Quality USA made ice cream freezers are still being made
just like the ones you probably grew up with.
Deep in the heart of the Ohio and Pennsylvania Amish
communities Amish factories are still making ice cream freezers just like they
were made in the early 1900s.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s several companies were
manufacturing heavy duty hand crank ice cream freezers. White Mountain emerged as the main survivor
and was once considered the Cadillac of back yard ice cream makers. White Mountain also made the transition over
to electric powered freezers and still make both hand crank and electric
freezers today.
As with many American companies White Mountain struggled with increasing pressures from
investors, imports and the discount store push for lower prices. The company moved manufacturing out of the US
and sold several times to different
large corporations.
In order for the company to survive the focus had to become
centered more on profits and competing with much cheaper models and whole new
line of table top electric ice cream makers flooding the US market.
For the average consumer, these ice cream makers work very
good and are priced right. For the Amish
who make homemade ice cream more frequently year round for large families and
social events they needed an ice cream freezer built more towards commercial
use.
White Mountain freezers are still a very solid economical
choice for a family who enjoys making homemade ice cream on special occasions.
Building an ice cream freezer with the old fashion durability that the Amish required
just was no longer feasible for main stream corporate America. So the Amish began to manufacture their own
ice cream freezers.
Not being pressured for profits and sales the Amish make
products mainly for their own use within the large communities across the US
and up into Canada. Their focus is on
long term durability and use.
Over the years Amish made Country Ice Cream Freezers became
the most popular ice cream freezer used by the Amish. Like many great products non Amish quickly
realized the quality of the Country Freezers and began to go into the Amish
stores to purchase them for their own use.
While the Country Freezer is still one of the best made they
still have wooden stave tubs that will begin to leak it they are allowed to dry
out. Storing a wooden tub freezer in a
hot garage or attic is just not a good idea.
To solve this problem other Amish companies have been
designing less costly fiberglass tubs that are leak proof. In doing so one Amish company discovered how
to construct a tub to provide an insulating air void between the outer and
inner layers. They also make a rust
proof tub center for the triple motion dasher can to smoothly turn on.
This insulating factor keeps the ice cream colder for longer
periods of time.
Beyond the improved tubs, these newer Amish made freezers
incorporate many improvements over the Country Freezers.
The hand crank models made by Immergood incorporate long
lasting stainless steel gears with nylon wear bushings. The tub ear and latch are made from heavy
stainless steel. The latch has a
positive cam lock. Immergood is also
developing their own USA electric motor to be made as an available option in
2015.
This innovative Amish company that goes by the name Immergood is also adding more options
including a fiberglass insulated tub cover to hold the ice cream longer after churning
and even a clear can cover to be able to watch the ice cream as it is being
made.
Just to give an example of how the Immergood compares to the County Freezer, watch this Video produced by a customer who purchased the hand crank frame and compared it to the one made by Country Freezer.
Country Freezers have the most sizes available starting with
a cute 1 qt going all the way up to the commercial 5 gallon 20 quart size.
Most families find the 6 or 8 quart models adequate for
them, while the 20 quart is used for large socials and church events.
You might also see the Country 20 quart hooked to an old
time hit and miss motor at a county fair as many ice cream vendors use them to
attract a crowd. There’s nothing better
than a hot apple dumpling topped with a scoop of homemade ice cream.
As restaurants and small ice cream shops try to entice
customers with unique dishes many are purchasing the 20 quart Country Freezer equipped
with a direct drive electric motor.
While many of the Amish shops still use belts and pulleys,
this newer direct drive Country freezer is much more acceptable in a commercial
kitchen. It can also be ordered NSF
stamped certified if required by local health departments.
Cottage Craft Works also has all the parts for the Country as well as White Mountain freezers.