To produce ice cream with the perfect consistency, it is essential that the cooling container has been pre-frozen for at least 12 hours at -18 °C in a 4-star freezer compartment. How firm and creamy an ice cream becomes also depends on the fat and/or sugar content and the temperature of the ingredients used. The higher the fat content, the creamier the result. Pre-chilling the ingredients shortens the preparation time. For some recipes, it is necessary to transfer the ice cream to a suitable container and chill it in the freezer until the desired firmness is reached. In other recipes, the ice cream is already very firm before the normal stirring time.