Magimix NL have asked me to test out another Machine for them, this time it is the Gelato Expert ice cream maker. Perfect timing as as we're now coming up into the warmer months. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but I make the exception for ice cream and nothing beats home made. Been making ice cream at home for many years now and it's just so much better than shop bought.

My first ever ice cream maker 16 or so years ago was also a Magimix, the one with the bowl that you have to put in the freezer (Glacier 1.1). While it was nice and compact, you needed to remember to put it in the freezer before you made the ice cream and while I'm not bad at forward planning there were times where I had the ingredients and forgot to get the bowl ready. I decided it was time to get something with an in-built freezer component and came across a Gaggia professional one at a bargain price in a local shop, again this was many years ago. It will be interesting to know how things have changed with these types of ice cream maker and the difference in the end product.

Over the coming months you will see an increase in the number of recipes for ice cream, sorbets and granitas as the Gelato Expert has a function for all three. I'll be interested in how long it takes to churn as well as the consistency of the ice cream and sorbets. I'll be talking about the different methods of ice cream making and trying some interesting ingredients. Like my testing of the Cook Expert I will be as honest as possible in my feedback and experiences.

Initial impressions are good; clear concise instructions and handy hints and tips to get the best out of your recipes in the accompanying recipe book . The unit is never going to be petite or light, but it's not as heavy as my old one, so there have been some advances in refrigeration units. I like the fact that it has several functions from gelato (softer ice cream) to granita and also that it has a manual function so you can control the amount of time you want to churn.  It also has two bowls; one in built and one that you can remove and the capacity is 2l which is nice.

So here we go, I see a lot of ice cream in my future!

If you'd like to find out more about the Gelato Expert then you can find the specification on the Magimix NL website