When it comes to boosting dessert sales and customer satisfaction, soft serve ice cream is one of the most profitable, and popular, menu items you can offer. But behind every smooth, creamy cone is a commercial machine working hard behind the scenes. Whether you run a quick service restaurant, café, or specialty dessert shop, choosing the best commercial ice cream machine is a crucial investment in your brand, speed, and bottom line.
Let’s walk through what makes a great soft serve machine, how to choose the right one for your business, and which options DSL Canada recommends.
Why a Commercial Ice Cream Machine is Good for Your Business
If you’re still serving pre-packaged desserts or outsourcing frozen treats, you’re likely leaving revenue on the table. Soft serve machines are a proven way to build a profitable business in the dessert industry. They open the door to:
- High-margin desserts
- Customizable menu offerings
- Faster service and better portion control
- Greater customer satisfaction and repeat business
Soft serve machines can help you launch or expand your ice cream business, taking advantage of the steady demand in the industry and allowing you to diversify your menu to attract more customers.
And thanks to newer models with built-in cleaning and maintenance features, today’s soft serve equipment is easier to manage than ever. Streamlining the process of selecting and operating a soft serve machine is key to maximizing business success.
Types of Soft Serve Machines
Choosing the right equipment is essential for any business looking to serve soft serve ice cream. Soft serve machines come in several types, each designed to meet different operational needs. Countertop machines are perfect for ice cream shops, cafés, and food trucks with limited space or moderate customer flow. These compact units offer reliable performance without taking up much room, making them ideal for businesses with smaller footprints.
For busy restaurants and high-volume ice cream shops, floor machines are the go-to choice. These robust machines are built to handle large quantities of ice cream mix and serve more customers during peak hours. If your business wants to offer multiple flavours or reduce the frequency of refills, machines with multiple hoppers are a great solution. They allow you to store and dispense more ice cream mix, increasing efficiency and menu variety.
Understanding the features and benefits of each type of soft serve machine helps you select the right equipment for your business, ensuring you can serve customers efficiently and maintain high product quality.
How to Choose a Soft Serve Machine
When selecting a machine, think beyond flavour. When purchasing a soft serve machine, it is important to consider the cost, including both the initial investment and ongoing operational expenses, as well as the reputation and reliability of the manufacturer and local factory-certified service provider to have your back for the lifetime of the equipment. Here are the key factors that matter most for your operation:
Capacity & Output
Are you serving a dozen cones per hour or hundreds? The number of servings per hour is a key metric, make sure the model matches your peak traffic volume.
- Low-capacity machines are ideal for cafés and small shops
- High-capacity machines are built for QSRs, food courts, and theme parks, designed to ensure enough servings can be served during peak hours and to handle higher capacity demands
Ease of Use
User-friendly controls, programmable menus, and intuitive screens can reduce training time and improve consistency, especially for staff with varying experience.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Look for features like automatic cleaning cycles or heat treatment systems. These reduce labor, improve hygiene, extend the shelf life of dairy products, and minimize downtime. Or better yet, enroll in DSL’s AIO Program for full maintenance support and peace of mind. Proper cleaning and maintenance also contribute to less waste in daily operations.
Maintenance, Staff Training, and Troubleshooting
To keep your soft serve machine running smoothly and maintain consistent quality, it’s essential to focus on proper maintenance, thorough staff training, and effective troubleshooting. These practices not only protect your investment but also ensure that every serving of soft serve meets your customers’ expectations.
Cleaning & Maintenance Best Practices
Regular cleaning and maintenance are crucial for delivering safe, high-quality ice cream. Each day, staff should rinse the mix hopper, flush the freezing cylinder with sanitizer, and activate the machine’s heat-treat cycle if available. This routine helps prevent bacterial growth and keeps your machine in top condition. In addition to daily cleaning, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s recommended schedule for deep cleaning and maintenance, paying special attention to all parts that come into contact with ice cream and mix. By keeping your machine clean and well-maintained, you can extend its lifespan, avoid costly repairs, and ensure your ice cream always tastes fresh.
