1. Ice Cream Makers
The most important piece of equipment is an ice-cream maker. You've got a couple of options: an old-fashioned bucket churn or a countertop freezer. Bucket freezers and countertop ice-cream makers function according to the same principles: A metal canister is exposed to freezing temperature. The canister (or freezer bowl) is filled with cooled custard and fitted with a dasher. The canister rotates while the dasher scrapes frozen cream from the sides, incorporating air into the mixture as it freezes to create the characteristic silky smooth, creamy texture.

2. Equipment
Traditional bucket-style freezers require rock salt and ice, but tabletop models rely strictly on a freezer bowl filled with a coolant.

3. Make the Mix
Ice cream is a frozen custard (or milk mixture) with air whipped into it. The custard or mix, especially for light ice cream, is a delicate balance of dairy products, sweetener, flavorings, and sometimes eggs. Each plays an important role in the overall outcome.

A substantial amount of half-and-half combined with two percent reduced-fat milk produces delicious lower-fat ice cream with velvety smooth texture and rich flavor. Most of our recipes begin by heating the milk mixture, then stirring a little of the hot mixture into the egg yolk and sugar mixture, a process known as tempering, to prevent the eggs from coagulating. The custard goes back over a low flame until the eggs reach a safe temperature (160°). It is only necessary to cook the custard if using eggs (or egg yolks), but bear in mind that heat dissolves the sugar as well, helping to avoid a gritty-textured ice cream.

If the heat is too high or the custard stays on the flame too long, the eggs may coagulate, leaving lumps in the mix. To ensure a smooth texture, strain the mix through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl before cooling it.

For no-cook ice cream, minimize the amount of granulated sugar, and opt for liquid sweeteners, such as maple syrup, honey, or sweetened condensed milk.

Egg yolks are a natural emulsifier, and they help the water and fat harmonize better in the mix. They also add fat, and therefore body, to the texture of the frozen ice cream.

Flavorings offer variety. The most popular flavors include fresh fruit, chocolate, caramel, toasted chopped nuts, candies, and cookies. When using fruit, it's best to pick soft, ripe fruit, and consider soaking it in sugar syrup or cooking it briefly. These tricks will prevent the fruit from freezing into large chunks that are difficult to eat. It's often best to add the fruit before freezing the ice cream because the dasher helps break it into smaller pieces.

4. Chill Out
It's important to completely cool the ice-cream mix before freezing it. The best way to accomplish this quickly is to nest the pan directly inside a large ice-filled bowl—preferably a metal bowl, which will conduct cold better than glass or plastic. Or simply make the mix in advance and refrigerate, a process known among professionals as aging. Aging involves chilling the mix for four to 24 hours, allowing the proteins to swell and bind with the water molecules, which makes for a creamier product. This makes homemade ice cream even easier and more convenient because not only can you prepare the mix ahead and pop it in the ice-cream maker the next day, but it also enhances the end result.

5. Freeze
Now it's time for the freezer to work a little magic. The most important consideration is to follow the ice-cream maker manufacturer's instructions very carefully because each type of machine works differently. If you're using a bucket freezer, make sure to use plenty of salt. If not specified by the manufacturer, use about one cup of rock salt to every eight to 10 cups of ice. Use coarse rock salt since it will not easily slip between the ice or drain through the cracks of the bucket; this keeps a consistent temperature throughout the entire bucket.

Use crushed ice if it is available. Crushed ice puts more of the surface area of the ice in contact with the brine, and this maintains lower temperatures in the freezer.

6. Ripen
The ice cream will be a soft-serve consistency straight from the maker. To freeze the ice cream to a firmer texture, scrape it out of the canister or freezer bowl into a freezer-safe container. (To ensure the ice cream ripens quickly, place the container in the freezer while making the ice cream.)

This is the time to fold in cookies, candies, or sauces, such as caramel. Work quickly so the ice cream doesn't begin to thaw. And remember, less stirring is better, especially with sauces. If you stir too long, the sauce will not ribbon or swirl through the ice cream.

Then ripen, or freeze, it for at least an hour or until it's firm. The ice cream will keep, frozen, up to a month.

If using a bucket-style maker, you can also remove the dasher, cork the top of the canister, and repack it in the bucket with fresh ice and salt so the ice cream ripens in the bucket. This way you can serve homemade ice cream out of the churn.

7. Serve
Let ice cream stand at room temperature for five to 10 minutes after it has ripened. This allows it to soften, so it will scoop more easily. Another trick is to heat the scoop under hot running water, pat it dry, and then use it.