Apuro DM067-A

It makes Ice Cream and Gelato – This machine has no frills, just two dials, one tells you the temperature the other the timer, the rest is up to you. One minor complaint is that it has no on /off switch so you are going to have to turn it off at the power point or use a wireless smartplug. Winding back the timer is a bit tricky, I found by pressing down I was able to rotate it slowly to off. It is rated at 150W and weighs in at around 12KG , so you don't want to be lugging this in and out of a cupboard, I suggest you find a permanent spot for it. We all know that the difference between Gelato and ice cream is not great , Gelato contains more milk and less fat, so all these fancy machines you see around do all the same thing , they make ice cream .

Many machines have a number of settings, this one is bare bones, so all you need is the machine and some common sense to make decent Ice Cream ,all those settings are just a gimmicks varying time and temperature, and talking of temperature this one peaks out at minus 23 degrees C . My first batch peaked out at minus 22C and my second at minus 18 degrees C the result was neither this way or that way but the second one at the higher temperature was my first choice. You may see claims that this machine peaks out at minus 35 degrees C, it does not, that belongs to it's bigger and more expensive brother. I read of people complaining that their paddle got stuck and would not turn or something snapped off, well all I can say , show some common sense,if this happens the ice cream is ready . Maybe that's indicative of using a machine with masses of settings people maybe expect it to talk to them.

Now to noise, I see some complain about noise , so I put this to rest, it's not noisy. I tested the DB at 68DB at 6 inches and 59DB at 1 metre. Normal conversation is 60DB at 1 metre. You can end up with a stuck inner pail if you leave it wet , make sure you dry it and the cooling shell before you start churning. Most ice Creams can be done in less than 50 minutes and if you pay attention as to when the machine starts to struggle then that is the time you should use.

There is no need to put the ingredients in the fridge before churning, just make sure you have everything mixed and the sugar dissolved with a whisk before hand. Nuts and other things like Rum and raisins ,chocolate powder or chips can be added later in the process. I did a coffee ice cream with a double shot of espresso which I added at the begining and it was delicious. The Ice cream can be messy when getting it out of the pail and you will lose a bit in the transfer to a container, but that can't be avoided regardless of what brand you use..

Don't pay full price for this hunt around , I have seen it at over $600.00 but many suppliers have it much lower you should be able to pick up this commercial grade machine for between $380 and $450.00 delivered. Thats what you will pay for a Breville or a Cuisinart, you just won't get the bells and whistles . This machine also sells under the Buffalo brand , and I see where claims are made it's manufactured in Germany...........wrong company, this is made in China like most of the machines.

It has a one year warranty although I have seen claims it has a 2 year warranty so check that out when buying.

All in all to this point it works as it should and makes creamy Ice Cream and Gelato and I recommend it if you want to start making your own, it will work out cheaper than premium ice Cream, and after all , that is what you are making, comparing it to low grade watered down cheap brands it is more expensive.