The Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop: Our Most Recommended Model

Are you a true ice cream aficionado? One that won’t settle for inferior gelato?

And do you expect superior results, especially if you’re willing to invest in a superior tool?

If these sound like your exacting standards, then you may want to take a closer look at the Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker.

Sleek and handsome, this compressor model offers a variety of unique features and functions that turn ice cream making into a high-end, gourmet experience.

Breville has been a well-known name in kitchen appliances since the ‘50s. They are highly esteemed for manufacturing quality electronic housewares and have a long-standing reputation of providing top-notch customer service when things do go wrong.

Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker available at Amazon

So let’s have a closer look at the Breville BCI600XL Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker, and see if it brings those same high standards into today’s home.

Operation

In a smart, brushed stainless steel housing unit, the Smart Scoop features a well-designed display and control area with large LED letters, stainless pushbuttons, and dial controls. And the clear digital readout shows exactly which operating mode is currently selected.

It also features 12 settings for hardness to choose the ideal consistency for your ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt, or sorbet. An extended 3 hour “keep cool” setting means you don’t have to drop everything the second it’s ready.

Also, a very efficient “pre-cool” setting ensures all components are at their optimal operating temperatures for creating 1.5 quarts of icy delight.

The powerful motor and built-in compressor allow you to start churning a batch as soon as the machine is switched on. And this model comes with all of the necessary accessories as well – an anodized, removable mixing bowl, a removable paddle, a cleaning brush, and a spatula.

And, an audible reminder will let you know when your ice cream needs mix-ins added, or when the batch is ready.

Self-Refrigerating Compressor Models

Compressor-style ice cream makers are all about convenience and efficiency.

The self-refrigeration feature eliminates the time and planning necessary to operate either the freezer bowl or ice and salt models – and the corresponding fuss and messiness. They also have motors with enough power to simultaneously handle the compressor and churning duties without any loss of power.

Compressor models are also fully automatic, with a variety of settings, displays, and features that allow you to go about your business without needing to babysit the process. Simply pour in the chilled mix, adjust the settings to suit, and wait patiently for your frozen goodies to materialize.

Want to know more about the different types of ice cream makers available? Read Foodal’s guide, which goes into more detail about the various compressor, frozen bowl, and ice and salt methods of freezing.

Features and Benefits

The automatic mode will churn and freeze the ingredients to the desired consistency in one of four settings, and each hardness setting can be adjusted for softer or firmer textures.

In manual mode, you can set the timer manually for 5-180 minutes for any recipes requiring a specific time frame.

The Breville Smart Scoop features four different frozen dessert settings to select from. Choose ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt, or gelato and it will mix in the ideal amount of aeration to suit your preference. Turning the dial to the left or right gives a total of 12 hardness settings for maximum control over density.

The paddle is constructed of sturdy, BPA -free and food safe plastic, and fits snugly into the mixing bowl to cleanly scrape the freezing mix off of the edges of the bowl.

“Pre-cool” can be used in either manual or automatic mode, and it’s a great way to pre-chill the components. An optional function, it will cool the machine to approximately -22°F in about 5-10 minutes.

The extended “keep cool” function allows the operator to keep the frozen dessert at the optimal temperature and consistency for up to 3 hours after the batch is finished. When in “keep cool” mode, both the compressor and motor will switch on occasionally to test the consistency while holding.

Another thoughtful feature is the child lock lid to prevent little fingers from dipping into the mix. Just press and hold the HOLD button for 2 seconds to set the child lock mode; to exit, press HOLD again for another 2 seconds.

Add mix-ins such as chocolate chips, fresh fruit, and added flavorings easily through the flip-back lid. An audible beep and display message will flash to let you know when it’s time to add your ingredients.

An audible alert will also sound when the ice cream is ready, or you can choose one of three musical tunes instead.

The temperature button allows you to toggle between Fahrenheit and Celsius for recipes with either imperial or metric measurements.

The Smart Scoop components of mixing bowl, paddle, and lid are all dishwasher safe for the top shelf.

This model comes with the Breville one-year warranty.

