What's a good ice cream maker to get a kid who loves to cook and wants to be a chef?

For home use there are two types, the bowl in freezer type and the all in one machine with incorporated freezing compressor.

I would get your young chef the type which comes with a bowl and needs to be frozen prior to use. Someone has mentioned it before - Cuisinart if I'm not mistaken (they should cost around $20), but there are other brands too. I started with one of those and got great results, I then moved on to the more exensive type which have a compressor so the machine does the freezing and they just dont work as well (and cost in the region of $400) - I have the Gelato Chef 2000. The problem with them is that they don't freeze the ice cream as quickly which is key to making it. The quicker the freezing time the better ice cream you get. The only drawback of the one with the bowl you have to stick in the freezer is that you can only make one flavour at a time as the bowl will need re-freezing overnight. And a tip is to set your freezer to the lowest temperature possible.

I own and run an ice cream business in the UK selling to restaurant. I started several years ago by practicing at home on the two types of machines I mentioned and higly recommend the bowl in the freezer type, it's cheaper and gives much better results.

Hi MSB, You might find some online,the reason I don't go for named brands with something like this as quite,often they are pretty much the same. I would go for the one with the strongest motor usually I would judge this by the RPM or speed of the motor and the look or feel of the casing nothing too flimsy. I would also use the type where you put the inner chamber in the freezer rather than relying on the machine to do all the work. This might help make the motor last a bit longer. Nothing too expensive about mid range. There are plenty of comparison sites on line and Im sure you will find something to suit your pocket. I have seen them vary in price from about £ 20.00 too well over £500.00 for the more 'professional' worktop ones. There are also many sites for recipes etc.or your budding Chef could experiment by making up his own flavours.

I hope this helps,all the best. Rab

I've had the Cuisinart ice cream maker for almost 15 years and I love it! It is electric and comes with an insert you put in the freezer. You make whatever ice cream flavor you want and then pour it into the frozen insert, set the insert on the base, cover it with the lid (to keep the insert in place) and turn it on. In about 10 to 15 minutes the base has formed. Then you scoop the base into an air-tight container until it is frozen solid (or eat the "soft serve"). I've made ice cream, sorbet, gelato and granita with the machine. I believe it cost about $40 back then and the price hasn't increased all that much. Kudos to your son! I started baking when I was 4 and haven't stopped since! Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Hi there This is a great recipe! Good luck! COFFEE ICE-CREAM # Easy # Serves 6 - 8 # Preparation time: 10 mins. # Freezing time: overnight Ingredients: # 5 teaspoons good instant coffee # ½ cup boiling water # 1 14 fl oz / 410g tin condensed milk # 1 cup cream You will need a 9" / 23cm loaf tin. Method: 1. Line the loaf tin with silver foil, making sure that the foil hangs over the sides of the tin, and that there are no tears. 2. In a bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in the boiling water. Allow to cool. 3. Add condensed milk to the coffee mixture. Stir and allow to become absolutely cold. 4. Beat cream until if forms soft peaks. 5. Fold cream gently into coffee mixure, taking care not to over-beat. 6. Pour the coffee mixture into the lined loaf tin. Freeze overnight. 7. Remove from the freezer about 5 minutes before serving. Set the bottom of the loaf tin in a basin of hot water for a few seconds. Then invert the tin onto a serving plate and turn out. Peel away the silver foil and discard. 8. Sprinkle a layer of nut brittle over the top of the ice-cream. Allow to soften for a few minutes before serving. Serve in slices. NUT BRITTLE Ingredients: # 4oz / 120g pecan nuts # 4oz / 120g / ½ cup sugar Method: 1. Oil a large dinner plate or steel baking tray. Don't use a non-stick tray. 2. Put the sugar in a pan over a low heat until the sugar melts. Don't stir! 3. When the sugar turns pale brown, stir gently with a long spoon (so you don't get burnt by splatters.) 4. Allow the sugar to caramelize until a golden brown and then remove from the stove immediately. The sugar will carry on cooking in the pan so you need to work quickly otherwise the mixture can get too dark. 5. Quickly add the nuts to the caramel. 6. Turn the mixture onto the oiled baking tray and cool. 7. When cold, remove the slab of nut brittle to a chopping board and chop into tiny shards.

If you are into spending the money a kitchen-aid stand mixer might be the all in one gift you are looking for. They are available with attachments ranging from an ice cream maker to a meat grinder. I myself am a chef and would love to see one under my tree. I can promise you that he will get much use out of it for years to come.

look at stores like . Penney's or sears, restaurant supply.