ice cream freezer maker
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Luke
for homework i need to know how ice cream makers work and what the salt does-- i dont understand this!
Answer
An ice cream maker or ice cream freezer is a machine used to make homemade ice cream. There are both manual and electric types of machine.
An ice cream maker has to do two things; the mixture has to be cooled, and during this cooling process, the mixture has to be constantly churned to break up ice crystals that form and introduce some air to the mixture so that the resultant ice cream will have a smooth, creamy texture. Whatever the type of ice cream maker, it is possible to make ice cream of a texture that is ready to serve straight out of the machine. However, some recipes, especially those containing alcohol, need to have the freezing process completed in a freezer before the ice cream is a firm enough consistency. Once ice cream is in the freezer, it usually needs to be taken out of the freezer between 20 and 30 minutes before serving to soften it, partly to make it easier to serve and eat and partly because when ice cream is very cold, the flavour is impaired.
Some machines, such as certain low-priced counter-top models, require that the resulting mixture be frozen an extra four hours or more (or overnight), depending on the recipe, in order for the ice cream to harden to a desired consistency.
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Manual Machines
These machines take the form of an inner bowl which sits in a larger outer bowl. The inner bowl has a handcranked mechanism which turns a paddle (sometimes called a dasher) to stir the mixture. The outer bowl is then filled with a mixture of salt and ice which provides the cooling power. The addition of salt to the ice causes freezing-point depression. As the salt melts the ice, its heat of fusion allows it to absorb heat from the ice cream mixture, freezing the ice cream.
This type of ice cream maker is inexpensive, but inconvenient and messy as during the process the ice and salt mixture melts and then the user is left with a lot of salty water to dispose of. Also, between each batch of ice cream the ice and salt mixture has to be refilled.
There are also very small manual models which are pint-sized bowls whose walls are filled with a coolant. The paddle is normally combined with a plastic top. The mixture is poured into the frozen bowl and placed in a freezer. The paddles then are turned by hand every ten minutes or so for a few hours until the desired consistency is reached
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