Lakeland digital ice cream maker review

The bowl should be frozen for 12 hours before use, leaving you with plenty of time to dream up flavour combinations. The bowl has a 1.5-litre capacity, though Lakeland advises the maximum working capacity is just 500ml.

Read our full guide to the best ice cream makers

What is the Lakeland digital ice cream maker like to use?

Putting this model together does not require much effort. Little notches along the top of the freezer bowl lock the lid in place and it’s clear to see where the paddle slots in. The paddle is flexible; where many of the models on test have solid paddles, this one feels decidedly cheap. That being said, the paddle quality doesn’t stop this model from producing gorgeously smooth ice cream.

The control panel is equally simple to use. It has power and timer buttons, the latter of which sets the timer to run for up to 40 minutes in five-minute increments. The digital display is tiny, so you may have to squint to make sure you’re setting the right time. But, you will get used to the buttons quickly, so you won't need to look at the display as often.

How did the Lakeland digital ice cream maker perform?

We make our decadent vanilla ice cream without high expectations for this model, but are seriously proved wrong. The ice cream takes 25 minutes, as stated in the manual, after which the ice cream is totally smooth and crystal-free. It's luxurious and silky in appearance and texture and while it's quite soft-set, it doesn’t melt immediately.

If you’re entertaining, we suggest decanting the ice cream into a freezerproof container and letting it firm up a little in the freezer, as it is a little too soft to serve straightaway.

Our mango sorbet is just as delicious in this machine. The sorbet is well-made and super-smooth. It even has a slight fizz from the sourness of the pineapple: a refreshing and fun little palate cleanser. Again, we advise giving the sorbet a quick blast in the freezer if you're serving to guests.

We notice a fairly thin build-up of ice cream on the inner bowl, but this is easy to remove when cleaning.

olive's take: should you buy the Lakeland digital ice cream maker?

For those in the market for a budget-friendly but reliable ice cream maker, Lakeland’s digital ice cream maker is a great choice.

Small but mighty, this model consistently makes showstopper-quality ice cream and sorbet, both of which are silky smooth and, of course, delicious.

If you’re a fan of keeping your appliances out on the kitchen counter, this model not only takes up very little space, but its pared back design means it’ll suit just about any kitchen design. It’s no taller than a kettle, so it's also easy to store even if you’re short on space.

Lakeland digital ice cream maker specifications

Bowl capacity: 1.5-litre
Accessories: none
Pre-set functions: none
Dimensions (cm): H:23 x W:21 x D: 20
Colours: white

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This review was last updated in May 2021. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at oliveweb@immediate.co.uk.