Maxi-Matic Elite Gourmet Pine Bucket

Sep 012011

I love the look of this old-timey ice cream maker that makes me feel like I am back in the 1800’s churning ice cream next to a cow. Of course, this ice cream maker may look like a bucket but it also blends modern technology into the process. You get the great option of using the hand-crank, or you can utilize the onboard motor for more efficient results. The hand crank is obviously slower and a bit more cumbersome, but it’s fun to try at least once. This model allows you to make four quarts at a time which is pretty neat for a product of this size. That’s definitely double the amount you can make using many other standard electric ice cream makers.

Aside from the bucket design, this is pretty much a straightforward product that gives you two ways of making ice cream. The first thing you’ll have to do is treat the bucket so that it doesn’t leak, and all you have to do is soak it for a couple of hours. You’ll love the authenticity of the bucket itself since it’s made of real wood and looks great. As mentioned above, you’ll probably want to try out the hand-crank feature, and it’s something that you can get your kids to do. Just keep in mind it will take a bit longer in order to produce your first batch. Going with the electric motor is easy, and every batch of ice cream I’ve made so far has come out perfect. You’ll get soft serve ice cream as a result, but it will harden up in a jiff if you simply put it in the freezer.

The ability to use ice with this machine makes it a nice alternative to ice cream makers where you have to pre-freeze the bold. It really depends on your own personal style because some people prefer the other method. I can see where someone might not be interested in constantly making and adding ice, which might be just as cumbersome and time-consuming as freezing a bowl. Of course, you could just choose to buy a big bag of ice if you wanted.

Overall, this is a solid product with an attractive design and most importantly, it makes great ice cream. The advantage of this product is its ability to produce more ice cream at a time and it’s great authentic look. It’s similarly priced to the best standard Cuisinart models, so you’ll have to decide for yourself if the novelty factor is enough to warrant Cuisinart also has a “wooden bucket” model – Cuisinart ICE-35 2-Quart Wooden Ice Cream Maker – but it’s pretty much their standard model that kind of looks like wood on the outside.