Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker BCI600XL, Brushed Stainless Steel

Whether or not this is worth it's above-average price tag really depends on how much you use it. Like any appliance, it's value goes up the more you use it. If you only use it once, then I don't care how amazing your ice cream is, you're not going to agree that your $400 bowl of ice cream was worth it.Like all ice cream makers, the ability to know what you put into your ice cream is a huge draw. Possibly more important is what you *don't* put into your ice cream. Purchasing ice cream from the store is infinitely easier than making your own from scratch, but then so is ordering pizza and fast food over cooking your own, and most of us are aware that doing so comes at it's own cost. If you want to make your own ice cream that is healthier, usually tastes better, and can be made to whatever ice cream cravings you happen to be having at the moment, then you want your own ice cream maker.As to this ice cream maker specifically:Since you're looking at this review, you probably already know that you want *an* ice cream maker, you want to know if this particular ice cream maker is worth it's fairly hefty price tag. Breville's Ice Cream maker tries to make the process of creating your own ice cream as easy as possible by giving you everything you would want in an ice cream maker, all in a convenient and sleek looking package that you would be proud to keep out on your countertop for all to see (and to encourage you to use more often).First off, the biggest difference between ice cream makers is if it comes with it's own refrigeration unit, or it you have to do things like put the bowl in the freezer first or surround it with a ton of ice cubes. This isn't nothing, especially if freezer space is already near maximum like mine often is. This really is an all-in-one. Get your ingredients together, dump them in the machine, set your desired softness, and let it do its thing until it plays the chime/melody you have it set to play, letting you know that your ice cream is ready. And yes, it comes set with whatever Ice Cream Truck jingle you may have grown up with. It can keep the ice cream cold on it's own, and stir it up as necessary to keep your ice cream at the softness level you have it set. Even the always dreaded cleanup is made simple with a base that just pulls out of the machine, and all with easily washable parts.Is it pricy? Yeah, it assuredly isn't going to win any votes from the super-budget minded. Is it a great ice cream machine? Yes, it really is. It does everything you could want it to do, it's very aesthetically pleasing, and you can tell it is very well built. This is not something I can see breaking down on me, something that you always risk when choosing a budget appliance. Is it worth it? That really comes down to how much you'll use it. I have a vegan ice cream book I bought (N'ice Cream: 80+ Recipes for Healthy Homemade Vegan Ice Creams) specifically so I would have all the recipes I'd ever want, to make sure I made use of this purchase. I recommend the book also, even if you're not vegan, as there are some great recipes for inspiration if nothing else.

Update:I've made about 50 quarts since my first review. I still love this machine! Here's one thing to keep in mind:Just like any other device with a compressor, there is a time delay before the compressor turns on, in order to bleed off the gas pressure. This takes off a lot of strain, making it easier to start up. If you watch the thermometer you say "what's up here, the temperature is going Up.". Don't worry, this is absolute normal. The Compresser is just resting. In a few minutes, you'll hear it turn back on and start cooling again.To improve efficiency I bought a second bowl and beater (included with bowl) from the manufacturer's web site. This improved time between batches by about 15 minutes. Place second bowl with mix in your freezer while processing first bowl.OK.... I just opened the box today... Couldn't wait, got to try it.I currently own a few of the machines Where you throw the bowls into the freezer overnight. They work, but the problem is that the bowl starts warming up right after you take it out and start using it. After 45 minutes the temperature increases quite a bit.Using this machine, the bowl, along with the mix gets cooler and cooler as the process continues. Believe me, this seems to make a huge difference with the final result.My wife wanted to follow the recipes included and cooked up a batch. We cooled it, added mashed strawberries, and pushed the AUTO button, and set the hardness to the mi d "Ice Cream" setting. About 45 minutes later, the best Strawberry ice cream, EVER! The constiency (looseness) was about the same as with the machines previously described. However, the "fluffiness" was much better.Second batch from a box of Chochlate Mix. This mix makes only 1 quart. The machine holds 1 1/2 quarts. I set the hardness to max. During the process, I added toasted almonds and some hazelnut stuff. I'll say that although the batch tasted great, the fact that I only made a quart caused some inefficiency in the process. I'll use a box and a half next time. The max hardness setting makes a much better mix.What I really like about this guy is that it seems to whip a lot of air into the mix towards the end of the process. The volume of the batch increases by 10 or 15% during the last 10 minutes. That makes for a great result. The machine is rather quiet, but makes a bit more noise as the batch becomes harder.DRAWBACK. I'm going to gain 10 pounds.

So far I’ve made a few flavors of ice cream and frozen yogurt - the machine works great and the size is perfect. Using and cleaning is relatively simple. Takes about an hour to churn ingredients and get the consistency you want. It could be a bit less noisy but it doesn’t bother me too much.Now for the important part - the ice cream comes out AMAZING! So much better than anything store bought! I followed the recipes that came with the machine and so far they have all exceeded my expectations.