Ice cream is a delicious frozen dessert that is fun and easy to make at home. With the right ice cream maker like the KitchenAid stand mixer attachments, you can churn out batch after batch of tasty homemade ice cream. But how much ice cream can you reasonably expect to make with a KitchenAid ice cream maker? Let’s take a closer look at ice cream yield to find out.
What Size KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker?
The first factor that impacts how much ice cream you can make is what size KitchenAid ice cream maker you have. KitchenAid offers three different attachments for making ice cream with your stand mixer:
- The 2-quart ice cream maker yields up to 2 quarts of ice cream, sorbet, or frozen yogurt per batch. This compact size is great for smaller households.
- The 4-quart ice cream maker can handle up to 4 quarts per batch – perfect for larger families or ice cream lovers.
- The 6-quart ice cream maker is the largest option and can churn out a whopping 6 quarts per batch. This is ideal for large gatherings, parties, or people who really love ice cream.
So as you can see, the size of the ice cream maker itself determines the maximum amount of ice cream you can make in a single batch. The yields range from 2 quarts up to 6 quarts.
Ice Cream Mix-In’s and Add-Ins
Another factor that affects yield is what type of ice cream you are making and what mix-in’s or add-ins you include. Here are some examples of how ingredients impact the amount of finished ice cream:
- Plain ice cream base – Simple flavors like vanilla or chocolate will have the maximum yield per batch since there are no additional chunky mix-in’s.
- Fruit ice cream – Adding chopped fruits like strawberries, blueberries, or mango chunks will slightly reduce how much finished ice cream you get per batch. The fruit chunks take up space.
- Candy or cookie add-ins – Mixing in crunchy candies like chocolate chips, toffee, fudge ripples, or cookies means you’ll have less ice cream base per batch.
- Nut ice cream – Chopped nuts reduce the yield due to their volume.
So the more mix-in’s and chunky add-ins you add to your ice cream, the less actual ice cream base you’ll be able to churn per batch. Aim for no more than 1 to 1.5 cups of mix-in’s per quart of ice cream base for best results.
Ice Cream Base Recipes
The ingredients that go into your ice cream base also impact the final yield. Richer bases like custard-style ice cream tend to incorporate more air during churning than leaner bases like sorbet. Here are some examples:
- Philadelphia or “no egg” ice cream – Since there are no eggs, the yield per quart of base is reduced.
- Custard-style ice cream – The egg yolks incorporate air and increase the yield.
- Sorbet or sherbet – These contain no dairy so the yield is much lower than ice cream per batch.
- Gelato – Less air is whipped in compared to ice cream so yields are slightly reduced.
The richest ice cream bases like custard tend to yield the most final product after churning compared to dairy-free bases like sorbet or gelato.
Churning Time and Technique
How you actually churn and freeze your ice cream also impacts the final amount you can produce. Follow these tips for highest yields:
- Churn the ice cream base for 20-30 minutes to incorporate as much air as possible.
- Use a slow churn speed on the machine to avoid overrun and a gummy texture.
- Allow the ice cream to freeze completely before serving for proper set-up.
- Let the churned ice cream “ripen” in the freezer for 4-6 hours for best consistency.
Rushing the churning or freezing process can result in poor texture and lower yields. Patience makes perfect ice cream!
Yield Results by Quart
Now that we’ve looked at the factors that affect how much ice cream your KitchenAid maker can produce, let’s see some examples of typical yields (in quarts) based on recipe type:
| Ice Cream Type | Average Yield Per Quart |
|---|---|
| Plain Philadelphia-style | 1.25 quarts |
| Classic French custard | 1.5 quarts |
| Fruit ice cream | 1 – 1.25 quarts |
| Rocky road or cookie dough | 0.9 – 1 quart |
| Chocolate chips or nuts | 0.9 – 1.1 quarts |
| Sorbet or sherbet | 0.8 – 1 quart |
| Gelato | 1 – 1.25 quarts |
These yields are based on using a 4-quart KitchenAid attachment with a standard 1-quart starting base. As you can see, plain ice creams yield the most while mixes with chunky add-ins produce a bit less finished product.
Tips for Maximizing Yield
Here are some helpful tips to get the most out of each batch with your KitchenAid ice cream maker:
- Use more egg yolks in your base for richer texture and higher yield.
- Whip the base thoroughly before chilling to aerate it as much as possible.
- Churn batches for the full recommended time to whip in air.
- Let each batch fully freeze and ripen before serving for proper set-up.
- Remove any hard ice crystals that form on the sides of the canister during churning.
- Ensure your freezer is at 0°F or below for firm ice cream.
- Only add as many mix-in’s per quart as recipe recommends.
Conclusion
The amount of ice cream you can make with a KitchenAid attachment depends on the size of the ice cream maker, the recipe and ingredients used, and proper churning and freezing techniques. Typically, you can expect yields ranging from 0.8 quarts for sorbet up to 1.5 quarts for custard-style ice cream per quart of starting base. Follow the recommendations for your specific model’s capacity and churn each batch fully for maximum yields up to 6 quarts. With some practice, you’ll be churning out batches like a pro in no time.