What Kind of Ice Cream Freezer Do I Need for My Ice Cream Parlor?

What Kind of Ice Cream Freezer Do I Need for My Ice Cream Parlor?

January 7, 2019

Are you thinking about serving delicious ice cream in your café, restaurant, or ice cream shop? You’ll want to choose your ice cream freezer carefully. There are a number of different aspects you should consider when buying an ice cream freezer, including cost, efficiency, capacity, and style. We’ll go over each of these aspects in detail. There’s no single “best” ice cream freezer because every buyer is going to have slightly different needs; what’s important is to find the machine that best suits yours.

How Much Do Ice Cream Freezers Cost?

Ice cream freezers come in an extremely wide range of prices. A small Coldline CF38-C chest freezer might cost under $400, while a Turbo Air TIDC-91G-N dipping cabinet can cost over $8,000. The main differences you’ll find between freezers at different price ranges will be the style of the freezer and the size/capacity of it.

Of course, a high price tag doesn’t necessarily mean the best freezer for your use. You may find freezers with similar design elements and capacities, and one will cost more than the other because it comes with other bells and whistles that you don’t really need. Compare specifications and reviews when you’re comparing prices to get an idea of whether or not the freezer will be the best value for your money.

Efficiency

If ice cream is your main business, or even something your customers might frequently order, efficiency should be one of the first and more important considerations. Bear in mind that inefficient ice cream freezers may lose you money in the long run. Even if the investment in the right freezer for you seems high initially, if you need to maintain steady ice cream storage and display, it can pay itself off quickly.

If you’re looking for a freezer that can both store and display, you’ll want a dipping cabinet. These ice cream freezers are the single most efficient type of ice cream freezers for an employee who will be serving ice cream directly to customers. Although they typically are the most efficient freezer, it all really boils down to what your exact needs are. We’ll go deeper into which freezer is best for what down below.

Capacity

Our ice cream freezers come in a number of different sizes, from 7 cubic feet to 24.7 cubic feet. When you’re researching capacity, consider how many customers you will have to serve, and how quickly the freezer can keep up with demand. Another important factor to take into consideration with ice cream freezer capacity is that it needs to be future-proof. You shouldn’t buy the smallest possible freezer for your current ice cream selection if you know that in 3 months you’re going to be doubling your selection. Like every other part of buying an ice cream freezer, the most important part is planning.

Ice Cream Dipping Cabinets

Ice Cream Dipping Cabinet

Ice cream and gelato dipping cabinets offer glass tops so that the consumers can see their tasty frozen dessert before ordering and it helps protect from airborne contaminants. Dipping cabinets can come in a variety of sizes and shapes to fit the needs of your ice cream or gelato. The typical size capacity of dipping cabinets can range anywhere from 3 food pans to 16 to service both smaller and larger scale ice cream parlors.

Ice Cream Display Freezers

Ice Cream Display Freezer

Ice cream display freezers are a great self-serve method of merchandising and storing frozen novelties (such as ice cream sandwiches, popsicles, etc.) at concession stands, snack shops, restaurants, and other foodservice venues. Most units come equipped with sliding glass doors, built-in safety locks, and adjustable temperature control features. These freezers can come in a wide variety of sizes to fit your needs best.

Ice Cream Chest Freezer/Deep Freezer

Ice Cream Chest Freezer

Chest freezers are superb for commercial kitchens, back-up freezing, and back of house storage for frozen products that are frequently accessed. Chest freezers are also more efficient than traditional upright freezers since cold air sinks and with the door of a chest freezer being located on top, the cold air can not escape as easily. Deep freezers usually come in a variety of sizes ranging anywhere from 28” to 73”. 

What Next?

Our ice cream freezer buying guide should give you a great starting point for determining the type of ice cream equipment that’s best for your business. Remember, every business is different. Consider the type of ice cream you want to sell, along with your budget, and the demand you need to satisfy.

Sometimes one specific aspect of ice cream equipment can be a deal breaker, while another is a huge selling point. Careful research, guided by the points we’ve outlined here, will help you find the ice cream machine and freezer that are perfect for your business.

Our Top Ice Cream Freezers

Our most popular dipping cabinet is the Coldline GD120. It fits 6 1/3 size food pans, anti-condensation display glass, and is very quiet. It features an energy efficient quiet compressor, and a top-mounted door track with low noise. Our recommended ice cream display freezer is the Coldline XS326Y and comes with a curved glass top, LED lighting and 3 baskets to store your ice cream novelties. Most chest freezers look similar and do the same job, so it all really boils down to what size chest freezer you’re looking for. Our Frigidaire and Coldline chest freezers do a great job at great prices.

Ready to start shopping for your new ice cream freezer? Check out our selection of ice cream dipping cabinetsdisplay freezers, and chest freezers available for purchase today. Need more help? Call us at 917-525-2066 to speak to a kitchen equipment specialist.