Ice cream is one of the main treats for children and adults, but sometimes unscrupulous manufacturers produce products that contain practically no natural ingredients. You are unlikely to want to eat this product yourself or give it to your child. In this case, the best option is to purchase a home ice cream machine. It will help you effortlessly prepare the most delicious ice cream in a short time. Our task is to help you choose the best, reliable and high-quality device.
Operating principle of the device
The ice cream machine is a fairly compact design that will not take up much space in your kitchen. The device includes:
- Container with coolants (refrigerant).
- Bowl for dessert ingredients.
- Rotating blades for mixing ingredients.
- The outer frame that connects the entire structure.
The operating principle of the device is quite simple. When turned on, the device mixes the ingredients in the bowl using blades, just like a mixer does, and the refrigerant cools the product to the desired temperature. Frequent rotation of the blades prevents the dessert from completely hardening, turning it into soft ice cream.
In addition, in such a device you can prepare milkshakes, fruit smoothies, yogurts, and it is convenient to store ice in them.
Models differ in the number of bowls. The device may have one bowl for preparing one type of dessert, or maybe several. For home use, one or two bowls are enough.
Soft ice cream making machine
This section of the foodmachines website is the main one, as it is dedicated to this type of refrigeration equipment, such as freezers for soft ice cream. Our product range includes a wide range of different machines. Ice cream is a dessert that has received great love and fame all over the world. Today, there are many different methods and recipes for preparing it, using the most unexpected combinations of products and ingredients. But despite all this, the standard version of the delicacy in a waffle cone remains the most favorite. The operating principle of such a device is very simple: the mixture in the cylinder is simultaneously saturated with air, mixed and cooled, thus forming the desired delicacy.
Types of devices
The devices are divided into compact home ones, which are installed on the table, and large floor-standing ones, designed for producing dessert for sale. Let's look at each type and their best models, maybe you too want to get into the ice cream business.
Manufacturers
First, let's look at the list of manufacturers that produce high-quality equipment that will last for many years and will delight you with the quality of the product.
Reliable equipment is produced by the following companies:
- Taylor
- Electro freeze
- Carpigiani
- Nemox
- Gelmatic
- Moulinex
- Tefal
- Kenwood.
You should not purchase Chinese-made equipment; you risk getting pieces of ice in the dessert or the ice cream consistency being too thin. Italian manufacturers are a cut above, and their equipment will not let you down at the most inopportune moment.
Tabletop
Tabletop ice cream equipment is good for its compactness and low weight compared to floor-standing ones. They can be used in home kitchens and cafes with low customer turnover. Let's consider the most popular models from the above manufacturers.
Nemox Talent Gelato & Sorbet
A high-quality model that allows you to prepare not only classic ice cream, but also different types of yoghurts, fruit sorbets, granite and other desserts. The device is equipped with two 1.5 liter containers. In 30 minutes of work you can get up to 900 grams of delicious soft homemade ice cream.
Pros:
- Automatic speed change.
- Mixers with double rotation system.
- Removable 1.5 liter bucket.
- The palette of models is presented in yellow, white and pink.
- High performance allows you to use the model in a cafe.
- Induction motor - 25 RPM.
- Warranty period 2 years.
Minuses:
- No operational complaints were found.
- High price.
Steba IC20
A compact but productive model with a transparent lid allows you to monitor the work process and is equipped with a timer that can be fixed for up to 30 minutes. Inside there is a spacious 1.5-liter aluminum bowl, which allows you to prepare up to 900 grams of delicious dessert in one session. Simple and easy to use, mobile.
pros:
- The lightness and mobility of the model allows you to take it with you to your dacha or recreation center where there is electricity, and prepare desserts at any time of the day.
- Cooking recipes are available in the instructions.
- Includes a spoon for forming balls.
- Electricity consumption - 9.5 W.
- The device is made of high quality plastic.
- It is completely disassembled, allowing it to be washed thoroughly.
Minuses:
- Short warranty period.
