I've owned this ice cream maker since July and am still very happy with it. For once you can believe the hype because this machine works as well as the claims made by various reviewers. Yes, it is expensive; but if you LOVE ice cream and want a machine that can handle big jobs, consider this model a sound investment. You CAN make multiple batches of ice cream within a single afternoon, or whenever the urge to churn frozen desserts hits you. A few weeks ago, I decided to put this machine to the test and made 5 X 1 quart back-to-back batches of ice cream, and it worked. The machine did not overheat and each batch came out with a firm soft-serve consistency, which was perfect. For faster freezing, you'll want your ingredients to be cold when going in the machine. I found that if the dessert batter was around the recommended 40 degrees range, the freezing time was about 20 - 25 minutes. For warmer batches, of course you will need to add more time to the freezing process.
Here are the Pros of the Musso:
This machine is solid stainless steel, including the mixing blade. The quality and durability of this machine is reminiscent of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. It's solid like a tank. The only part of this machine that isn't steel, is its plastic lid.
The plastic lid is the same size as the workbowl, so you can easily add ingredients, by the fistfull if you want. Other models included a small opening that was only big enough to allow liquid or a peanut or small piece of candy to be added. The fact that the lid is transparent allows you to watch your frozen dessert being made.
Ease of use - No bowls to freeze or messy salt crystals. This machine only has 2 buttons for operation: a churn and chill switch as well as a timer that has to be selected before the churn and chill options will work. The trick when using the machine is to factor in ahead of time how much time you will need for a batch. I recommend adding an extra 10 minutes on the timer for a batch, just in case it takes longer to reach the desired frozen state. The extra minutes should also include 5 minutes of just starting the chill mode to get the machine cold before adding the ice cream batter. Typically, if your ice cream base is already near 40 degrees, expect the churning process to take 25 minutes. Selecting at least 35 minutes on the timer should work out nicely. Once the timer is set, you can't add or remove time from it; you have to allow it to run out before resetting it. If you don't include enough time on the timer, the churn and chill features will stop and it will take at least 5 minutes for the refrigerant to re-calibrate itself and you don't want to lose those minutes on a frozen or near frozen dessert!
The looks of the Musso. It's shiny, stylish, cute and to borrow the description of this machine from Cooks Catalog, the cylinder shape of this machine with the rubber feet and 2 green lit buttons (for churn & chill) makes this model resemble R2-D2. Think of this little guy as your ice cream robot! He's ready to crank out sweet treats for you with the push of 2 buttons.
The motor - I disagree with others who said the motor was loud. It's not as loud as my dishwasher. It's not so loud that you cannot hold a conversation with someone in the same room as the Musso. Also, I am impressed by how strong the motor appears to be. I've witnessed it continue to churn through extremely thick ice creams. It will hesitate as the mixture gets ultra thick and frozen and fortunately, there is an automatic shut off mode to prevent it from burning out.
Cons:
Although the manual states the workbowl can hold up to a quart and a half of ice cream, do not add the liquid to produce a quart and a half of frozen dessert, unless you're prepared for an overflow. Stick with the 1 quart or 5 cup recipes and you'll be fine. As for where the maximum fill point is in your workbowl, it is at the middle of the straight part of your mixing blade; this is about 1.5 inches from the top of the workbowl. Do not exceed this point.
The price. But, you'll get a quality made machine which is harder to find these days when so many manufacturers compromise quality for quantity. This is not the case this time. You will be getting a quality built machine. However, I do not know what its life expectancy is.
Some more tips ... the lug nut that secures the blade over the spindle is very small, but important to keep, so be careful not to lose it. Also, do not screw it too tightly on the machine. I did this once and could not remove it until taking a pair of plyers to it. Also, when placing the blade over the spindle, there is a slit at the top of the blade shaft that is supposed to slide down and fit exactly on the top of the spindle's rectangular tip. I wasn't aware of this until experimenting with it at the very beginning. It still churned, but the spindle wobbled a little. No damage was done fortunately.
I highly recommend this machine.
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