Klarstein Sweet Sundae- Ice Cream Machine, 1.5 Litres, with Self-Cooling Compressor, 200 Watts, Dispensing System, 3 Hour Auto-Cooling Function, Automatic Cleaning System, Stainless Steel, Black

Without doubt the best kitchen gadget I have ever bought.Delivery in a very well packaged box. Supplied with a UK plug adaptor pre fitted as the machine comes from Germany.Putting the machine together is simply screwing in 4 big thumb screws which are the silver ones in the photos by the lever. Insert lever and push in a pin to lock in place. That's it job done.Have a quick read of the instructions, they are very clear and understandable.Instructions also include some recipes for ice-cream however we purchased liquid in 1 litre cartons and also some powder mix, both from Amazon.You really can't go wrong. It is as simple as pull out silicone lid on top of the machine. Pour in mixture and replace the lid. Press start and it's happening, ice cream will follow shortly.You can adjust the freeze time to suit your particular recipe. Refrigerating a litre saved around 6 minutes as apposed to room temperature.When dispensing the ice cream temptation is to pull down the lever as far as it goes and let it dispense as quickly as possible. This is wrong though. To get a much smoother cream that will hold its shape well needs to be done slowly. Slower the better.Clean up after is also very easy although a little time consuming. Once ice cream is all dispensed, remove the lid as before and pour in 1 litre of water. Press the clean button twice and the machine will start a 10 minute cleaning cycle. Once you hear the beep, dispense the water and repeat this 5 times. That's it. I do also like to take the front off with those 4 silver screws just to make sure all is clean. I had a small issue with the machine which was remedied with a quick chat with the supplier.Side note. A family friend has just got a brand new ice cream machine from a popular brand name begins with N. She is absolutely astounded with the quality of this machine and is contemplating sending back her new machine to have one like mine.A few weeks have passed now so a little update. I have usede this machine 3-4 times per week and have always been happy. I have however had a small problem. I messaged the seller who replied within the hour who sorted the issue and put my mind at ease. I am only adding this to my revirew as I remember reading another review which said seller messages were very slow. I am still very happy with my purchase.

Great machine. Came a week earlier than expected. Fits under my kitchen wall cabinets. Looks lovely and really great quality. It says the machine is set at 40 mins prep but mines 50 mins. Fits lot of liquid I bought took about 1hr 45 mins. It didcwork but wasn't as firm as I would like. I then tried a creamier brand / better quality / more expensive and it whipped up and stood up in the 50 mins. So don't buy a more economical brand brand, spend a little more as u will save on the time it mixes. It cost less than a £1 in electricity to make the ice cream. Its easy to set up and really easy to clean. I highly recommend it. It was on offer at the time I purchased it so I got a good deal. Love it

This is a superb machine whilst it works. The first one I had lasted less than 24hrs before the Auger motor died. It gave off an horrible electrical burning smell and ceased to work under pressure from the ice cream mix inside that was almost frozen. I found that after removing the front dispensing part, and, after getting ice cream mix everywhere that the motor would rotate a few times before stopping again, but that was without any mix in the machine. I contated Klarstein, who, I might add, gave me excellent customer service. They promptly sent me a replacement machine. Sadly, after only a few days, the same thing happened to the replacement. Again, Klarstein customer services were spot on. They arranged the return of the machine and have now refunded me in full.It's a shame. Because whilst it's working it produces great whippy ice cream. Personally, I think the refridgeration part of the machine doesn't regulate and just keeps feezing, thus, the mix gets harder and harder, which in turn, puts strain on the auger motor until it pops. Although Klarstein are based in Germany, the Ice Cream Machine screams out cheap Chinese parts to me. Had it been engineered in Germany it "may" have been a different story.Because of this, I've given the machine a ONE STAR rating. Klarstein Customer Services, on the other hand gets a 10 from me.Good luck to anyone that purchases one of these machines. I hope you have better luck than I did.

My machine was delivered today a what a great ice cream machine, easy to use and makes lovely whippy ice cream an so easy to clean .A great buy

I bought this machine on a whim, mid winter, craving mr whippy. It did take a while longer to arrive than stated, as it’s actually shipped from Germany, so I was worried that I’d be hit with a duty invoice, but luckily I haven’t (so far, will update if I receive one!)The machine itself seems very well made. It’s reasonably heavy, sturdy and stable. The operating volume is quieter than I expected, comparable to a bread maker, loudish, but not annoyingly so. The kids thought it was hilarious when I put ice cream van music on YouTube :)The instructions do leave something to be desired, the cleaning cycle instructions aren’t very clear, but it is very simple to wipe out with a soapy sponge and rinse through.Most importantly, it makes ice cream perfectly, as you can see in my photo. I used the premade soft ice cream cartons. The star nozzle/washer does leak however, but not massively, and I’m sure I’ll be able to find a thicker washer. Any drips are caught by the drip tray anyway.So it was a big hit with my kids and other family members, and we’ve made a little ice cream factory with sauces and sprinkles. Now I’m on the hunt for the perfect ice cream mix!Edit to add. The silicone sleeve on the handle plunger has a tiny hole in it, which has been letting ice cream into the inside of the unit. I managed to take it all apart and it was absolutely disgusting in there. The seller has told me this isn’t a part they can replace, so I’m waiting to hear if they’ll exchange the whole machine for me

Good ice cream maker. Takes 40 mins or so and limited capacity but it works well. Need to give it a good clean afterwards though. Not difficult just a bit time consuming.