Why It Happens
Watery results mean the emulsion broke: fat and water separated before or during freezing. Causes: base not mixed thoroughly, no stabilizers, base sat too long before freezing, or refreezing a processed container (forbidden by the Tefal manual).
How to Fix It
- If just processed and watery: add 1 tbsp of cream and run a re-spin immediately.
- If separated in layers after freezing: the base was not emulsified — sadly it needs reprocessing from scratch with a blender before refreezing.
- Never re-spin a container that was refrozen after processing — the Tefal manual explicitly forbids it (IT p.38-39, FR p.20-21).
How to Prevent It
- Blend the base 30-60 seconds until fully homogeneous before freezing.
- Use 0.3-0.5% stabilizers (guar gum pre-mixed with sugar).
- Freeze immediately after preparing — never leave the base hours at room temperature.
- Milk fat minimum 8%: skim milk bases separate far more easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there liquid at the bottom of my container?
The emulsion broke: fat rose, water sank and froze as pure ice at the bottom. Blend the base thoroughly next time and add stabilizers.
Can I refreeze and re-spin a processed container?
No. The Tefal / Moulinex Dolci manual explicitly forbids re-spinning a refrozen container (IT p.38-39, FR p.20-21). Processed ice cream that refreezes changes structure and can strain the motor.
Do I need stabilizers in every recipe?
For scraping-blade machines, 0.3-0.5% stabilizers dramatically improve texture stability. Every ICED Method recipe includes the correct dosage.