Lello Musso Pola 5030 Dessert Maker Silver, 2 Quart

After ten years of experimenting with ice cream and sorbet recipes using a couple of $50 Cuisinart freeze-the-bowl-for-a-day-beforehand models, I decided it was finally time to go for a more professional unit, and after reading lots of reviews, I settled on the Lello Musso Pola 5030 Dessert Maker. (Please note that no matter what the Amazon product name says, it is NOT a Desert Maker. It does not make sandy, arid wastelands.) I am, to say the least, impressed. Everything positive you've read about the machine is true. It's much quieter than the $50 models or some other (cheaper) built-in-freezer models I've seen or tried out. For my first experiment with it, just to make sure it worked when I had finished unpacking it, I made what was pretty much the easiest recipe in the included book: mix maple syrup with water, pour it in, turn it on. No pre-chilling of the ingredients needed - everything was at room temperature - and yet in 15 minutes the machine had produced the most smooth and richly-textured sorbet I'd ever tried. Since then I've been trying out batches of the recipes I've developed over the past decade one by one and so far the machine has tackled everything I've thrown at it without so much as a hiccup...even when I tried some alcohol-based flavors that would take the $50 model over an hour to get to a semi-frozen stage...and in every case, the end result has taken 20 minutes or less and wound up being richer, smoother, more evenly-blended, and just plain better-tasting than the exact same recipe had yielded with the cheaper machine. You get what you pay for indeed. The machine is rock-solid, the metal dasher is superbly designed and driven by a powerful motor capable of continuing to churn the mixture even when it starts to get thick, and the chill and churn functions can be operated separately - which comes in very handy if you want to mix your ice cream/sorbet just a bit more but you don't want it to overfreeze. The negatives? It's big and heavy - about the size of a commercial microwave oven and around 70 pounds - so if you have limited counter space it may be tricky to find a place to put it. And...that's about it! Some have said the bowl is difficult to clean because it's non-removable. I didn't find it to be a problem...the solid metal dasher assembly removes very easily (just don't drop the locking nut on anything fragile because it's HEAVY), the included thick plastic spatula does a great job at scraping almost all of the frozen product off the bowl sides, and the remainder can be easily cleaned up with a little warm water, a sponge, and a paper towel or two - takes me about a minute or two at most. Bottom line: If you want to be able to quickly make excellent-quality ice cream in large batches, I highly recommend this product. It's expensive, but well worth the investment if you're serious about your ice cream.

Everything about the Musso Pola experience is outstanding. Package arrived within 2 days, perfectly packaged. Machine set up is simpler then almost any other appliance -- plug in and use. I had made a recipe for French style coffee cream earlier in the day (used Black Cat beans and espresso) and have to say making the custard was not hard but took some time (first-timers caution had me measuring everything 3 times and stirring non-stop). I had the Pola unpacked and in use within 5 minutes. Because the coffee ice cream base had been in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, the ice cream process in the Pola was under 15 minutes. Having used the Cuisinart machine where you freeze the drum, I was not prepared for the speed. But what I was really not prepared for was the smoothness and freshness of the ice cream. This is not ice cream as we know it in the US, it is truly a gourmet experience. All the reviews, except for maybe 1%, rave about the quality of the ice cream. Having read most and having done quite a bit of online study on ice cream makers and having talked to 3 or 4 chefs, I was familiar with the oft repeated phrase, "absolutely the best ice cream I've ever eaten". Until you've had the Pola ice cream, you simply have not had fantastic ice cream. Outside of the best gelato shops in Italy, there is no comparison. This morning, I was watching an on-line video on how to make ice cream in the wooden tank style maker where you add ice and salt and a motor cranks a stirring mechanism inside a metal canister. All I could think was "what a pain". Shovel ice, shovel salt, mix, shovel ice, shovel salt, mix ......... And no real way to see how the ice cream is progressing. Then I read the "manual" (really one brief page of instructions and then 30 pages of recipes) for the Pola and saw a recipe for maple walnut ice cream. My in-laws are visiting, so I went into the kitchen and in 5 minutes tops I had the batch of the maple walnut base in the Pola and it was churning away. 15-20 minutes later I was scooping perfect ice cream into bowls and getting kudos from my guests. It was the best nut based ice cream I've ever had - no stale or soggy walnuts, just crunch, freshness, and smooth smooth ice cream. Clean up time, including the 6 ice cream bowls, mixing bowl, and machine was under 5 minutes. This machine will change the way you think about desserts. It is easy to see why so many of the previous purchasers have talked about an uptick in the number of guests visiting their homes! Seriously, you can think of an ice cream and be enjoying it within 25 minutes with everyone praising your "cooking" skills. A clear winner!

