Play ball and make ice cream--at the same time.

• Position: WHAT'S NEW? Holiday Gift Guide - Original Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker - Brief article

One of the world's most popular desserts is ice cream. Even as the years speed by, we never seem to outgrow it. Perhaps because there are so many flavors to choose from, we always are able to find just exactly what we're looking for to satisfy our sweet tooth. With the advent of home ice cream makers, we're able to come up with our own concoctions and we're assured of the ingredients going in. When we make it fresh, we know that there are no artificial flavors or chemicals being added.

The drawback to most home machines is at they require forethought and preparation--usually the canister needs to be placed in the freezer for a few hours or overnight before use. Also, when you have kids who want to make their own ice cream, plugging it in and waiting isn't all that much fun. One thing that is entertaining, though, is the Original Play & Freeze Ice Cream Maker ($29.95) from Industrial Revolution, Redmond, Wash. About the size of a soccer ball, this device can make about a pint of ice cream in around 20 minutes.

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It couldn't be simpler to use: you open one end of the sphere and put in ice cubes and rock salt...