Commercial Ice Cream Machine Makers 101

 Ice cream is one of the sweetest desserts you can get in any season and no matter how much you ate, it seems that you can never get enough of it. Making ice cream used to be a long process in the past, but nowadays when technology is rapidly going forward, restaurants can make ice cream batches within ten minutes. If you're a gelateria or a restaurant owner, you're probably interested in the making part. A gelato ice cream machine is what is necessary for a smooth, perfectly frozen gelato to taste like heaven. This is what you need to consider when buying such machines.

ice cream machine

How Ice Cream Was Made In the Past

Gelato or ice cream making isn't something modern people invent. It was a thing for thousands of years. In the beginning, it was made with simple ingredients such as egg yolk as a stabilizer and other raw ingredients like sugar and milk. All was heated in a large bowl and then chilled. Once the gelato was batched, people would added fruits, nuts or other flavour ingredients.

How Commercial Ice Cream Machines Work

These machines are cooling and mixing the ice cream mix at the same time. If there is only mixing without cooling, then the ice cream will only get air and if it only gets cooling without mixing, it will get ice crystals which would result in crunchy ice cream.

Types of Ice Cream Machines

Commercial Manual Machines

These machines offer larger capacities, speed and partial control of consistency. However, they don't have automatic functions as it's the case with automatic machines. They come with a density control switch that will stop the machine if the ice cream becomes too hard. This is a good choice if you need a simple machine.

Commercial Automatic Machines

If you're looking for an intelligent program, then an automatic gelato ice cream machine will help you get the work done. These machines can control small changes in consistency thanks to their pre-set options for different types of ice cream. These are machines that won't require your full attention - set and forget principle. You can fill the machine with the mixture set and let it work until the ice cream is ready for serving.

Display Case

In case you decide to get this type of machine, your gelato and pastry will be visible to your customers. These are quite common choices for bistros and gelaterias where people don't intend to sit, but rather get gelato to go.


The great thing is that you can use this machine all season and store about twenty different flavours of gelato. Besides the displayed flavours, you can store gelato in the storage freezers underneath. They are simple to use and operate and you will surely eliminate storage freezers for Carapina pans thanks to this 24/7 system.

Don't Forget About the Size

Ice cream machines come in different sizes and which one you'll choose depends on your needs, space and budget. If you have a growing restaurant or a candy shop, you can get a large industrial machine that will help you produce various types of ice cream in no time. Countertop machines are a great way to show your customers what you offer, while the ice cream is still in the making. They are easy to clean and allow you flexibility on the menu (you can easily sell more than two flavours).

How Long Will It Take To Make the Ice Cream?

This depends on the machine, but the smarter and larger the machine is the faster it will make the ice cream. For instance, you can find machines that need about ten minutes to make the batch. Generally speaking, the more expensive the machine is, the faster and higher capacities it will have.

Difference Between Commercial and Domestic Ice Cream Makers

The domestic makers are smaller and can only make so much ice cream. If you have a restaurant, on the other hand, a built-in freezer commercial machine is the choice you need. This one will always be ready for work and you won't have to wait for twenty-four hours before getting the ice cream. A domestic ice cream maker can make quite a low amount, just enough for a household.


Commercial ice cream machines make gelato in minutes, instead of hours. If you have a built-in machine it will cool the ice cream mixture much faster compared to let's say a pre-freeze bowl model. Let's not forget that the commercial options can be set to make soft and hard ice cream, but also sorbet, frozen yogurt, gelato and granita. This way you can offer various things for your restaurant guests.

Also, you can control the density. The density control switch stops the motor and the freezer when the density of the ice cream becomes too hard. This will stop the machine itself when the motor cannot turn frozen paddles. Commercial machines are much larger than domestic ones. This way you can create large amounts of ice cream and have enough for your selling.


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