If you freeze without lid then the top freezes first and as the liquid expands it has nowhere to go but sides and bottom - risk of cracking your pints.
Don't run under hot water or defrost at room temp as it can raise the temp too much and you get a soft serve texture.
When you take out your pint scrape the top with a spoon to flatten and do the first spin. Then scrape the insides with a small metal spatula or spoon and run on mix in setting.
If you want a softer texture run mix in twice. If you want a harder texture freeze it for 15-20 mins after the first mix in.
I spent too much time researching and messing with this machine lmao