If you’re looking to get into the ice cream making industry, then the recipe to your success lies within the ice cream machine and the contents of the cream. With the right equipment, ice cream making becomes a very rewarding and straightforward process. Moreover, it saves time, which allows you to produce more product without having to monitor it constantly. This is essential in commercial settings, as you would need to produce more flavours for sale on regular basis. But most importantly, you get consistent, quality results.
There are several types of ice cream maker machine for sale you’ll stumble across, which differ depending on how much they automate the production process. How much you intend to produce, how frequently you have to mix up a batch, how quickly you want it to be ready, and the finished mix texture all play a crucial role when looking to buy the ideal ice cream maker machine for sale. Furthermore, you should consider whether you want an ice cream maker that’s placed inside an existing freezer, or a countertop one. Either way, the main types of ice cream making machines are:
- With built-in freezer units – these are easy to use, produce fast results and you don’t waste time between batches. They’re generally consistent and feature variable settings for different types of ice cream. Their only downside is that they’re costly.
- Pre-freeze bowl models – these models produce ice cream quickly, but have a lot of downtime, as you’ll have to wait about 24 hours for the bowl to freeze. On the upside, they’re rather inexpensive.
- Ice and salt models – these models produce ice cream quickly, but you’ll have to fill and empty them with ice and salt each time you use them. They’re also rather inexpensive.
- In-freezer machines – these models are slower than the others and require a power cord to be fed inside the freezer.
- Regardless of what type of ice cream maker you choose, there are a couple of things you need to strongly consider in order to get the best value for your money. For instance, the size of the bowl matters greatly. A common misconception is that the serving size of the machine is the bowl size. The volume of the ice cream changes as it’s being prepared in the bowl and the size doesn’t keep paddling and churning as expected.
Moreover, it’s worth knowing that not all machines have same serving times. Two similarly priced machines with similar specifications can have significantly different operational styles. As aforementioned, in-freezer machines have a slower production time than built-in freezer units. The size of the machine itself matters as well. You want to ensure it fits your kitchen properly and doesn’t get in the way.