If you’re planning to make your own ice cream, whether for at home use or for restaurant use, then what you need is an ice cream maker. Specifically, here we are talking about a commercial ice cream maker, units that are able to produce fairly large quantities of ice cream without much effort.
The problem is of course that there are many different commercial ice cream makers to choose from, and this can make purchasing a specific one quite difficult. However, today we are here to provide you with some advice on how to choose the best commercial ice cream maker.
We’ve also assembled a list of the top five best commercial ice cream makers, including two models from the ever popular VEVOR brand name. Let’s get to it and find out what the best commercial ice cream makers are.
Table of contents
How to Choose the Best Commercial Ice Cream Maker
Before we talk about what the best commercial ice cream maker is, it’s important for you to know what the main factors to look out for are when purchasing one.
Your Needs
Before making a purchase, consider what your own needs are. Do you need a very large machine or something smaller? Moreover, are you going to make sorbet, soft serve, gelato, or traditional ice cream? Different ice cream makers are built for different purposes.
The Type of Ice Cream Maker
Next, you also need to consider the type of ice cream maker that you want to purchase. There are batch freezers, continuous freezers, and soft serve machines, all of which have slightly different features.
Features
Next, you also want to pay attention to the various features that the machine in question comes with. Some of the best features you need to pay attention to include capacity, ease of use, maintenance, cleaning, freezing speed, durability, and consistency. Moreover, you also want to look for a model that features energy saving features.
The Brand
Perhaps more important than anything else when choosing an ice cream maker is the brand. You want to choose a brand that is reputable, has good reviews, and has several options to choose from.
The Best Commercial Ice Cream Makers: Top 5
Now that you know what you need to look out for when choosing a commercial ice cream maker, let’s get right to it. Let’s take a look at the top five best commercial ice cream makers that the market has to offer.
VEVOR Commercial Ice Cream Machine
First, we have the VEVOR Commercial Ice Cream Machine, a state-of-the-art unit that comes loaded to the brim with useful features that make your ice cream making journey as easy as possible. Let’s take a look at the main features that it comes with.
Features
- This ice cream maker features a 1.1 gallon refrigeration cylinder, which is capable of producing up to 5.3 gallons of ice cream per hour. There is a beater that rotates to perfectly incorporate the air into the ingredients, resulting in creamy and smooth ice cream.
- This unit is made out of a stainless steel shell combined with thickened foam layering. Not only does this look good from the outside, but it’s also very durable. It’s resistant to scratching and physical damage.
- That insulation is also important, because it helps keep the inside cold, therefore using less energy. On that note, this unit also comes with fast heat dissipation. It features a high efficiency cooling system along with a built in copper tube condenser to allow for even cooling and great heat dissipation.
- What you might also like about this commercial ice cream maker is that it comes with an intelligent LCD panel. The panel features a practical design for ease of use, and it features a variety of functions, such as time setting, one click function, and auto refrigeration.
- This unit comes in at 15.7 by 19.6 by 27.5 inches, which means that it’s small enough to fit on countertops, yet large enough to make relatively substantial quantities of ice cream.
Pros
- It can produce up to 5.3 gallons per hour.
- The refrigeration system is very efficient.
- Good resistance to damage due to the stainless steel outer shell.
- Great insulation.
- User friendly LCD panel.
Cons
- Capacity may not be large enough for large scale commercial use.
Stoelting C111-37
If you’re looking for an absolutely massive commercial ice cream maker that can handle huge loads, then the Stoelting C111-37 is one worth considering.
Features
- This ice cream maker comes in at 15.7 by 28.5 by 30.3 inches, making it relatively large. Although it’s not the smallest option in the world, it should still fit on countertops.
- This particular ice cream maker can produce up to 12 quarts or 11.4 liters of soft serve ice cream per hour. This is thanks to its 12.5 quart refrigerated opera combined with a 3.2 quart freezing cylinder.
- This unit features a user-friendly digital control panel that allows you to adjust settings such as consistency, temperature, and more. It also includes indicators for standby mode, refrigeration mode, and more.
- What’s really cool is that this unit features a refrigeration system in the hopper that keeps the ice cream mixed at a good temperature before it enters the freezing cylinder.
- Thanks to a power consumption of just 16 amps, this particular ice cream maker is quite energy efficient.
- Thanks to the versatile design of this unit, it can be used to make a variety of frozen treats, including frozen yogurt, soft serve ice cream, custards, and sorbets. Although it does not appear to be the best option for making hard serve ice cream.
Pros
- High production capacity.
- User friendly digital control panel.
- Energy efficient.
- Durable stainless steel shell.
- Removable parts for easy cleaning.
