I am slightly obsessed with my ice cream maker. In the summer I buy the huge half-gallon of heavy cream at Costco, and it all gets turned into cold, creamy, goodness. Homemade ice cream just tastes so much better than store-bought and even better- you can control what goes into it. When I make Cookies & Cream ice cream for example, I like to put in an entire package of Oreos.
(It's okay that you're judging me right now.)
To make homemade ice cream you really need an ice cream maker. I like electrics because they are simple to use. You just freeze the ice cream bowl in advance and then flip a switch when it's time to churn your mixture. The bowl does need to be frozen solid so it needs to freeze for at least 24 hours, (preferably 48). I store my bowl in the freezer at all times so it's always ready to go. After it churns you can eat the ice cream straightaway but it will be a soft-serve consistency. I prefer to scoop it into a container and let it freeze solid overnight so it will scoop like store-bought ice cream.
My last tip is to make sure the mixture you're freezing is extremely cold before churning. This usually means refrigerating it overnight or for about 8 hours before churning. I know that this seems like a lot of hassle when you just want ice cream, but I promise you it is worth the effort! Following these little steps will get you an ice cream consistency just like you get at the store, and the ice cream will taste even better.
Finally- If you like Baskin Robbins' Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream, you're going to love this!