No-machine method

All you need is a freezer, a bowl and a mixer: stir the base every 30 minutes, or whip cream with condensed milk. Granita, on the other hand, is scraped with a fork.

You can make ice cream without an ice cream maker too. All you need is a freezer, a bowl and a little patience. There are three tried-and-tested methods: stirring in the freezer, ice cream from whipped cream and condensed milk (no-churn) and granita scraped with a fork. Each suits a different type of ice cream.

Why an ice cream maker helps — and how to replace it

A machine does two things at once: it freezes the base and churns it constantly. Churning breaks up ice crystals while they are small and works in a little air. If you simply let the base freeze in the freezer, the water forms large crystals and you get a hard block of ice.

Without a machine you therefore need one of two things: either break up the crystals by hand while the base freezes, or build the base so that large crystals do not form — plenty of fat, sugar and air from whipped cream.

1. Stirring in the freezer

This method was described by the American pastry chef David Lebovitz.

1. Chill the bowl — put a deep stainless steel or plastic container in the freezer in advance.
2. Pour in the chilled base and put the container in the freezer.
3. After about 45 minutes, when the base starts to set at the edges, stir it vigorously. Mix the set edges into the centre. A hand mixer or stick blender works best, but a spatula or whisk will do.
4. Then stir every 30 minutes.
5. After 2–3 hours the ice cream is ready.

The ice cream has less air than from a machine and is best eaten soon. Rich recipes turn out smoothest — especially custard and cream ice cream with egg yolks, such as vanilla ice cream with egg yolks.

2. No-churn: whipped cream and condensed milk

Here there is no stirring at all. The whipped cream provides the air, and sweetened condensed milk the sugar and solids. Thanks to this the mixture does not freeze rock-hard.

1. Whip chilled whipping cream together with the condensed milk and flavouring to soft peaks.
2. Transfer the mixture to a container with a lid.
3. Freeze for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.

Nigella Lawson, for example, uses 300 ml of cream and 175 g of condensed milk. The result is smooth and creamy, but sweeter and richer than machine-made ice cream. Our recipe: ice cream from whipped cream and condensed milk.

3. Granita by scraping

Granita is a Sicilian dessert made from fruit juice, coffee or almond milk with sugar. Its grainy texture of small ice crystals is intentional, so it needs no machine.

1. Pour the mixture into a shallow container so it freezes quickly and evenly.
2. When it starts to set, scrape the crystals with a fork from the edges towards the centre.
3. Repeat the scraping at regular intervals (in practice about every 30–60 minutes is quoted) until the whole mixture is fluffy and loose.

In Sicily the texture ranges from coarser in the west to almost smooth in the east, where granita is served with a brioche. Try lemon granita or coffee granita with whipped cream.

How long it takes

Capacity is not limited by a machine but by the size of your container and freezer. When stirring in the freezer, though, the more base there is, the longer it takes to freeze.

What kind of ice cream it makes

No-machine ice cream is at freezer temperature, usually around −18 °C — so it is harder than ice cream fresh out of an ice cream maker. Let it soften for 5–10 minutes before serving. The crystals are slightly coarser than from a machine and there is little air; with no-churn, the whipped cream provides it.

Light recipes are less suitable: sorbets and low-fat bases easily freeze into a hard, icy block without a machine. If you try them, stir diligently and eat them soon.

How to adapt a recipe

• Choose a richer recipe — more fat and solids (yolks, cream) mean finer crystals.
• Do not use less sugar than the recipe says. Sugar lowers the freezing point and keeps the ice cream scoopable.
• A spoonful of liqueur softens the ice cream. Leave out the alcohol in recipes for children.
• Always chill the base thoroughly in the fridge before freezing.

Maintenance and hygiene

You use ordinary kitchen equipment, so normal washing is enough. Always cook a base with egg yolks to 82–84 °C and cool it quickly. Cover the container in the freezer so the ice cream does not absorb smells from other food.

Typical mistakes

• A skipped stir — one forgotten round is enough for large crystals to form.
• Too much base in one container — it freezes slowly and unevenly.
• Base not chilled — it lengthens the whole freezing time.
• Overwhipped cream in no-churn — a buttery texture.
• Granita in a deep container — it freezes slowly and the crystals are uneven.

What to buy

Nothing special. A stainless steel or plastic bowl with a lid, a hand mixer or stick blender and, for granita, a shallow container are all useful. If you find you make ice cream often, look at a freezer-bowl ice cream maker — it is cheap and will save you a lot of stirring.