Lakeland digital ice cream maker

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How easy is the Lakeland digital ice cream maker to use?

Assembling this model was a super simple job; everything is relatively intuitive and the lid locks into place with a satisfying click.

The paddle is quite flexible, but this didn’t affect the results. It also comes with a little plastic spindle to connect the paddle to the control unit – it’s very small, so potentially easy to lose, we'd recommend keeping it somewhere safe or attached to the paddle.

There are two buttons on the top of the control unit: one power button, one timer. The digital display is very small, which might be a problem for those that struggle with their eyesight.

The countdown timer runs for up to 40 minutes and is set in five minute increments.

Results

We made our ultimate vanilla ice cream and lemon sorbet in this model. The manual said that ice cream should take just 25 minutes, and it did not disappoint. Our vanilla ice cream was smooth, well-mixed and aerated. There wasn’t too much of a build up of ice cream on the inside bowl, just a thin film coated the inside.

It froze very well, too; after 24 hours in the freezer, the ice cream was just as smooth. It melted slowly and was still delicious.

We were a little concerned that our sorbet wouldn’t freeze, as the sorbet mix was very liquid. However, after 25 minutes of churning, we enjoyed a smooth, grit-free lemon sorbet. It wasn’t the firmest –we’d recommend serving immediately or giving the mix a blast in the freezer if you’re planning on serving later. Again, after 24 hours in the freezer, there was no change to the texture or mouthfeel of the sorbet.

Despite some initial reservations about the paddle, it produced fantastic results. It aerated very well, producing light, whipped sorbet and ice cream.

We love the clear lid, which meant we could check on the progress, and the little chute at the front means its easy to add in extras.

Conclusion

There’s a lot to really like about this Lakeland ice cream maker. It's a steal, particularly when you take into account the quality of the ice cream and sorbet it produces.

It fits neatly inside a standard freezer, and it’s very easy to clean thanks to removable parts.

It’s small, compact and free from frills. It’s controlled by simple timer and on/off controls, so is delightfully uncomplicated. It’s easy to store, too.

Specifications

Wattage: 12W
Pre-freeze or self-freezing: pre-freeze
Accessories: N/A
Pre-set functions: none
Dimensions (cm): H: 23 x W: 21 x D: 20
Bowl capacity: 1.5L

Ice cream recipes

Ultimate vanilla ice cream
Strawberry ice cream
Vegan vanilla ice cream
Buttermilk, brown sugar and rye bread ice cream
Malt chocolate ice cream
Cranachan ripple ice cream
Gooseberry ice cream

Sorbet recipes

Mango sorbet
Raspberry sorbet
Elderflower sorbet
Lemon sorbet
Rhubarb and star anise sorbet
Gooseberry, elderflower and sauvignon sorbet
Refreshing lychee and lime sorbet

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This review was last updated in April 2021. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk