The Gelato ice cream machine is sooo awesome and easy that it is a real boon to have two bowls. I chill the mixture in the refrigerator a couple of hours before putting it in the Gelato and having two bowls allows two flavors to be chilling at the same time. Then I can freeze them in immediate succession. I limit myself to two bowls, otherwise I'm afraid we would gain tooo much weight from the excellent ice cream. After freezing I use a rubber scraper to put the ice cream into a storage freezer container so as not to put any scratches in the Gelato bowl. The metal bowl will scratch easily so take care with it and it will probably last forever! It is very easy to use and clean, and takes next to no time to care for.