The Cuisinart Compressor Ice Cream and Gelato MakerThe ICE-100 Ice Cream and Gelato MakerMake decadent ice cream, rich creamy gelato and light sorbet that your family will love, all in the comfort of your own home. The easy to use, fully automatic Cuisinart ICE-100 Ice Cream and Gelato Maker features a commercial-style compressor so you can make batch after batch without waiting. Two unique mixing paddles and a 60-minute countdown timer work to ensure your homemade gelato, ice cream or sorbet has the perfect consistency.The included recipe book features a variety of flavors to create with the Cuisinart Ice Cream and Gelato Maker. You can also add in your favorite ingredients -- be it fresh fruits, chocolate chunks, even brownies -- during the mixing process through the see-through lid to make a fabulous frozen treat. Once the timer countdown is complete, the 10-minute Keep Cool cycle begins to keep your ice cream or gelato nice and cool. For optimum consistency, transfer the mixture to an airtight container and chill for a minimum of 2 hours.Lid, mixing paddles, mixing bowl, and baseFeatures and BenefitsTransparent LidAdd recipe ingredients to the mixing bowl with the easily removable see-through lid and then watch the mixing process in action.Mix-in OpeningUse to add your favorite toppings and mix-ins, like chocolate chips or nuts, without interrupting the freezing cycle.Mixing PaddlesTwo unique paddles mix and aerate the ingredients in the mixing bowl to create your frozen dessert. The gelato and sorbet paddle perfectly incorporates air in the ingredients and creates richly textured results with intense flavor. Use the ice cream paddle to perfectly churn for smooth, creamy results.Mixing Bowl with Lift-Out HandleAnondized aluminum mixing bowl. No need to pre-chill or freeze the bowl prior to use.Touchpad Control Panel with LCD ReadoutWhen the unit is on, the power button is illuminated by a red LED light. The countdown timer can be set from 10 minutes to 60 minutes. The Start/Stop button can be pressed at any point in the Mixing/Cooling cycle to pause the timer and mixing. The same button can be pressed to continue mixing.Making Frozen DessertsUse Cuisinart recipes included in the Instruction Booklet or use your own recipe, making sure your base does not go over the top dasher on the mixing paddle. Gelato and sorbet bases should be no more than 1 quart and ice cream bases should be no more than 5 cups. The ingredients will increase in volume during the freezing process. For best results, prepare the ingredients in a container from which it is easy to pour.Place the mixing bowl into the base.Place the ice cream or gelato/sorbet paddle in the mixing bowl so it rests in the center of the bowl.Pour ingredients into the mixing bowl.Press the Power button to turn the unit on and then set the timer per the recipe. The timer will default to 60 minutes.Press the Start/Stop button to begin the Mixing/Cooling cycle.Add ingredients such as chips and nuts towards the end of the mixing time once the mixture has begun to thicken.Once the set time concludes, the 10-minute Keep Cool cycle will keep your ice cream or gelato cool.When the frozen dessert is ready, transfer to a freezer-safe, airtight container for longer storage in the freezer.Adding IngredientsIngredients such as chips and nuts should be added about five minutes before the freezing process is complete in order to fully incorporate them into the frozen mixture. To add a chocolate swirl to the mix, slowly drizzle in hot fudge or melted chocolate.