I do not rate anything 5 stars, nothing is perfect.  I would rate this 4.7 stars if I could.  This works amazingly well and I really like this ice cream maker.  The only downside to this is that it is a bit difficult to get the freshly made ice cream out of the machine walls.  It freezes to the sides and is hard to get out, but you can do it!  Just takes determination.  I would buy again!