Cons
- Extremely expensive.
VEVOR Countertop Commercial Ice Cream Machine
If what you want is a small and convenient home ice cream maker, consider the VEVOR Countertop Commercial Ice Cream Machine. It has a number of features that make it worth the investment.
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Features
- This is one of the most compact commercial ice cream makers out there, coming in at 15.2 by 11.2 by 10.2 inches. This means that it’s great for small spaces, and also ideal for home use.
- The VEVOR Countertop Ice Cream Maker Features a 2 quart capacity, which is ideal for small family and small gathering use. Just be aware that it’s not ideal for large gatherings.
- What’s really convenient about this particular ice cream maker is that it is fully automatic. All you have to do is add your ingredients, choose your settings, and the machine does all the work for you.
- This ice cream maker can be used to make a wide variety of frozen desserts including ice cream, gelato, and frozen yogurt.
- What also stands out about this unit is the digital control panel that makes choosing your settings and controlling the unit about as easy as possible.
- What’s also impressive is that this machine is designed to be very quiet, so it doesn’t disturb you as it’s making ice cream.
- This ice cream maker features a very sleek construction, and although it’s sleek, it’s also durable, as it’s made out of stainless steel.
Pros
- Compact design.
- Easy to clean.
- Looks good.
- Durable stainless steel.
- Built-in compressor.
- Intuitive control panel.
Cons
- Not a high-capacity machine.
JB Prince Commercial Ice Cream Machine
If you’re looking for a commercial ice cream maker that is ideal for medium batches of ice cream, then this model from JB Prince is a great one to look into.
Features
- This model comes in at 24 by 17 by 33.5 inches, making it somewhat compact. With that being said, it is not designed for countertop use, and has to be standing on the ground.
- The unit as a whole is made out of stainless steel, and features other durable components to ensure that it lasts for a very long time.
- This unit is able to produce up to 5 liters or 1.32 gallons of ice cream per hour, which makes it ideal for fairly large operations. It also features very advanced freezing technology to allow for consistent and rapid freezing.
- This model also comes complete with a digital display to allow for easy control and to provide you with clear information.
- What also stands out is that this unit is able to make many different types of frozen desserts, including sorbet, gelato, and ice cream.
- With features such as overheat protection and an automatic shut off function, this unit is very safe.
Pros
- High production capacity.
- Advanced freezing technology.
- Very durable design.
- User friendly controls.
- Ideal size for most commercial kitchens.
- Advanced safety features.
Cons
- High cost.
- Produces a good deal of noise.
Taylor Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine
What we have here is by far the largest and most powerful ice cream maker on the list, and also the most expensive.
Features
- This is an absolutely massive unit, one that is capable of producing up to 113 servings of soft serve ice cream per hour, each serving being 4 oz.
- What really stands out about this ice cream maker is that it features a twin design, which allows it to create and dispense 2 flavors of soft serve ice cream at the same time. It can also serve twist combinations.
- This model comes complete with a digital display that allows the user to easily control consistency, temperature, and other settings.
- With a super high quality stainless steel construction, you can rest assured that this unit will last for a very long time.
- Thanks to an air cooled system, there is no need for any water lines. This makes installation much easier.
Pros
- High capacity.
- Twin design.
- Durable construction.
- Energy efficient.
- Easy to clean.
Cons
- Extremely expensive.
- Requires a dedicated space.
FAQs
What makes a soft serve and a hard ice cream maker different from each other?
Soft serve ice cream makers are meant to create a creamy and soft type of ice cream, known as soft serve. This is served at a slightly higher temperature than regular ice cream. On the other hand, hard ice cream makers produce very firm ice cream that is usually in bowls or scoops.
How do you maintain and clean an ice cream maker?
The best way to maintain and clean an ice cream maker is to regularly take it apart and clean them with soap and warm water. Most machines do come with removable components just for this purpose. If using it at home, clean the machine after each and every single use, because you don’t want mold and bacteria to grow.
What types of ice cream can a commercial ice cream maker make?
Most types of commercial ice cream makers are generally able to create a variety of ice creams, including soft serve ice cream, hard ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and gelato.
What to consider when choosing an ice cream maker?
When you are purchasing an ice cream maker, consider factors such as space availability, capacity, energy efficiency, maintenance requirements, cleaning, ease of use, durability, the type of ice cream it can make, and production capacity.
The Best Commercial Ice Cream Maker: Final Thoughts
What it all comes down to is that a good commercial ice cream maker can provide you with years of tasty ice cream, without you ever having to go to the store to buy any ice cream again. Remember, if you want the best of the best, going with a model from VEVOR is recommended!
