Narcissus BL300 Ice Cream Machine: Full Review

The Narcissus BL300 is an electric ice cream maker that allows you to create homemade frozen desserts like ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt right at home. This compact countertop appliance features a simple, user-friendly design with a large 1.5-quart capacity stainless steel bowl for making up to 1.6 quarts of ice cream.

Some of the key features of the Narcissus BL300 include:

• Powerful built-in compressor for fast freezing
• Digital control panel with timer and temperature settings
• Double-insulated freezer bowl to keep contents cold
• Paddle dasher for even mixing and aeration
• Motor protection system to prevent overheating
• Quiet operation while churning
• Easy to disassemble parts for cleaning
• Includes ice cream recipes and accessores like paddle and scraper

With the Narcissus ice cream maker, you have the ability to customize and control the ingredients and process, allowing you to create artisanal-quality ice cream at home.

Design

The Narcissus BL300 has a sleek, modern look with its rounded edges and matte white finish. It measures approximately 18 inches tall by 11 inches wide, making it a good size for most kitchen countertops without taking up too much space. It weighs around 17 pounds when empty, so it's not too heavy to move around. The housing is made from BPA-free plastic, which gives it a clean, hygienic look. The ice cream bucket that holds the finished product is stainless steel with a plastic lid. Overall, the design is simple yet aesthetically pleasing, able to fit nicely into most kitchen decors.

In contrast, the Elite Gourmet EIM1400M offers a compact design with a retro-inspired look, featuring a vibrant color scheme that stands out in any kitchen. It has a user-friendly interface and a clear lid that lets you monitor the ice cream-making process. The machine's 1.5-quart capacity is perfect for small gatherings, allowing you to whip up delicious frozen treats for friends and family. The durable construction ensures it can withstand frequent use while delivering consistent performance.

Capacity

The Narcissus BL300 ice cream machine can make up to 1.5 quarts of ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt, or sorbet in a single batch. This is enough to serve approximately 6 people generous portions of homemade frozen desserts. The 1.5 quart capacity stainless steel bowl detaches from the main unit for easy transfer of ingredients and allows you to prepare the mixture in advance before freezing if desired. With ingredients pre-chilled ahead of time, the machine can produce a fresh batch of frozen desserts in as little as 25-40 minutes. The capacity is ideal for most households and small gatherings. Larger families may want to consider a model with a bigger bowl size for churning out more servings per batch. But the BL300's respectable capacity still enables you to churn out multiple batches in succession if needed for a larger crowd. Overall, the 1.5 quart capacity offers very good versatility for homemade frozen desserts.

For those looking for another option, the Hamilton Beach 68330N is a great choice that can produce up to 4 quarts of ice cream in one go. This larger capacity makes it perfect for parties or large families, allowing you to serve more guests without the need for multiple batches. The Hamilton Beach model features a built-in cooling system that keeps your ice cream at the ideal temperature until it’s ready to be served. Easy to clean and maintain, it's designed with convenience in mind, ensuring that homemade ice cream is just as enjoyable as it is simple to make.

Ease of Use

The Narcissus BL300 ice cream maker is designed to be very easy to use. The control panel features just two buttons - one to turn the machine on/off, and another to start the freezing cycle.

Making ice cream is straightforward:

1. Add your ice cream ingredients to the removable inner bowl and place it in the main housing.

2. Turn on the machine and press the start button. The freezing cycle will begin automatically, churning and cooling the mixture.

3. Let it run for 20-40 minutes until your ice cream reaches the desired consistency. The exact time will depend on the recipe and volumes you are making.

4. Once ready, the machine will automatically stop churning. You can then remove the inner bowl, scoop out your freshly made ice cream and enjoy!

The simple two button operation makes the ice cream making process hassle free. You don't have to monitor any temperatures, timers or settings - just press start and let the machine do all the work. Both kids and adults will find it super easy to get homemade style ice cream in minutes.

Speed

The Narcissus BL300 ice cream machine can churn out a batch of ice cream in around 30-40 minutes. This is a decent churn time for a domestic ice cream maker in this price range. Faster models with built-in compressors can churn ice cream in as little as 20 minutes, but they come at a much higher cost.

For an ice cream machine that requires pre-freezing the mixing bowl, the Narcissus delivers good speeds. It can churn approximately 1.5 quarts of ice cream mixture during each 30-40 minute freezing cycle. Just keep in mind that you'll need to factor in the time needed to pre-freeze the bowl, which adds about 6-8 hours before you can start a new batch.

