Kitchen Gadgets and Gizmos

[Little Sew&Sew]

My waffle cone maker arrived today. Found the best price at Amazon and when I signed up for the free month-long trial of Amazon Prime, two day shipping was free.

Purchased the Chef's Choice 838 Waffle Cone Express Ice Cream Cone Maker - - - which comes with a "doo-dad" to wrap the warm waffle around so that it ends up being shaped like a cone.

There is a small ice cream shop in Sylva, NC called Jack The Dipper. They have two kinds of cones, made on an ancient looking machine. A plain/vanilla flavored cone and one with cinnamon added. OMG! It's amazing what a little bit of cinnamon can do for the taste of the cone. Forget the ice cream and just give me an empty cone!!

I plan to break it in over the weekend making "strawberry tacos". Will let you know how it goes.

[Gutmutter]

Oh, now strawberry tacos I could get into. Yum! A little sweetened cream cheese, a drizzle of chocolate - the possiblilities are endless!

[GuardianAngel]

Strawberry tacos? Oh goodness, that sounds devine! Let us know how they turn out!

[Little Sew&Sew]

My next gadget . . . as you might have guessed . . . is going to be an ice cream maker.

Had one years ago that took forever and needed about a glacier's worth of ice.

Thought about a "gelato" maker, but the price tag on a good one is way over my head.

Also thought about a "soft serve" ice cream maker, but those I've seen online look like a second cousin to an Easy Bake Oven. Not impressed.

When I googled "frozen yogurt maker", I got more of what I was looking for.

Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach both have models that make 1.5 quarts. Not looking for anything bigger as there are only 3 of us.




Any suggestions?

[GuardianAngel]

Oh yum!!! What a great idea! As Gut says upthread, the possibilities are endless! Those two gadgets sounds like a lot of fun! Let us know what kind of ice cream you make if you get it.

[Gutmutter]

That combination of "gadgets" would be so dangerous in my hands! I'm already thinking "healthy" - adding whole wheat and wheat germ to the cones, making frozen (Greek) yogurt with fresh fruits and delectable "mix-ins". Put a rush on that ice-cream maker and let us know what you come up with.

[veejer]

We got a Donvier ice cream maker about 20 years ago. It only makes about 1-1.5 quarts and uses a cylinder that you freeze first. We like it but don't use it much. But we probably use it more than we would a big one that requires ice and salt.

[Little Sew&Sew]

That sounds like what I'm looking for veejer.

The one you bought 20 years ago was probably built like a tank compared to anything I could buy today.

[Cootie]

My next gadget . . . as you might have guessed . . . is going to be an ice cream maker.

Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach both have models that make 1.5 quarts. Not looking for anything bigger as there are only 3 of us.

Any suggestions?

I have the Cuisinart and love it. A friend who is a great cook recommended it to me and after watching her make it, I was sold. Very easy. I just put it in my laundry room on a silicone pot holder to dampen the sound - it is not super loud, but is enough noise that it is better a few feet away from where everyone hangs out.

I hope this helps!

[Little Sew&Sew]

It does Cootie. A great number of the reviews I've read complained about the noise, which I can handle. It's hard to know how to take those customer reviews as you never know if someone is following the directions or just saying that they did.

Incidentally . . . the waffle cones were DELICIOUS!!!

The unit itself worked very well. You have to tinker with the dial (just like on a toaster) to see how light or dark you want your waffle cone. Pretty much decided that once the sizzling/hissing noises stopped, it was time to take it out. I had the dial turned so that the number 3 was no longer visible, but turning it up to 3 1/2 would probably have been okay as well.

Removal was no problem, not even the one time I forgot to spray the plates. The instructions say to brush it with oil, but the cooking spray I used worked just fine for me.

If you purchase the Chef's Choice model like I did, there are 3 recipes in the instruction book. The batter is unbelievable thick and it seems that there couldn't possibly be enough to make somewhere between 6 and 8 cones.

Trust me . . . . there is. If you follow their guidelines, using about 3 T of batter, you will get the amount they say you will. It is somewhat difficult to measure and pour accurately because of the thickness, so I am still looking for a better way than I used last night, which was to fill the 1/4 cup measuring cup and then take a spoonful of batter back out again.

To shape them for our "strawberry tacos", I took a pair of tongs (in the closed position) and balanced each end on a drinking glass. Just lay the warm waffle over the tongs and you will get the taco shell shape. You have a fair amount of time to work with the shape while the waffle is still warm. You can also center the warm waffle over an upside-down glass and push the sides down to make a bowl for ice cream (or for LOTS of strawberries!)

All in all, it was definitely worth the money. Can't wait for peaches to come in season!!