Homemade ice cream in just 20 minutes

Speedy: The instant ice cream maker, on sale at Lakeland

Homemade ice cream may sound like a laborious way to satisfy impatient children on a sunny day.

But now a gadget is promising to whip up a batch of additive-free ice cream in only 20 minutes - and help mothers beat the pester power of their offspring.


Makers of the My Kitchen Ice Cream Maker say it is the perfect way to avoid an unplanned trip to the shops.

The machine works by quickly churning ingredients in a bowl pre-frozen in its freezer compartment.

Costing £39.99, it has been on sale in Lakeland stores since February, and sales have soared in the recent hot weather. Another machine, the American-made Zoku Quick Pop Maker which makes ice lollies in just seven minutes, has also been flying off the shelves since it was introduced by Lakeland last month.

The Ice Cream Maker churns out treats at record speed because the ice-cream mixture is placed in a bowl which has already been pre-frozen in the freezer compartment for 12 hours.

The bowl contains a special gel, similar to the contents of plastic ice packages used in cooler boxes, and can be used to make two batches of ice cream before it needs to be re-frozen.

Although children are likely to need a helping hand to boil up the ice cream mixture, creating the finished product couldn't be easier.

Parents simply pour the mixture into the machine and switch it on. An electric motor drives a paddle which, Lakeland says, creates perfect homemade ice cream in just 20 minutes.

A spokesman for Lakeland, which has 48 stores nationwide, said: 'Homemade ice creams and sorbets are so easy to make, and a brilliant way to use up summer fruit.

'They are a great way for both adults and little ones to cool down this summer.'

Lakeland believes the machine will be popular with those seeking a healthier treat because it can also be used to make frozen yoghurt and sorbets.