The paddle attaches to a motorized dasher that continually scrapes and mixes the ice cream as it freezes. This helps incorporate air and prevent ice crystals from forming. The mixing process continues until the ice cream reaches the right creamy, smooth texture after 30-40 minutes. While not the fastest churn time, it produces high quality homemade ice cream with minimal effort.

Noise Level

The Narcissus ice cream maker operates at a reasonable noise level that is comparable to standard home kitchen appliances. When churning a batch of ice cream, it produces a low hum that is not disruptive. Some users may notice a bit more noise when the mixing arm scrapes the sides of the bowl to incorporate ingredients, but this is infrequent. Overall, the noise does not make conversation impossible and will not disturb others throughout your home. The Narcissus is quiet enough for nighttime ice cream preparation without waking sleeping family members. While not the quietest ice cream maker on the market, the noise level is acceptable for most home kitchens. You can carry on as normal while enjoying homemade frozen desserts without loud machine disruption.

Cleaning

Cleaning the Narcissus Ice Cream Machine is straightforward thanks to the removable bowl, dasher, and lid that are all dishwasher safe. The bowl and dasher come apart easily for handwashing as well. There are no complicated parts that require lengthy disassembly or scrubbing. Simply let the bowl and dasher soak in warm soapy water to loosen any remaining ice cream residue before washing. The nonstick coating prevents most messes from sticking on in the first place too. Just be sure not to use abrasive scouring pads during cleaning to avoid scratching the bowl. Overall, clean up takes just a few minutes with either handwashing or the dishwasher. The simplicity makes it easy to churn up batch after batch without needing to agonize over washing.

Accessories

The Narcissus BL300 comes with everything you need to start making homemade ice cream and other frozen treats. The package includes a bowl with removable freezer bowl, mixing paddle, ice cream spoon, and a recipe book.

The freezer bowl has a 1.5 quart capacity and needs to be frozen for at least 24 hours before using the machine. This ensures the bowl gets cold enough to churn ice cream properly. The mixing paddle attaches to the motor drive and churns the ice cream mixture as it freezes in the cold bowl.

A clear plastic lid allows you to view the ice cream as it churns and thickens. The included ice cream scoop is designed to efficiently scoop hard ice cream from the frozen bowl.

The recipe book provides easy instructions for making ice cream, gelato, sorbet, yogurt, and more. It includes both no-cook recipes as well as custard-based ice creams. With the accessories included with the Narcissus BL300, you'll have everything you need to make delicious frozen desserts at home.

Warranty

The Narcissus BL300 ice cream maker comes with a 1 year warranty. This covers any defects in materials or workmanship for 1 year from the date of purchase.

The warranty is fairly standard for ice cream machines in this price range. A 1 year warranty provides peace of mind that the machine will function properly for at least the first year of use. If any issues come up during that time period, Narcissus will repair or replace the unit free of charge.

Some high-end ice cream machines do come with longer warranties, around 2-5 years. So the 1 year coverage on the BL300 is on the shorter side. But for a mid-range appliance like this, a 1 year warranty is reasonable.

Just be sure to register the product with Narcissus to take full advantage of the warranty. Keep your receipt or proof of purchase, as you'll need this if you ever need to make a warranty claim.

Overall the 1 year warranty provides adequate protection on the BL300 for the first year. After that you'd be on your own for any repairs or replacement costs. But the machine should function reliably for many years if properly cared for and maintained.

Pros and Cons

The Narcissus BL300 ice cream maker has a number of benefits as well as some drawbacks that are worth considering.

Pros:

• Large 1.5 quart capacity allows you to make ice cream for the whole family or big batches for parties.
• Sleek modern stainless steel exterior looks great on any countertop.
• Easy to use with pre-programmed settings and auto shut off. Just add ingredients, turn it on, and frozen dessert is ready in minutes.
• Quiet motor operation won't disrupt conversations.
• Removable bowl, dasher, and lid make cleanup a breeze. Just rinse under warm water.
• Comes with a recipe book, so you can experiment with different ice cream flavors.
• 2 year warranty provides peace of mind.

Cons:

• Price is on the higher side, so it may be out of budget for some buyers.
• Design is quite bulky, so it takes up a decent amount of space for storage.
• Can't add mix-ins while machine is operating. You have to add them after ice cream is done.
• Needs to be disassembled and cleaned after each use to prevent mold growth.
• Production takes around 40 minutes, which is slower than some other machines.
• Automatic settings limit customization capabilities compared to machines with manual controls.

Overall, the Narcissus BL300 is a solid choice for an automatic ice cream maker that delivers delicious results with minimal effort required. It's ideal for those looking for convenient batches of ice cream at home. Just be prepared for the higher price tag and slower production time compared to some competitors.