- Chinese manufacturer.
Electro Freeze CS-8
The model guarantees continuous production of desserts, the volume of which increases up to 50%. The American manufacturer took care of the high-quality operation of the device and equipped it with two engines and two compressors, allowing you to prepare several desserts simultaneously and separately.
Pros:
- Suitable for street trading.
- Powered by network.
- 2 containers.
- Mechanical control type.
- Maximum productivity up to 40 kg per hour.
- The model is made of stainless steel.
- Power consumption 2.2 W.
- Possibility of using three flavors.
- The volume of one freezing cylinder is 2.4 kg.
Minuses:
- Very high cost.
Floor-standing
Floor-standing devices are intended for industrial production and the production of desserts for sale. They are more powerful and productive, the models are equipped with more functional modes, but they are expensive, and their size and weight are quite large.
Gel Matic BC 100 GR
The model is made of super durable stainless steel. The brand guarantees high quality, reliability and performance of its equipment, so this device is equipped with a powerful engine and a wear-resistant knife. Dessert preparation time is 10-20 minutes.
Pros:
- Hopper volume - 12 liters.
- Productivity 17 kg per hour.
- Air cooling.
- Power 1.8 kW.
- Ultra-precise temperature control system.
Minuses:
- High price.
- Big size.
Freezer 600
The continuous freezer is designed for the production of dairy-based products. Productive and reliable, equipped with overload and overheat protection. It can remember the previous mode, which allows you to immediately start working when turned on. There is a semi-automatic mode for washing internal cavities.
Pros:
- Cooling system with semi-hermetic compressor.
- Digital control panel.
- Stainless steel.
- Manual control of ice cream overrun.
- Adjusting the smooth supply of the mixture.
- The temperature range is from 2 to 6 degrees, the temperature of the finished product at the outlet is -2, -5 0C.
- Productivity 150−300 kg of finished product per hour.
- Power 11 kW.
Minuses:
- Bulky.
Types of Ice Cream Machines
The installations differ from each other in some parameters. For example, there are desktop and floor-standing versions of the devices. Also another large-scale classification is the difference in the number of tastes. The most popular is considered to be a machine capable of producing three flavors (two main and one mixed), also machines can be for one, five, six and even more. Additional functional components include the presence of a pump and an overnight storage mode. The first allows you to make the dessert more airy, the second allows you to leave the unused mixture overnight. Both the first and second functions are optional; the machine will work without them.
Mixes for making ice cream
Most freezers work on mixtures that are poured into the bowl and diluted with water or skim milk. In order not to be mistaken with the quality of the product, we recommend purchasing mixtures from the following companies:
- Comprital
- Pregel
- Ace dream
- Giord
These manufacturers produce a wide range of flavors with different additives and flavorings, allowing the confectioner’s imagination to run wild. In addition, some freezer models allow you to fill ice cream with syrups and jams.
Principle of operation
The device consists of containers for products and whorls for mixing. The device operates similarly to an electric mixer. After launch, the blades rotate, helping to create a homogeneous mass, preventing the composition from freezing.
The blades of the ice cream maker rotate, creating a homogeneous mass
The ice cream maker is used to prepare:
- treats;
- ice storage;
- frozen yogurt;
- sorbets;
- cocktails.
Selection options
Before purchasing, you should estimate the production volume of soft ice cream. Equipment is selected depending on production requirements. Compact desktop models are selected for your home, but before making your choice, pay attention to the device parameters.
- Bowl volume . A 1.5-2 liter bowl is suitable for home use. This amount will be enough for a large family and guests. For cafes and fast foods, it is worth taking a closer look at more voluminous floor-standing models.
- Productivity . The power consumed by home and professional machines ranges from 3 to 11 kW.
- Dimensions . An equally important factor, especially if the room does not have space. Floor-standing machines are selected especially carefully, because they will stand in one place for a long time. It’s easier with home models; almost all of them are compact and weigh little.
