Review · Compressor ice cream maker
Springlane ELLI
The smallest in the Springlane range with a compressor: 135 watts and a 1.2-litre bowl. The cheapest in the Springlane range: ice cream with nothing to pre-chill.
1,2 L
of tub
135 W
of compressor
39 cm
wide
The short answer
The cheapest Springlane with a compressor
It is an ice cream maker with a real compressor, and that already puts it above any bowl you have to put in the freezer the night before. But among the compressor machines it is the bottom rung: 135 watts and a 1.2-litre bowl. If you can stretch, any of its bigger sisters will last you more years before becoming too small.
Ideal if the budget decides and you want to start right away
Buyer reviews
4,0
out of 5
Our score, after reading the reviews one by one.
How the ice cream turns out
Creamy for its size: its own compressor makes the difference against freezer bowls.
Ease of use
LCD display and timer, like its big sisters.
Capacity
1.2-litre bowl: enough for three or four servings per batch.
Quality and price
The cheapest in the range, and the one with the longest track record behind it.
How well it works
Four things you notice
in use, not on the box
How the ice cream comes out
Creamy, though at 135 W it brings the temperature down a little more slowly than its sisters.
How long it really takes
Springlane quotes 45 minutes per batch, and more if you fill the bowl completely.
Day to day
There is nothing to pre-chill: switch it on and off it goes. Removable steel bowl.
Footprint
39 × 26 × 21.5 cm: it asks for the least space of the whole range.
The entry step
The minimum for a real compressor
This is where the line runs: below this machine there are only freezer bowls that demand putting the bowl in the freezer the night before. The ELLI already has a compressor, so you can decide to make ice cream and make it. The price of that line is power and capacity.
135 W
The smallest compressor in the range
1,2 L
Bowl capacity
3–4
Servings per batch
No pre-freezing
The advantage it does keep
The balance
What it gains
and what you have to accept
The best of it
- Its own compressor: no need to pre-freeze the bowl the night before
- The cheapest in the compressor range
- LCD screen with timer
- Removable steel bowl
- The one that takes least worktop space
What you have to accept
- 135 W and 1.2 litres: the lowest rung of its brand
- It falls short as soon as you want more quantity or more flavours
- It does not make yoghurt
- The recipe booklet doesn't give balanced formulas; the recipe is up to you
Specifications
Specifications of the
Springlane ELLI
135 W
Power
1,2 L
Bowl capacity
45 min
Ice cream ready in
No
Makes yoghurt
LCD with timer
Display
Steel, removable
Bowl
39 × 26 × 21,5 cm
Dimensions
9,5 kg
Weight
Alternatives · Compressor ice cream makers
The Springlane ELLI
against its rivals
These four compete in its bracket. The ELLI costs today —: these reviews tell you what you gain and what you lose with each one.
If you can stretch a little
Springlane EMMA
Springlane
Power
150 W
Capacity
1.5 L (1 L usable)
Makes yoghurt
No
Price today
—
For a little more, an extra 15 W and 300 ml of bowl: the jump you notice most.
If you want it to last years
Springlane ELISA 2.0
Springlane
Power
220 W
Capacity
2 L
Makes yoghurt
Yes
Price today
—
Almost twice the bowl, more power and real yoghurt.
Si quieres dos litros ya
H. Koenig HF320
H. Koenig
Power
180 W
Capacity
2 L
Makes yoghurt
No
Price today
—
Two litres and 180 W without paying for the yoghurt programme.
The other end of the range
Springlane ERIKA
Springlane
Power
250 W
Capacity
2,5 L
Makes yoghurt
Yes
Price today
—
Two and a half litres and 250 watts, with an eight-hour yoghurt programme.
The verdict
Would we buy it?
Only if the budget really rules
We include it because the range has to be complete and because a cheap compressor machine is still better than an expensive freezer bowl. But if you ask us, it is not the one we would buy: if the gap to one with 150 W and 1.5 litres is small, go up. With homemade ice cream, capacity and power are exactly what you miss the following year.
Its own compressor
1.2 L bowl
The most compact
Answers to your questions
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth it, being the cheapest?
It is an ice cream maker with a real compressor, and that already puts it above any bowl that has to be pre-chilled. But it is the bottom rung of its brand: if you can stretch, a bigger sister will last you more years before becoming too small.
How many people does 1.2 litres serve?
For one person or for trying out recipes. As soon as you want to invite someone, you will find yourself doing two batches.
¿135 W son pocos vatios?
It is the most modest compressor in the range. It makes ice cream, but takes longer to bring the temperature down and suffers more if you string batches together.
Do you have to pre-freeze anything?
No, and that is its big advantage over freezer-bowl machines: it chills on its own.
Does it make yoghurt?
No. Ice cream only.
Which would you buy instead?
The H. Koenig HF320 if you do not need yoghurt, or the ELISA if you want everything in one machine. Both have 2 litres and 180 W.
Recipes to break it in
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