cuisinart ICE-21. All you have to do is insert the necessary ingredients and press the button – and within just a few minutes you will end up with professional standard ice cream, sorbet or frozen yoghurt ready to eat. Unlike some other home ice cream makers, the ICE-21 allows you to add supplementary solid ingredients such as chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles and so on. Included with the Cuisinart ICE-21 is a comprehensive manual which features many modern recipes for your eating pleasure.
Key features of the Cuisinart ICE-21:
- 100% automatic frozen dessert making process
- 1.25 quart mixing volume
- Heavy duty motor for quick, complete mixing
- No need to use ice
- Lockable lid for clean mixing
- Spout for addition of solid ingredients
The Cuisinart ICE-21 is available on amazon for approximately half price. Click here to get your discount on Amazon now!
It’s all very well and good to cover the basic features of the product, but does the Cuisinart ICE-21 truly perform in real life, with real customers who have spent their hard earned money on it? An extremely easy, but remarkably effective, method of doing this is to study the user-written ice cream maker reviews for the ICE-21, making particular note of both the amount of reviews written (an indicator of the item’s popularity) and also the average rating on places like consumer reports and amazon. Just looking at amazon alone, we can see that the Cuisinart ICE-21 has accumulated an enormous figure of 229 reviews, averaging around 4 1/3 out of 5 stars. Considering the sheer number of reviews upon which this average is based, this one statistic alone is sufficient to indicate that the Cuisinart ICE-21 can compete for the honor of being the best ice cream maker, and at under 50 bucks on amazon, it’s currently a no-brainer.
However, for those who wish to know more about the specifics of the item and user opinion of these features, please do carry on reading. First of all, one of the first ice cream maker reviews for the Cuisinart ICE-21 listed notes the speed of the unit: it takes considerably less time to make the ice cream than the manufacturer specifies, which is never a bad thing. Also, many people might be worrying about the requirement to turn your freezer down to 0 celsius to freeze the cooling bowl, and whether their freezer can reach such a low temperature. A few authors of ice cream maker reviews for the ICE-21 make the excellent point of simply putting the cooling bowl to the very back of your freezer since that tends to be the coolest part. In addition, it’s best to cool the ingredients in the freezer for up to an hour prior to using it to make the ice cream. Customers are happy with the sound levels of the Cuisinart ICE-21 too; it seems to be one of the quietest ice cream makers available right now and definitely worth the purchase if only to replace old, clunky and loud frozen dessert alternatives. As for the all important ice cream, customers across the board compliment the taste and texture of the ice cream produced by the ICE-21 – with many making the sensible point that this machine pays for itself many times over in saved costs of expensive ice cream bought from stores.
Upsides of the Cuisinart ICE-21:
High quality for a low price
Hundreds of positive customer reviews
Ice cream better than store quality
Downsides of the Cuisinart ICE-21:
Need to put freezer bowl in the freezer 24 hours prior to making ice cream