I really enjoy sorbet and frozen yoghurts but find many UK shops stop selling them in the winter. The few you can find are packed with chemicals. I therefore decided to try my hand at making my own.

I read reviews, searched the net, and found a smallish machine for £18 on Amazon, free delivery too, so I placed the order. I chose a smallish machine as you need to keep the bowl in the freezer unless you buy one of the £200 plus machines!

The machine arrived a week later. It was well packed in a medium size box. Easy to unpack, fairly heavy but not too much so. You get a base unit, which need to be frozen for 24 hours before use, and then preferably kept in the freezer. There is a lid unit with a power cord, but the power chord comes off for when you want to wash the lid well, then a paddle you slip easily on the lid. There is a small guide, easy to follow which also contains about 8 recipes (all really nice!) but many more recipes can be found free online.

I made some ice cream to chill over night while the machine was freezing for 24 hours, then you simply put the lid on the machine, set it running and pour in the liquid. About 20-40 mins later, you have slushy ice cream/sorbet which you transfer into your freezer. I use individual dishes for freezing, but you can make one larger container for sharing. Most recipes makes about 4-5 portions.

The machine claims to be about 0.6 of a litre, which I find plenty big enough, but larger machines are available if you want. Of course the liquid also expands slightly as it freezes.

I have made a number of batches of really nice sorbet, strawberry, mango, grapefruit, and orange. You simply use fruit juice and/or liquidise fruit, one egg white, and sugar or sugar boiled in a little water. So fairly healthy (depending how much sugar you add). You can miss out the sugar but it's not as nice!

Ice cream is a little more complicated, you make a custard out of sugar and egg yolks added to nearly boiling milk, then add flavourings(and cream if you want to be naughty!) the results are amazing. Of course it is also a good way of using up the egg yolks left over from using egg white for sorbet!

I have made frozen yoghurt by simply pouring any yoghurt into the machine! Again really nice results! I have also made low cal ice cream by pouring in any flavoured low fat milk shake!

So all in all a good buy and one I don't regret...even though my freezer is full to bursting!