Got the machine last week. The first time I used it I made two batches and then last night made 6. The machine freezes very fast, twenty minutes seems typical. Some small batches with the bowl pre-chilled around 10. Made a batch of frozen daiquiri, which took a bit longer. I am very happy with the time to freeze. Also the ice cream and sorbets are very smooth. With recipies as simple as blended fruit and a little syrup (Raw Agave) the ice crystals are very fine and the texture smoother than many other sorbets I have made. The machine has enough torque to freeze these very solid, which greatly helps with keeping them spoonable after storing overnight in the freezer. As for the cleaning some people have complained that the unit is tough to clean because the bowl is not removable. I have not had any problems and can clean it in a couple of minutes. It is easiest if you let it warm up for five or ten minutes before hand but a wet kitchen towel (warm) or some papertowels wipe it clean in two or three passes. The integrated bowl has no seams or crevices so it wipes out easily. As an engineer this really seems like a superior design even if it is not something that can be thrown into the dishwasher. The only trick to cleaning is to use a larger towel that doesn't need rinsed as often as a sponge, which was a bit tedious. I have had no problem turning it around for a second batch in less than five minutes. The only problem I had was the first unit I received would not cool. I suspect it was shipping related and Amazon returns had a new unit on my doorstep within 48 hours and offered to reimburse for the return shipping on the defective unit. While somewhat annoying as I was excited about trying the new unit out, I was very pleased with the hassle free experience dealing with Amazon customer service / returns. In summary the machine is expensive, but if you want or need a fast, high-end machine that produces excellent ice cream and sorbets then don't hesitate. This machine is solid. Everyone who has come over to help try it out is amazed by the speed, low level of noise and the quality of the end result.

I started a small batch gourmet ice cream/gelato business last spring. My first business purchase was the Lello Musso 1.15 qt machine. It is a a true workhorse that has given me consistent results. I could get roughly one and a quarter quart of consistently frozen soft serve n 15-17 minutes, but my business has expanded and making one quart at a time is too laborious and expensiive. Because I had such great results with the smaller machine my assumption was that the 2 quart machine would be equally as good. Boy was I wrong! Please note, I am a professional frozen dessert maker specializing in Philadelphia style ice cream, gelatos and sorbets. I know the science behind ice cream making and have made hundreds of batches in the Musso. So when I tell you that the Musso Pola is not remotely as good a machine as the Lello Musso, I am telling you from professional experience. Let me save you some heartache and frustration: Do not buy this machine if you are looking to use it in a small business or restaurant! First, the Pola is supposed to churn 2 quarts of ice cream in roughly 20 minutes. It does not! It has consistently failed. Second, the compressor and motor make agonizing sounds and the dasher is incredibly slow. It barely whips any air into the ice cream base. The ice cream is hardly frozen more like a soupy cream (see photo). Third, the compressor over-freezes the bowl, causing most of the ice cream base to cling to the bottom and sides prohibiting the dasher to thoroughly mix the base, so there is no consistency to be had. I have now reverted back to using the Lello Musso 1 quart machine because I get consistent results though my efforts are doubled. I am frustrated with Amazon because they will not let me return the machine, and I can’t get anyone on the phone at the company who makes the machines. I am now stuck with a $1300 machine that doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do in less time. So I’m here warning you all, do not invest in this machine especially if you’re purchasing it for a business! I will say I find it interesting that the Lello Musso is now retailing for $1000 while the Musso Pola has gone down in price here on Amazon. Very curious indeed. 🙄😳

