SUMMERTIME IS HOMEMADE ICE CREAM TIME

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Built to last through generations of use, the White Mountain freezer features a unique double-gear action, by which steel spur gears drive the can and the dasher in opposite directions. Quality craftsmanship is evident in every part of the device: The twotiered steel "mixer" is fitted with adjustable hardwood scrapers . . . the tall, heavy can has rolled seams which are carefully soldered along the inside edge ... and the stud which holds the can in place on the pivot in the floor of the tub is a separate piece that is joined to the steel bottom of the can.

The White Mountain four-quart freezer sells for $64.95 (when ordered from Cum Berland), but its combination of thoughtful engineering, careful construction, and sheer good looks makes this machine a real heirloom . . . a tool that your family can use and enjoy for generations to come.

The Richmond Cedar Works ice cream maker (made by RCW Manufacturing Corporation of Danville, Virginia) can't match the superior quality of the White Mountain model, but-at $29.95 for the five-quart sizeit's a moderately priced (and very functional) alternative to the more expensive freezer.

Most of this model's components are made of thermoplastic, with the exception of the wooden tub (which is considerably thinner than is the White Mountain bucket) and the tin-plated steel can. The freezer's plastic gear assembly has the more common singleaction gearing . . . whereby only the can is revolved, while the paddle remains stationary. The gear assembly fits loosely onto the can lid . . . and there is a fair amount of drag as the handle is turned (even when the machine is empty).

The inner can used in the Richmond Cedar Works freezer has a handy fill line to indicate how much mix should be poured in . . . but the seams on our unit's metal container were somewhat sloppily soldered and could result in some leakage (though we didn't note any). The can rest -which consists of a bump protruding from the vessel's bottom-fits snugly into a hollow in a plastic lug set into the freezer's particle board base.

A Richmond Cedar Works ice cream churn certainly isn't in the same league as the "luxury" White Mountain appliance, but the less expensive model-despite its minor faultsis a good, dependable product . . . and it may be the ideal choice for a newcomer to the world of do-it-yourself ice cream making.

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