Review · Compressor ice cream maker
Springlane ERIKA
Two and a half litres, 250 watts and a function no other one has: it pre-chills the bowl before starting.
2,5 L
of bowl
250 W
of compressor
50 min
per batch
The short answer
The largest Springlane
It is the biggest of the range: a two-and-a-half-litre bowl and a 250-watt compressor, with a touch panel and an eight-hour yoghurt programme. What no other machine on this list has is pre-chilling: it cools the bowl before the mix goes in, instead of starting to churn warm.
Ideal si haces tandas grandes
Buyer reviews
3,9
out of 5
Our score, after reading the reviews one by one.
How the ice cream turns out
250 W for 2.5 litres: the power-to-bowl ratio is the best on the list.
Ease of use
A touch panel and an audible alert at the end, chosen on the display.
Capacity
Two and a half litres, half a litre more than the ELISA.
Quality and price
It is the most expensive Springlane, and the worst rated of the eleven: 3.9.
How well it works
Four things you notice
in use, not on the box
How the ice cream comes out
Creamy and free of crystals, but the credit is shared. The people who speak best of it all say the same thing: pasteurise, cool and let the mix age for a few hours before churning. The machine executes; the texture comes from the formula.
How long it really takes
The manufacturer's 45 minutes are with the bowl half full. One buyer timed 45 minutes with 950 g of mix and 70 with 1,250 g, and an independent test reached an hour. The more you fill it, the longer it takes.
Day to day
The menu makes sense without opening the manual. The tedious part comes at the end: the ice cream clings to the paddle and is hard to get off, and both paddle and bowl have to be washed by hand.
The compressor noise
An independent test measured it at around 65 decibels on average, about as loud as a conversation. Most people find that acceptable, but some take a star off precisely for it.
It pre-chills before starting
It also makes yoghurt,
but here the recipe rules
The others start churning with the bowl at room temperature and take a while to come down. The ERIKA has a programme that chills the bowl first, with the mix already inside but without churning. It is exactly what an ice cream maker does when they let the mix mature cold before churning, and that is why the crystals come out finer.
250 W
The most powerful on the list
2,5 L
Half a batch more than the ELISA
Yes
Bowl pre-chilling
8 h
Yoghurt programme
The balance
What it gains
and what you have to accept
The best of it
- Two and a half litres: the largest bowl of the eleven
- 250 watts, the best power-to-capacity ratio
- It pre-chills the bowl before churning, as a professional batch freezer does
- Touch panel and audible alert when done
- Eight-hour yoghurt programme
What you have to accept
- The lowest rated of the eleven
- The most expensive Springlane
- It weighs 14.3 kg and stands 40 cm tall
Specifications
Specifications of the
Springlane ERIKA
250 W
Power
2,5 L
Capacity
50 min
Ice cream ready in
8 h
Yoghurt ready in
Yes
Pre-chilling
Touch
Panel
Stainless steel
Bowl
14,3 kg
Weight
Alternatives · Compressor ice cream makers
The Springlane ERIKA
against its rivals
Four other compressor machines compete in its bracket. The ERIKA costs today —: these reviews tell you what you gain and what you lose with each one.
The one we recommend
Springlane ELISA 2.0
Springlane
Power
220 W
Capacity
2 L
Makes yoghurt
Yes
Price today
—
Half a litre less bowl, but cheaper and much better rated.
If you want 2.5 L for less
Klarstein Vanilla Sky Family
Klarstein
Power
250 W
Capacity
2,5 L
Makes yoghurt
No
Price today
—
Same bowl and same power, without a yoghurt programme or pre-chilling.
If you don't need yoghurt
H. Koenig HF320
H. Koenig
Power
180 W
Capacity
2 L
Makes yoghurt
No
Price today
—
The simple option: two litres of steel for considerably less money.
If half a litre is more than you need
Severin EZ 7405
Severin
Power
180 W
Capacity
2 L
Makes yoghurt
Yes
Price today
—
Half a litre less and 70 watts less, but it also ferments yoghurt and works out cheaper.
The verdict
Would we buy it? Only if you make big batches
It has the best technical thinking on the list: the biggest bowl, the most powerful compressor and the only pre-chilling. But it is the worst rated of the eleven, and with the time it has been on sale that is no accident. If you often make two and a half litres, it pays off; if not, the ELISA 2.0 costs considerably less and is more than enough at home.
2.5 L bowl
250 W
Pre-chilling
Answers to your questions
Frequently asked questions
What is pre-chilling?
A programme that chills the bowl with the mix inside before churning begins. It means churning starts cold and the crystals come out finer.
¿Por qué tiene peor nota que las demás?
It is the worst rated of the ones we analyse, and that is why we say so, even though technically it is the best conceived.
Does it fit on a normal worktop?
It takes up 31.5 cm of frontage and 40 of height, and weighs 14.3 kg. It fits, but it is not one to put away and take out again: it wants a permanent spot.
Do you have to pre-freeze anything?
No. It has a compressor: it chills on its own from the moment you switch it on, and it also has the bowl pre-chilling programme.
Does it make yoghurt?
Yes, with an eight-hour programme for fermentation.
Is it worth it against the ELISA 2.0?
Only if you make batches of more than two litres. The ELISA 2.0 costs considerably less, is better rated and is more than enough at home.
Recipes to break it in
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