Sunday, November 8, 2015

Best Icecream Maker - My Top 3 Choices

Somewhere along mid 2015, I started dreaming about having an Ice Cream Maker. I dream about making fascinating Ice Cream flavours in the comfort of my own home - imagine Rosemary Vanilla, Berries Sorbet, etc.

Being in Singapore, our homes are of smaller sizes and we just do not have the luxury of having big freezers to keep the freezer bowls or massive bench tops to leave our Ice Cream Maker standing around all day as a decoration when we are not using it. 

I went to a few home appliances store around the country and they usually have only 1 pathetic Ice Cream Maker on display which happens to be the Kenwood IM280 Ice Cream Maker


What it makes: Ice cream, yoghurt, sorbet 
Size: 1.5 L
Time required:15-20min + at least 6 hours freezing of freezer bowl 
Price: USD $90

Pros:
- You easily get this anywhere in Singapore - they sell it at Courts and Harvey Norman
- Small and compact in size
- Small opening - less likely for dust to get in than the Cuisinart models
- Moderate difficult in assembling and using the machine

Cons:
- The make of this machine looks flimsy and does not look as durable as the Cuisinart models.
- Small opening on the lid to pour in ingredients 

I really did not like this model at all as it does look as if it will start to fall apart with repeated use. So, I did my research and these are my top 3 choices of Ice Cream Makers: 




What it makes: Ice cream, yoghurt, sorbet 
Size: 1.5 Quat
Time required:15-20min + at least 8 hours freezing of freezer bowl 
Price: USD $53.99 

Pros:
- Small and compact in size
- Light but the make feels durable
- Simple to assemble and use

Cons:
- Ice cream can overflow if you put too much ingredients in
- There is no cover over the top of the machine and dust can potentially get in
- Unable to adjust settings - only on and off
- No timer available

If you something bigger, you can get its brother: Cuisinart ICE-30BC


What it makes: Ice cream, yoghurt, sorbet 
Size: 2 Quat
Time required:15-20min + at least 6 hours freezing of freezer bowl 
Price: USD $73.99 





What it makes: Ice cream, yoghurt, sorbet + GELATO
Size: 1.5 Quat
Time required:15-20min (No freezing required)
Price: USD $399.95

Pros:
- Sturdy and Durable
- A clear lid on top to prevent dust from getting in
- Self refrigerating compressor - NO freezing required!
- 12 Hardness settings
- Automatic and manual settings - timer available

Cons:
- Large in size
- More pricey than the other machines




What it makes: Ice cream, yoghurt, sorbet + GELATO
Size: 1.5L 
Time required: 40min + (No freezing required)
Price: USD $264.95

Pros:
- Sturdy and Durable
- A clear lid on top to prevent dust from getting in
- Self refrigerating compressor - NO freezing required!
- Fully automatic
- Cheaper than the Breville Model

Cons:
- Large in size
- More pricey than the Cuisinart Machines 


I hope this guide is helpful in finding the perfect Ice Cream Machine for your own home. I cannot wait to have my own to tide through the endless hot days in Singapore! Oh glorious Ice Creams!



Here's a list of 30 crazy Ice Cream Flavours around the world for your entertainment: Link 

The World's Most Awesome Brownie

I came across this recipe while I was studying in Brisbane. A good friend of mine passed me this recipe and my life was changed FOREVER.  

Anyways, here goes this awesome recipe: 

Ingredients: 
  • 400 grams Milk or Dark Chocolate 
  • 50 grams of unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 cups of castor sugar
  • 1 cup of almond meal
  • Optional: 200 grams of nuts (your choice) roasted in the oven till light brown. 

Steps: 
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius. 
  2. Line the baking tray with baking paper. 
  3. Melt the chocolate and butter together. 
  4. Stir in the vanilla essence then set aside to cool. 
  5. Meanwhile, beat eggs and sugar until thick. Stir in the chocolate mixture once it is cool. (If you stir it in while it is hot, it will cook the eggs.)

Add in the almond meal +/- nuts (optional). 


Pour the mixture into the baking tray and bake for 30mins. Ideally, you want the surface to be flaky. 



Enjoy!