Soft serve ice cream gravity or air pump machines: which should I buy?
When you’re deciding what soft-serve ice cream machine to buy you will need to choose between a gravity fed machine and a pump fed machine. Both types of machines have important differences with key features that you’ll need to understand before you can buy the most suited machine for you.
Gravity vs Pump Ice Cream Machines
The key difference between gravity and pump fed machines is how the mix is fed into the freezing cylinder:
Gravity fed machines: The ice-cream mix is fed through the feed tube into the freezing cylinder using gravity.
On the other hand we have pump machines. Sometimes known as “air pump” ice cream machines or “pressurised” ice cream machines.
Pump fed machines have a pump in the hopper of the machine that pumps the mix into the freezing cylinder. The pump allows for more control on the percentage of air (overrun) in the ice-cream mix.
Making the Choice
Generally, we recommend that if you're a busy shop with a high sales volume, a pump machine could be the best choice for your business as this machine is faster and more efficient.
Gravity machines are a smaller investment and capable for handling a lighter demand, so better suited to businesses with a lower sales volume.
The right machine for you depends on your business. We recommend speaking to a member of our team first so we can assess you needs and guide you before making your purchase.