Best Commercial Ice Cream Machine: Soft Serve vs Batch Freezers Compared

The best commercial ice cream machine is the one that matches what you sell. A soft serve machine freezes and dispenses to order: in our range that runs from about 50-100 serves an hour on a 10 amp circuit to about 900-1,400 serves an hour on two 25 amp circuits. A batch freezer (a gelato or ice cream machine) churns one batch at a time for scooping: from up to 2 kg an hour on a bench to 15 kg (20 litres) an hour on a 10 amp plug.

This guide compares both kinds using the makers' own figures from the commercial ice cream machines we sell, so you can pick by output, flavours, power and bench space.

Soft serve or batch freezer: which do you need?

• Soft serve machine: you pour liquid mix into a hopper, the machine freezes it in a cylinder and you pull a handle to serve. Right for cones, cups, sundaes, frozen yoghurt and acai. See our soft serve machines.
• Batch freezer: you pour in a measured batch, the machine churns and freezes it, then you take it out and hold it in a freezer or a display to scoop. Right for gelato, ice cream and sorbet made in house. See our gelato and dessert equipment.

A soft serve machine is judged by serves per hour. A batch freezer is judged by kilograms (or litres) per hour and by how much it makes in one batch.

Soft serve machines compared

Serves per hour are the makers' figures for 80 gram serves. Sizes are width x depth x height.

Model	Flavours	Format	Serves per hour	Mix hopper	Power outlet	Size (mm)
Brullen Baby PRO	Single	Countertop	50-100	6.5 L	10 amp	300 x 625 x 680
Brullen i91	Single	Countertop	210-425	12 L	15 amp	324 x 783 x 880
Brullen i91 PRO	Single	Countertop	250-500	12 L	15 amp	400 x 750 x 840
Brullen i26 PRO	Two plus twist	Countertop	250-500	2 x 12 L	15 amp	515 x 700 x 955
Brullen i26 PRO Twin	Two plus twist	Countertop	450-700	2 x 12 L	2 x 20 amp	560 x 888 x 955
Brullen i95 PRO	Two plus twist	Floor standing	440-880	2 x 12 L	2 x 20 amp	515 x 803 x 1460
Brullen BEAST	Two plus twist	Floor standing	900-1,400	2 x 20 L	2 x 25 amp	620 x 880 x 1500

The Polar U-Series soft serve maker (UA034-A) is listed by volume instead: 20-25 litres an hour from two 6 litre hoppers, with a twist function, in a body 540 x 775 x 868 mm.

Batch freezers compared

Model	Format	Output (maker's figure)	Power	Size (mm)
Apuro CM289-A	Benchtop	2 litres in 60 minutes	180 W	272 x 315 x 362
Musso L1 Mini	Benchtop	0.7 kg a batch, up to 2 kg an hour	0.2 kW	270 x 450 x 300
Musso L2 Stella	Benchtop	1.5 kg a batch, up to 4.5 kg an hour	0.25 kW	510 x 350 x 310
Nemox Gelato 5K Crea SC	Benchtop	5 kg (7 litres) an hour	0.5 kW, 10 amp plug	465 x 480 x 395
Nemox Gelato 6K Crea	Benchtop	7 kg (10 litres) an hour	0.6 kW, 10 amp plug	580 x 530 x 450
Nemox Gelato 12K ST	Freestanding	12 kg (16 litres) an hour	1.3 kW, 10 amp plug	450 x 730 x 1050
Nemox Gelato 15K Crea	Freestanding	15 kg (20 litres) an hour	1.3 kW, 10 amp plug	450 x 590 x 1050

How many serves an hour do you need?

Count your busiest hour, not your average one. A machine that keeps up with a queue on a hot Saturday is the right size; one that only suits a quiet Tuesday will run out of frozen product in the cylinder and make people wait.

The freezing cylinder is what limits a rush. The Baby PRO has a 1.5 litre cylinder behind its 6.5 litre hopper, which is why it is rated at 50-100 serves an hour. The BEAST has two 3 litre cylinders fed by two 20 litre hoppers and two compressors, which is how it reaches 900-1,400. Between them, the single flavour i91 PRO and the two flavour i26 PRO are both rated at 250-500 serves an hour on one 15 amp circuit.

One flavour, or two plus twist?

A single flavour machine is narrower and simpler: the Baby PRO is 300 mm wide. A two flavour machine has two hoppers, so you can serve either flavour or a twist of both. If both hoppers hold the same mix, a two flavour machine also works as a higher capacity single flavour machine for your busiest hours.

Gravity feed or air pump?

Overrun is the air whipped into the mix as it freezes. More overrun gives a lighter, softer serve and more serves from each litre of mix; less gives a denser product, which suits acai. Brullen lists gravity feed at 15-30% overrun on the Baby PRO and 15-45% on the BEAST, and the air pump option on the BEAST at 40-80%. The i91, i91 PRO, i26 PRO and larger models can be ordered either way; the Baby PRO is gravity feed only.

Power, ventilation and space

• Check the outlet before you order. Only the smallest machines run on a standard 10 amp outlet. Mid-size soft serve machines need a dedicated 15 amp circuit, and the i26 PRO Twin, i95 PRO and BEAST need two dedicated circuits of 20 or 25 amps. Ask your electrician first.
• Leave room to breathe. The Brullen machines are air cooled and need 30 cm of clearance on all sides. A machine boxed into a tight joinery gap will struggle in summer.
• Bench or floor. Countertop machines in the table are 680 to 955 mm tall, so check the height under any shelf. Floor standing machines are about 1.5 m tall and free up the bench.
• Cleaning. A pasteurise option is available on the i91 PRO, i26 PRO Twin, i95 PRO and BEAST. It is not available on the Baby PRO, i91 or i26 PRO.

What decides the cost of a machine?

Four things move a machine up the range: output per hour, the number of flavours, an air pump instead of gravity feed, and a pasteurise option. For batch freezers it is output per hour and whether the machine is benchtop or freestanding. Start from the output you need in your busiest hour and add options only if you will use them. If you are scooping, also allow for somewhere to hold and show the finished product: see our ice cream and gelato displays.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best commercial ice cream machine for a cafe? For soft serve as a side line, a single flavour countertop machine rated at 50-100 or 210-425 serves an hour is usually enough. For house-made gelato, a benchtop batch freezer making 5 to 7 kg an hour on a 10 amp plug suits most cafes.

Can a commercial soft serve machine run on a normal power point? Only the smallest. In our range the Brullen Baby PRO runs on a 10 amp dedicated circuit; the larger machines need 15 amp, or two 20 or 25 amp circuits.

Can I use a commercial ice cream machine at home? You can, but these are commercial machines built for venues. The smallest benchtop batch freezers we sell make 1.5 to 2 litres at a time, and every soft serve machine in the table needs its own dedicated circuit.

What is the difference between gelato machines and soft serve machines? A gelato machine (batch freezer) makes one batch that you remove and scoop later. A soft serve machine keeps mix chilled in a hopper and freezes it continuously, ready to dispense.

Does a soft serve machine need plumbing? Not for normal use: you fill the hoppers by hand. Brullen lists an optional wash kit on some models that does need plumbing.

Sources: each model's features and specifications as listed by its maker on our product pages.