Make Homemade Ice Cream - Ice Cream Freezer - Ice Cream Machine
These handcrafted Amish made ice cream freezers are sure to bring back memories and draw a crowd during the hot summer months.
Summertime and old fashioned homemade ice cream is a fading American tradition.
Those of us old enough can still remember the family reunions or community picnics where we as kids all took turns cranking the ice cream freezer, and then enjoyed a large scoop of ice cream right out of the bucket.
You can still purchase ice cream freezers at local hardware stores or online. Many are cheap imports that work fine for once or twice per year small family summer events.
Just like everything else you get what you pay for. The more you plan on using something like an ice cream freezer the better off you are to move up into a more quality built product.
These are not the small kitchen counter top ice cream makers now being sold for a small batch of ice cream.
The old time freezers use an outer wooden tub to hold rock salt and a stainless tub in the center equipped with a paddle to turn the ice cream mix, much like a butter churn.
The paddle was either hand cranked or on the newer models used an electric motor. The rock salt speeds up the freezing process and as the ice cream mix is churned it mixes and freezes in the stainless center tub.
It was not uncommon in the day to go to the county fair and some group would have a much larger version hooked to a small steam engine and be making homemade ice cream.
There are two remaining companies in the USA still making the old time wooden tub ice cream freezers, one is White Mountain Freezers and the other is Country Freezers.
White Mountain by far has been one of the most popular and sought after ice cream freezers sold in America, and will be the first name or recognition because of their long history and marketing.
Just like many American companies who have a long standing stellar reputation of quality American made products but then moved manufacturing out of the USA or went to cheaper imported parts, White Mountain is having their share of consumer quality complaints.
They are still assembled in the USA but have out sourced parts to other countries. They still make a good product for those who use them occasionally to make large batches of ice cream.
Country Freezers are manufactured and made in the USA by the Amish, when the Amish build things they build them to last. They are not concerned about market share or keeping the prices down to beat out a competitor going after a large discount chain store contract.
The Amish also don’t subscribe to the theory of planned obsolesces in order to sell more replacement products.
Country Freezers are not widely recognized because they have been basically made and sold within the Amish communities and not really marketed to the outside.
Country Freezers utilize a heavy duty manganese bronze gear frame, heavy duty gear assembly and an extra heavy stainless steel can.
The larger models even have a grease zerk fitting to lubricate the gears. The wooden tub is made of oak and feature Stainless Steel adjustable bans to keep the tub leak proof.
The down side up until this point is that Country Amish freezers have been only hand crank. They now have a 6 and 8 qt electric model. The larger models can be equipped with a pulley to run off an electric motor or other small engine.
White Mountain also touts their triple action to better mix the ice cream, the fact is Country Freezers are also triple action but because they are not in the marketing hype they just don’t make it a big deal.
If you’re really into bring back the homemade ice cream tradition and plan on making lots of old fashioned homemade ice cream for large and frequent groups, the Country Freezer defiantly should be on your list.
These handcrafted Amish made ice cream freezers are sure to bring back memories and draw a crowd during the hot summer months.
Having the kids take turns on the hand crank may actually be a good thing, as many don’t appreciate the efforts it took before the entire modern tech world we now know and live in.
These mixers make a great activity event for nursing home residents or those who can benefit from the range of motion exercises.
The 1qt Ice Cream Freezer is just the right size for a couple who still wants a taste of homemade ice cream, the 20qt the largest Freezer.
You can purchase both the White Mountain and the Country Freezers at Cottage Craft Works .com
Cottage Craft Works is a unique general store that helps the Amish and other small cottage based businesses to have a market place for their quality American made products.
Many people only relate to the Amish as being wonderful craftsmen, building fine furniture, making beautiful quilts and or making wonderful noodles, jams and baked goods.
The fact is this self-sustaining group of people makes virtually all of their common household and farming tools and equipment.
Cottage Craft Works goes deep into the back roads of the Amish communities and brings the back-to-basic products such as the Country Freezer to the Internet market place.
You will discover products that you may never heard of or haven’t seen since the 50s and 60s. These products are as functional and long lasting today as they were centuries ago.