Tefal Dolci ice cream: getting the ICE CREAM programme right

What the Tefal Dolci ice cream programme does

The Tefal Dolci ice cream programme is built for bases richer in fat: milk, cream, egg yolks, chocolate, nut pastes. The result is a firm, compact ice cream, closer to the American scoop than to soft Italian gelato. It's the same ICE CREAM button you'll find on the Moulinex Dolci: same machine, different name.

This ice cream maker works the other way round. You freeze the base in the Tritan bowl (about 480 ml) for 24 hours at −18 °C. Then you press ICE CREAM and the blade spins and shaves the frozen block layer by layer, for about 3 minutes 16 seconds.

ICE CREAM or GELATO: which button?

Both are spoonable programmes, but they don't give the same texture:

• ICE CREAM (about 3:16): firmer and more compact, for richer bases.
• GELATO (about 3:45): creamier and softer, Italian style.

In the ICED method, classic and Italian-style recipes go on GELATO, and so do light recipes on models with SMOOTHIE BOWL. Keep ICE CREAM for the dense, indulgent bases. Read the Tefal Dolci gelato guide to compare.

Tefal Dolci ice cream sandy or too hard?

A powdery first pass is normal with a very cold block. Press RE-SPIN (about 1 min 30 s) and it usually turns creamy. If it happens every time with the same recipe, the base is out of balance: too little sugar or too much water makes the block freeze too hard.

More fixes on the RE-SPIN guide and the ice cream too hard page.

Adding biscuits or chocolate with MIX IN

Want pieces in your ice cream? Make a small hole in the centre once the cycle has finished, add crushed biscuits or chopped chocolate, then press MIX IN. The blade folds them in without turning them to dust. A good example is our chunky stracciatella.

Common Tefal Dolci ice cream mistakes

As a chef I've worked ice cream on a professional Pacojet for more than 10 years, and the same mistakes come back:

• Freezing for less than 24 hours: a soft core won't shave evenly.
• Making a rich base lighter by cutting sugar: it freezes harder, not healthier.
• Using ICE CREAM for a light base: low-fat recipes belong on GELATO or LIGHT ICE CREAM.
• Adding pieces before the cycle: use MIX IN at the end.

A good scoop starts the day before. Before the bowl goes in the freezer, I always check three things:

• The base is fully cold: cool a cooked custard in the fridge first, never put a warm base straight in the freezer.
• The bowl is level: a tilted block shaves unevenly and leaves a hard edge.
• The lid is on: it keeps freezer smells out of the cream.

After 24 hours at −18 °C the block should be completely solid, from the edge to the centre. Only then is the ICE CREAM button worth pressing. A base that is still soft in the middle gives a texture that's half creamy, half icy, and no programme can fix that afterwards.

221 ice creams balanced for your bowl

The ICED° app has 221 ice creams plus 109 Italian-style gelati, each with the grams for your machine's bowl, the button to press and a traffic light that warns you before freezing if the base will turn out too hard. Browse the Tefal Dolci recipes, see all the Tefal Dolci programmes, or try 5 free recipes on the Tefal Dolci app page.

Step by step

1. Prepare a rich ice cream base with milk, cream and sugar.
2. Pour it into the Tritan bowl, put the lid on and freeze for 24 hours at −18 °C.
3. Fit the frozen bowl in the Tefal Dolci and lock it.
4. Press ICE CREAM and let the cycle run (about 3 min 16 s).
5. If it's sandy or powdery, press RE-SPIN.
6. For biscuits or chocolate pieces, make a hole in the centre, add them and press MIX IN.
7. Serve straight away, or put the bowl back in the freezer.

Frequently asked questions