After mixing for over the recipe time, it still didn’t make soft serve. I suggest if you want an ice cream machine, go for the Ice 70. First batch out made fantastic ice cream.
It is very easy to use and clean. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is I wish it would have been designed with a larger opening to deliver a thicker swirl...otherwise it works very well.
PROS: Very well designed! Overall it is a great ice cream maker and the kids love it. Easy to find ingredients from the grocery store make the options and flavors endless. CONS: The “mix it in” containers really do not work well. Even with tiny toppings, the mixer dispensers don’t release the toppings unless you constantly tap the side of the machine.
While my wife and I like the Cuisinart ICE-45 Mix It In Soft Ice Cream Maker as far as having your soft ice cream in a bowl but as far as having a soft ice cream cone we have a different opinion as my wife doesn't really care and I do like them. For the price you pay for this soft ice cream maker I would give it a solid 4 stars. I did buy a second 1 1/2 qt freezer bowl when I made the order and I am glad for that as it takes the freezer bowl overnight to freeze the bowl again after each use. It takes a while to get the mixture of the mix of powder and water right plus mixing time for getting the consistency right for putting in a cone or bowl. We finally ended up with 1 1/2 cups of mix to 2 3/4 cups of water and mixing between 22 to 25 minutes here in the Pacific Northwest. I am sure with the different climates in the area's people live this may not work. Our next option is trying the waffle bowl as might being the better solution than ice cream cones. Overall we both like the Quisinart ICE-45 Soft Ice Cream Maker.