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Choosing the right machine will ensure that you will not be overpaying and will have a long-lasting piece of equipment. Here are some machine options:

1. Counter Top or Floor Model Soft Serve Machines – Depending on the amount of space you have and the amount of product you expect to sell, you will need to decide if a counter top or floor model works best for you. A countertop soft serve ice cream machine is only practical in shops that expect to sell a very low volume of soft serve.

2. Flavor Options – You will also need to decide how many flavors you want to offer before purchasing a machine. Some machines only serve one flavor, while many others offer the twin twist where you have the option of two separate flavors or dispensing them both in a twist serving.

If you are looking to serve soft serve ice cream in a minimal amount, such as an addition to a dessert like pie, you probably just need a single flavor machine.

3. Air Cooled or Water Cooled – An air-cooled soft serve ice cream machine is beneficial as you can place it wherever you like because it does not need a water hook-up. A water-cooled machine must be attached to a water hook-up, which could limit where you place your machine, however, it can store more energy, which cools the ice cream faster. Air cooled machines are ideal in a room with air conditioning whereas a water cooled machine can be stored in a very warm room and still perform well.

4. Gravity vs. Pressure-Fed – Gravity soft serve machines use gravity to transfer soft serve mix through feed tubes into the freezing cylinder whereas pressure-fed machines use a pump to transfer the mix from the hopper to the freezing cylinder.Generally, pressurized machines are used for high volume use. A pressurized soft serve ice cream machine produces a higher overrun (amount of product resulting from the amount of air whipped into the mix). Gravity machines tend to be less expensive and easier to operate and clean, while pressure-fed machines can control the overrun air more efficiently.

5. Technology – Yet another feature that you want to consider is a low mix alarm. This is a buzzer or bell that goes off when the mix level in the machine becomes too low. This is necessary because when the soft ice cream mix falls below a certain level it freezes solid and damages the blades on the dasher.