I researched ice cream makers for about a month before I purchased. The reviews were all over the place, usually the complaint was about the consistency. The consistency has to do with INGREDIENTS, not the machine itself. Thanks to one review I read, I understand that you must use PURE vanilla, not imitation vanilla for the best results -- or leave out the vanilla all together. With the Ice-20 you get a consistent, lovely soft serve quality (not runny, rather like Dairy Queen consistency). Also, using Hershey's syrup instead of melted chocolate makes a nice milk-shake, but not solid enough to be considered ice cream. It's more like a Wendy's Frosty.I use mine to make frozen yogurt, lower-fat ice cream, and premium ice creams (with egg custard). The custard-based ice creams are the closest to commercial ice cream texture when frozen after the fact. The frozen yogurt and lower-fat content ice creams are best eaten soft serve right away. They tend to freeze hard and get a bit icy when frozen after the fact.I have grown increasingly concerned with the ingredients in commercial ice cream, and since it's my partner's favorite treat, I wanted to be able to control the ingredients that go into it without paying an arm and a leg. Have you looked at the price of really tasty organic ice cream lately? I use strictly organic ingredients, including a specially developed low-glycemic ice cream sugar and am able to make 1 1/2 quarts of ice cream for under $3. And the taste of commercial ice cream can't compare. Besides buying commercial ice cream in the past, we also bought special toppings. No need now -- the purer the better with the Ice-20. The extra bowl is a great perk, so we can either make two flavors or we can make consecutive batches.My only concern is the plastic blade. We use this machine daily, and sometimes twice daily, so it gets lots of use. But we take good care of it. Be SURE that the machine is running BEFORE you put the ingredients in -- otherwise you run the risk of freezing the blade and breaking it. However, I'm sure with a great company like Cuisinart behind it that we won't have trouble replacing the blade if that time comes.In all fairness, though, I understand that you can purchase this same product at Costco for $40. But I dearly love the convenience of Amazon because I live in a remote area.Enjoy your Ice-20. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me at [email protected]. I also have some great recipes for fabulous tasting, low-fat, low-sugar desserts made with this machine that are not in the machine manual and that rival anything you've ever eaten commercially.