What type of soft serve machine should you purchase? -

How to Choose the Right Soft Serve Equipment for Your Business

When you’re starting a soft serve business or adding soft serve to your existing menu, one key question often arises: What type of soft serve machine should I purchase? With so many factors to consider, choosing the right equipment can feel overwhelming. Let’s break down the types of machines and key considerations to help guide you to the best investment for your business.

Types of Soft Serve Equipment

Before diving into machine specifications, you first need to decide what type of soft serve you want to offer. If you didn’t think there were different types of soft serve, think again! There are two fundamentally different types of soft serve equipment and choosing between the two will be your first order of business. The equipment you select will control the overrun, which is the amount of air mixed into your soft serve during the freezing process. The two primary types of soft serve machines are pressurized and gravity. Let’s explore both options in more detail.

Pressurized Soft Serve Equipment

Pressurized machines are a popular choice for high-volume locations because they use a pump to introduce air (called overrun) into the soft serve mix before it enters the freezing cylinder—hence the name “pressurized.” This process results in a lighter, airier soft serve product with an overrun range between 40-70%.

Pictured: A pump from a disassembled pressurized machine.

Why Choose Pressurized Equipment?

Lower costs: The higher the overrun, the more air in the mix, and the more air means more profit.
High throughput: Pressurized machines can dispense soft serve quickly and efficiently because of the pump, making them perfect for fast-paced environments like amusement parks or high-traffic locations wanting to serve large servings to many customers at any given time.
Versatility: Given the equipment’s high throughput, pressurized equipment can also be a great option for those who are looking to maximize menu offerings and serve spun milkshakes on their menu in addition to soft serve.

When Pressurized Equipment Isn’t Ideal

Specialty recipes: A pressurized soft serve unit might not be the right fit for you if you are looking to make “craft” and artisan soft serve where you have a complex recipe or something outside of your traditional flavors like vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry. The pumps in pressurized equipment can become clogged or malfunction if you are using a mix that has various components in it like purees, vanilla bean specs, or other specialty ingredients of flavorings.
Maintenance: Pressurized units have more components, meaning more time spent cleaning and sanitizing compared to gravity-fed options.
Decadent consistency: Pump equipment also tends to produce a more traditional style soft serve—a la Dairy Queen or McDonalds consistency. However, if you’re a pastry chef or artisan aiming for rich, decadent, and creative flavors, you may want to explore the gravity equipment alternative.

Gravity Soft Serve Equipment

Gravity soft serve units are extremely popular and continue to be a go-to option for most modern soft serve concepts because they are designed for craft soft serve. Gravity stands for the way in which overrun is incorporated in this type of equipment, which is via—you guessed it!—gravity. Instead of a pump mechanism, gravity equipment has soft serve mix travel through a feed tube that has a hole at the top and a hole at the bottom, which helps the soft serve mix blend with air as it travels from the hopper to the freezing cylinder by gravity. It’s pretty simple. Gravity soft serve units produce a lower overrun soft serve (15-25%), which results in a rich, dense texture similar to gelato.

Pictured: A gravity feed tube.

Why Choose Gravity Equipment?

Craft quality: Gravity machines produce a thick, gelato-like texture, ideal for artisan soft serve and chef-driven flavors.
Artisan creativity: Gravity machines allow you to experiment with unique, high-quality ingredients like fruit purees, flavor compounds, or other artisanal mix-ins. Such flexibility enables you to create signature flavors that elevate your brand’s uniqueness and enhance the overall customer experience, helping you stand out in the competitive soft serve market.
Simplicity: With fewer moving parts, gravity units are easier to clean and maintain.

When Gravity Equipment Isn’t Ideal

High-volume needs: If you are going to be an extremely high-volume location where you have to serve a significant amount of people in a short period of time, such as a carnival stand or a fast food restaurant, gravity equipment may slow you down at times. Although gravity equipment can handle volume, if it’s your primary concern, pressurized would be the way to go.
Cost efficiency: If minimizing your cost of goods is your primary concern, meaning the cost of your soft serve is more important than your desired quality or texture, pressurized units will offer better profit margins due to their higher overrun.

Other Key Factors When Choosing Soft Serve Equipment

Now that you’ve decided between pressurized and gravity-fed machines, it’s time to explore other key factors that will shape your final choice. Taking the time to evaluate these considerations will help you confidently select the soft serve equipment that delivers the best return on your investment.

Quantity of Flavor Options

Choosing the number of flavors to serve from your soft serve machine is a simple decision because you essentially have two main options. You can choose either a single flavor soft serve unit or what is called a twin-twist unit, which means you have up to two flavors in one machine with a center draw handle that allows you to twist the two flavors. Although it may seem obvious that having the option to serve two flavors is better than one, it’s not always doable. Twin-twist equipment is larger than single-flavor equipment, and if you have space constraints, you may have no option but to go with a single-flavor unit. You can find further consultation from your equipment supplier and specification sheets for recommended equipment dimensions.

