As we all know, ice cream is a deliciously refreshing dessert that has many flavours. As well as different flavours, there are also different forms in which it can be served. I am especially fond of soft serve ice cream and its kind-of-fluffy texture. If you are a shop owner, and you’ve decided to include this option in your menu, then you are going to need a soft serve ice cream machine.
When compared to regular ice cream, soft serve has to be kept at a significantly higher temperature and it has to be stirred continually so that it can keep its unique consistency. With all this in mind, let’s go through the various types of soft serve machines and a few considerations that will help you find the right one for you.
Types of Soft Serve Ice Cream Machines
There are various different types of soft serve ice cream machines Australia shops are using, and you should try and familiarize yourself first in order to make the right decision. So, let’s elaborate.
Countertop vs. Floor Model
When in doubt whether to get a countertop or floor soft serve ice cream machine, you should consider the amount of space your shop has for this machine and where it would be more convenient for you to place it. Plus, you are advised to think about the number of products you plan on selling. A countertop soft serve machine would be ideal for shops that plan on selling a low volume of soft serve ice cream.
Air Cooled vs Water Cooled Model
An additional way in which we can classify soft serve ice cream machines Australia shops use is by dividing them into ones that are air cooled and ones that are water cooled. One benefit of the air-cooled model is that it doesn’t require a water hook-up in order to work properly. Moreover, this type of machine is capable of storing more energy, thus it manages to cool the ice cream much faster when compared to the water cooled model. So, an air-cooled machine would be a better choice for a room with air-conditioning, whereas a water-cooled model can be stored in any type of room and still do its job excellently.
Gravity vs. Pressure-Fed Model
Another, and final categorization of these machines is the division of gravity and pressure fed machines. This is connected to the way in which they operate. Firstly, a gravity machine relies on gravity to be able to transfer the soft serve from the feed tubes to the freezing cylinder. And pressure-fed models come equipped with a pump which moves the mix from the hopper to the freezing cylinder. Even though both machines do their job, those of you that plan on producing more, a pressure fed type should be your first choice.
Major Considerations to Have in Mind
Capacity
Just like any other piece of equipment, you need to make sure that you choose a soft serve machine the level of capacity of which can meet your and your customers’ needs. As a rule of thumb, the capacity of a soft serve ice cream machine is calculated in volumes – gallons or servings per minute. So, 2-3 servings per minute are considered lower capacity, 4-5 servings are medium and 7 servings are considered to be a high volume of capacity.
Energy Conservation Characteristics
It is always a good idea to invest in a product that is energy efficient. Well, there are models of soft serve machines that come with a sleep mode. You can activate it when you are not using the machine and that way save on costs.
Flavour Options
Even though this feature is not technical, per se, it is still as important. You need to think about the number of flavours you plan on serving before investing. There are units that serve one flavour of ice cream, and there are other types that allow you to use a twin twist mode. You can combine two different flavours and offer them as one twist serving. Again, consider the number of servings you plan on doing per day, and then decide if you need this additional feature.
