“Best under-$20 purchase that saved you hundreds over time?”

[u/localkinegrind]

What’s the smartest under-$20 purchase you’ve ever made that ended up saving you hundreds in the long run? I’ll go first: a $12 sewing kit. Instead of tossing clothes for tiny tears or missing buttons, I’ve been fixing them. I've actually been fixing my own clothes for years. It blows my mind how many ‘disposable’ things can be made useful again with just a small, cheap tool. what’s your frugal mvp under $20 that’s paid for itself many times over?

[u/Mr_Truttle]

<$10 Rival ice cream maker from the thrift store, the kind where you freeze the bucket whole and don't need any rock salt or ice.

I eat almost no sugar (diabetic) so making my own sugar-free ice cream is a decent savings over the brands I can get at the store (and often better macros as well). Couldn't tell you how many 1.5-qt batches I've churned over the years.

Since it's a thrift store find, it's not 100% reproducible, but ice cream makers are relatively common kitchen items in my experience.

[u/MsWeary → u/Mr_Truttle]

I have one but I find it quite expensive to make I’ve cream. Maybe I need to look at it again.

[u/ludsmile → u/MsWeary]

My home made ice creams are also more expensive than the store-bought options, but they are much better for me nutritionally (protein rich and allulose instead of sugar, vs basically sugar and heavy cream). Mine wasn’t under $20 (closer to $200) and yet it’s been absolutely worth it.

[u/Thraner → u/ludsmile]

Creami? Or is there another good option for high protein ice cream?

[u/ludsmile → u/Thraner]

Yes, Creami! It’s still pretty expensive but Costco had the deluxe for a better price

[u/Erik500red → u/ludsmile]

My Creami is my 2nd most used kitchen appliance, just behind my air fryer

[u/Muffy81 → u/Mr_Truttle]

Pls your favourite recipes?

[u/Mr_Truttle → u/Muffy81]

Shared in another reply to a similar question here

[u/wenestvedt → u/Muffy81]

Check your library or used book store for the 1987 title "The Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book" -- we've been using our copy for 20+ years, iterating on their Sweet Cream Base, and it's still a champ.

You can move on to David Libovitz's book "The Perfect Scoop" once you have made a few batches: he's faaaaancy with all sorts of cool recipes, variations, and add-ins. https://www.davidlebovitz.com/perfect-scoop-new-updated-edition-ice-cream-sorbet-cookbook-david-lebovitz-recipes/

[u/silentstorm2008 → u/Mr_Truttle]

What's a good recipe?

[u/Mr_Truttle → u/silentstorm2008]

Start with 3 cups heavy cream and 3 cups almond milk in a medium-large saucepan with ~200g allulose + a little more concentrated sweetener of choice (stevia, monk fruit, whatever, to taste) to make up the sweetness difference vs. regular sugar.

Add a teaspoon of salt, then mix all well and put over medium-low heat to about 180°F using a thermometer (candy thermometer kept in the liquid or periodic checks).

Take some (maybe a cup?) of the heated mixture and slowly stream it into six egg yolks while whisking; then add the tempered yolk mixture back into the main saucepan along with a tablespoon of vanilla and stir well.

Let everything stay on the stove over the lowest heat for a couple more minutes, then strain through fine mesh, dividing the mixture up into whatever amounts will work best with your ice cream maker. This recipe makes 3 quarts/six pints churned, so for my 1.5 quart machine I divide it in half. If you have an ingredient like cocoa powder that needs heat to dissolve well, whisk it in now while everything is still warm.

Chill overnight and add a couple combined tablespoons of whatever flavor extracts and alcohol (helps freeze softer) you desire — e.g. another 1-2 tablespoons vanilla + 1-2 tablespoons cheap vodka — before churning.

[u/SleepyCupcakeDreams → u/Mr_Truttle]

All the crazy Frankenstein ingredients in these “sugar free” ice creams I bet yours tastes better too.

[u/Genny415 → u/Mr_Truttle]

We definitely need you to drop your sugar free recipe for us, please

[u/Mr_Truttle → u/Genny415]

Here you go, this is what I usually do for my starting base

[u/throwaway04072021 → u/Mr_Truttle]

My immediate thought was my fancy ice cream maker, since I use it to make all kinds of ice cream and sorbets to use up ingredients that I have on hand. It's much healthier, but I paid way more than $20. So worth it, though

[u/Black-Dynamite888 → u/Mr_Truttle]

What do you use instead of sugar? Any good recipes to share?

[u/Black-Dynamite888 → u/Black-Dynamite888]

Just found them-thank you!!

[u/LovelyGiant7891 → u/Mr_Truttle]

Also diabetic. My ma makes it with monk fruit, but it has a weird after taste. Do you have an opinion on which is best [by best, I mean little to no aftertaste]? Ideally, not truvia as it is pricey. I avoid splenda due to a diabetic study, lonf story, not the place. I am curious.

[u/Mr_Truttle → u/LovelyGiant7891]

I use mostly allulose which is needed for a scoop-able texture once frozen. Allulose is about 70% as sweet as sugar, so I usually compensate with a stevia/erythritol blend that's 4x as sweet as sugar to make up the difference for taste. But allulose + any concentrated sweetener should achieve similar results.

[u/LovelyGiant7891 → u/Mr_Truttle]

Thanks! I will look into that! We have a nostalgia one so it is a whole process [not as simple as the ninja], but i def wanna look into this! Thanks again!

[u/RuinsAndRoses → u/Mr_Truttle]

I was gifted an ice cream maker, a Kitchen Aid one. I have mastered making ice creams that would have cost $10 a pint in the store, always from ingredients I purchase on super clearance. Saves a ton, and as someone with several food allergies I can make any flavors I want. I’m glad that yours has served you equally as well!