I have this quirk where when I start a new hobby, I go all in. I really like doing research and learning, and will spend hours into the night, after work and after getting kids to bed, learning about my latest obsession/hobby instead of doing normal things like watching the latest Netflix series.

I started making ice cream in the fall of 2019 right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Our church hosted a talent night, and someone shared ice cream they had made, and I was super impressed. I told myself “This is so cool, I could make ice cream too!”

I delved into the science of making ice cream, reading blogs, getting books, reading research articles, etc. I research what factors make the best quality of ice cream, which machines work the best, and which ingredients help and how. I definitely scratched my researcher and inventor itch by searching the best way to start making ice cream at home.

My first major step was to get a decent ice cream machine.

Back when I was a kid my parents had this huge wooden ice cream contraption, that you would fill with salt and ice, and could crank out a gallon of ice cream after 30 minutes of churning with the loudest motor I’ve ever heard. Then when I was older my parents got a Cusinart ice cream maker. A little better, this time instead of salt and ice, it uses this thick walled bowl that you place in the freezer, and after 24 hours, it’s ready to churn up a single quart of ice cream. 

I didn’t like either of those machines, I wanted to find a machine that could make ice cream without the salt and ice, and could make more than one batch every 24 hours. That’s how I settled on my current home machine, the Whynter ICM-15. It is a compressor based machine that gets to sub zero temperatures and churns ice cream at the touch of a button. No long delays or messy setup! I got this machine in September 2019, and have been making ice cream ever since!

I really enjoyed learning about the science behind ice cream. Turns out ice cream is a very difficult product to make: a frozen, foamed, emulsion. All the components need to be balanced just right or it’s not as good.

There are tons of articles and paid research behind this seemingly simple desert.  Everything from the optimal amount of sugar, to stabilizers, and how to replicate milk in non-dairy formulations. 

I’ve learned to make my own formulations and got my hands on non-standard ingredients like dextrose, guar gum, CMC, carrageenan, xanthan gum, allulose, inulin…. the list goes on! Over the years, tinkering in the evenings, I’ve crafted and perfected many recipes. With over 90+ “experiments”, I found some awful combinations and some stellar winning flavors!

I really enjoy sharing my sometimes crazy flavors with friends, family, and coworkers; soliciting feedback to make them even better!

Since 2019, I’ve made over 90 different flavors of ice cream, Italian ice, sorbets, sugar free blends, etc. And the list just keeps getting bigger each month as I come out with new flavors and fresh takes on old classics. Checkout this month’s menu to see what I mean!