Panasonic BH-941P Ice Cream Maker Review

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(More customer reviews)OK, I got one of these a while back because it was cheap and...well, that's about the only reason. I figured it might be good for some fun with my daughter, but I also figured it would probably quickly land on the same shelf that holds that ice cream maker with that you have to pre-freeze before using (Donvier), and the traditional ice cream maker that requires rock salt and all that nonsense. I don't use the former because I never plan far enough ahead to clear space in the freezer and freeze the thing down, and I never use the latter because it's just too much of a hassle.
OK, so the question is: Is this one any better?
And the answer is: Resoundingly YES! This ice cream maker does not require any advanced planning. All you do is drop the ingredients in the (room temperature is fine) bowl, snap it together, and put it in your freezer. That's it. A few hours later: Ice cream. And it's GOOD ice cream that's ready to eat! One of the problems with the Donvier-type makers (pre-freeze the bowl type) is that they aren't cold enough to make real ice cream. They make ice pudding. To get that pudding to freeze to the right consistency, you have to put the pudding back in the freezer after you've made it and let it harden for a few hours. With this Panasonic ice cream maker, when the job is done, it's DONE. The ice cream is ready to eat.
OK, as for the brass tacks:
Pros: Easy to use; don't have to plan ahead; requires no user intervention--just set and forget and come back to ready-to-eat ice cream; The physical dimensions of the ice cream maker are small, so you should be able to find room in your freezer for it (a major consideration!); The ice cream it makes is really good (well, depending on what you put into it, of course!)
Cons: Uses two lithium CR123A batteries to power ice cream maker. You should get 20 or more cycles out of a fresh set of batteries, but you will need to eventually buy more batteries (a set is included with the ice cream maker). Expect to pay between $1.50 and $5.00 each ($3 - $10 a set) for the replacement batteries (shop around on the net and eBay and you should be able to find batteries at the lower end of this price range). Assuming you get the batteries at a good price, that works out to about $3 per 20 uses or $0.15 per use; The small size, although a plus because it makes it easier to find space in your freezer, also means you won't be making huge amounts of ice cream. It will make about 1.5 pints, which is enough to dainty desert portions for a family or small dinner party, not enough for a big party of any type, but surely enough to push Dr. Atkins to roll over in his grave if you eat it all yourself :-)
At the current blow out price, I'd say this is a no brainer.

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Panasonic BH-941P, battery operated, 1.5 pint capacity.Makes delicious ice cream in 3 easy steps. Works automatically in the freezer.

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