Making ice cream -Ice cream makers

[joymaker]

Thinking of purchasing one. Do they make better and quicker ice cream, sorbets etc than making by hand only ?.i.e is it better to have one?

Also what sort of functions should I look out for on any machine I choose to purchase?

Thanks

There are two main types. One has a freezer unit built in and are very expensive but good if you make a lot of ice-cream. The cheaper sort has a bowl that you pre-freeze and a paddle/motor attachment. I have the second kind (Magimix) and, if you freeze the bowl properly overnight, it takes your mixture from cold to frozen in sub 20 minutes. I've never tried ice-cream by hand so don't know how the flavour compares.