Making ice cream is big business - yes, of course for the commercial ice cream producers such as Ben & Jerry's, Baskin-Robbins or Dreyers but also for the manufacturers and retailers of the type of ice cream maker that you can buy for home use.
Ice cream has been popular for as long as I can remember, starting with the simple ice cream cone you could buy as a child from the ice cream truck when it came round through to today when supermarkets stock a wonderful, wide range of ice cream flavors you can just put in your trolley, check out and take home to enjoy at your leisure.
Over recent years, however, there's been a significant increase in the number of people interested in home cooking and recipes. In line with that, manufacturers have recognised the need to supply these people with more machines and gadgets to help them with their homemade foods. From juicers to smoothie makers to bread makers ... the list goes on.
When it comes to ice cream makers we are almost spoilt for choice. There are the larger sized, 'professional' type ice cream makers that retail for around $700 in the USA such as the Lello 4080 Musso Lussino 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker (via Amazon) and in the UK there's the incredibly popular Gaggia Geletiera 74500N Ice Cream Maker that retails for around £260. There's also a good range of less expensive ice cream makers of course that are still really quick and efficient as they have their own built-in freezers so you can freeze the ice cream as it mixes and batches (ready in about 20 minutes from when you put your mixture in the machine). At the 'value for money' end of the range there are ice cream makers which require the use of a freezer before the ice cream is ready, hence it takes longer to produce the ice cream.
If you have never made ice cream before don't worry about getting the best ice cream maker that money can buy - get what you can afford and just have a go. The important thing is to have some good ice cream recipes to follow and to make your ice cream with enthusiasm! Don't be afraid to try out new ideas too. Like any other food, when ice cream is made properly, it's wonderful.
Looking at the statistics of visitors to my website, it's clear that year upon year there is an increase in the number of people searching for ice cream maker recipes. The rise of the ice cream machines goes on!