Which are the machines needed to start running an ice cream or gelato shop?
Ice cream and gelato may seem a quite simple product, but diversely from many other food businesses, their making is actually complex work. Ice cream and gelato shops, in particular, require a specific set of key machines for their production.
In this previous blog post, we have already explained which are the main strategic pieces of equipment needed to run a successful gelato shop.
Equipment is not indeed just a key part of the production process, but a real strategic set of assets to achieve commercial success. Fail just one of your marketing goals – like getting people into your shop or making them come back again – and your shop will be doomed to shut its doors.
Great equipment is your first ally in achieving your business goals.
Nevertheless, the pieces of equipment needed to run a gelato or ice cream shop are a multitude. And basically, there are two large clusters of equipment: machines and tools.
Machines are key items necessary for all the main production phases, such as churning, freezing, storing, etc.
Tools are smaller, less expensive items to use for specific everyday purposes.
In this blog post we’ll provide an overview of all the essential machines needed for any gelato or ice cream shop.
5 (+ an optional one) machines needed for ice cream and gelato shops
Machines are the most important investments you’ll need to consider when opening a new shop. They’re in fact the most expensive, crucial and used tools in your ice cream kitchen.
Therefore, always keep in mind that the money you spend on them is never wasted.
Machines are investments, not costs!
Here’s a brief list of all the machines needed in your shop to start running your ice cream business.
1) Refrigerator
The refrigerator is an indispensable item, necessary for preserving the freshness and quality of a number of raw ingredients. It provides a controlled environment to store dairy products, egg yolks when necessary, all kinds of freshly processed fruits, flavorful sauces, and more.
With its cooling capabilities, the refrigerator ensures that these perishable ingredients remain at optimal temperatures, maintaining their taste, texture, and overall integrity.
Whether its usefulness might be quite intuitive, it’s still quite important to evaluate the right one according to several elements. Among them, your spaces, the size and its temperature stability.
2) Blast Freezer
A blast freezer plays a crucial role in gelato making, since it serves as a temporary home for gelato pans during churning. It allows for optimal freezing conditions right from the start.
Additionally, the blast freezer plays a crucial role in the immediate aftermath of gelato extraction. By rapidly cooling the freshly churned gelato, it aids in the freezing of any remaining free water. Also, it prevents undesirable water mobility and ensures a longer shelf life for the final product.
3) Freezer
The freezer is responsible for preserving the quality and freshness of frozen fruits. It ensures that they retain their natural flavors and vibrant colors. Additionally, the freezer serves as a reliable storage space for backup ready gelato pans. In fact it keeps them at the ideal temperature until they are ready to be served.
By maintaining the optimal freezing conditions, the freezer guarantees that gelato and ice cream makers have a readily available supply of ingredients and pre-prepared pans.
4) Display Case
The display case serves as both a showcase and a sales platform. Its primary function is to beautifully present the wide array of gelato flavors, enticing customers with colors and textures.
The display case offers versatility, as it can be designed to accommodate narrow or wide pans. Or also, it can embrace the classic “pozzetti” style. This flexibility allows gelato makers to showcase their creations in a way that best suits their audience’s aesthetic preferences.
By utilizing the display case effectively, gelato artisans can captivate customers, inspire cravings, and create an inviting atmosphere that enhances the overall gelato experience. The display case is more than a mere container. It is an essential element in the art of presenting and selling gelato.
Here you can find a wide range of design masterpieces that will make your ice cream shine as a jewel.
5) Gelato Machine (Batch Freezer)
The gelato machine is above all, the main and most essential piece of equipment to make gelato. And nothing more than the gelato machine plays a role in producing a great output product.
Anyway, there are two main types of batch freezers. You’ll want to pick the one that matches your gelato making process.
The traditional batch freezer often requires additional equipment, such as a pasteurizer, to make gelato in the classical way. You can use different gelato making techniques, but we always recommend the hot process. This requires pasteurization and usually leads to superior quality. However, this approach requires a separate pasteurizer, resulting in a double investment, slower work, and a higher risk of product mix spoilage.
The second option is instead an all-in-one batch freezer. This combined machine has the pasteurizer included: the top chamber heats and pasteurizes, the bottom chamber churns.
If you’re looking for the very best and cost-efficient on the market, you can confidently give a go to BRAVO’s machines.
Optional: Pasteurizer
In case you picked a traditional batch freezer to make your gelato and you still want to go through the hot process, you’ll need a separate pasteurizer.
How to pick the needed machines that better fit your gelato or ice cream shop?
During these years, at MODALiTA we always strived to provide the very best Italian equipment to all those professionals who set the highest standards for their products.
An excellent gelato in particular stands out from the competition and can be the key turning point to earn a solid customer base. People who won’t just be craving for it, but who will recommend it to friends, relatives and other potential new customers.
But to achieve such a result, and in the most financially efficient way, you’ll need to rely on all the best tools around.
How can you produce excellence with a cheap, outpaced gelato machine? How will you persuade the customer of your gelato’s quality if you’re the first to store and showcase it poorly?
Common, cheap, ice creams do their job without any specific ambition. But as we always say, if you shoot to the moon, invest accordingly. Upscale needed machines will leverage your ice cream or gelato shop and business.
The only thing you need to pick the right equipment needed for your gelato shop is reaching out to us.
Our team will happily support you during the whole process: design, purchase, installation and customer care!