Space Constraints

Once you have chosen which type of soft serve you want to serve (higher overrun or lower overrun) and how many flavors to offer, you will need to take into consideration the amount of space in your operation. There are two types of equipment with regard to space: floor standing or countertop. These are self-explanatory. Floor standing models are higher and typically on caster wheels, and they would require a space that does not have counter or height restrictions. If you have the space for a floor standing model, you will have more options for the types of equipment you can choose from since countertop models are more limited in options.

Capacity (Throughput)

An important factor to consider when choosing your soft serve equipment is its capacity or throughput. Some operations make the mistake of purchasing a unit that is either too small or too big for their operation. Things like barrel size and compressor quantities and sizes will determine the equipment capacity. In speaking with your soft serve equipment provider, be prepared to estimate how many servings you estimate doing per day and at which points you will have peaks of service to determine which capacity is right for you. For example, a store that sells hundreds of servings over 8-10 hours will need a different capacity compared to a store selling the same number in just 3 hours, which requires a higher output capacity to meet demand efficiently.

Utilities and Specs

Soft serve equipment is available with various electrical specifications to accommodate your utility requirements. It’s crucial to consult with both your electrician and equipment provider to determine whether your chosen unit requires 120V or 208-230V power and whether your space supports a 1-Phase or 3-Phase configuration. Fortunately, most manufacturers offer a range of electrical options to fit your needs. Keep in mind that opting for lower voltage equipment may limit you to smaller capacity units.

Frequently Asked Questions About Soft Serve Equipment

How much does a soft serve unit typically cost?

Brand new soft serve equipment can range in price based on the several criteria mentioned above. You can expect new equipment to range from $13,000 – $30,000, depending on the model, size, capacity, and features.

Should I consider purchasing a used soft serve unit?

Although used equipment can seem like a good option, in most cases, it is difficult to ascertain the quality of the equipment and its upkeep with previous owners. The lifetime costs associated with fixing and maintaining used equipment can be significantly higher than purchasing a new one. Having said that, there are companies and distributors that sell factory-certified, refurbished used equipment, which can help you save money on your equipment investment.

What brand do you recommend for soft serve equipment?

There are several companies that produce quality soft serve equipment. Here are a few to name: Taylor, Stoelting, Carpigiani, and Icetro. An important factor to consider when selecting a brand is the quality of service. Just like any other high-end foodservice equipment, to have a successful soft serve program, you will want to make sure a great service network is available in your area. In the United States, Taylor Company is known to have the most robust service network with several hundred factory-certified distributors and technicians in every market.

What can I expect for my return on investment (ROI) on my soft serve equipment?

Your return on investment on a soft serve unit will depend mostly on the volume of your business. Typically, we see customers receive ROI on their equipment investment in 6-9 months, considering a business is selling an average of 50 services of craft soft serve a day.

How difficult is cleaning and maintenance on my equipment?

Soft serve equipment is easier to clean and maintain than most people think. Cleaning and sanitization of your equipment is extremely important in order to provide a food-safe product to your customers. Cleaning requirements are typically dictated by your state or local government, so be sure to check local laws for your store. Most states require your equipment to be cleaned and sanitized at least twice a week. Your soft serve equipment will have small parts that are consumable that need to be changed either monthly or bi-monthly, depending on your usage rate, including things like scrapper blades and O-rings. We also recommend budgeting a few hundred dollars a year in preventative maintenance with your local service provider. Properly maintained equipment can last you for over a decade. The better you maintain your equipment, the more use you will get out of it.

What are Itaberco’s recommendations for soft serve machines?

Our favorite soft serve units are listed below (listed from lowest capacity to highest):

Gravity Equipment: Taylor C161, Taylor C-723, Taylor 794, Taylor C-713

Pressurized Equipment: Taylor C-722, Taylor C-712

Pro tip: If you plan on purchasing a new soft serve unit and you can specify your needs, ask to be quoted for a hopper-agitator. Although this feature isn’t standard, it can be added at a reasonable cost and significantly enhances product quality by keeping the mix in the hopper constantly agitated and homogenous.

Partner with Itaberco for Expert Guidance on Your Soft Serve Program

At Itaberco, we’re more than just a supplier—we’re your dedicated partner in creating a successful soft serve program. Whether you have questions about choosing the right equipment, optimizing your recipes, or enhancing your menu offerings, our team of experts is here to help. We offer premixes to ensure consistency, quality, and time savings in your soft serve abilities, plus a premium range of flavor compounds to build artisan experiences and delight your customers.

Ready to elevate your soft serve experience? Contact us today to get started and discover how Itaberco can support your business with tailored solutions and industry-leading expertise.