Long Term Report

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION PLAY & FREEZE ICE CREAM MAKER
Richard Lyon
November 6, 2006

PERSONAL DETAILS AND BACKPACKING BACKGROUND

Male, 60 years old
Height: 6' 4" (1.93 m)
Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
Email address: rlyon AT gibsondunn DOT com
Home: Dallas, Texas USA

I've been backpacking for 45 years on and off, and regularly in the Rockies since 1986.  I do a weeklong trip every summer, and often take three-day trips.  I'm usually camping in alpine terrain, at altitudes 5000 to 13000 ft (1500 - 4000 m).  I prefer base camp backpacking, a long hike in with day trips from camp, but I do my share of forced marches too.  Though always looking for ways to reduce weight, I'm not yet a lightweight hiker and I usually choose a bit of extra weight over foregoing camp conveniences I've come to expect.  I am also an ice cream addict.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Manufacturer: Industrial Revolution, Inc. (www.industrialrev.com), formerly UCO Corporation.  All quotations in this review come from this website. 
Year of manufacture: 2006
MSRP: $34.95 US
Rated Capacity: “About a pint” (A pint is 16 fl oz/473 ml.)
Measured capacity of cylinder: 20 fl oz (591 ml)
Please see my Initial Report for additional details and a description of how the Play & Freeze makes frozen desserts, and my Field Report for earlier testing results. 

Further Testing

As promised, I have spent the past two months tinkering with recipes, measurements, and technique to address the limitations on the Play & Freeze's use that I described in my Field Report.  I've made ice cream another seven times, five in my kitchen and two following day hikes.  I did pack the Play & Freeze in my duffel for use in Montana, but I simply could not fit it into my pack to take into the backcountry.  For the first time during the four-month testing period I made an Italian-style ice cream (no egg yolks) in it. 

First I consider some of the issues I discussed in my Field Report:

Cleaning and Disposal.  I was not able to come up with any means of avoiding the cleaning and disposal problems I have encountered when using the Play & Freeze away from home.  Unless there's a drain I am stuck with a salt-watery slush that must be stored somewhere, and I can't do a satisfactory cleaning of the cylinder without running water (hot water preferred).  As I noted in the Field Report, however, disposing of the slurry is an even bigger bother with any other ice cream maker that's suitable for use away from home, and the Play & Freeze's ice compartment has remained watertight, making the problem at least manageable. 

Ice cube size.  While I still have difficulty fitting store-bought ice into the ice compartment, this too is a manageable problem, especially when there are children at the party.  Kids enjoy smashing the ice bag with their little fists, and whacking the bag on the ground (and so far they have done so without mishap).  

Tight lids.  The wrench is definitely still needed, but practice with the Play & Freeze has reduced significantly the times when I've really had to crank hard to open a lid.  This leads me to conclude that my own carelessness has contributed to this problem.  If I keep open a lid only at the top of the sphere there's less chance of ice water or ice cream mixture getting in the threads, and I can later open the lid easily without the wrench.  That's not always possible when pouring out melted ice, but if there's a problem that's what the wrench is for.  The wrench is easy to use and easy to store in the cylinder when the product is not in use.  Definitely a tolerable issue.

Freezing consistency.  I've progressed the most in learning to reduce greatly the problem of a rock-hard ice cream frozen to the cylinder wall with syrupy, non-frozen goop in the middle.  Checking the mixture's viscosity every five minutes and scraping the sides with a stout wooden spoon each time I do so has helped reduce the differential.  There's a far more effective solution, however.  Upon reaching the desired consistency I simply setting the Play & Freeze upright (with cylinder on top) and remove the lid, allowing the ice cream to melt for five to ten minutes before attempting to scoop it out.  If I can dispose of the slurry (at home or down a park drain) I do so before opening the cylinder, thereby eliminating the freezing agent.  After a decent wait the ice cream has a consistency similar to commercial ice cream (before leaving it in my freezer for a week) and comes away from the sides without undue effort.  There's still a problem with the bottom of the cylinder, where the temperature has been the coldest (three sides of cylinder against the ice), but I have been able to scoop it out after a couple more minutes. 

This approach suffers from one big problem, of course – after twenty minutes or so of tossing and rolling the Play & Freeze no one wants to wait another ten minutes for dessert.  It requires patience, never my long suit and especially not when I'm this close to homemade ice cream.  The Play & Freeze has actually improved my willpower.  

Quantity.  This is an issue not recorded in my Field Test.  It's difficult to prepare exactly the right amount of ice cream or sorbetto mix for a full cylinder of dessert after freezing.  All of my recipes are for larger quantities, and the recipes supplied by Industrial Revolution, on its website and with the Play & Freeze, have proven unreliable.  As the mixture expands when it freezes, one pint (473 ml) of liquid can produce more frozen dessert than will fit in the cylinder.  The only thing to do when this happens is spoon out some of the excess during periodic checks on consistency, wasting good ice cream and creating more mess that needs to be disposed of somewhere.  This problem is especially acute when my recipe calls for fruit or chips to be added half way through freezing, as I have to estimate total contents.  I try to leave about 1.5 inches (3.75 cm) of space at the top of the cylinder if no fruit is to be added, another half inch (~1 centimeter) if it is.  The best way to avoid the problem is to reduce slightly the quantity of mix to be used.  If I've made more mix than I think will work, I freeze the remainder in an ice cube tray.  A second quantity issue is not a problem.   Unused ingredients (cream, sugar, fruit, vanilla) can be saved for other culinary uses.