After having read many reviews and examined several alternative machines, I swallowed hard (because of the cost) and bought the Lello Musso Pola 5030 Desert Maker. It is the perfect choice for the home or possibly even a small restaurant. My friends, including some who are very picky about gelato because of having spent time in Italy, all rave about the end results. Its operates quietly, quickly, and makes top quality gelato... as long as you select good recipes and use good ingredients. Several recommendations for the Lello complained about cleaning the one-piece unit. I find that silly unless you have to make batch after batch all day long. I make a batch, remove all I can from the bowl, move the dasher to get everything possible off of and out from under it, and take out the dasher. I then let the bowl return to room temperature before cleaning... that is much easier than trying to clean out the ice cream residue while the unit is still very cold. I use a wet sponge, cleaning the sponge in the adjacent sink (or I would use a pan of warm water if the unit were not adjacent to the sink), and then wipe it down with a clean kitchen towel. I would also comment that many ice cream recipes based on cooked custard (and they are the best) call for chilling the mixture for eight hours or overnight before placing the mixture in the ice cream maker. Such advice may apply to those makers that use separate bowls that have to be pre-chilled in a freezer or other less powerful machines, but it is irrelevant with the Lello Musso Pola. I do chill a cooked mixture over an ice bath to bring it down to room temperature; beginning at room temperature, the Lello will produce perfect results in less than twenty minutes. I concur with several others in recommending two books: Making Artisan Gelato by Torrance Kopfer and The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. Kopfer's book is excellent in helping understand the science and techniques of making ice cream, and Lebovitz's book has the best, most interesting recipes that I have found. Kopfer's recipes are less interesting, and I find myself continually substituting more cream for milk with his. If I had to choose only one, it would be Lebovitz. Overall, I find that the Lello operates flawlessly, and it is well worth the money. It exceeded my very high expectations.

Love this machine and even as a newbie I can whip up some profession tasting stuff in here. Downside is that this machine’s blade gets very tight, making it difficult to take off for cleaning. Which it must come off for thorough cleaning. I have to use pliers and napkin to loosen the nut and even then it’s very tight and I have to ask my husband. I suspect there is a gasket missing. However there seems to be no number to reach this company to get that part replaced. Edit after a years use: I had to shave the metal a bit on the blade for it to fit properly so it was tightening as I ran the machine. I used it for a year. It used to make the smoothest ice creams for about 8 months or so. Then the size of the crystals got bigger and the ice cream is not feeling as smooth. I suspect it is not getting cold fast enough as it was when the machine was new. There is no online information or support on Lello. The support number listed here and in the book that came with it is incorrect.

This would have been a 5 star review, if not for a couple of bothersome problems. First, I bought this machine based on the review of a lady who had researched and used the same model, and gave an excellent, detailed review to the model. She even covered the point of her obtaining excellent customer service by Lello's U.S. representative when she had a problem. I cannot find her review now, but it was excellent; however some problems have developed, I guess since her purchase date. I purchased my machine in January 2013. My machine arrived from Amazon in apparent good condition, until I looked at the mixing paddle. It was scarred, its welds looked as if someone with no experience had welded the paddle arms on the center tube-hub, it had holes in the botched welds which go through to the inside of the center hub and there is a non-sealed seam where the plastic washer meets the metal inside the hub. It is, in fact, so nicked and poorly done, that I thought it was a returned piece that was re-used for my machine. The holes in the welds have proven to be hard to clean, as has the un-sealed plastic-to-metal seam inside the hub. Also, *contrary* to the description in Amazon's write up, the paddle is NOT stainless steel -- unless it is stainless steel, covered by some sort of coating, which would be useless over stainless, but even the coating looks like it has been used and marred and no stainless shows through the nicks. Incidentally, the Amazon description states: "Stainless-steel housing and blade provide durability with a classic finish All stainless steel construction including blade" That simply appears to be incorrect. When I tried to get the U.S. distributor to replace the paddle, he said all of the paddles formerly were stainless and pristine, but now the machines were coming in with the paddles in the condition that I described. He didn't seem fazed when I explained that the hard-to-clean, bad welds might present a sanitary problem. I asked that he exchange a paddle in new and good condition with me, but he did not agree to anything and I have never heard from him, despite my call and a previous (unanswered) letter I wrote asking for an exchange and describing the problem. So, the woman's review I mentioned, if it shows up again, should add these problems to the write up. The paddles look very poorly-amateur-made, with holes in the welds, nicks and scrapes in the blades and in the unrecognizable coating and no help at all from the U.S. representative. Otherwise, the machine itself seems fine, with an exception for a noise which sounds like a cog slipping once in awhile. It is nice looking, makes up to (just) 2 quarts of excellent ice cream in 10 to 15 minutes and can make several batches with only a small number of minutes between batches. It is not as noisy as some other machines I have heard. It is big, strong looking and sounding, easy to use (if you follow simple instructions) and large and heavy (70+ pounds). There is no clean-up problem unless a person is so lazy that he/she simply does not want to wash out and dry the built-in bowl, which takes all of around 6 to 10 minutes to do. I must, however, re-warn potential buyers about the paddle, which MUST be carefully cleaned and dried or you will have a sanitary problem. I have forgotten what the warranty is, but since the U.S. representative seems not to care about customer problems, I guess the length of the warranty does not mean much anyway. I have made around 25+ batches of ice cream by now, which have been creamy, not full of air and very pleasing. Incidentally, get from Amazon the David Lebovitz book, "The Perfect Scoop", for the best collection of ice cream, gelato, sherbet and related recipes that you can possibly find.

