The Smart Scoop I purchased has been phenomenal! We use it several times a week and try to make something new to us at least once a week. My daughter purchased one for her home a week after I bought mine. I am slowly replacing many of my kitchen items with Breville appliances. I haven’t had a thing to complain about with anything I’ve purchased from them so far.
If you like ice cream and have a creative flare and you want to make ice cream with multiple flavors in succession quickly without having to keep a frozen bowl in the freezer this is the maker for you. Excellent build quality. Fun to use with the family. If you like smiles from your children then buy this! Buy beware…your cholesterol will go up.
I've used two other ice cream makers, one a condenser model from Italy; both worked beautifully, but I'm so glad I tried the Smart Scoop. I no longer have to check constantly to decide when the gelato or ice cream is ready; there are sounds to alert you when the gelato is at the proper temperature to start churning (if you use the great pre-cool function), when it's time to add any mix-ins, and when the gelato (or ice cream, sorbet, or frozen yogurt) is at the proper level of hardness you chose.
I also love how easy it is to remove the frozen dessert with the included spatula and clean the removable bowl.
I bought this ice cream maker several months ago. It is a solid, heavy appliance with sleek design and user friendly interface. The pre-chill feature gets the temp down to about -20 degrees F, and it churns beautiful, creamy ice cream quickly. If you're looking for a super hard pack, you will need to transfer the finished ice cream to the freezer to get it really hard, but it comes out of the machine nicely. I am extremely well please with this investment.