The Pioneer Woman 4 Quart Ice Cream Maker, Sweet Rose

Well, this definitely has to be the prettiest ice cream maker on the market. The red inner bucket and the floral rings decorating the outer bucket make it so colorful (my husband wasn’t quite as thrilled about that as I was, but it’s all good). It’s extremely easy to set up and I had no problem understanding the instruction manual. There aren’t any included mixes, so you’ll need to get the ice cream ingredients, ice, and rock salt. There are several recipes in the back of the manual, which is helpful. One thing you’ll notice right away is that the machine is fairly loud while it’s churning—and it will remain loud for the 45 minutes of churning it has to do. I imagine that’s unavoidable—I don’t know how the noise level compares to other makers because this is the first electric maker I’ve ever used. I just know it was a bit noisy in the kitchen. As it churns, you’ll see the mixture getting thicker until the churning slows way down & then actually stops on its own. I like the automatic stopping feature so I don’t have to guess when it’s really ready. I also like how steady the bucket is, that it makes a good amount for a small to medium crowd (4 quarts), and that clean up is very easy & straightforward (water & soap). If you follow the directions exactly, you’ll end up with a creamy, smooth ice cream that’s quite tasty. Obviously, the time investment & cost of all the ingredients needed when tallied up is more than buying most pre-made ice creams at the store, so I likely will use this as a fun activity with the grandkids and for special events.