LelloMusso Pola 5030 Dessert Maker Silver, 2 Quart

Let me start off saying I’ve only used it once… but wow I am impressed. This is a commercial quality gelato machine. I’m going to be using it a lot and I will update this review, but my initial impression is that it’s every bit the machine I hoped it was. I dumped a quart of Greek yogurt in this thing and in 15 minutes it was done with a beautiful texture. I’m trying ice cream tonight.Update: I made a little over a quart of Strawberry. it took about 22 minutes. This machine is simple to work and does a great job.

A little background from me, I'm an engineer that is currently looking to open up an ice cream parlor, so I know a lot about ice cream and equipment. I bought the Lello Musso Pola 5030 as a testing ice cream machine that is used specifically for testing small batches under 2 quarts.I have an Emery Thompson CB-350 ($10,000) and a Breville smart scoop Ice cream machine ($399). The CB-350 is a full on commercial ice cream machine I use for making large quantities. I would use that machine to make test batches but it is too large. If I tried to put 1 quart or 2 quarts of ice cream to churn in there, the machine would freeze up and start making grinding noises because it freezes too fast.So I went out to find an ice cream machine for testing purposes that is near the quality of my emery thompson without spending over $1,500. I needed an ice cream machine that was capable of freezing ice cream under 15-20 min and was of commercial quality grade. Let me tell you guys, you will not find a commercial grade ice cream machine that would freeze 2 quarts of ice cream in under 20 minutes that is priced under $1,500 other than the Lello Musso Pola 5030.This machine is more than what I expected. If you're a serious home cook or looking to make ice cream to sell and do not want to spend more than $1,300, then this is the machine to get. I have the Breville Smart Scoop machine and it works great for people who want to make ice cream for fun and dont really care how the texture of the ice cream is. However, the Breville takes at least 30 minutes to just freeze 1 quart of ice cream, if not, most of the time 35 minutes. The Breville can only hold 1.5 quarts, so if you did 1.5 quarts of ice cream, it'd take upwards of 40 minutes. And an extra 20-25 minutes does not mean only wasted time waiting for the ice cream to finish churning.It means your ice cream will be very icy and the texture will be completely off. 20 - 25 minute difference in freezing time for ice cream is a huge difference in the quality of your ice cream. The reason why ice cream at restaurants and ice cream shops are so creamy is because of how fast you freeze your ice cream. The faster you freeze it, the smaller the ice crystals will be. The longer it takes to freeze, the larger the ice cream crystals will be.I was able to freeze my ice cream in 10 - 15 minutes with 1 quart of ice cream. I let the machine run the compressor for 10-15 minutes to get it as cold as possible, and then i turn on the blades to churn and dump in the ice cream. I know a lot of people complain that the bowl is not removable, but you guys should really stop complaining about that. No commercial ice cream maker has a removable bowl whatsoever. If you want an ice cream machine that has a removable bowl, then you're not serious about making great ice cream. Removable bowls mean that there is a gap between the outside surface of the bowl and the freezing unit. Therefore the bowl will take longer to get cold and freeze because there is a thing layer of air acting as insulation. So that is why there is not a removable bowl. The bowl is directly built in the machine to freeze the bowl faster, therefore that is why the ice cream can freeze under 20 minutes.In conclusion, if you're looking for a commercial quality ice cream machine that is under $1,500, then this is the machine you're looking for. All other brands start at $4,000 like taylor and emery thompson, and those are roughly the same size (2-3 quarts). Any ice cream machine priced around $500 means that the quality of the ice cream will not be the same as restaurants or ice cream shops. Getting this machine will allow you to make ice cream that has the same texture as ice cream stores.

While on vacation in Phoenix I bought the Pola from Sur La Table's clearance section. I drove it all the way home to Santa Fe, NM only to find out it didn't cool at all. They were extremely gracious and paid for return shipping and gave a fast refund. But I was hooked on the idea of an ice cream maker so I did research. I thought, "Geez, that's a lot of money for only half a quart more!". I went to Amazon and bought the 1.5 quart model in 2007. You can even see my review of it there. It has worked GREAT all this time and more importantly, I live at 8,500 feet and it freezes everything just fine. I am not sure what's going on with that other guy, but there is no reason either machine shouldn't work fine anywhere.Still, my heart was set on the big industrial model and when I got a bonus at work I decided to buy the Pola again (this time from Amazon). Since I am a PRIME member I had it shipped overnight for only $3.99. "Uh-Oh!," I thought, "This box has been opened already. That's not a good sign." It wasn't a good sign as I feared - after an hour the gelato was not very frozen. I called Amazon and right there on the phone they arranged for another to arrive the very next day.So, this is my third Pola and it works great. I just wanted to test it - I needed to know right away if it would work. I threw a can of cherries in syrup into a 2 quart measuring cup and topped it up to 2 quarts with whole milk. I didn't care what it tasted like, I just wanted to know if it worked or not. In 15 minutes it was frozen - really frozen. The power is staggering. Now, one thing that is different from the 1.5 quart model is that the Pola blows ALOT of heat out - that's not a complaint but rather a statement about how much stronger this machine is.In summary, this is what I would have liked to known in advance and what I would like to share:1) This machine is not a toy. If you are really serious about entertaining then this is the machine for you. If it's just for a small family then buy the smaller Lello.2) This machine is fierce. If it's not working exactly the way all of us are talking about then send it back and keep sending it back until it's right. You can turn out incredible, healthy frozen foods (you notice I am not saying desserts because that other reviewer was right about the tomato tartar with a garlic granita) fast and easy for a crowd.3) This machine, surprisingly, makes much more gelato than the 1.5 quart model. How is that possible? I don't know exactly except to say that the bowl diameter on the small model is 7 inches and the bowl diameter on there larger is 9 inches. The depth is the same.4) I am a freak. I have a Robot Coupe rather than a Cuisinart. I have a Hobart 5 quart rather than a KitchenAid. If you are like me then the Pola is the machine for you. If not, the smaller model will be just fine for many years as I can testify to.5) The issue of cleaning is moot. It's not that big of a deal. If you want to get a removable bowl then you can do so at twice the price of this machine.

This machine is a marvel at making ice cream. It's a relatively simple design constructed out of quality materials and does fantastic job at making very creamy ice cream (esp. if you prechill for 20 minutes or so). The problem is that once you have a problem with your unit, you are in a nebula of pain. If you're lucky you can pay a fortune for the part and replace it yourself (like a switch). But if something more extensive needs repair, the repair network is almost non existent and expensive if you can get the help. I'm on my second set of switches. These electomechanical switches are expensive, unreliable and prone to breakage easily, often halting an evening of spontaneous ice cream making in the worst possible way. It would hurt more if this was a business reliant on these machines.