How to start a business producing and selling soft ice cream
A hundred years ago, ice cream was a luxurious treat available only to the wealthy. Back then, ice cream production was a very expensive and complex process done by hand. With the development of technology, ice cream production has become automated. But even then, only huge factories could produce the cold delicacy. Now the processes have been so simplified that the cold storage plant “fits” into one tabletop machine, with one caveat - the production and sale of soft ice cream.
Hobiz.ru reminds you that humanity, for more than 4000 years, has enjoyed the taste of chilled delicacies. That is, ice cream as a consumer item, and therefore a business, is a very old business niche. The first prototypes of ice cream, mixed ice and fruit, were a traditional dessert at the court of Chinese emperors. In its modern form, ice cream appeared in Europe in the 18th century.
Now traditional ice cream, at the production stage, is divided into two types - hardened and soft. The main difference between them is the freezing temperature of the final finished dairy dessert. Thus, hardened or hard ice cream is frozen at -25°C. This is the most delicacy from childhood, sold from trays, carts, stores and ice cream parlors.
Soft ice cream is obtained with light freezing - it is cooled to only -4...-8°C. In this regard, soft ice cream has a short shelf life. You won't freeze it for future use. But the ease of such production makes the soft ice cream business simple and accessible to a wide range of entrepreneurs. It does not require large capital investments. Everything easily fits into the “business on site” format. That is, soft ice cream is made directly in front of the client using simple equipment.
Equipment, ingredients and technology for the production of soft ice cream
To produce soft ice cream, several initial ingredients and one machine are required - a freezer - a special automatic machine for mixing.
Of course, at present, there are many options for freezers on the market, very different from each other. And if hobiz.ru starts talking about everyone, readers will not have enough patience. Therefore, in this business idea only the basic scheme for the production of soft ice cream will be considered. It involves just a few simple steps.
The ingredients for soft ice cream are mixed with warm water or milk according to the recipe of the manufacturer of the original ingredients. The resulting mixture is filtered and pasteurized, this is a mandatory step. During this process, possible mechanical impurities are removed and pathogenic microorganisms are destroyed. Then, the mixture is homogenized and pre-cooled to +4°C for maturation. This improves the consumer quality of ice cream. But you can do it even simpler - use ready-made dry mixes produced specifically for making soft ice cream. This simplifies the process to one or two steps: the dry mixture must be diluted with water (milk) and the resulting solution must be loaded into the freezer.
The finished liquid mixture in the freezer is mixed again, beaten with air, cooled to -8°C and unloaded into the hopper. From which the finished product is poured in portions as needed. Soft ice cream at the exit from the freezer - at the time of pouring - has a temperature of at least -4°C.
Freezers for soft ice cream are divided into household and industrial (commercial). The difference between the machines is the volume of ice cream production. In addition, they may differ in additional functions, such as: mixing the finished mixture, pasteurization, the type of delicacy produced, the ability to add syrups and fillers to ice cream during the production process.
Commercial soft serve ice cream freezers, depending on the ingredients and mixtures used, can also produce other chilled desserts - sorbetto, granitos, frozen yogurt (frozen yogurt), milkshakes and more.
Cost of equipment and dry mixes for soft ice cream
The average cost of a commercial freezer for soft ice cream is 140-180 thousand rubles . This is a tabletop version of the refrigerator. This freezer produces 10-18 liters of ice cream per hour. It usually has two containers and three dispensers. Accordingly, such a freezer can simultaneously produce ice cream of two flavors (2 different mixtures in two bins), as well as their combination using the third dispenser nozzle.
Freezers with one container cost 30-50 thousand rubles less. There are also devices with 5 or more containers, or increased production capacity - up to 50 liters per hour. The price of the freezer is also affected by additional options, the choice of which depends on the capabilities and desires of the owner. For example, overnight storage of the finished mixture is an extremely controversial option. But the possibility of producing other chilled desserts, such as milkshakes, is a necessary option, since, as experts in this business interviewed by hobiz.ru note, milkshakes account for up to 70% of sales using a freezer.
