How to Make Ice Cream the Old Fashioned Way

By Garrett Wade

If you think we all scream for store-bought ice cream, just wait until you try ice cream made the old fashioned way at home. I promise it’s not as difficult or labor-intensive as it sounds. Thanks to technology and just a little elbow grease, the right old fashioned ice cream maker delivers all of the flavor and creaminess of homemade ice cream with just a fraction of the hands-on time and work.

For so many of us, the phrase ‘homemade ice cream’ conjures up a very specific image: of a big wooden bucket filled with ice cubes and salt. Inside the central aluminum bucket (back then, the part permanently attached to the crank) you would add all of your ingredients. Then, all around that central bucket, you would place your layers of ice cubes and salt. Salt water has a lower freezing point than regular water (28.4 degrees and 32 degrees, respectively), so getting the right 3:1 ratio of ice cubes to salt was always an important step to ensure your ice cream would have the right consistency. From there, all that was left to do was start cranking—and cranking, and cranking some more.

The good news? Nowadays you don’t need to work so hard. Here is how to make ice cream the oldfashioned way at home.

1. Purchase The Right Old Fashioned Ice Cream Maker

Not all old fashioned ice cream makers are created equal, so be sure to choose one that ticks all the right boxes for you and your family. For me, I want an old fashioned ice cream maker that looks the part, does the job, and still offers the nostalgic satisfaction of cranking—minus a lot of the work.

This old fashioned ice cream maker is as good as it gets. Its beautiful, nostalgic appearance gives it all of the charm of an antique ice cream maker, and it looks equally wonderful on the kitchen counter or outside at a cookout. And the best part? This ice cream maker comes with two attachments: a 38 rpm motorized attachment that gets the ice cream mixture to a base thickness and then shuts off, and a die-cast aluminum hand crank attachmentthat allows you to take over and finish the job. At just $99.95, this ice cream maker is affordable and a sure-to-please gift for any foodie or ice cream lover.

Fun Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Maker with A Boost

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2. Find the Perfect Base Recipe

Once you have the right old fashioned ice cream maker, you need to find the right base recipe for your ice cream. My advice is to keep it simple and start with a base of either chocolate or vanilla.

If you like vanilla, you won’t find better than this recipe from my family, which makes about 2 quarts:

4 cups heavy cream
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
Generous pinch of salt

A good tip is to look for recipes that keep it simple (no good old fashioned ice cream recipe, for example, should include more than 7 ingredients max) and then to use the highest quality ingredients available. Nothing beats fresh, local dairy if you can find it—and high quality vanilla extract or cocoa powder is always a must.

3. Prepare the Ice Cream According to Your Old Fashioned Ice Cream Maker’s Instructions

Every old fashioned ice cream maker is different, so be sure to familiarize yourself with your ice cream maker’s instruction manual before starting.

From there, add your ice cubes and salt to the other edge of your maker and all of your ice cream ingredients to the central aluminum can.

If you’re using an old fashioned ice cream maker like mine, use the 38 rpm motorized attachment to get your ice cream mixture to a base thickness, and then switch to the hand crank attachment to take your ice cream over the finish line. The crank will become increasingly difficult to turnas you work. Once the crank really begins to fight you, you’ll know that the ice cream is done.

4. Add Your Stir-Ins

Once your basic, old fashioned ice cream is done, it’s time for the really fun part! Transfer your ice cream to a large bowl and fold in whatever stir-in flavors you want.

Some of my favorite stir-ins include: cookie pieces; cookie dough; chopped chocolate bars; fresh, seasonal fruit; and crumbles from leftover cakes or pies.

These extras will elevate your homemade, old fashioned ice cream from delicious to straight-up otherworldly—and are a great way to mix things up according to seasons or specific holidays.

5. Freeze and Enjoy

Once you’ve finished making your ice cream, transfer it to a freezer-safe storage container and pop it in the freezer to firm.

Remove your ice cream from the freezer five to ten minutes before you intend on eating or serving it, to allow it to soften to the perfect, scoopable consistency.

From there, all that’s left is to dig in. Enjoy!

For so many of us, the phrase ‘homemade ice cream’ conjures up a very specific image: of a big wooden bucket filled with ice cubes and salt. Inside the central aluminum bucket (back then, the part permanently attached to the crank) you would add all of your ingredients. Then, all around that central bucket, you would place your layers of ice cubes and salt. Salt water has a lower freezing point than regular water (28.4 degrees and 32 degrees F, respectively), so getting the right 3:1 ratio of ice cubes to salt was always an important step to ensure your ice cream would have the right consistency. From there, all that was left to do was start cranking—and cranking, and cranking some more.

The good news? Nowadays you don’t need to work so hard. Here is how to make ice cream the old-fashioned way at home.