| Another specialty refrigeration unit is the soft-serve | | | | also very efficient water-cooled systems. Aircooled |
| machine, which produces frozen desserts from a | | | | machines can be installed just about anywhere, but |
| liquid base mix. There are mixes available to produce | | | | remember that they vent hot air from the |
| ice cream, ice milk, frozen yogurt, gelato, and so on, | | | | compressor into the environment-not efficient for an |
| in many different flavors. Large machines are made | | | | already hot kitchen area. |
| for banquetsize crowds; smaller ones for individual | | | | Water-cooled machines dump the heat down the |
| customer servings are placed near the front counters | | | | drain. There's no problem with ambient heat, but |
| of quick-service restaurants. When shopping for a | | | | water use and sewage costs may increase slightly. |
| machine, you'll want to know how much mix it will | | | | One of the key specifications for a soft-serve |
| hold at a time. Capacities range from 8.5 quarts to 72 | | | | machine is its Btu rating. The Btu (British thermal unit) |
| quarts. | | | | is a measurement of how much energy a system or |
| The soft-serve machine pumps air into the base mix, | | | | appliance uses. One kilowatt-hour is equal to 3413 |
| which gives it the soft consistency and increases the | | | | Btus. The higher the Btu rating, the more mix can be |
| volume of the product. The percentage of air forced | | | | frozen in a given time period. Look for higher ratings |
| into the product is referred to as its overrun; for | | | | in high-volume situations, or where you want the |
| instance, 16 ounces of mix with a 100 percent | | | | product to be thicker than normal. For any soft-serve |
| overrun will produce 32 ounces of frozen product. A | | | | machine, the most important consideration is keeping |
| 50 percent overrun will produce 24 ounces of | | | | it clean. |
| product. Overrun accuracy is critical. Too much air will | | | | It must be sanitized daily and serviced according to |
| cause a product that is thin and grainy; too little air | | | | the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. Cocktail |
| will cause it to freeze too hard and become difficult | | | | freezers for making frozen drinks like margaritas and |
| to dispense. | | | | daiquiris are kin to the soft-serve machines. Match |
| There are two types of soft-serve machines. In a | | | | the machine to the type of cocktail being made. As |
| gravity-feed machine, the mix is loaded into a hopper. | | | | the amount of sugar and alcohol in a drink increase, |
| It flows as needed into a cylinder below, where it is | | | | so does the time it takes to freeze the drink. A |
| frozen, scraped out of the cylinder, and dispensed. | | | | larger capacity refrigeration system is needed for |
| Gravity feed machines are simple to operate and | | | | high-volume use, such as when you plan to serve |
| clean and are the least expensive. | | | | frozen drinks by the pitcher, or for drinks that include |
| The pressurized soft-serve machine uses an air pump | | | | high alcohol and sugar content. |
| to drive the mix into the freezer chamber, then | | | | Soft-serve desserts, shakes, and frozen drinks can |
| forces it out through a spigot. Pressurized machines | | | | be profitable, but the initial cost of the equipment is |
| are more expensive, but they control the overrun air | | | | sometimes prohibitive. Most manufacturers offer a |
| better than gravity feed machines. The refrigeration | | | | lease, or lease-to-own option. Calculate how many |
| system is at the heart of the soft-serve machine. | | | | desserts and/or drinks you must sell per day in order |
| The simplest dispensers operate on 110-volt | | | | to cover the combined costs of the equipment |
| electricity, but machines with more features require | | | | payment and ingredients. |
| 208-volt lines. Most units are air cooled, and there are | | | | |