I use booze: vodka if I don't want to impart a flavor, bourbon if I do. Just made Bulleit's Bourbon Ice Cream (oddly enough calls for eggs but no cooking...) and it's pretty darn tasty.
I'm not sure if my Cuisinart is dying or if it's just my imagination, but it seems to be turning slower and taking longer. Maybe my freezer isn't cold enough? Time to start searching for a machine with a compressor...

The whynter works well. I was fed up with the pre freezing, weakness(and Amazon) ensued.