Lello 4080 Musso Lussino 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker, Stainless - 110/120V 60 HZ

Just as an FYI for those reading, my point of reference this review when it comes to making ice cream is the Kitchen Aid ice cream attachment I currently have. I put the freezer bowl in my deep freeze which cools it to about -5F (about -21C ) based on my kitchen thermometer probe against the side of the bowl when I remove it. Its been a solid workhorse and I had no complaints with how the ice cream comes out once put into containers and frozen, but I wanted to up my game and go with a machine that had a built in compressor and was dedicated to making frozen treats like ice cream. This arrived last night and couldn't wait to put a batch of chocolate through it (I prepared my base in preparation for its arrival). That being said, here's my review.The packaging was absolutely excellent. There is a lot of form-fitting foam around the unit protecting it as I hoped there would be for an expensive, heavy unit like this. When I look at getting something I go right to the 1 star reviews to see what problems people had. One review said the unit made clunking sounds when it was running and another said the compressor didn't chill the bowl so I inspected it very carefully for damage. Fortunately my unit seemed damage free. I also inspected so carefully because even though the ad says sold and shipped by Amazon, it was sent by UPS instead of an amazon delivery driver and the UPS driver left the box on its side instead of following the "this end up" arrows on the box. I attribute it arriving damage free due to how much formed foam is guarding it as well as the construction (stainless steel and REAL SCREWS AND BOLTS as opposed to interlocking plastic).I set it on the counter and gave it some time for the refrigerant to settle (about an hour I guess? I'm not sure I was eager to get started) and turned on the chiller to ensure the chilling unit was working fine. Lets just say that the chiller worked REALLY well.So, now that my concerns from issues that some people had were put to rest, how did it work compared to my freezer bowl attachment? Two words: Next level.The minute the first batch was processing I knew this was going to be a night and day difference. I was only 6 minutes in and could tell a difference. At 12 minutes in the ice cream was looking smooth and absolutely luscious. At 21 minutes the ice cream was so thick it almost bogged down the motor to a complete halt so I shut the chiller off and let it run for another 2 minutes before removing the ice cream. The picture attached is a frame grab from a video I made at the 23 minute mark when I decided to scoop it out. It pulls out of the maker like firm soft serve. The taste test was incredible! Absolutely smooth, creamy and luscious! Even when put in a container and frozen down to deep freeze temperatures it scoops easier than ice cream from my KA attachment and you get that "ruffled" surface from the scoop. It doesn't lose that creaminess either.Now don't get me wrong, my KA attachment when frozen in my deep freezer made great ice cream and keep in mind its going to be your ingredient choices that largely dictate your end result, but when it comes to turning your base into ice cream this machine does everything better if not outright "crushing" my KA attachment. The ice cream really is "next level." It comes out of the machine firmer while whipping in a little more air to give it a creamier texture. And of course, since I don't have to freeze a bowl I have the liberty to make as much as I want when I want without having to wait for a bowl to freeze overnight.Two final comments about this unit. Since you're probably coming from a freezer bowl unit to this, watch your first batch carefully. My KA attachment was able to get my ice cream to soft serve but the compressor in this unit can get it your base so cold and frozen you can bog the motor down to a complete halt. Get to know the machine before you set the timer and walk away. If the motor bogs down turn off the compressor let it run for a minute and you're ready to scoop out. Second, being one piece construction the bowl doesn't come out, but it does clean up as easy as the instructions say with a warm wet sponge. Unscrew the nut and you can remove the beater to clean separately.Although the only freezer bowl version of an ice cream maker I have is the KA attachment, I feel pretty confident to say this maker will take your ice cream game to the next level. If you love ice cream enough that shelling out the cash for this machine is in your budget and you've been waffling over this purchase, I say go for it. I freely admit I'm still in the "initial purchase" romantic phase with this maker, but I have zero regrets. For me, it was absolutely worth it.

