Commercial Ice Cream Machines: The Creators of The Never-Ending Dessert

Considerations for Commercial Ice Cream Machines  

Commercial ice cream machines offer you the chance to create an almost sacred oasis for ice cream lovers and attract customers of all ages. Ice creams are irresistible by nature, and what is more irresistible than a cafe that offers consistent deliciousness and colorful cones of ice cream? It is the one blessing you can count on no matter what, and of course, it goes without saying that such popular desserts are very profitable for your business.

Whether you are looking for a commercial ice cream machine or commercial soft serve machine, or maybe even a countertop soft serve ice cream machine for home use, good equipment guarantees consistent taste and ensures you have enough ice cream for everyone at all times.

Finding the right ice cream machine or equipment for you might seem challenging, but we got you covered. By paying attention to the types of equipment listed below, you can decide what you need and find the perfect fit for your restaurant, cafe, or even for your home. There are several types of equipment that you can invest in;

Ice cream dipping cabinets or ice cream display freezers that are traditionally used at ice cream parlors to store and serve ice cream or frozen yogurt are among the most common ice cream machines for ice cream sellers. You can easily scoop the product, thanks to its neat design. And keep and display different flavors in the same place. If you are running an ice cream shop or would like to offer different flavors of regular ice cream at your establishment, you should consider buying an ice cream dipping cabinet.

Ice cream freezers or ice cream merchandisers are perfect for convenience stores and supermarkets or cafes, and restaurants to store and display their pre-packaged ice cream products. They are better at keeping frozen products than regular freezers and will be more useful thanks to their glass sliding tops. Customers can easily browse and reach in to grab their choice of ice cream.

1. Commercial Ice Cream Machine Installation Types

Countertop models of ice cream machines, as you can understand from the name, are meant to be placed on countertops and are generally used at homes or establishments in low-demand areas. They might not have a lot of capacity, but they are very easy to operate and relatively easy to carry around. You can buy a countertop ice cream maker for your kitchen and enjoy delicious ice cream all year round at the comfort of your house. 

Floor models of ice cream machines are larger equipment meant for commercial use. They are placed directly on the floor and don’t require any counter to support them. Due to their larger size, they offer more variety and are very helpful at meeting high demand.

You should consider getting a floor model ice cream maker if you are running an ice cream shop or a cafe. It will allow you to create more options for your customers and ensure you have enough for every customer. If you are particularly fond of ice cream and have a rather big family, you can even get a floor model for your house. They are bound to make everyone happy with easy access to delicious ice cream. 

2. Commercial Ice Cream Machine Condenser Types

Condenser type is another point that is important to pay attention to. You could either get an air-cooled machine or a water-cooled one. 

• Air-Cooled Condensers: These types of ice cream machine condensers types are effortless options. They only require space for air ventilation and can operate anywhere with ease. Yet, they perform better in cooler environments. If you don’t have ac in your establishment or can’t guarantee to leave space around the machine, they might perform poorly and ruin the ice cream you have. 

• Water-Cooled Condensers: These models are a tad more expensive than air-cooled ice cream machines and require a separate water pump to operate. So you cannot place them just anywhere. However, they do operate more quietly and perform well regardless of the environment.

3. Commercial Ice Cream Machine Capacity

As mentioned above, capacity is one of the most critical aspects you should consider before purchasing your ice cream machine. The capacity of soft-serve ice cream machines/ regular ice cream machines/ fro-yo machines is measured in serving sizes and servings per minute. Try to assess how many servings you’d approximately need on a typical day and get an ice cream machine that will match your needs with ease. 

4. Commercial Ice Cream Machine Energy Considerations

Thanks to the fast-developing world of technology, we have energy-efficient and eco-friendly versions of nearly all machines. Ice cream machines, soft serve machines, and frozen yogurt machines are a few of these. By investing in an energy-efficient model, you could save tremendous amounts of energy and money every year. Some ice cream machines even have sleep modes and wifi connections that you can use to control them and conserve energy. 

