New kitchen toys... I'm in love!

[Sheryl]

Piers and I went shopping today for a new food processor. We started looking at the standard $119 Braun, then upgraded a bit to look at semi commercial ones for $280 (Breville and Sunbeam). My goodness they are goreous with stainless steel bodies and everything.

Then we walked down the next aisle and say a stand alone ice cream maker with it's own little compressor - it's basically like a little freezer. You just plug it in, pour in your ice cream mixture, and press go. It beeps when the ice cream is done. How absolutely amazing is that!! No keeping a big jug in the freezer just in case.

I may be the owner of two new toys tomorrow.. I will let you know! I'm just a little excited!

Cheers,
Sheryl

[Linda1970]

Wow, the ice cream maker sounds amazing! Do you know the brand/model?

[Sheryl]

I don't remember the brand. I'm in Australia... it was about $260 here and very similar to the one here: http://www.sendicecream.com/simmagicecre.html

Cheers,
Sheryl

[rawpriestess]

Oh Sheryl,


HOW TOTALLY COOL!!!,

I love the ice cream maker, please let us know if you get it, and how you like it.

Yes, the champion works beautifully, but it would be nice to not have to leave my guests when I want to make dessert for several people.

[Sheryl]

$199 US is so reasonable too.

Piers has used them commercially in high end restaurants where they made fresh ice cream daily (they cost $1000+). He was always amazed at how wonderful they were, and never really liked my little one you keep frozen. Commercial freezing units like this normally run a couple of thousand dollars!! Just recently I've seem them being produced for home use. I MUST try it!

I will let you know as I think I will be experimenting with it today!! I'm really curious about how scoopable the ice cream will stay if moved as it freezes.

Im also considering the otiginal V Slicer. Does anyone have one? I know you can go high end metal ala Julliano, but don't seem to have local access to them.

Cheers,
Sheryl

[Linda1970]

I found it on Amazon, and it looks good. Please let us know how you like it Sheryl, if you do get it.

[Sheryl]

I'm going to get it... stores open in an hour!!!

Expect an update in a couple of hours. I don't have loads of time though because we have a raw food prep class and dinner party tomorrow. But I can justify going out because I need a new food processor for the class. I LOVE that I work in an industry, where a new kitchen toy is a business expense. How great is that!

Cheers,
Sheryl

[Sheryl]

Here's my update... we went out last night and bought the ice cream maker, AND the semi professional food processor. Managed to knock off about 15% on the price too!

FOOD PROCESSOR
Oh my.. I had no idea how amazing they could be. I've had a Braun for years and *thought* quality didn't really make a difference. The new one is a 1100W motor, a 2 L bowl, sleek stainless steel design, a drawer in the base to hold all accessories, and it works literally about twice as fast as my old one. The food seems to rotate better and fall towards the blades with ease. I am impressed. It's really sexy... if a food processor can be sexy. Here's a photo. It's also easy to wipe down as it's all curves. It actually makes the Vitamix look outdated... it's a sexy machine! The base is taller than that of the Vitamix, and it's quite heavy (lots of motor strength).
http://www.sunbeam.com.au/product_images/LC8900_s.jpg

ICE CREAM MAKER
The maker has it's own freezing unit. You just plug in, let pre chill for 5 minutes, then pour in your ice cream. It made beautiful ice cream in about 30 minutes (I think if we had managed to leave it 40 minutes it would have been better). It was the vanilla ice cream recipe I have posted, and came out WAYYY creamier and nicer than when I've used my small hand crank, leave the base in the freezer, unit (or just freezing it which is what I usually did - no room to freeze the base of the other one). It motor that moved the paddle was a little loud, but the noise reduced after about 5 minutes. The freezing unit is very quiet.

http://www.sunbeam.co.nz/product_images/GL8200_l.jpg


THE DILEMMA
Someone emailed me and told me about the Magimix, which is a food processor from France available in Australia. It has a 3.7 L capacity, which I think sounds amazing for when we entertain, and the bowl is made from the same polycarbonate as the Vitamix... however it is twice the cost of the one I now have, which was $320 AUD. And it doesn't look nearly as sleek. I think I will keep this one! I dream though of a 3.7 litre bowl... that's the one thing that has me considering it.

So what do you think of my new toys?? I bet a couple of you will be off to find ice cream makers like this!!! I think they run about $200 in the US.

Cheers,
Sheryl

[Finding Me]

Congrats on your new toys!!

I do have a question for you about your icecream maker. You use this to make Raw icecreams? Could you explain the process?? Thanks so much!!! :)

[Linda1970]

Sounds wonderful! I'm excited for you! What is the model of the FP?

[Sheryl]

The food processor is from the Sunbeam cafe series. We had it head to head last night at our class with a Cuisinart and it won hands down. I don't have the exact model but there's only one like this on the Sunbeam website.

For the ice cream maker... we're still undecided. The motor isn't that strong, so it doesn't get it to a really nice thick ice cream without sticking it in the freezer for an hour. It does get it quite firm, and totally edible as ice cream as is. I'm happy with it, but my husband who has experience with the $2000 variety thinks it's too weak.

You'll find lots of ice cream recipes on this site... my favourite which I have posted before I'll put here again. It's a delicious thick rich vanilla or chocolate ice cream that is quite like baskin robbins. Even cooked food people agree!

Blend until smooth:
2 cups cashews
2 cups water
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup agave

If you want chocolate just add 1/2 cup raw cacao powder.

You just blend until smooth, then freeze in an ice cream maker. These two recipes though are quite rich, and if you just make them, then place in the freezer for about half a day you get beautiful scoopable ice cream. Any longer than that and they are frozen solid,

I love these two new kitchen toys! Having much fun. AND it looks like I'm getting a new fridge / freezer too (one of the side by side ones) in exchange for an extra Excalibur 9 tray I have. That's a great deal I think!!

Cheers,
Sheryl

[Finding Me]

Thanks for explaining Sheryl!! Have a great day!