Cuisinart FreezeEase
A real compressor in 950 millilitres: three programmes — ice cream, sorbet and frozen yoghurt —, ready in 40 minutes and with nothing to pre-chill. When it finishes it keeps the cold for a whole hour.
Cuisinart's entry model, programmes and all
It is the little one of the house, but not a freezer-bowl machine: it has a compressor and starts cold. Three programmes settle what most people do by eye, and the funnel lets you drop pieces in while it churns without stopping the machine.
Our score, after reading the reviews one by one.
Correct and consistent. The programmes help you not to over-churn, which is the commonest mistake.
You pick a programme and that is it. The funnel for adding ingredients is more useful than it looks.
950 ml: two or three servings per batch.
The three programmes and the hour of cold at the end.
Four things you notice
in use, not on the box
How the ice cream comes out
Creamy and with no surprises. The sorbet programme churns differently from the ice cream one, and it shows.
How long it really takes
Cuisinart quotes 40 minutes. Afterwards it keeps the cold for an hour, which is more than almost any other gives.
Day to day
No pre-chilling. The funnel lets you add the biscuit or chocolate at the end without opening the whole lid.
Footprint
It is one of the compact ones in its range, though Cuisinart does not publish the exact dimensions.
Each one is churned its own way
A sorbet does not ask for the same churning as a cream ice, nor a frozen yoghurt the same as a sorbet. Most domestic machines do the same thing whatever happens and you have to compensate from the recipe. Here the programme takes care of it.
Bowl capacity
Ice cream, sorbet and frozen yoghurt
How long a batch takes
Holding the cold at the end
What it wins and what you have to accept
- Built-in compressor: no need to freeze the bowl beforehand
- The sorbet programme churns differently from the ice cream one
- About 40 minutes per batch, according to Cuisinart
- Keeps the ice cream cold for a full hour after finishing
- Funnel for adding pieces without opening the lid or stopping
- 950 ml falls short as soon as you have guests
- The frozen yoghurt programme churns ready-made yoghurt; it does not ferment milk
Cuisinart FreezeEase specifications
The Cuisinart FreezeEase against its rivals
Severin EZ 7407
More bowl, and it ferments real yoghurt, not just frozen yoghurt.
Springlane ELLI
250 ml more bowl, no programmes.
MEDION MD 10169
Only 22 centimetres tall, for tight shelves.
Cecotec Gelacy 800
A little less bowl and manual control, cheaper.
Would we buy it? Yes, to start out with a compressor without going overboard
It is an honest way in: a compressor, three programmes and an hour of cold afterwards, which almost none of them offer. What it does not offer is litres: 950 millilitres fall short as soon as there are guests. If that works for you, it is one of the most comfortable to use of all the ones we have had.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pre-freeze anything?
No. It has a built-in compressor and starts cooling on its own.
Does the Cuisinart FreezeEase make yoghurt or frozen yoghurt?
Frozen yoghurt: it churns an already-made yoghurt until it turns creamy. It does not ferment the milk, which is another matter.
How many does 950 ml serve?
Two or three servings per batch. And since there is no pre-chilling, you can run another straight after.
What is the funnel for?
For dropping in biscuit, chocolate or fruit while it churns, without opening the lid or stopping the machine.
How long does it hold the cold?
One hour after the batch finishes, according to Cuisinart.
What would we buy instead of the Cuisinart FreezeEase?
The Severin EZ 7407 if you want real yoghurt and a bit more bowl, or the Springlane ELLI if all you want is litres.
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