Summer chilling

Another plus of the homemade variety is that the end result is often healthier than what is sold commercially, said Gary Mennie, the chef of Midtown's Livingston restaurant.

"If you take a look at the ingredients of store-bought ice cream, you can't buy the stuff they put in it," he said. "But to make it at home, all you need is cream, milk, sugar and flavorings. I have kids, and I don't want them eating all the junk they put into food these days."

At Livingston, Mennie makes his own dark chocolate, toasted hazelnut praline, espresso and blackberry swirl ice creams in a commercial-grade maker. He also totes a smaller machine to his kids' school to demonstrate the process for students.

"The fun part is making it with them," Mennie said. "They're always asking, 'Is it done yet? Is it done yet?' "

Making ice cream with the kids is not only a source of entertainment and healthier treats. For chef Keira Moritz of Pacci, it made childhood memories.

"I grew up with an old wooden, hand-cranked machine, and I still remember that my mom would let my sister and I work it by hand when she needed us to be occupied," Moritz recalled.

For Pacci diners, Moritz makes one quart at a time using only sugar, milk and vanilla.

"It's the churning process that forms the ice crystals," she said. "It's stirred slowly while freezing so you get a smoothly textured ice cream."

Prices for ice cream makers vary by each machine's size and features.

Some hand-cranked machines also come with electric attachments. Cuisinart's Supreme Commercial Quality Ice Cream Maker ($299) boasts its own compressor that turns out 1.5 quarts in about an hour. But there are several other options in the affordable range, starting with the Koolatron Deluxe Double Treat Ice Cream Maker at Target that works with four AA batteries and the chill of your freezer for $17.99.

With the price of a half gallon of Publix ice cream starting at $3.49, a moderately priced ice cream maker can pay for itself within several uses. The cost of basic ingredients —- cream or milk, sugar, salt and flavorings —- can be a lot less than the $2.85 you'll pay for a one-scoop vanilla sugar cone at Bruster's.

"You don't have to spend a lot on a machine, and it's an economical way to go for people who really love ice cream," said Mary Moore, founder of the local Cook's Warehouse. "The raw ingredients are not that expensive. And more importantly, you are controlling what you put into it: There's no corn syrup, no chemicals, no artificial flavors. It's just pure, natural, delicious ice cream."

Buyer's Edge

Choose your maker

Cuisinart's Automatic Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker

Price: $49.95

Available: at Macy's and www.cuisinart.com

Make up to 1.5 quarts in this small appliance that won't take up too much counter space. A heavy-duty motor whips up ice cream, as well as frozen yogurt, sherbets and sorbets, in about a half an hour. A recipe book and three-year warranty are included.

White Mountain 4-quart Hand-Cranked Ice Cream Freezer

Prices: $139.99 to $199.99 for 4- or 6-quart makers

Available: at www.brm-icecream.com

This old-fashioned, hand-cranked ice cream maker turns out 4 quarts of your favorite flavors. The tub is made of pine with a maple finish, and the inside is stainless steel. "It looks like what folks of an older generation remember ice cream makers to be," said Steve Collins, who works at the company's headquarters in Virginia. It takes about 40 minutes to make a batch by hand, but the machine also comes with an electric motor if you want to take it easy.

Rival Gel Canister Ice Cream Maker

Price: $29.99

Available: at Target

Turn out a quart of ice cream in about 30 minutes using this machine. All you need are the ice cream ingredients; no salt or ice required. The price includes a recipe book and a one-year warranty.