Staff Training for Consistent Quality
Well-trained staff are key to delivering consistent quality and maximizing the performance of your soft serve machine. Employees should be thoroughly trained on how to operate the machine, handle different types of ice cream mix, including frozen yogurt, gelato, and Italian ice, and maintain the right serving temperature and texture. Proper training also covers cleaning procedures and basic troubleshooting, helping to reduce waste and improve efficiency. When your team understands how to serve each product correctly, you’ll see higher customer satisfaction and increased sales.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Even the best soft serve machines can encounter issues like freeze-ups, air leaks, or inconsistent product quality. To maintain consistent quality and minimize downtime, staff should be familiar with the machine’s indicator lights and alarm systems, which can quickly alert them to potential problems. Regular maintenance helps prevent many common issues, but it’s also important to know when to consult the manufacturer’s support resources for more complex troubleshooting. By addressing problems promptly and proactively, your business can keep serving great soft serve and maintain customer loyalty.
Top Soft Serve Equipment from DSL Canada
DSL offers a full lineup of Taylor and Flavor Burst commercial ice cream machines, with Taylor machines recognized as reliable and efficient options for a wide range of operations, from gourmet dessert bars to busy fast-food restaurants.
For those seeking value, you can also purchase certified used machines, available for a one-time sale with warranty, making ownership more affordable.
Taylor Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine
This is DSL’s flagship option for reliable, high-volume production.
Key Features:
- Serves all soft serve variations from low or non-fat ice cream, yogurt, custards, and sorbet
- Available in single or dual-flavour configurations (with twist option)
- Choice of pump-fed or gravity-fed feed systems, gravity fed machines are known for their simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use, while pump-fed feed systems can handle higher volume and overrun. Selecting the right feed system is important for operational efficiency and meeting your business’s specific needs.
- Optional heat treatment for up to 28 days between deep cleans
- Models available in both countertop and floor-standing styles
Both gravity-fed and pump-fed feed systems offer unique benefits, allowing you to choose the best option for your business’s volume, efficiency, and product consistency requirements.
This machine delivers smooth, consistent results while cutting down on labor and daily cleaning time, ideal for high-traffic locations.
Taylor Soft Serve & Milkshake Machine
Need to serve shakes and soft serve from one machine? This combo unit is your go-to solution.
Highlights:
- Dual-functionality: serve ice cream, yogurt, sorbet, and milkshakes
- Multiple flavour optionsare available to cater to diverse customer preferences
- Efficient design for high output
- Easy-to-maintain refrigeration and viscosity monitoring
- A great space-saving option with a small footprint for kitchens needing menu flexibility
Taylor Batch Dessert Freezer
If your focus is on artisanal, hand-crafted desserts, this model lets you produce gelato, sorbet, Italian ice, and small-batch ice cream with precision.
Ideal For:
- Ice cream shops creating custom batches
- Restaurants offering unique dessert specials
- Operators who want full control over texture and flavour
Flavor Burst Soft Serve System
Already have a soft serve machine? Add this on to unlock a whole new level of customer appeal.
Why It’s a Game-Changer:
- Stripes soft serve with up to 8 flavours per serving
- Offers 38 premium syrup flavours like Pistachio, Birthday Cake, and Butter Pecan
- Flavouring applied both inside and outside for full taste
- Clean-in-place system for simplified sanitation
- Touchscreen panel for easy use and built-in marketing visuals
This system is ideal for increasing foot traffic in locations such as convenience stores, where space is limited but customer variety and quick service are essential.
Great for self-serve stations, promotional items, or giving customers more choice, without needing more machines.
Maximize ROI with the AIO Program
Even the best soft serve machine is only as good as its maintenance. DSL’s All In One (AIO) Program ensures your dessert equipment stays running at peak performance.
- Proactive maintenance and cleaning
- Reduced downtime and unexpected repair costs
- One simple invoice, less admin
- Increased equipment lifespan, helping ensure cost-effectiveness in the long run
- Access to data insights and reporting
Whether you’re just starting or upgrading your dessert offerings, pairing your new machine with the AIO Program means fewer headaches, and more scoops.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the best commercial ice cream machine means weighing capacity, ease of use, and long-term reliability. When comparing cooling methods, air cooled machines use ambient air to remove heat, while water cooled machines use liquid heat pumps or plates to dissipate heat. Water cooled machines are typically preferred in high-volume or warm environments because they manage heat output more efficiently and keep equipment cool. DSL Canada makes it easy by offering trusted brands like Taylor and Flavor Burst, paired with expert service and preventative maintenance programs that help your business stay ahead.
From combo machines to flavour-striping systems and small-batch dessert freezers, there’s an option for every menu, and every customer craving.