An eatery is a popular business and attracts a crowd easily. But if you want more customers to stop by in your business or store, the perfect solution to this is serving ice-cream. But it is not simple to start serving. It would be best to buy the right machine that will be correct as per your business needs. It is not a simple task and requires in-depth research and the right knowledge. It is easier to understand which ice-cream machine you must buy after listing out the requirements: the size of your place, per day need of ice-cream, flavor varieties, etc.
If you have finalized that you want a soft-serve ice cream machine to enhance the current servings or add ice cream to your menu list, it will be wise to start researching the right fit for your business. You can begin the research by calculating your sale and machinery type. Machine purchasing includes various factors that are thoroughly discussed in this blog. A used or new machine, whatever your need is, this guide will help you in deciding the right soft serve ice cream machine:
Variants of Machine
Soft serve ice cream has many variants that can fulfill the requirements of almost every business needs. It would help if you bought after you have analyzed your requirements. This step will save you from paying extra or buying the unsuitable variant.
- Number of Flavors: Many factors affect the selection of the soft-serve ice cream machine, and one of the most significant factors is the flavor. It would be best if you decided how many flavors you are going to sell. This is based on the size and also on the type of business. If you own a small business and your ice-cream requirement is only for toppings, then a machine that serves one flavor might be right for you. But if you require more than one flavor or twisted mixture of two flavors, then your selection must be on that basis.
- Availability of Space: Another important factor that significantly impacts your soft-serve ice-cream machine selection is the amount of space you have. If you own a small space, then the countertop ice-cream machine will be right for you. The countertop machine is also suitable for smaller businesses. A floor model is better for a business that has a requirement of a larger amount of servings. The floor model requires a larger area and is not suitable for stores with less space available. Before researching brands, you need to figure out if you have a requirement of bigger servings or smaller, and then you should include the space’s availability.
- Gravity vs. Pressure Fed: The soft serve mix is transferred through the gravity soft serve machines’ feed tubes. Feed tubes transfer the soft serve into the freezing cylinder. But in a pressure fed machine, the soft serve mix is transferred through a pump from the hopper. The pump transfers it to the freezing cylinder.
Again the decision is influenced by the number of servings because the pressure-fed machine provides a bigger serving. The production volume is high, not suitable for a small business, whereas the gravity machine is more affordable and low maintenance. The control of the air is done more efficiently in the pressure fed machine than the gravity machines. - Air-Cooled or Water-Cooled: Water-cooled machinery requires a water hook-up attachment. This makes the decision of machine location rigid. But the advantage of this machine is that its energy storage is better. This benefit helps in faster ice-cream cooling. Another option is the air-cooled soft serve ice cream machine. This machine’s most significant advantage is that it can be stored anywhere and won’t require a water hook-up. This machine performs better in an air-conditioned room, but the water-cooled machine’s performance is good even in a warm room.
- Technology: All the machinery nowadays has some additional technological features that you don’t want to miss. One of the essential features of the soft-serve ice cream machine is the low mix alarm. In this feature, the alarm or the buzzer turns off when the ice-cream mix is too low. This means the mixture in the machine is lower than the essential quantity. This feature is beneficial because you get aware of the low mix in the machine. Ignoring this situation can damage the dasher blade, which is caused due to frozen solid in the machine. Considering this feature in the machine selection can save you from unnecessary expenses in the future.
Bottom Line
By keeping the above points into consideration, you can find the right soft serve ice cream machine for your business.