The Lello Musso Pola Ice Cream Machine is a high-quality two quart capacity electric ice cream machine made in Italy. This is a commercial machine–it can make up to six quarts of ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato, sherbet, or sorbet per hour. The dimensions of the machine are 12 1/4 inches high, 20 inches wide, and 14 inches deep. The unit weighs 66 pounds. The machine has an all stainless steel construction including the blade in the mixing bowl. There is a clear plastic lid used so you can see the ice cream being made–this lid does not come in contact with the ice cream. Note that the bowl is not removable. This is actually not an issue–to clean up, simply unscrew the steel locking nut and remove the blade. Then add some hot water to the bowl, mop with a sponge, and repeat a few times until clean, then dry with a towel. The operation of the machine is very simple–pour the cream mixture into the bowl with the blade, turn the timer to the desired time, then turn on the Churn and Chill switches. The timer is mechanical and emits a light tick-tick as it counts down the time until you can enjoy your delicious dessert. The blade rotates only when the timer has been set and the Churn switch has been turned on. Turning the Chill switch off 3-4 minutes prior to your ice cream is ready can help in the removal of your dessert. The machine comes with a plastic spatula that will not scratch the machine’s finish. Since operating the machine is so simple, most of the instruction manual actually contains recipes for ice creams, sorbets, sherbets, and frozen yogurts. In addition, there are recipes for sauces you can serve over your frozen desserts as well as frozen drinks recipes–who knew you could make frozen margaritas in your ice cream machine? The length of time it takes to make the desserts depends on the temperature of the cream and the room you are making the ice cream in, but from my experience freezing usually takes 20-30 minutes. In operation the machine is surprisingly quiet though I would be sure to leave room behind the machine so it can vent excess warm air. All in all I am very happy with the Lello Musso Pola Ice Cream Machine. I never dreamed making ice cream was this easy–this high-quality machine is dependable, easy to use, and as far as I can tell will last a very long time. I’ve made weekly batches since owning the machine. The best part is that you can customize the dessert recipes according to your own taste preferences. So if you want the ability to make a lot of delicious ice creams, frozen yogurts, sherbets, gelatos, and sorbets (and frozen drinks!) at home (or to sell in your ice cream shop), this machine is definitely worth the price.

Well built and enjoy making ice cream with it. Very efficient and easy to clean . Very happy with my purchase .

Estoy encantada con la máquina, la nieve queda cremosa y se hace muy rápido. La recomiendo ampliamente, para mi queda mejor que la nieve comprada.

This is my 5th ice cream maker and by far the best and most expensive. Pros: - Fast. it takes less than 30 minutes to have ice cream - Large - can generate large volumes of ice cream - Powerful motor - Easy to clean (just put some hot water in the reservoir and use a towel to absorb). - Appearance - looks like it is built to last Cons: - Price. If you make ice cream only a couple of times a year - the cost does not make sense - Size. The machine weighs a ton.

The machine works wonderful. Allowing me to create many flavours of ice cream. Easy to use and clean up.

This is a beautiful machine, fast, easy to use and very easy clean up.