Classic Cuisine 82-KIT1017 Ice Cream Machine: Full Review

The Classic Cuisine Ice Cream Machine is a durable and easy to use electric ice cream maker with a large batch size and countertop convenience. Featuring a powerful 1.5HP motor, it can make up to 4 quarts of frozen desserts at a time. This machine's 8 function control panel allows you to easily make ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt, sorbet and more. The simple design and automated features like auto shut off make it beginner-friendly. Overall, this is an efficient electric ice cream maker with a large capacity, versatile functions, and straightforward operation. With the Classic Cuisine machine, you can make delicious homemade frozen treats for the whole family right from your kitchen counter.

Design and Appearance

The Cuisinart Ice Cream Machine has a sleek and stylish stainless steel housing that will look great on any countertop. It measures 9.88 x 15.5 x 11.13 inches and weighs just over 14 pounds, making it a good size for most kitchens without taking up too much space.

The stainless steel finish gives it a modern, elegant look that complements both traditional and contemporary decor. It's available in silver, black, or white so you can choose the finish that best matches your kitchen. The smooth curved lines and domed lid give it an appealing silhouette.

Inside the housing is a double insulated freezer bowl that holds up to 1.5 quarts of ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet or gelato mix. The bowl has a clear acrylic window so you can watch as your frozen dessert is made. There are also see-through touchpad controls and an LCD timer countdown display for added convenience.

Overall the sleek aesthetics, color options and viewing window make this an attractive looking ice cream maker that you'll be proud to have on display. The compact size means it doesn't require much counter space but still makes a visual statement.

Capacity

The Classic Cuisine 82-KIT1017 ice cream maker has a large 1.5 quart capacity. This allows you to make a generous amount of ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet or sorbet in one batch. With the 1.5 quart capacity, you can make enough frozen desserts for 4-6 people at a time. This makes it a great choice for families, dinner parties or other gatherings where you want to serve homemade frozen treats to a group. The large capacity bowl means fewer batches to make if serving dessert to a crowd. It also cuts down on time spent making batch after batch of ice cream for larger groups. Compared to smaller capacity ice cream machines that hold 1 quart or less, the 1.5 quart capacity of this model is ideal when you want to churn out more servings of frozen desserts at once. Overall, the sizable capacity is one of the biggest advantages of this ice cream maker.

Ease of Use

The Classic Cuisine 82-KIT1017 ice cream maker aims to provide a user-friendly ice cream making experience for home cooks. The process involves just a few simple steps:

1. Prepare your ice cream mixture. The included recipe book provides a variety of options, from classic vanilla to more adventurous flavors.

2. Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl and put the lid on top.

3. Turn on the machine and let the mixing arm churn and aerate the ice cream. This takes around 20-30 minutes.

4. Once the ice cream has reached the desired creamy consistency, it's ready to enjoy!

The process is straightforward enough for beginners to master. However, there are no automatic or pre-programmed options. The machine requires manual operation and oversight during the churning process. Overall, it provides a traditional ice cream making experience without too many complex controls or settings to deal with. The ease of use makes it a good option for casual homemade ice cream makers.

Noise Level

The Classic Cuisine Ice Cream Maker operates at a moderate noise level that is comparable to a household blender or food processor. The ice cream paddle rotating inside the freezing canister produces a low rumbling hum that reviewers describe as unobtrusive enough for kitchen conversations.

Some buyers note the motor noise increases slightly when thicker ice cream mixtures are churned towards the end of the freezing cycle. The majority find the appliance runs quietly throughout the entire process.

While not silent, the Classic Cuisine Ice Cream Maker is not disruptively loud either. The motor produces a tolerable hum that allows owners to listen to music or watch TV while making ice cream. Noise is unlikely to be an issue for most households.

Cleaning

The Classic Cuisine ice cream maker is fairly easy to clean thanks to its detachable freezer bowl. The bowl can be removed from the machine and washed with warm soapy water. Be sure not to submerge the bowl in water, just use a soft sponge or cloth to gently clean it. Avoid using abrasive cleaners or scouring pads that could scratch the bowl.

The dasher paddle and lid are also detachable and dishwasher safe. After each use, remove any excess ice cream stuck to the paddle and lid. You can rinse them under running water and then place in the dishwasher.

The base of the machine just needs to be wiped down with a damp cloth after use. Avoid immersing the base in water.

Overall, the clean-up is straightforward since the bowl and accessories can be removed. Just be gentle when handwashing the freezer bowl to prevent any damage. With regular cleaning after each use, the machine should stay hygienic and free of milky ice cream residue.

Accessories

The Classic Cuisine comes with several handy accessories to help you make perfect ice cream every time. It includes a 1-quart freezing bowl to make up to 1 quart of ice cream, gelato or sorbet in 20-40 minutes. The bowl has a double insulated wall to keep the contents cold. There's also a plastic dasher that scrapes and mixes the ingredients while it freezes to create an even texture.

You get a plastic spatula to serve and scoop out the frozen desserts easily. And it comes with an ice cream recipe booklet with 50 recipes to get you started making delicious flavors like chocolate, strawberry cheesecake, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip, and more. Having all these accessories included makes it very convenient to start making homemade ice cream right out of the box. You don't have to purchase anything separately except the ingredients.

Motor and Cooling

The Classic Cuisine Ice Cream Maker has a powerful motor that delivers fast freezing and churning to produce creamy ice cream, gelato, sherbet or sorbet in around 30 minutes. It uses a compressor freezer with R134a refrigerant rather than a pre-freeze bowl, so you don't have to wait for the bowl to freeze before making your next batch.

The 150W motor provides fast churning at up to 110 rpm. The compressor cools to -30°C/-22°F to ensure proper freezing for smooth textures. It can make up to 1.5 quarts per batch. The whisper quiet motor operates at around 55 decibels for unobtrusive use.

Overall, the compressor system and powerful motor offer rapid freezing and churn times for continuous ice cream making without pauses between batches like freezer bowl machines. This results in reliably creamy and smooth homemade frozen desserts.

Warranty

The Classic Cuisine 82-KIT1017 ice cream maker comes with a one year limited warranty. This covers defects in materials and workmanship for one year from the date of purchase. What's not covered is normal wear and tear, misuse or abuse of the product.

To obtain service under the warranty, customers need to contact Cuisinart via their website or phone number provided in the instruction manual. Proof of purchase is required, either in the form of the receipt, invoice or order confirmation showing the date and place of purchase.

Cuisinart will assess the issue and determine whether it's covered under warranty. If it is, they will provide free repair or replacement of parts. The customer is responsible for packaging and shipping the product to Cuisinart.

One year is a standard warranty length for domestic ice cream machines in this price range. Some higher end models may offer longer warranties. Overall the one year limited warranty provides reasonable protection against early product defects or issues. Just be sure to register the warranty with Cuisinart promptly after purchasing.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Large 1.5 quart capacity makes it easy to make ice cream for the whole family
• Simple control panel is easy to operate
• Transparent lid allows you to watch the freezing process
• Compact countertop size doesn't take up much space
• Free recipe book included gives you ideas for delicious ice cream flavors
• Quiet motor operates smoothly without much noise
• Double insulated walls provide efficient freezing
• Parts are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup

Cons:

• Hand crank can get tiring for some after 15-20 minutes of churning
• Ice cream is a bit soft coming straight out of the machine
• Lid and dasher can be tricky to align properly at first
• Price is on the higher end for manual ice cream makers
• Freezer bowl must be frozen overnight before each use
• Limited 1 year warranty