Capacity

The Breville BCI600XL measures approximately 16 x 10.5 x 10” with a capacity of 1.5 quarts, and weighs in at 30 pounds – not bad for a compressor model. But a permanent home on the counter, or a spot close to its storage site, is best suited for the weight.

Cleaning

As mentioned above, all components except the base are dishwasher safe on the top shelf. Or, hand wash in warm soapy water. Wipe the base clean with a damp cloth, and dry with a soft one.

Performance

The following points are a summary of the best and worst observations from verified customer reviews found on Amazon at the time of this writing.

• By far, most of the reviews give high praise to the creamy, beautifully textured and crystal-free ice cream this model produces. The dessert and hardness settings allow fine tuning of the entire process, so that individual tastes for hardness or density can be met with precision and ease.

• Next on the positive features list are the quality and construction of the machine itself – no plastic shafts or gears stripping with this model. Common terms used to describe it are “well thought out design” and “thoroughly engineered.” It has the air of professional performance throughout, and delivers on its claims to be able to churn out several batches in a row.

• Ease of operation, clear instructions, and hassle-free performance also get nods of approval.

• The strong dasher does a nice job of scraping the edge of the bowl, mixing the freezing cream in, and leaving a bare minimum of mix on the bowl edges.

• Those “extra touches” are also appreciated as well – the audible reminders to add mix-ins, and to indicate when your batch is ready.

• Another bonus point is the 3-hour “stay cold” setting, which is very convenient for allowing the batch to sit and maintain consistency until you’re ready to deal with it.

• And, the “pre-cool” option gets things off to a good start, with the machine well-chilled before processing begins.

• Cleanup is easy with the removable bucket, and parts wash up quickly or can be put on the top shelf of the dishwasher.

• But, a consistently recurring comment that really adds an extra shine to the Breville Smart Scoop is this: outstanding customer service. Those that did have operational issues or a missing part report that customer support was very easy to deal with – prompt, courteous, efficient, and helpful.

• And on the negative side of the ledger, there are a handful of unhappy customers whose model arrived either in an inoperable state, or it quit working shortly after arrival. Strangely, only one critical reviewer stated they had returned the malfunctioning unit to Breville – which is a bit odd, considering the many positive comments about no-hassle returns and outstanding customer service.

• The only other complaint of note regards the bowl having a permanent wand for the drive shaft that extends up into the bowl. It can make getting the ice cream out of the bowl a bit tricky at times, and a good silicone spatula is recommended.

Tips

• Read and follow the well-written manual for the best results – it has some good troubleshooting ideas to consider before beginning a batch.

• To avoid messy overflow, use no more than 3 1/2 cups of mix as per the directions. With a new freezer, knowing just how much a product will expand in aeration comes with experience. So, err on the side of caution to begin with.

• If you like to make multiple batches of different flavors, invest in a couple of extra tubs. They’re inexpensive, and can be put directly in the freezer for extra hardness while another batch is on the way.

• If possible, do all of your prep work the day before and leave in the fridge overnight to thoroughly chill. This is very handy for making multiple batches.

• This compressor model comes with a refrigerant that needs to settle and stabilize after shipping. Before making the first batch, allow to stand upright for 24 hours after receiving.

• To firm up the end product, allow to harden in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, but preferably a couple of hours for optimal results.

• This model has a pre-chill feature, so there’s no need to refrigerate the bowl before adding the mix – though it doesn’t hurt to have everything as cold as possible to reduce churning time.

• And, as always, pick up a good recipe book or two. This model makes it worthwhile to try out new tastes and flavors.

Conclusion

A high-end frozen dessert maker is designed to accomplish two things: to quickly reach a consistently cold enough temperature to freeze the mix without ice crystals, with a motor strong enough to turn the dasher as it freezes.

There are some brands that do this well, and others that don’t.

The Breville Smart Scoop does both exceptionally well. Not only does it easily cool the mix to below freezing, it also monitors the temperature while it’s working. And it does this with power to spare.

Check prices and read customer reviews and comments on Amazon now!

And, should you need to contact them, Breville’s professional customer service reps are the sprinkles on top. Yes, it’s an expensive model – but if you appreciate top of the line results, then the value received for the price makes this item well worth the investment. Bravo, Breville!