Soft-serve ice cream is popular among customers to people attending events or featuring ice cream at home. If you are planning to use the soft serve ice cream machine to yield the premium quality ice cream while saving money, then getting the right machine is the key. The vast market of ice cream machines can leave one wondering which is best for him and which would serve the purpose. Here, we will look at the aspects of the soft serve ice cream making machines that would help you to find the conveniently cheap but decent quality ice cream machine of your choices as well as provide great ice cream without spending too much money or going bankrupt.

1. Understand Your Needs: Commercial vs. Home Use

The first thing that you need to do when purchasing a soft serve ice cream machine is understanding its needs. Is it for your personal use, or do you have plans to purchase it for your food truck / restaurant business?

Commercial Use

While purchasing a soft serve machine for a commercial outlet, you have the option to go for high capacity machines as you will expect an increase in demand in the busy environments . Commercial machines are basically for professional use, that is why they also come with a variety of features as both a means to be more efficient but also more practical at the same time. It is a general understanding that the more clientele, the more ice cream that needs to be produced in a shorter time frame and many of these soft serve machines help produce that amount in a matter of seconds.

For example, depending on its model and size, a commercial soft serve machine can provide around 100-300 servings in just one hour! Among well-known brands in this category are Taylor, Carpigiani, and Stoelting, this American brand is well known for having high production and easily being able to handle a lot of business. Of course such commercialized machines are not cheap starting at $2000 but can exceed $10000 for advanced models.

Home Use

The cost of a soft serve ice cream machine can be higher if destiny is home use as the output and wear and tear standards are not really demanding. Place of the home machines is slightly smaller than the portion size to feed ranging from 20 to 50 children in an hour, so they are easier for members to operate. In this category, there are models made by Cuisinart, Nostalgia and Hamilton Beach with a price range of $100 – $500 per unit.

2. Capacity and Output: What’s Right for You?

The capacity of a soft serve ice cream machine is the most important determining characteristic. The requirement for machines for the household and the business is the same, it is the targeted output that encompasses the need for the machine. If ice cream is to be provided at home for the family or some friends who can't help but be a bit on the anti-social side, a small sized machine with a 1-2 quarts output should be more than enough.

For commercial vies, buy ice cream maker machines with greater volume of 3-5 gallons or able to serve multiple cups within a few minutes. You should also be making sure that the specified machine is able to manage a large capacity that is understandable with a busy store or event. Such high capacity machines can prove to be quite useful, though they will need maintenance frequently so there must be a careful consideration of the size and practicality.

3. Ease of Use and Cleaning

Especially if you manage a busy mechanics shop or just seeking to enhance optimization over your time as a user, operating and cleaning should not pose too big an issue, as simplicity in use would be a big priority for you. There are soft serve ice cream machines which come with easy operational features like a touchscreen, buttons and even preset options to give you minimal hassles while doing required operations.

Another important element is cleaning. You will have less issues while cleaning, with detachable washing apparatus. This is extremely helpful, regardless of whether it is used in a business or residential setting. It is imperative that you take the necessary time to properly clean antibacterial because when neglected frostbite's may stay untouched and the cheap ice cream would not taste fresh.

4. Quality of the Ice Cream: Texture and Consistency

When it comes to the purchase of a soft serve ice cream machine, probably the most critical aspect is its ability to produce good quality, creamy and smooth ice cream quickly. Ice Cream has a texture, which can be explained in several ways e.g. by the freezing and aeration processes in the machine. It is expected that better machines will contain good refrigeration systems that work to maintain optimum conditions consistently, for they don’t want the product to lose its smoothness and silkiness.

Another important factor is the formation of ice crystals within the ice cream and the amount of air that is absorbed into the mix during freezing. If the amount of air too high, whips the foam excessively, the resulting texture is very dry and very few ‘creamy’ ice crystals form. Overrun, the amount of air that is added to ice cream, must be optimal if cheap ice cream with good texture is to be produced. Averages of 30-50% overrun are able to create fluffy ice cream that won’t be too dense.

5. Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency results in lower utility costs while automatically making a machine more useful. This is worth considering when buying a soft serve ice cream machine for commercial purposes. It is always better to spend money in the long run on energy-efficient equipment than to put it off to the future. Most microwaves have such conveniences as automatic switches that turn off the equipment when it is not in use or energy consumption for operation is lower. Hence models that work on such principles should be purchased.

An air-cooled refrigeration system is used in some soft serve ice cream machines which not only saves energy but also decreases heat absorption in the space. On the other hand, some units that utilize water-cooled systems help in increasing efficiency for bulk production but will ultimately lead to higher water consumption, making water bills for utilities higher.

6. Price Range and Affordability

Hard ice cream can sometimes be cheaper since the price of the machine used to prepare it is lower than that of a soft-serve ice cream machine but this ice cream is not as appealing and many people don’t like the flavor. But with the use of such, it is critical to know what the average cost of one is, especially if the onboard aims to make ice cream at a low cost. The price of ice cream machines can be fully commercial or home use, which is the distinction between the two.

If you're on a budget, home machines are a good choice, as they are generally easy to use and clean, making them good for infrequent use. In order to enjoy soft serve ice cream at home, you only need to spend between $100 and $500.

On the opposite side, Commercial machines seem to have a much larger price range of about $2000 to $10,000 or even greater for the higher end models. While these may seem like a hefty amount up front, there are increased output and durability that make this machine fit for the needs of businesses serving an increased amount of ice cream.

7. Warranty and Customer Support

The warranty and the after sale service are crucial factors that buyers should look out for when purchasing soft serve ice cream machines. A soft serve ice cream machine can be a big investment for many companies and high warranty percentages on such machines can help cut costs in repairs if the machine breaks down. When it comes to warranties, many manufacturers seem to vary as to what type of machines they sell ranging from one year to five years.

To add to this, the need for updated customer support by the manufacturer is much needed if proper assistance is needed in installation, maintenance or putting the machine to work. This holds true especially if running a commercial ice cream business and increasing the amount of uptime as possible is the ultimate goal.

Conclusion

First things first, you should not be overwhelmed when it comes to choosing the best soft serve ice cream machine since Ice cream making should be an enjoyable experience for everyone. All you need to do is, look for a machine with the desired output quality, ease of use, capacity, and energy consumption. Buying an ice cream machine is a bit different from home use and commercial use ordering cheap ice cream, the order of most soft serve ice cream machines should be considered. If all the factors are kept in mind, customers or family will definitely savor the sweet treat. Enjoy making ice cream!