WHAT’S FOR DESSERT?

Use cold ingredients from the start – Starting with chilled cream, milk, and coffee mixture helps the ice cream churn faster and freeze more evenly, leading to a smoother texture. 

Dissolve the sugar completely – Whisking until the sugar fully dissolves prevents a grainy texture in the final ice cream.

Chill overnight for the best texture – While a few hours in the fridge works, an overnight chill deepens the flavors and improves how the base thickens during churning. Ice cream always tastes better when it’s given time to develop.

Strain for a smooth base – Running the mixture through a fine mesh strainer catches any undissolved coffee granules or sugar clumps. 

Pre-freeze the ice cream maker bowl – If using a freezer bowl ice cream maker, place it in the freezer at least 24 hours before churning. 

Don’t overfill the ice cream maker – Ice cream expands as it churns, so filling the machine more than two-thirds full can cause overflow and uneven freezing. Leaving extra room allows for proper aeration and fluffiness.

Add chocolate at the right time – Waiting until the last few minutes of churning prevents the chocolate chunks from sinking to the bottom or getting crushed. This way, every scoop is loaded with just the right amount of chocolate.

Freeze in a shallow container – Spreading the ice cream in a shallow, wide container helps it freeze faster and more evenly. Faster freezing prevents large ice crystals from forming, keeping the texture creamy.

Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface – Before sealing the container with a lid, pressing plastic wrap onto the ice cream prevents ice crystals from forming on top.

Let it sit before scooping – Straight from the freezer, homemade ice cream can be extra firm. Letting it sit on the counter for 5 minutes makes it easier to scoop and brings out the full, rich coffee flavor.