Commercial Ice Cream Machines

Choosing between a soft-serve machine, including something like a frozen yoghurt machine, to a gelato machine, all depends on what you want your menu to look like. Soft serve is light, airy, smooth and fluffy, making an ideal option for cones in the summer, marking them as a popular option for pop-ups and food trucks. They’re also quick to dispense from, making them ideal for fast-food and catering business. Many soft serve machines have fast cool down functionality, meaning you can replenish your stock quickly.

By contrast, gelato machines are ideal for establishments that are exclusively or heavily serving ice cream. They’re arguably more versatile, allowing you to make your own flavours. The results you get from an ice cream machine are also thicker and will go in a storage freezer or ice cream display freezer before serving. You can deliver more artisanal flavours, making for a more gourmet and high-end experience for your customers.

High volume means something different in a gelato shop and a pub dessert menu, so start from the servings you need in your busiest hour. Output comes down to freezing speed and chamber capacity together, and both are stated on the product page — read the hourly figure there rather than working from a rule of thumb. Musso and the other brands in the range publish their own output figures per model. Some units run continuously, while others carry multiple hoppers so a second batch can be working while the first is served.

Yes. Depending on the consistency and nature of the plant-based ice cream mix you want to make, certain machines are compatible with non-dairy ingredients. These can include coconut, oat, or almond. If you’re interested in dairy free or vegan alternatives, please contact our team and we can make a personal recommendation for you. The important thing to get the best possible results is to make sure your ingredients are properly emulsified or you can end up with inconsistencies in texture. If it’s too dense, it can damage your ice cream machine, so following the manufacturers guidelines is important.

Cleaning is always an essential job, especially when dealing with ingredients like dairy. Many units feature easy disassembly to make cleaning faster and easier, with some parts being dishwasher safe, so you can sanitise everything quickly and efficiently. Other machines come with features like a pasteurisation cycle to extend the amount of time you can safely store your ice cream in the machine, reducing the frequency with which you need to clean in the first place.

Benchtop kitchen appliances are always a good choice for establishments with limited space. Many of our ice cream machines are compact and designed to be stored on your countertop, requiring only a standard plug outlet to operate. This means you can easily use it, move it, or store it during the off-season if you only include ice cream during the warmer months, for example.

Air-cooled machines are easier to install and don’t require plumbing, but need adequate ventilation and can raise room temperatures. Depending on their power levels, you may want to consider adding an exhaust canopy to regulate your kitchen’s temperature if you opt for an air-cooled model.

In contrast, water-cooled machines are quieter and more efficient in hot environments. However, the drawback is they require more serious investment when it comes to installation, and need a proper water connection to operate.

Yes. Many high-end models now include built-in refrigerated hoppers to keep your mix fresh, and self-pasteurisation systems that extend cleaning intervals, meaning there’s less effort needed to maintain them. These features are ideal for operators seeking reduced labour and improved food safety compliance, but are also useful if you aren’t getting through high-volumes of ice cream everyday but still want to bulk-prepare your stock.

There are several innovative features that help with ease of use, reducing food wastage, and improving kitchen efficiency:

- Some ice cream machines come with touchscreen controls and programmable settings, making it easy for any member of staff to set up. - Energy-efficient compressors for lower power use, helping you save energy and money in the long run. - Automated cleaning alerts and log tracking, helping you stay on track with food hygiene and health and safety. - Improved mix-level sensors to reduce downtime.

As with any kitchen appliance, the smaller the ice cream maker you opt for, the more limited its output is. If you plan on making frozen yoghurt or soft serve a key menu item in your cafe or restaurant, you’ll likely want to consider a larger, free-standing model.

Hopper and barrel capacities differ substantially between small and large models, and both figures are on the product page for each unit. Some are gravity-fed and others pump-fed — either serves well, and it is the hopper volume that decides how often staff stop to refill mid-service.

As with any form of energy-efficient refrigeration, you’ll want to consider models with eco-friendly and reliable refrigerants like R290. Other features that are worth mentioning include standby modes, which not only retain the quality of your ice cream but also ensure food health and safety. Many models of ice cream makers also come with a quiet, low-energy design, meaning they’re also lower cost to run.

Regular cleaning and maintenance are essential to maintain the quality and safety of your ice cream or frozen yoghurt. Many come with an easy-to-disassemble design, making it simpler to clean out the hopper and the barrel when necessary. Some models, like those from Taylor, come with heat-treating mechanisms to pasteurise the milk in your ice cream machine when you put it in, meaning you only need to clean it once a fortnight. To ensure you’re maintaining it to the highest possible standards, check the manufacturer's guidelines that come with your machine.

Yes, absolutely. As with any form of benchtop cooking or food prep, they allow for optimised space usage and add more options to your menu without taking up too much room in your kitchen or shopfront. You’ll still get the same exceptional results you would from a freestanding model, without needing to order in bulk ingredients or worrying about food wastage if you don’t fully empty the hopper before selling your stock.

Yes. Commercial ice cream maker, commercial ice cream making machine, commercial ice cream maker machine and commercial icecream machine all describe the same equipment, and searches use every spelling. An industrial ice cream machine or industrial ice cream maker usually means a larger, higher-output unit for production rather than counter service.

Professional ice cream maker and professional ice cream machine are used the same way. Whatever the name, the specification decides the outcome: batch versus soft serve, hopper size, air or water cooling, and whether the unit pasteurises its own mix.

A restaurant ice cream machine is one part of the dessert station. Finished product goes into commercial ice cream freezers or an ice cream display for serving, and mix is held in commercial under counter fridges.

If shakes and spiders are on the menu too, add commercial milkshake makers. Anyone pricing a full dessert bar can also browse commercial ice cream equipment for sale across the commercial frozen dessert machines range.