PRIMO PR406IM
A one-litre removable steel bowl, its own compressor, 100 W in total and three modes: mix, chill and make ice cream. Sixty minutes per batch and nothing to pre-chill.
A litre of steel for very little money
PRIMO is a Benelux home appliance brand. This ice cream maker is its compressor model: no frills, with a steel bowl that lifts out whole and three separate functions.
Our score, after reading the reviews one by one.
What you would expect from 100 watts with a litre: fine if the mix goes in cold from the fridge.
Three functions and then you wait. The removable bowl saves the worst moment, which is getting the ice cream out.
1 litre: three servings per batch.
The removable steel bowl and the price, among the lowest with a compressor.
Four things you notice
in use, not on the box
How the ice cream comes out
Fine. With a litre and 100 watts it is better not to fill the bowl right up: the ice cream grows as it churns and needs room.
How long it really takes
PRIMO quotes 60 minutes per batch. It is one of the slow ones in the comparison, but nothing has to be pre-chilled beforehand.
Day to day
The steel bowl comes out whole, so you take it to the table or the freezer without decanting twice.
Weight
Nearly eight kilos. Not one you put away and take out again: it needs a permanent spot on the worktop.
Fewer transfers, less ice cream lost
On many ice cream makers at this price the bowl is fixed to the body and you have to scrape the ice cream out from above with the machine in front of you. Here the steel bowl lifts out whole: you cover it and it goes into the freezer just as it is, or you empty it into the tub in one go. That is the difference between losing two spoonfuls per batch and losing none.
Bowl capacity
Material, and removable
Power
Mix, chill and make ice cream
What it wins and what you have to accept
- One-litre steel bowl that comes out completely
- Removable bowl: easier to serve from and wash
- Built-in compressor: no need to freeze the bowl beforehand
- Three-position dial: mix, chill and make ice cream
- An hour per batch: one of the slower ones in the comparison
- Almost eight kilos: it needs a permanent place on the worktop
- Still too few reviews to talk about durability
- Best not to go over the maximum amount of mix: it expands as it churns
PRIMO PR406IM specifications
The PRIMO PR406IM against its rivals
Ströme ICE0831
200 ml less, an aluminium bowl and a display, in the same shop.
MEDION MD 10169
The same litre and the same compressor in 22 centimetres of height.
Clatronic ICM 3846
No display: a four-position dial and nothing else.
Springlane ELLI
35 watts more and 200 millilitres more bowl.
Would we buy it? Yes, if the litre of steel is what you are after
It is an unpretentious ice cream maker that does what it promises: a litre, its own compressor and a steel bowl that comes out whole. The hour per batch puts it among the slow ones, and eight kilos is a lot to put away. Its eight reviews are too few to speak of durability, and the price changes quite a bit from country to country.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pre-freeze anything?
No. It has a built-in compressor and starts cooling on its own.
Why does it matter that the bowl comes out?
Because the ice cream comes out in one go, with no scraping with the machine in front of you. The bowl gets covered and goes into the freezer just as it is.
Does the PRIMO PR406IM make yoghurt or frozen yoghurt?
Frozen yoghurt: it churns a yoghurt that is already made. It does not ferment the milk.
Does the price change much?
Yes: it is in several Amazon catalogues and there is a fair gap between them. It is worth comparing, and the button above takes you to yours.
Isn't an hour per batch a lot?
It is one of the slow ones, yes. In exchange there is no bowl to freeze the night before, which is twelve hours of waiting.
What would we buy instead of the PRIMO PR406IM?
The Springlane ELLI if you want more power, or the MEDION MD 10169 if the cupboard gap is low.
Get new recipes
every week
We send you the recipes and the technical guides as soon as they are published. No spam, just ice cream done properly.
Ad links: we link to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.