In addition to the freezer, the entrepreneur will need mixtures for soft ice cream, fillers, syrups, waffle cones or disposable ice cream cups. Also, if the equipment allows, cups of different sizes for other desserts - cocktails and yoghurts. The total cost of the initial volume of consumable components is from 30 thousand to 100 thousand rubles .
Additional equipment for the point of production and sale of soft ice cream
In addition to the freezer and counter decoration, you will also need the following equipment.
A refrigerator or refrigerated display case for storing ready-made mixtures, a set of gastronorm containers, various spatulas, spoons and scrapers for stirring the ready-made mixture and removing the remaining ice cream from the containers and bins of the freezer.
In addition, you will need clean water to prepare a mixture of special dry powder. Of course, you can get it from the tap - with additional purification. But, to avoid complications and unnecessary problems, it is better to purchase additional water. To do this, you need to find a reliable drinking water supplier who delivers water in regular 19-liter containers. As a rule, he has all the necessary certificates of conformity and the water is purified to the required standard.
In addition to all of the above, you need to take care of measuring utensils and scales. They will be needed for the correct preparation of dry mixes (the usual proportions are 1 part of the mixture to 3 parts of water, but there are other recipes depending on the manufacturer), as well as for adjusting the finished portion of ice cream to the cones and bowls.
But, before you buy all the equipment, you need to decide on other aspects of this business, namely, the place of trade, the power of the necessary equipment will depend on it.
Choosing a place to sell soft ice cream
You don’t need to be a successful businessman or a regular reader of hobiz.ru to understand which place in the ice cream trade can be considered a tasty one. These are the places where hundreds and thousands of people pass every hour. And they don’t just pass by, they stare around.
Thus, ideal places for selling ice cream can be considered - shopping centers, pedestrian streets, amusement and recreation parks, cinemas and other entertainment centers, as well as places where many people are waiting or holiday idleness - metro stations, train stations, airports, mass Events.
Based on the location, you can calculate the approximate required power of the required equipment. For example, a freezer for 10 liters per hour: this is 200 servings of ice cream of 50 grams or 100 servings of milkshake of 100 grams. That is, 2-3 servings of ice cream per minute or 1-2 servings of a cocktail. Let's add this time for selection and service (3-8 minutes), we get that using such a freezer you can prepare a maximum of 30 servings per hour. What to do with them? For example, a movie session ended, and a line of 30 people lined up at that point. Consequently, the tail of the queue - the thirtieth person - will receive his portion in an hour. And this is in the ideal case, when all processes are debugged and work like clockwork. In practice, 30 servings on weak equipment take at least 1.5-2 hours to prepare. Therefore, it is better to take equipment with a reserve of power, even at the expense of additional options.
Legal and organizational side of the issue of trade in soft ice cream
For the legal existence of an ice cream business, it is enough to register a simple individual entrepreneur; this is quite simple and familiar to many. Moreover, the fines for individual entrepreneurs are much lower than for LLCs. And they will definitely be there - because this is public catering.
Like any type of business in public catering, the production and sale of soft ice cream must be agreed upon with the SES and Rospotrebnadzor.
Ice cream sales activities must comply with:
Types of ice cream makers
The main difference between the units is the type of control. There are 3 types on the market.
Mechanical
This type is an economical option, made in the form of a bowl with double walls. Between the containers there is a salt mixture with the addition of crushed ice. The dessert elements are added directly to the bowl, then a lid equipped with blades is installed on the device. There is a handle on top that allows you to mix the ingredients. Scrolling should be done every three minutes within half an hour. In some cases, the process is extended to 50 minutes.
Pros:
- low cost;
- operates without electricity.
Minuses:
- labor-intensive process;
- preliminary preparation of ice.
Semi-automatic
By analogy with the first type, they have a double vial, but the working process is 100% mechanical. No preparation of crushed ice is required, since the walls of the removable bowl are refrigerant. To use the device, you must first place the device in the freezer (6 hours) with the calculation of one batch per 400 g.
