Lello 4070 Gelato Junior
Jul/0912
Review
With a minimum freezing temperature of ?4 degrees F, the Simac Gelato Junior takes only about 30 minutes to satisfy your craving for a frozen confection. Plus, the built-in compressor freezer operates continuously, so you can turn out multiple flavors of ice cream while your guests finish their dinner. A 60-minute electronic timer frees you up for other activities, and an automatic safety mechanism sounds a warning beep if the integrated spatula blade gets stuck. A removable 1-quart bowl, transparent lid, and slim ingredient window all simplify operation, and the unit is also useful for crafting frozen drinks and chilled soups. Though not lightweight at 31 pounds, the Gelato Junior is fairly sleek for its class, measuring 11 by 14 by 12-1/4 inches. Simac includes a booklet of tasty ice cream, sorbet, and dessert sauce recipes, as well as an ice cream scoop. –Emily Bedard
11:01 pm on July 26th, 2009
I have gone through my share of ice cream makers. I have had the hand crank and electric version of the ice/salt mix and I had the Villaware ice cream maker available here on Amazon, sold it and my old icewater/salt type at a garage sale. None of them compares to the Lello Gelato Junior when it comes to convenience and ease of use. You just dump the ingredients in the little bucket, put the mixer/lid on and go. With other models you have to keep the bucket in the freezer or mess with an icewater/salt combination. Sure it might take some of the fun out of making your ice cream by eliminating the turning of the hand crank, but so does buying store bought ice cream or for that matter store bought butter.
The big plus with this model is that you can even dump in the ice cream mix while it is still warm off the stove (you have to cook a custard ice cream base). Just turn on the compressor a few minutes before you begin and it will start chilling the bucket.
You might be concerned about the noise this machine makes when running, don’t be. It is quieter than a microwave running and by far quieter than almost every diswasher on the market. I would say it is louder than my Bosch dishwasher, but my Bosch is the quietest dishwasher you can get. You’re not going to notice the noise from the Lello.
A note about their recipie for vanilla ice cream. When it recommends using a vanilla bean, do it. They are very expensive, like $8 a bean, and for good reason. It is the greatest vanilla ice cream you have ever had. The smell of fresh vanilla will forever blow your budget because you won’t ever want to use vanilla extract for anything again. Save the rinds of the bean in a small tupperware bowl full of sugar, you can use it for baking or flavored coffee or something.
A few little things to note about this machine:
1. The opening for adding ingredients is small, m&m’s are about the largest thing you can reasonably expect to put down the “chute”
2. The timer won’t shut off the maker when it expires, just lets you know your ice cream is ready to eat.
3. It weights about 30 pounds or so. If you can’t lift that amount easily without straining youself, leave it out on a counter somewhere.
4. Unless you are the type of person who likes the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard, don’t even think of using a metal utensil in the aluminum bowl, you will cringe like never before. Can you say chewing on tin foil with fillings in your teeth?
5. Keep excercising regularly, with this thing you are going to have lots of extra calories to burn.
1:49 am on July 27th, 2009
1.0 out of 5 stars
This machine is a piece of junk
Right at the first batch, after turning the machine on, I got the error of “stuck rotor”. I had to reset the unit every five minutes so the rotor could blend the ice cream base…
5:33 am on July 27th, 2009
I ordered this unit from Amazon.com when it was offered on a Friday Sale at such an attractive price that I could not let it go. Some reviewers commented that the booklet could come with a better instruction… I agree !! The first time I tried to use the machine the paddle would not turn around because the lid was not closed properly. I was trying to figure out why ? It was because the freezing basket was not placed in properly. After I figured it out then everything else worked great.
The recipes from the included booklet assume certain things like when you buy frozen rasperries, they are the kinds with sugar or syrup. The kind I buy is without sugar added. So the first raspberry ice cream I made was kinda tart as the recipe did NOT call for sugar. Now I know I have to add sugar to the frozen raspberries that I buy !!
The negatives to this unit ? I wish the timer was set so it would shut itself OFF automatically; I went like 10 mins longer than it should and the ice cream was totally frozen in the unit and the paddle was stuck in it. So, you do have to watch your time. This is NOT a set it and forget it type unit !! But what do you expect from an INEXPENSIVE Gelato maker ??
I do enjoy this unit and I made passion fruit sorbet which was out of this world. I used passion fruit concentrate with a little water. I also made lemon sorbetto using fresh lemon juice, organic evaporated cane juice ( it is unrefined sugar) and water. The intense flavor and the creamy texture was just sublime. There is NOTHING like a freshly made sorbetto !!!
Since this is relatively small unit one can bring to trips or other places and make ice cream / sorbetto on site but since this has freezing unit built in, one need to be aware that you have to set this machine horizontal ALL THE TIME and never tip or place it upside down. Even the outside box has an arrow pointing UP so the delivery guy knows it should not turn the box on the side.
So for the price / performance , this unit is just wonderful !! Why 4 stars ? Poor instruction booklet.
6:24 am on July 27th, 2009
3.0 out of 5 stars
Makes ice cream easily.
Have made 4 batches so far. Works well, no problems except for the slot for adding ingredients is almost tiny, and to clean the top cover, you have to remove two screws in order…
9:56 am on July 27th, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great little ice cream maker!
Works really well. Doesn’t make much product, but perfect for one or two people. You don’t want to put too much product in because as it freezes the product creeps up on the…
2:34 pm on July 27th, 2009
1.0 out of 5 stars
no 3 times, 2 failures is enough
I bought this for a friend as a gift. After returning the second defective unit, we decided to try another brand
6:41 pm on July 27th, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars
Move over Ben and Jerry, my ice cream is just as good
I’ve had my unit for years and love it. It still works perfectly and produces great ice cream at half the calories of the premium stuff because I use mostly 2% milk.
6:59 pm on July 27th, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars
Works Well, Great Value – Highly Recommended!
The Lello 4070 Gelato Junior is the best “luxury” appliance we own. The ease of use and speed that high quality frozen treats can be made right on our counter top really makes…
7:01 pm on July 27th, 2009
3.0 out of 5 stars
“High maintenance”
My first batch was easy and yummy! Yippee! The next time, the machine would not churn. I finally read the rest of these Amazon reviews and found out that I have to move the…
11:35 pm on July 27th, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars
happy
I am pleased with the Lello 4070 however I wish it scraped the ice cream off the sides a little closer.
12:18 am on July 28th, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOVE my Lello!! I feel like a Gelato Maestra!
I bought the Lello Jr. at the beginning of this summer after returning from our 10th trip to Italy, and deciding that I wanted to try and make gelato.
2:59 am on July 28th, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars
Like it so much we bought a second one!
My family bought this machine for me for Mother’s Day in ‘04 for our second home. We actually don’t make traditional ice cream much (lots of folks of diets), but I have frozen…