Nitro Ice Cream

This is simply traditional ice cream frozen using liquid nitrogen instead of using an ice cream maker. Liquid Nitrogen has a temperature of  −196 °C ( −321 °F) which ensures rapid freezing and therefore reduces the formation of ice crystals resulting in a creamier ice cream. The first restaurant to serve ice cream made with liquid nitrogen was The Fat Duck from Heston Blumenthal. More on this in the Ice Cream Makers lesson.

Powdered Ice Cream

Powdered ice cream is made using a foaming canister. The ice cream mixture is added to an iSi Whip, chilled, then foamed directly into a liquid nitrogen bath and stirred. It’s then ground in a grinder to create the ice cream powder. It’s important to keep the ice cream on cold surfaces and bowls or containers throughout the powdering process. Many chefs use powdered ice cream as a filler for candies or other desserts to create a fun exploding effect when the dessert is cracked into with a spoon.

Freeze Dried Ice Cream

Freeze dried ice cream, is often called space or astronaut ice cream. It’s usually served as a block or slab and is simply dehydrated ice cream.  It does not require refrigerator or freezing and is usually served at room temperature. It’s created by using a freeze drying method called lyophilization that removes the water from the ice cream by lowering the air pressure enough to separate, called sublimate, the solid from the gas. The ice cream is placed in a vacuum chamber and frozen until the water crystalizes. Then pressure is lowered, forcing the air out. While freeze dried ice cream can be made at home, special equipment is needed and it can be quite complicated.

Ice Cream Sphere: crusty and creamy

These are made by using liquid nitrogen to quickly freeze a dollop of ice cream foam so it has an outside crust with creamy inside. First created by Heston Blumenthal.

Ice Cream Chunks or Rocks

This is just traditional ice cream that is frozen with liquid nitrogen until it becomes brittle and is smashed to break it in chunks for a new presentation.

Savory Ice creams

Many gastronomy chefs are including non-traditional ingredients in their ice cream. Using ingredients such as mushrooms, arugula and lobster, savory ice creams are being added to menus at many restaurants.

Hot Ice Cream

Hot ice cream is the process of making an ice cream mixture, but adding hydrocolloid such as methylcellulose in order to obtain the consistency of frozen or chilled ice cream but at a warm or hot temperature.  The hot ice cream melts as it gets cold. Additionally, the “ice cream” mixture can be made from nontraditional ice cream ingredients, such as whipped cauliflower, mascarpone cheese, or mashed potatoes. Using the methylcellulose creates a creamy, scoopable consistency that allows the hot ice cream to resemble a traditional ice cream scoop when served.