Pros:
- no need to mix manually;
- relatively low price.
The disadvantages of a freezer are due to the fact that the process of preparing 2-3 kg of ice cream can take several days.
Compressor (automatic)
The operating principle of the device is a mini-fridge powered by freon. Application requires the user to install the necessary components, connect to the network - then the process is 100% automated.
For information! There is no need for preparation in compressor ice cream makers. This is convenient for children's parties - you can prepare ice cream quickly and in large quantities.
Advantages:
- starts working 5-10 minutes after cooling;
- repeated filling in one cycle.
Minuses:
- electricity costs;
- high price tag.
Organizational plan
Ice cream parlor registration
To operate a cafe, registering an individual entrepreneur is sufficient: an application to the territorial tax office to obtain a TIN; an application in the established form, a copy of the passport, a receipt for payment of the state duty - to the local municipality authorities.
However, for the cafe to operate, additional documents will be required - a long-term lease agreement for the selected premises, a sanitary and hygienic permit for it, certificates for raw materials.
OKVED code – group 56 (activities for the provision of food and beverages).
Search for premises
The area of the premises depends on the planned size of the cafe. In addition to the main hall, the cafe should have a kitchen and utility rooms. It is important that the establishment complies with SES standards, is equipped with communications, ventilation, alarms and an emergency fire extinguishing system, and has an emergency exit.
For a children's cafe, a bright, spacious room is suitable, in which you can zone a corner for games.
The location of the cafe should be convenient: located in the city center or in a residential area, within walking distance from public transport stops, on a crowded street. This will ensure traffic flow and therefore attendance.
Interior creation
It is very important to make the cafe cozy and attractive for children. For this purpose, it is better to choose warm colors in the interior - yellow, peach, light green. It is not at all necessary to paint the walls in bright, saturated colors; they tire the nervous system and, on the contrary, will repel visitors.
Read also: How to make figures from plaster without molds
For the little ones, it is worth providing a corner where the child can play and draw. It’s good if you can hang a large plasma and play cartoons or play music in the background.
The furniture should be comfortable for both children and adults; you need to find a middle ground, without turning the ice cream parlor into a branch of a nursery group, but also without alienating this category of visitors.
Purchase of equipment and furniture
To equip the hall you will need:
- refrigerated glass display cases;
- bar counter;
- cash register and table under it;
- tables and chairs for the hall;
- interior and decor items.
To the utility room:
- refrigerators for storing raw materials and products;
- plumbing equipment;
- shelves, racks;
- table, chairs.
If you plan to produce your own ice cream, you will need to purchase a production line.
In addition, you will need dishes and a dishwasher, trays for waiters, and folders for menus.
Purchasing a franchise solves all issues with registration, since each point is clearly stated and agreed upon.
Recruitment
The cafe will need a manager (administrator), 2 waiters, 2 cashiers, 2 pastry chefs, 2 bartenders. If equipment for the production of ice cream is being installed, an adjuster will be required. In addition, the hall must be clean - you cannot do without a cleaner.
Inviting an accountant or surrendering to outsourcing is the choice of the business owner.
Selection of raw materials
The most important point when opening an ice cream parlor is the choice of raw materials. It is impossible to make good ice cream from low quality products. In accordance with modern technological requirements, ice cream is prepared using special mixtures, which are mixed with water and placed in cups for customers. They come in cardboard or waffle (the second option is considered cheaper, suits customers better and does not create household waste), so it is recommended to choose this one. The cost of a plastic cup is 0.6 rubles, and a waffle cone is 1-2 rubles.
Advice: As a supplier of products and raw materials, choose trusted manufacturers who have many years of experience.
It is better to find an opportunity to personally visit the supplying companies to ensure normal conditions of production and storage of finished products and raw materials. At the initial stage, about 250,000 rubles will be spent on raw materials.
