Milkshakes

[fan-of-fans]

What is best method for milkshake making? I seem to remember my grandparents made them in a cup with just a spoon to stir. I have a small personal blender that I tried to make them in, but it mostly just turns the ice cream into creamy milk, not really a milkshake.

Have also seen those Hamilton Beach retro milkshake makers that turn up at most antique shops and Walmart, are they best for this?

 

[askolover]

By the time I get the ice cream, milk, other ingredients, and make the mess it's easier for me to just go down the street to DQ or Sonic!  But when I did make them I just used my blender and I can remember my mother using a jar with one beater on the mixer to make one when we were kids.

 

[tolivac]

The spindle-immersion type blenders made by HB and the famous machine McDonalds used to use were the best for shakes and malts.Blenders make the shake too foamy.BUT-if you like fruit additives-real fruits-the blender is better-the spindle machines don't cut up the fruits.

 

[fan-of-fans]

I have added fruit to the milkshakes in my blender. The first time it worked well, the second time not so much. Maybe I'm blending too long, not sure. Mine does not have any speeds other than on/off and you hold the button down to blend or stop.

I have seen the Vita-Mix type blenders being used at Dairy Queen - they say Orange Julius Vita Mix Commercial on them.

The mixer with one beater is an interesting idea, I think I have seen some hand mixers used to have a single disc shaped attachment for milkshakes.

 

[foraloysius]

Oster has a milkshake blade for their blenders.

 

[gansky1]

The spindle blenders are wonderful.  You can make pancake batter, salad dressings, smooth sauces as well as the milkshake/malt standbys.   It takes longer than you might think to make a proper shake, put the cup to mix and walk away for a minute or two.  

 

This is an Oster commercial model.   From Jon Jetcone,  he's a wealth of knowledge on blenders.

 

 

[norgeway]

I have several

Of the old spindle kind,I also have the original Oster drink mixer which is kind oflike a blender with a cast iron base, for my money a Hamilton Beach or GE blender works great...I will have to get a Oster milkshake blade, I have about every Oster made up to the 80s.

 

[gyrafoam]

Yes, those old soda-fountain spindle blenders are great. Back in the day I think they had some that had four or six spindles.
Greg is right. They used to put the cup on there and walk away for a few minutes and let it blend.
When I was young my mother would use her Oster blender with the chrome beehive base to make us kids chocolate shakes with. It did just fine. Mom always used chocolate ice cream for her shakes with a shot or two of Fox's syrup for good measure. Those were the best chocolate shakes I ever had.

 

[yogitunes]

I didn't know Oster made a milkshake blade, will have to search for one of those.....

at first, only the KitchenAid blender had to power to handle a milkshake....

of course I am more of a triple thick shake guy...for which you need a wide straw, which causes your cheeks to cave in trying to suck it up.....

my preference always goes to the VitaMix for handling this quickly....

 

[norgeway]

Also

A Ronson Can Do works great!

 

[tolivac]

4-6 spindle milkshake-malt blenders-these had an induction motor in them.A large rubber wheel was mounted on the motor.The spindles had small wheels mounted on them when you pressed the mixing cup into the spindle it engaged to the wheel on the motor.since the spindle wheel was small it spun faster than the motor-mixing the drink.I forget who the maker was--but McDonalds used these machines a lot.Other places had them.They are prized today.So many "shakes" are made in the ice cream-freeze machines today-that can't match the actual ice cream,milk,flavoring that was done yesterday.

 

[askolover]

Here ya go Martin

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[norgeway]

The big milkshake machines

Were called MultiMixers, Ray Kroc was a salesmen for them, that's how he met the McDonald brothers.

 

[tolivac]

When I saw the name "Multimixer" then it came back to me.Thanks for the reminder.Read a webpage on how those blenders worked.Those would be for very heavy use with their induction motors.

 

[panthera]

The OSTER milk-shake blade

Works just as well (for me, there will always be an exception) in making heavy bodied milkshakes as our commercial Hamilton-Bleach immersion shake/malt maker.

 

I like thick shakes, one of the very few foods done much better in the US than in Europe are shakes. German milk shakes are horrible.

 

[toploader55]

"From Jon Jetcone, he's a wealth of knowledge on blenders."

AND... They make great Whisky Sours, Daiquiris, Tom Collins, Rum Collins... and the list goes on... Just ask Jon.

 

[petek]

As a kid I always made them in our Waring blendor which made great shakes. I have a vintage HB spindle blender (a white one from an old Toronto dairy bar) with numerous of the old tin cups but tbh I don't think it makes them any better, it's just easier to clean and you can drink your shake right out of the cup.  Anyone remember going to a diner and it was always best if they gave you the tin cup along with the milkshake glass so you could top it off, instead of them tossing the remainder out.   I know as a kid I'd watch for that  LOL 

 

[norgeway]

I ordered

A Oster milkshake blade, can not WAIT to try it!

 

[jmm63]

The secret to any good milk shake is to add 1oz Vanilla syrup to any flavor shake you're making. (Either make your own or Fox's U-bet)  I learned that years ago working in the restaurant biz.