Home made ice cream

[bookbook]

Does anyone have an ice cream maker? I am seriously considering one. How do the costs stack up? I have an allotment, so lots of fresh fruit .
I buy lactose free for my DD's partner, and a general vanilla one normally.
I could buy a free standing maker, or an attachment for my Kenwood Major.
Recommendations please?

This is all highly useful info - thanks folks!

Jamie's semi-freddo is amazingly simple and better than anything shop bought.

I'm going against the grain here, but I used mine for three weeks and never again. I struggle to prepare 24 hours in advance ( I don't often want ice cream and it's a rather spontaneous affair if I do) hated that it cost more, took a lot of effort to make, even more effort to scoop and kids prefer shop bought.

However it's been two years since the three week ice cream saga and I can still remember that nigellas gooseberry ice cream, nigellas raspberry ripple, and Nigel slaters orange ice cream were absolutely outstanding.

My ice-cream machine is one of the best-used gadgets I have (apart from the bread maker) and I'm on my third having burnt the motors out of the other two through overuse.
It's a MagiMix and we keep the bowl in the freezer all the time, even with a small freezer.
I also have Ices - The Definitive Guide which is like a bible. There is an updated version now but I haven't felt the need to update.
We have a variety of favourites that are made in rotation - No cook Vanilla, Dulce de Leche (aka Caramel) and Mint Choc Chip (not from that book) with others made as and when I fancy it. I made Strawberry and Balsamic yesterday due to reduced price supermarket strawberries, if I had access to home-grown fruit I would be in my element.
The BEST sorbet in the world is Seville Orange though you only have a 4-6 week window a year to make it in :)

We've had an Andrew James ice cream maker for years. It still has great reviews and we love it. I tend to keep the bowl in the freezer so it is ready for use... you have to put it in 8 hours before you want to make the icecream then you stick the ingredients in and put it in the machine. Lovely.

I've got an Andrew James ice cream maker, IIRC about £40 from Amazon. It's one where you have to freeze the bowl for a few hours so needs freezer space and some planning. It came with 1 book of recipes and there's also a few basic recipes in the instruction booklet, enough to get me started.

I also bought it because of a lactose-intolerant, ice cream-loving teen.

I use Arla lactofree milk and cream to make ice cream

Ooh , thanks for all the extra info. I am doing a trial run this afternoon of the 2 ice cream recipes posted - with my fresh picked raspberries. also some plain vanilla as a comparison.

well, have tasted the Mary Berry recipe - some I left as plain vanilla, and some with raspberry/loganberry puree. The vanilla is lovely . The fruit one I probably put in a bit too much puree ( more than the recipe by about 5%, as I'd made it !) so it had a slight crystalline texture, just a bit like a touch of sorbet in the ice cream . But again definitely a hit. It was rich, so tasting the condensed milk one -( was that P1inkP0ppy ? ) tomorrow :)

Update
now tasted both. Me Dh, and DD who happened to invite herself for tea tonight ( do kids have food antennae, even though they don't live with you anymore?)
All were voted excellent in all respects :)
2 to 1 vote for P1nkP0ppy recipe - both vanilla and fruit
And its so easy!
I was the one who preferred the Mary Berry recipe....
So am virtually convinced that I wouldn't get the value from a machine, and I won't eat as much ( well, maybe ! )