Ice Cream Machine

Introduction

An ice cream machine freezes and churns a dairy (or non-dairy) mix to produce ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt or sorbet. Commercial machines combine refrigeration (a compressor/evaporator) with a rotating dasher (agitator) inside a chilled cylinder. The machine rapidly cools the mix while continuously stirring in air (“overrun”), creating a smooth, creamy frozen dessert. Temperature control and aeration are precisely regulated to achieve the desired texture.

Types of Ice Cream Machine

• Batch Freezer: Produces a fixed batch of hard ice cream. Operators add a mix to the barrel, then freeze and churn. Batch freezers allow customization (richer mix, low overrun) and are ideal for artisanal or small-production shops. They usually yield 2–150 quarts per cycle.
• Soft-Serve/Continuous Freezer: Designed for high-volume continuous production of soft-serve ice cream and frozen yogurt. These machines continuously freeze and dispense product, often with multiple hoppers. They use a continuous-feed cylinder for uninterrupted service.
• Gelato Machine: A variant of batch freezer, with slower churning and cooler temperatures to produce dense Italian gelato (incorporating ~50% less air). Often has specialized paddles and dual hoppers for multiple Flavors.
• Sorbet/Yogurt Machines: Similar to soft-serve machines, these produce non-dairy frozen sorbets or tangy frozen yogurts. They handle lower-fat mixes and often include settings for tartness (frozen yogurt).
• Mixed-Use Machines: Multi-hopper machines capable of making ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet simultaneously (with separate cylinders and settings)

Applications of Ice Cream Machine

•  Used in ice cream Parlors, restaurants, dessert shops, and catering services. Gelato machines serve Italian-style gelato cafes; soft-serve units are common in fast-food outlets; yogurt machines serve frozen yogurt shops. These machines allow businesses to offer fresh frozen desserts on-site, increasing product variety and quality.

Material selection of Ice Cream Machine

•  Hygiene and durability are critical. Food-grade stainless steel (usually SS304) is used for all parts contacting the mix – notably the freezing cylinder and hopper. For example, many commercial soft-serve machines have a “food-grade SUS304 stainless steel cylinder” that is “rust-resistant and easy to clean”. The dasher (mixing paddle) is also stainless steel. The exterior housing can be stainless or heavy plastic/steel. Insulation (e.g. polyurethane foam) surrounds the cylinder to maintain cold. Components like motors, compressors and pumps use standard industrial-grade metals (steel, aluminum, copper tubing). Seals and gaskets are NSF-rated elastomers. Choice of stainless steel ensures long life against the cold, moisture and acidity (especially in yogurt/sorbet machines), while providing a sanitary surface.