Which Program to Choose on Tefal / Moulinex Dolci — Complete Guide

Quick Decision: Which Program?

Answer one question to find your program in 10 seconds.

Cream or milk base with eggs/mascarpone? → ICE CREAM (high fat >12%) or GELATO (medium fat 8-12%)

Fruit only, no dairy? → SORBET

Greek yogurt base? → FROZEN YOGURT

With alcohol (≤12%)? → COCKTAIL

Result too grainy after first spin? → LITE ICE CREAM (add 1-2 tbsp milk, then run)

Want to add toppings? → MIX-IN (after main program, never before)

Done? Clean up? → RINSE (exclusive to Dolci — half-fill with water + soap, run, done)

ALL 10 PROGRAMS

Every Program Explained

① GELATO

Italian Gelato

For cream-based recipes with medium fat (8-12%). Produces dense, flavor-intense gelato with minimal overrun. The default choice for most ICED° recipes.

Pro tip: If you're unsure, start with GELATO. It works for 70% of recipes in the ICED° book.

② ICE CREAM

Classic Ice Cream

For recipes with high fat (>12%) — those containing mascarpone, heavy cream, egg yolks, or chocolate. Incorporates more air for lighter, classic American-style texture.

Pro tip: Recipes #2 Tiramisù, #13 Chocolate Mascarpone, #16 Cheesecake from the ICED° book all use ICE CREAM.

③ LITE ICE CREAM

Light / Re-Spin

Two uses: (1) Re-spin — when your first result is grainy, add 1-2 tbsp cold milk and run this; (2) Low-fat bases under 8% fat where standard programs over-process.

Pro tip: This is the most important "rescue" program. 90% of grainy textures are fixed with LITE ICE CREAM + a splash of milk.

④ SORBET

Fruit Sorbet

For dairy-free fruit bases — strawberry, lemon, mango, watermelon. Calibrated for harder, icier blocks (high water content, no fat softening).

Pro tip: Always use SORBET for canned fruit recipes (método barattolo). Never LITE ICE CREAM — it overheats the base.

⑤ FROZEN YOGURT

Frozen Yogurt

For bases with Greek yogurt (≥10% fat) as the primary ingredient. Handles the acidic pH of yogurt differently than GELATO.

Pro tip: Use thick Greek yogurt (10%+), never low-fat (0-2%). Low-fat yogurt freezes too hard and gives icy results.

⑥ COCKTAIL

Frozen Cocktails

For alcohol-based frozen drinks (max 12% ABV). Mojito, Piña Colada, Aperol Spritz frozen. Blade speed adjusted for softer blocks.

Pro tip: Best method: freeze the base WITHOUT alcohol, then add spirits through center hole during processing. Alcohol prevents freezing — adding it after keeps the block solid for the blade.

⑦ SMOOTHIE

Smoothie Bowl

For thick frozen smoothie bases to be served in a bowl with toppings (granola, fruit, seeds). Thicker than milkshake, scoopable.

Pro tip: Freeze your smoothie mix (banana + berries + yogurt) for 24h, then process with SMOOTHIE for açaí-bowl-style thickness.

⑧ MILKSHAKE

Milkshake

For drinkable frozen drinks — thinner than smoothie, meant to be poured into a glass. Also good for frappuccinos.

Pro tip: Process for a shorter time than ice cream. The result should be pourable, not scoopable.

⑨ GRANITA

Granita / Slush

For coarse icy texture — Sicilian granita, slushies, Italian ice. Deliberately leaves ice crystals for that characteristic crunch.

Pro tip: Coffee + sugar + water = classic Sicilian granita al caffè. Freeze 24h, GRANITA program, serve immediately with brioche.

⑩ MIX-IN

Add Toppings

Run AFTER your main program is complete. Add chocolate chips, cookie pieces, nuts, caramel swirls through the center hole, then run MIX-IN.

Pro tip: Never add mix-ins before freezing — pieces >5mm can damage the blade. Always process first, then MIX-IN.

EXCLUSIVE FEATURE

Auto Rinse Program

The RINSE program is exclusive to Tefal / Moulinex Dolci — the Ninja Creami does not have it. It automates the most tedious part of using an ice cream maker: cleaning the blade and bowl after use.

How it works: empty the bowl after serving, fill it halfway with warm water and one drop of dish soap, lock it in the machine, and press RINSE. The blade churns the soapy water for 90 seconds, cleaning itself and the bowl walls. Empty, rinse once with clean water, air-dry. Total time: 2 minutes vs 10+ minutes of manual scrubbing.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between GELATO and ICE CREAM programs?

The GELATO program is optimized for Italian-style gelato with medium fat content (8-12%). It produces a denser, more flavor-intense result. The ICE CREAM program is designed for classic American-style ice cream with higher fat content (>12%), producing a lighter, airier texture with more overrun (incorporated air).

When should I use LITE ICE CREAM instead of ICE CREAM?

Use LITE ICE CREAM for two purposes: (1) as a re-spin program when your first processing result is too grainy — add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream through the center hole and run LITE ICE CREAM; (2) for low-fat bases under 8% fat content where the standard ICE CREAM program would over-process.

Which program for fruit sorbet without dairy?

Use the SORBET program. It is specifically calibrated for dairy-free fruit bases with high water content. The blade speed and cycle duration are adjusted to handle the harder, icier block that forms when no fat is present to soften the freeze.

Can I make frozen cocktails with the Tefal / Moulinex Dolci?

Yes. Use the COCKTAIL program for alcohol-based frozen drinks. Maximum alcohol content: 12% by volume. Above 12%, the base will not freeze solid enough for the blade to process. For best results, freeze the base for 24 hours and add the alcohol during the last minutes of freezing or as a mix-in.

What does the MIX-IN program do?

The MIX-IN program runs a gentle, short cycle to fold in toppings and additions (chocolate chips, cookie pieces, nuts, fruit chunks) AFTER the main processing is complete. Never add mix-ins before freezing — they can damage the blade. Always run your chosen main program first, then add toppings through the center hole and run MIX-IN.

What is the RINSE program and how does it work?

The RINSE program is an exclusive feature of Tefal / Moulinex Dolci (not available on Ninja Creami). Fill the bowl halfway with warm water and a drop of dish soap, lock it in the machine, and run RINSE. The blade churns the soapy water to clean itself. Empty, rinse with clean water, and air-dry. Takes 2 minutes and saves significant cleanup time.