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Ice Cream Makers

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Nothing makes a hot summer day complete like a big bowl of homemade ice cream.

Little kids and big kids alike love the cool, creamy taste of homemade ice cream on a hot, sunny day. Buying frozen concoctions at the store or supermarket is always an option, but for a true taste sensation try making ice cream with fresh ingredients right at home.

Homemade ice cream begins with basic household ingredients. Sugar, cream, milk and flavorings like vanilla, strawberries or cocoa is all you need. At the touch of a button, your homemade ice cream machine will turn these ingredients into something truly marvelous. It can also be used to make sorbet, frozen yogurt, slush and frozen beverages. It's so easy to use, that you and the kids can make homemade ice cream whenever you feel like a sweet treat.

How can something so wonderful be so easy to use? Just follow these easy steps:

1. Inside the ice cream maker, seated in its belly, are storage containers. You will pour your blended ingredients into this storage container.

2. The mixture is then drawn into the freezing chamber that is edged with refrigerant liners.

3. Next, electric motors attached to agitator blades of the mixer fluff up the ingredients to make them creamier.

4. The ice cream sets in the refrigerated chamber and begins to firm up.

5. To serve, simply raise the handle on the dispenser unit, and the ice cream will fall into your bowl or cone.

In the past, entire families would take turns cranking the old-fashioned ice cream maker. Ingredients were mixed in a prepared metal container, which was kept cold by storing it in a mixture of ice and salt. All of the kids, mom and dad would help by turning the crank to move the paddles, or by stirring the ingredients with a wooden paddle. This took a lot of effort, but the results were so sweet. Over the years improvements were made to the ice cream making process. For example, motorized paddle agitators were fitted into metal containers. Of course, today's machines can churn out the same quality of tasty ice cream at the push of a button.

If you have kids or grandkids, pick up an ice cream maker to create a sweet treat for any occasion.