I have been making ice cream like a PRO with this little machine. After several mistakes, here are my best tips:1. Make sure your batch is thoroughly cold before you attempt to churn it. I usually make my mix one night, pop it in the fridge, and churn it the next day either during lunch or after dinner.2. DO NOT USE ANY METAL PRODUCTS IN THIS! The directions also state this but I want to reiterate it as well. It WILL scratch up your pot. Wooden spoons and rubber spatulas seem to work fine to scoop out your ice cream.3. I highly recommend you add any mix-ins right before your batch is done. This ensures your ice cream will have the best texture.4. If you're making sugar-free ice cream and you don't want it to freeze hard as a rock, your best bet is to use xylitol as a sugar substitute. I was initially using erythritol as a sweetener but it makes the ice cream frozen solid. I tried adding vodka, vegetable glycerine, and MTC oil to prevent it from becoming a rock, but they don't work. Xylitol acts the most like real sugar and it will leave your ice cream with a scoopable texture.I know it's small, but it makes a decent amount of ice cream. It lasts for several days in my house of 3. I've made custard base recipes and Philadelphia-style (no eggs) and both turned out great! I'm so pleased with this machine, especially for the price.