Using a Hand Crank Ice Cream Maker

Warm summer months are upon us and with that comes the much loved treat of ice cream. There is nothing better to enjoy on a hot summer day.

One of the most favorite methods of making ice cream at home is using a hand crank ice cream maker, these machines add to the nostalgia of having family together for a cookout on a hot summer day.

When using a hand crank ice cream maker you will first want to be sure that you have all the parts to it. Next make sure that everything is good and clean. If you still have the manual to your maker there should be some recipes in it. Pick out one of those or find one online that you want to try out.

It is recommended to make the custard for your ice cream a little ahead of time so that it has time to chill before you put it in the ice cream maker.

Have your ice prepared by having it broken into small coarse pieces.

Place your ice cream canister into the wooden bucket of your ice cream maker. It will need to rest easily on the metal guide that is in the bottom of the bucket. Place your dasher into the canister and be sure that its socket fits onto the protrusion on the bottom of the canister.

Pour the cooled ice cream mixture into your canister. Do not fill it more than halfway full. Place the canister cover and turn your dasher stem with your fingers until it easily turns.

Grasp the gear frame and work the dasher stem into the socket of it.

Slide the cranking end of the ice cream maker into the bucket ear. The opposite end of your gear frame will fit into the bucket latch.

Fill your wooden bucket with ice, to speed up the freezing of your ice cream, layer ice then rock salt. Crank for about 2 minutes so that the canister chills evenly. Add more ice and rock salt as the ice melts down (be sure not to plug the hole on the side of your ice cream maker it is used to drain excess brine out of the ice cream maker).

In about 20-25 minutes your ice cream mix should be sufficiently churned. But it does sometimes take longer than this with a hand crank ice cream maker. Your ice cream should be about as consistent as soft ice cream. To determine this pay attention to how difficult is to turn the crank. Further churning of your ice cream past this point will not improve the quality of it.


Hold your canister cover firmly. Remove the gear frame carefully. Take off the canister cover and remove the dasher. You will want to use a wooden spoon to scrape off any excess ice cream. Now your ice cream is ready to be eaten.