This machine is a beast among kitchen appliances. All stainless outside, a stainless metal churning blade (dasher), and it weighs close to 40 pounds. It is built to last, and is truly a mini-industrial appliance, as well as being beautiful kitchen art (it IS Italian!), with every external part clad in shiny metal - the only plastics to be seen are the clear lid, legs, timer dial and the two function buttons (and the provided scoop). It also does what it was made to do, flawlessly - make ice cream. And not just "ice cream" - gelato, soft-serve, hard cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet - every type of frozen confection. And it does it in about 15 to 20 minutes, average.Ice cream is, basically, a pretty simple confection - water/milk/cream, sugar, and other "stuff." Mixed together and frozen. The "mix together" and "freezing" parts are where it gets complicated. The mixing and freezing make all the difference in the mouth feel, texture, workability (scooping, plopping on your ice cream cone, plate or cup), consistency, and overall perceived "quality" of the ice cream. No one likes ice cream with big chunks of ice in it, or hard in one spot, soft in another, or a titanium brick when you try to scoop it. This machine makes perfectly consistent ice cream, batch after batch, ready to serve out of the machine, or to put in your freezer. It does this by rapid churning and rapid cooling, making the smallest crystals perfectly blended, resulting in an even, smooth blend of ingredients, chilled to the perfect stage of completion.As far as the machine itself, in this age of Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, digital readouts, iPhone and Android apps, it's an absolute evolutionary throwback. It has three controls - a twist dial 'click' timer (which doesn't go backwards - when you set it for 30 minutes, it will click down to 30 minutes until it stops), and two function buttons - one to turn on the churning blade and one to turn on the compressor (it's a compressor machine that chills internally - no freezing extra containers, no ice, no rock salt). That's it. The function of the timer is to power the buttons - when the timer is running, the buttons work. When the timer is off, pressing the buttons does nothing. The timer is actually probably redundant (there is no alarm), except as a reminder, or to make sure the machine is off when it stops, because you will be monitoring the final stages of your mix - ice cream mixes and freezes, as you probably know, at it's own pace - it's done when it's done, depending on a hundred variables, even with the same mix. You'll actually hear a change in the motor as the ice cream hardens, and the blades will move slower - in fact on this machine, when the ice cream is completely set, the blades will stop - time to take it out. For those who are particular about their ice cream and to reduce stress on the motor, most mixes are best removed when the mix reaches an optimum temp: 21F-23F (the "draw" temperature), which can be measured with a cheap IR thermometer. And I've never had a batch take more than 30 minutes, although I suppose there might be exotic ingredients that might take longer - but I can't imagine any mix taking the full 60 minute maximum on the timer. Adding ingredients at any time is as simple as lifting the plastic mixing cavity cover and dropping them in.Cleanup is actually a breeze, in spite of the non-removable mixing cavity - it's all stainless. Just scoop out the ice cream, remove the blade by lifting out after unscrewing the retaining nut (you do need to cover the exposed blade shaft to prevent liquid getting inside - I did it with a simple rubber spacer), and remove the remaining ice cream. You then just wipe out the bowl with soapy water after it warms up slightly, rinse with a damp towel and dry. Finished. You learn not to be messy (with any ice cream machine), and minimize drips on counter or self.The weak point of the machine is the 1 year warranty - and the cost. Well over $700, a 1 year warranty is nervous-making, although I don't know how many have had to use it - I consequently highly recommend Amazon's extended warranty, and I don't usually purchase add-on warranties. You may never need it (and likely won't - it's really an industrial quality build), but nice to have on such an expensive machine. The cost is worth it, to me, because I bought the machine to do one thing - make ice cream. And it does this superbly. Highly recommended.

Long researching brought me to this product and it does what you expect. Other brands like Whynter and other will make ice well enough but “good enough” wasn’t what I wanted. With food going up in price, using the right machine and it doing the best job makes the most sense. Very easy to use. The taste, and texture is a premium product.The price is high, and for most this is a splurge buy. If you can, you should. It’s a professional grade machine that, if taken care of, should last a long time.Some are curious on how to clean, it’s very simple. With a sponge you can load with warm soapy water and use the sponge to suck up the left over liquids. A bit time consuming but it’s worth what you get out of it.Quality build and functions are as clear as day. Perhaps now the machine has been updated, reviews here and online bring up the cons of the timer ticking too loud. Mine does not do that. Another con was the leg not being level. Mine is level. Last con was a gap in the pin that holds the dasher. Mine has what looks like a plastic mold to prevent too much from getting in.Perhaps this machine was updated over time and I am extremely satisfied with this machine and since getting it, on day one I was making strawberry and pineapple sorbet from fresh fruit. Both amazing.If you can, you should.