I believe that I have discussed most of my original test criteria above and in my Field Report.  Here are the others, with my findings in italics. 

Ease of Use.  Is it as easy to use as the directions on the website and package indicate – load the ice, pour in the ice cream mix, and shake, rattle, and roll?  Except that it's wise to check the cylinder for freezing results periodically during the process, yes.  How much ice is needed for each pint of ice cream? This depends on outside temperature and mixture to be frozen, but I plan on about two-thirds of a standard bag of store ice. How long after freezing will the ice cream stay hard, i.e., does the Play & Freeze provide any insulation other than ice that's added? I was somewhat surprised to find that the problem is that the dessert is too hard, not too soft.  Not a problem at all.  If I'm in the group, any ice cream that's made will be eaten, for certain.

Versatility.  At home I make three basic styles of frozen desserts: custard ice cream (made with egg yolks and cream), Italian ice cream (made with milk or cream but without eggs), and fruit sorbetti (no dairy product).  How will results vary with the type of mix used? No real difference except once when I used fruit juice rather than a prepared sorbetto recipe.  That took about thirty minutes to freeze.   Is there any aspect of this product other than requiring ice that makes it unsuitable for use away from civilization? Size and rigid shape mean no realistic backpacking use. 

Durability.  Will the plastic ball withstand the occasional and inevitable fall to the ground? Can it be packed in a crowded car trunk? Is anything too fragile for repeated outdoor use? Or for stowing in a canoe or horse pannier? I repeat my earlier assessment that I expect to be able to use my Play & Freeze for many years.  Size and shape, not fragility, limit where it can go.  It's not particularly heavy, so that if there's space for it and the journey includes access to ice or snow, I'd pack it.  Will it leak at the seam (equator) or from the lids during use? No leaks except when I'm careless with screwing in the lids. 

Other Uses.  Is it really fun (as claimed on the website) to play with the Play & Freeze? Will it still be fun after the novelty wears off? If so it'll be a useful distraction when children are on a trip.  It's still fun and easy to use, and it is a useful distraction for kids and adults.  Will it work well enough to justify use in my own backyard? Oh, yes!

My overall evaluation is worth repeating: Enthusiasm for a simple and workable ice cream maker, with regrets only that I can't use it everywhere.  The Play & Freeze has earned a permanent place in my kitchen and picnic basket.

What I Like

Ease of use.  Not only easy to operate, but at home I can use it on the spur of the moment – no pre-freezing required.
Simple design. 
Separate lids for ice compartment and freezing cylinder are a big improvement over a hand-cranked machine.  This eliminates the risk of salty ice falling into the freezing container, a very common problem with a hand-cranker.
Small enough to fit in a picnic basket or cooler.
Reliable.
Inexpensive.

What I Might Fix 

Maybe Industrial Revolution can figure out a way to add a simple dasher/churn without an undue increase in size and weight.  Until then the instructions should include additional suggestions for dealing with the freezing problem.
Disposable bags for packing the Play & Freeze after use would help isolate the leftover ice cream drippings in the car or cooler.  Although the plastic bag that held the ice suffices.

My Favorite New Recipe

One of the many advantages of making my ice cream is creating my own flavors.  I credit my testing of the Play & Freeze for this one.

Summer Pudding Ice Cream

12 fl oz (355 ml) whipping cream
¼ cup (60 ml) + 1 tablespoon sugar
One extra large egg yolk (at room temperature)
One teaspoon vanilla extract or scrapings from 2 in (5 cm) vanilla bean
¼ cup (60 ml) mixed raspberries and red currants

Pour 8 oz (240 ml) cream into the upper portion of a double boiler, heat water in the lower portion over medium heat, and gradually stir in ¼ cup (60 ml) sugar.  When the water in bottom of the double boiler has begun to boil, warm 4 fl oz (120 ml) of the cream in a separate saucepan and whisk in the egg yolk, then whisk the cream-egg mixture into the cream in the top of the double boiler.  Heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the point when it coats the back of a wooden spoon.  Do not allow the mixture to boil.  Remove from the heat, add vanilla, allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.  When ready to make ice cream, put the berries, currants, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small saucepan over very low heat and cook until the juices just begin to run.  Remove from the heat.  Stir the custard and pour into the freezing cylinder of the Play & Freeze until there is 2 in (5 cm) unfilled space at the top.  Screw the lid on the cylinder and freeze per Play & Freeze directions, adding more ice and rock salt when needed and checking the consistency of the ice cream every five minutes.  When the mixture is about half frozen, add the fruit to the cylinder and stir with a wooden spoon, and continue tossing the Play & Freeze until the mixture is completely frozen.

Thanks again to Industrial Revolution and BackpackGearTest.org for this testing opportunity.