5. Commercial Ice Cream Machine Production Style

There are three main types of production styles that you can choose from:

Batch Production (Low volume) and Batch Production (high volume) are fundamentally similar, but they differ in size. Both require you to refill between the batches and need some freezing time. Due to their size, low-volume models require more frequent refills and can accommodate fewer batches.

If you are on a budget and think you can manage with smaller equipment, you could get a low-volume-style ice cream machine. However, if you need an ice cream machine that can meet high demand, then you should invest in a high-volume ice cream machine. They have more room for more batches and require fewer refills while serving consistent, delicious ice cream. 

The continuous production style is another option you can and probably should consider. These ice cream machines constantly produce ice cream that can be directed to hoppers or dippers. These models are fairly popular among businesses thanks to their flexibility. Thanks to their constant production, you can choose the volume and size of the machine based on your needs and deal with less trouble throughout the day.6.

6. Hoppers

The number of hoppers is directly correlated with the demand in your area. You could decide how many you need based on the number of flavors you’d like to offer and choose the size based on the average number of customers you have daily. For soft-serve ice cream machines, you could invest in three hoppers and offer two different flavors and one twist. 

Commercial Soft Serve Machines

Most of the things mentioned above about regular ice cream machines are true for soft-serve ice cream machines. However, they have a couple of different pieces of equipment specifically designed to offer soft serve ice cream. 

Gravity-fed machines and pressure-fed machines are the two options you have when it comes to picking a soft-serve ice cream maker. Gravity-fed models utilize gravity’s pull to mix and prepare the ice cream, while pressurized models use the pressure formed inside the machine to push the ice cream out to the hoppers.

Two-flavor or single-flavor machines are also types of soft-serve ice cream machines. They basically determine the number of pumps, thus, the number of flavors. By investing in a two-flavor machine, you could even create a colorful twist and offer a third option to your customers.

Commercial Frozen Yogurt Machines 

Frozen yogurt is a hot trend nowadays. It was even featured on the famous sitcom “good place” as a piece of heaven :-). Even though they used to be offered only at a handful of cafes, fro-yos now dominate markets with shops especially dedicated to them. They could be considered a cousin of ice creams since they have a lot of similarities. If you are planning on jumping on this trend or simply offering some fro-yo at your cafe, you can find a perfectly nice frozen yogurt machine for your business. They are very similar to ice cream machines and share many of the features mentioned above. There are two main types of frozen yogurt machines;

Ice cream machine type of frozen yogurt machine models offer you the chance to produce fro-yo quickly and easily. If you are planning on opening a big shop, you could prefer one of these models. They also can be used to produce several types of ice cream and help you diversify your menus. 

The other model is called the frozen fruit dessert maker. These machines are usually popular with fro-yo lovers who would like to make their fro-yos in the comfort of their homes. They use fresh fruits to make the product and create delicious treats. They could be a bit troublesome size-wise for large businesses. Still, they are very easy to operate and technically offer a healthier option. So if you are keen on creating natural and healthy frozen yogurts for your customers or yourself, you should get a frozen fruit dessert maker.

Maintenance Of Ice Cream Machines

The maintenance of ice cream machines is vital for their longevity. You must keep up with health code regulations to avoid any trouble and ensure customer satisfaction. Ice cream machines, frozen yogurt machines, and soft serve machines all require cleaning daily. You could use cleaning products that are particularly made for these types of equipment and quickly sanitize your machine by following the steps indicated on the packaging. In addition to the daily cleanings, you could make arrangements with a local distributor for periodical check-ups to get a professional’s opinion every now and then.  

Top Brands

Whether you are searching for an ice cream maker or a fro-yo maker, there is a model shaped perfectly to serve you. The following brands have proven themselves to be trustworthy in this sector, and you can look into their models;

Conclusion

Dessert is the one luxury people will never give up on. Whether you are an aspiring business owner, a café manager, or just an ordinary person who loves his frozen snacks, there is great ice cream equipment for you out there. By following the steps explained above and paying attention to the details, you can easily find a suitable commercial ice cream machine and start enjoying some fro-yo, soft serve, or some good old regular ice cream. 

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* You may also wish to read our full guide about opening an ice cream shop.