Packaging and returns

Unfortunately I, or rather my daughter as it was a birthday present, never got a chance to see how good the Philips Ice Creanm Maker is. I ordered one for her birthday. It arrived broken because the packaging was inadequte. I sent it back and asked for a replacement which also arrived broken. I have now given up and have bought one from a High Street store. Amazon claim their packaging is adequate. It clearly is not.

I will however give Amazon full marks for the efficiency of their returns service.

Fantastic compact ice cream maker

I purchased this product after recommendation from a friend who has recently bought one too and I am so pleased I did. This machine is fab and I would recommend one any one who loves proper ice cream. Thank goodness the ice cream that comes out of this tastes nothing like shop bought. The strawberry recipe on the instructions is delicious. I didnt have a problem washing the bowl when frozen like some did (just wash as normal and pop straight into the freezer)!. Yes the bit on the lid where you pour in the mixture is on the small side but just be careful and you'll have more lovely ice cream for later. Great if you have a small kitchen because the lid and paddle fit easily into a cupboard or drawer.

great machine

You need to think where on earth you are going to put it, it is rather large (28cm x 35cm and 28cm tall), heavy; noisy and it must not be tipped 24 hours prior to use. However, with its brushed steel finish and plain, sleek lines, it is not unattractive. It comes with an instruction book, including basic recipies for ice cream, sorbets and iced drinks. It is simple to use, and makes up to 1L of fantastic ice cream - smooth, creamy and full of flavour (although British palates may choose to use less sugar than the recipies suggest) 1L may not sound much, but the ice-cream is very rich, and this is ample for 10-12 people - there does not appear to be a minimum amount

Icecream without Additives

An excellent machine - I would have given 5 stars but having to remember to put it in the freezer a day before can be a nuisance, it is a bonus if you have room to store it there permanently.

Knowing exactly what goes into the product is a bonus but I use mine to make dairy-free icecream which is really expensive to buy from a shop. This machine pays for itself in no time.

Straightforward, but not perfect

This machine is easy to assemble and use, but as Emma Parry says, the resulting frozen dessert is still a bit slushy. I have yet to make a really terrific ice cream. The instructions for recipes are adequate but brief, so I recommend reading up on the topic if you are not experienced already.

Magic Magimix

This is a great little ice-cream maker with plenty of capacity (1.5 L).

I was slightly surprised by how low-tech ice-cream makers are. It's basically a base that you freeze overnight (or keep in the freezer, ready for an impulse churning!) and a motor-driven paddle which slots on top. Then you pour in your mixture and it churns away. N.B. always start the paddle turning BEFORE adding anything to the bowl, or it will freeze instantly and jam the paddle when you try and start it churning! The instructions do clearly state this, though!

I've made some really great ice-creams with this maker. When the ice-cream is done, it's slightly softer than most shop-bought ice-cream in the UK, so putting it in the freezer for an hour or two with firm it up, if that's your preference.

Good looking teapot for soaking the table!

On the plus side this teapot looks great, the colour is lovely and it is a good size. On the down side, the lid is very loose and rattles about on top of the pot and more significantly the spout does not pour well at all. The shape of the spout makes it difficult to see the tea coming out and even if the tea makes it into the cup without spilling all over the table first, once you tilt the pot upright the spout continues to dribble tea down the side of the pot. There's no point in having a good looking teapot if it can't pour so unless you are happy to spend your time wiping up the puddles from this teapot - don't bother! This is probably the worst item I have ever bought from Amazon.

Good looking teapot for soaking the table!

On the plus side this teapot looks great, the colour is lovely and it is a good size. On the down side, the lid is very loose and rattles about on top of the pot and more significantly the spout does not pour well at all. The shape of the spout makes it difficult to see the tea coming out and even if the tea makes it into the cup without spilling all over the table first, once you tilt the pot upright the spout continues to dribble tea down the side of the pot. There's no point in having a good looking teapot if it can't pour so unless you are happy to spend your time wiping up the puddles from this teapot - don't bother! This is probably the worst item I have ever bought from Amazon.

BEST ICECREAM I'VE EVER EATEN

IT MADE THE TASTIEST ICECREAM EVER. THE CHOCOLATE RECIPE IS GREAT, THE HEALTHIER BANANA RECIPE IS GREAT - RECIPES FOR HEALTHY SORBET ARE IN THE BOOK NOT TRIED THEM YET THOUGH - I LOVE THIS ITEM ITS FUN AND A LITTLE BIT OF LUXURY

Its the little things in life that make the difference!

This is a great little whisk and a bargin at just under £3.50. I have not stopped using it since I got it! It's definitely one to add to any Nigella Lawson collection.

Very nice :)

I have bought the bread bin, calendar and salt pig from this range and wanted something else and these little egg cups were suprisingly sweet and good as, well, egg cups! The inside is smooth and shiny and the outside is matt - a nice little detail. I recommend you adding these to your Nigella collection.

Makes good ice cream

I have the larger version of this machine and have found that it makes excellent ice cream. Not sure why the other reviewer found it so bad. I've not had any problems with it.

Very nice :)

I have bought the bread bin, calendar and salt pig from this range and wanted something else and these little egg cups were suprisingly sweet and good as, well, egg cups! The inside is smooth and shiny and the outside is matt - a nice little detail. I recommend you adding these to your Nigella collection.

Magimix Gelato Chef ice cream maker

A wonderful machine, especially for the price. After having used the Magimix 1.1Ltr ice cream machine; the type you have to pre-freeze and having fantastic results, I decided to go for this one for a couple of reasons. The first being that you do not have to pre-freeze; the machine is always ready. The second being that you do not have to make space in your freezer for the bowl. Yes, it does get a bit noisy when the mix starts to thicken but it isn't for long. It is a small price to pay for delicious, fresh ice cream with no preservatives, colouring, flavouring or any other e-numbers. The build quality I feel is quite substantial and have had no problems with parts breaking or jamming. Using the removable bucket makes the machine a doddle to clean, which I would recommend whichever machine you use. As far as storing in a cupboard, there is no reason why this cannot be done. The machine has to settle for 12 hours after it has been inverted and thrown around during transit; just lifting it in and out of a cupboard would not require it to settle but it is quite weighty.

the best out there!

I've had this whisk for 2 years now and am amazed how well it does the job!
The design is very efficient which means that it's easy to manuver around, gets the lumps out from gravy to cakes and does not get in the way of space as well.
I recommend this affordable product to friends and have even gave one to my mum as a present which she loves.

Not a replacement bowl

I ordered this item after a search for a replacement bowl for my Philips HR2304. Unfortunately there is no picture to show what this is but I can assure anyone else who is wondering that it is not a bowl. It's a strange flat disc thing that I cannot figure out how it has anything to do with my ice cream maker. I can only assume philips labelled more than one machine an HR2304 for some bizzare reason. So if your looking for a bowl, don't stop here, I wish you luck in your search, I haven't found one yet!

totally satisfying!

I am delighted with this wonderful machine. Having had ice cream makers before that have not done the business, I hesitated to plunge again. It does what it says - excellent ice cream swiftly and easily, simple to operate, easy to clean. The main bowl capacity is about 1pt of finished ice cream, enough for two greedies. It is more fun to use than those without a freezer unit and well worth the extra money. Making (and eating) ice cream is carefree! Best recipes from Ben & Jerry book qv.