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Ice Cream, Gelato & Dessert Equipment
Frozen dessert needs two things working together: a machine that freezes the mix properly, and display that holds it at scooping consistency all day. Commercial Kitchen Appliances supplies ice cream and gelato machines, frozen display, plus the ice and frozen beverage equipment alongside them, ex-GST.
- Australia-wide delivery
- SilverChef finance available
- Manufacturer-backed warranty
- Granville showroom
Popular in this range
A selection from 77 products, priced ex-GST.
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Who this range is for
Ice creameries, gelaterias, dessert bars, frozen yoghurt shops, and cafes adding a frozen offer. The equipment problem here is narrow but unforgiving: freeze the mix correctly, then hold it at scooping consistency for a whole trading day.
How a frozen dessert counter is equipped
Frozen dessert lives or dies on texture, and texture is set twice - once when the mix is frozen and again by how well display holds it. Get either wrong and product looks tired by mid-afternoon regardless of recipe.
1
Production
Where texture is created. This is the stage worth over-specifying.
| Ice cream and gelato machines | Batch machines freeze while churning, which is what keeps ice crystals small and texture smooth. |
| Ice cream freezers | Hardening and back-stock storage, held colder than display. |
| Blast chillers | For pasteurised or cooked bases that must meet the legal cooling curve before freezing. |
2
Display
The fixture your customer actually judges, and the one that has to hold texture all day.
| Cake display freezers | Frozen display for gelato pans and frozen cakes. |
| Countertop display fridges | Chilled display for non-frozen desserts alongside the frozen range. |
| Display freezers | Additional frozen merchandising for take-home tubs. |
3
Frozen beverages and ice
The add-on range that lifts average spend without adding kitchen labour.
| Slushy machines | Frozen beverage that sells hardest in exactly the weather your gelato does. |
| Milkshake makers | Spindle mixers and blenders for shakes and thickshakes. |
| Ice makers | Size on summer peak - iced product consumes far more ice than operators estimate. |
4
Prep and support
Small items that decide how smoothly a busy Saturday runs.
| Ice tubs and dispensers | Point-of-use ice holding at the counter. |
| Stainless benches | Assembly and mix-prep surface in 304 food-contact stainless. |
| Food storage containers | Standardised pans so product rotates predictably between hardening and display. |
Batch freezer vs soft-serve machine
Two different businesses, frequently confused at quoting stage. One makes product you scoop from a display; the other dispenses on demand. The choice determines your whole counter layout.
| Batch freezer | Soft-serve machine | |
|---|---|---|
| What it produces | Hard-scoop gelato and ice cream, frozen in batches | Soft-serve dispensed directly to cone or cup |
| How it is served | Scooped from a refrigerated display | Dispensed on demand from the machine |
| Product range | Wide - a new flavour every batch, display shows the range | Narrow - limited to the flavours loaded in the hoppers |
| Display needed | Yes - a frozen display cabinet is essential | No - the machine is the point of service |
| Labour pattern | Production shift separate from service | Minimal production, all labour at the counter |
| Suits | Gelaterias and dessert bars selling on range and craft | High-volume, fast-service and franchise-style outlets |
What drives the cost of an ice creamery fit-out
We have not published dollar ranges, because the figure turns on whether you produce on site or buy in finished product - and those are very different businesses. What we can tell you is what moves the total.
If you produce on site, the batch freezer is the largest single item, and it is worth over-specifying because it caps how much product you can make per shift. If you buy in, display becomes the dominant cost and is sized in pan positions across the counter.
After that: how many flavours you want visible, which sets display width; whether you add frozen beverage or shakes; and ice-making capacity, which should be sized against summer peak rather than an annual average.
For a real figure on your own site, send us your layout and menu and we will quote it. Finance is available through SilverChef, with approvals up to around $65,000 in about five minutes.
Food safety for frozen dessert production
Cooling before freezing. If you pasteurise or cook a base, Food Standards Code 3.2.2 requires it to be cooled from 60°C to 21°C within two hours and to 5°C within a further four. A blast chiller is the practical way to achieve that; a walk-in will not do it on hot bulk mix.
Dairy handling. Ice cream and gelato bases are potentially hazardous foods, held at 5°C or below before freezing. Some states apply additional requirements to dairy processing, so if you pasteurise on site rather than buying in a finished base, check whether a dairy licence applies in your state.
Surfaces and equipment. Food-contact surfaces must be smooth, impervious and cleanable under Food Standards Code 3.2.3, and batch freezers must be able to be dismantled for cleaning between flavours. A dedicated handwash basin is required. Confirm requirements with your local council and, for on-site dairy processing, your state food authority.
Ice creamery and gelato equipment FAQs
What is the difference between a batch freezer and a soft-serve machine?
A batch freezer produces hard-scoop gelato or ice cream in batches, which you then display and scoop - so you can offer a wide range of flavours. A soft-serve machine dispenses directly to the cone from hoppers, so there is no display but the range is limited to what is loaded. They lead to completely different counter layouts, so decide this before designing the shop.
Why does gelato need a different display from ice cream?
Gelato is served warmer than hard ice cream and has lower fat and less air, so it holds at a narrower temperature band. Display that runs too cold makes it hard to scoop; too warm and it slumps. A cabinet designed for gelato holds that band more precisely than a general frozen display.
Do I need a blast chiller?
If you pasteurise or cook your own base, yes. The legal cooling curve requires the mix to drop from 60°C to 21°C within two hours and to 5°C within a further four, which a walk-in cannot achieve on hot bulk liquid. If you buy in a finished base, you can generally manage without one.
How much ice-making capacity do I need?
More than you would estimate from annual averages. Frozen beverage, shakes and iced drinks all peak in the same weather your frozen dessert does, so size against your summer peak. Running short mid-shift means capping the cold menu or buying bagged ice, both of which cost more than the right machine.
How many flavours should I display?
Enough to look abundant without leaving pans sitting long enough to lose texture. Display width sets the ceiling, but the real limit is turnover - a pan that takes days to sell will not look good by the end. Most operators find it better to run fewer flavours that sell through than a wide range that sits.
Do I need a dairy licence to make gelato on site?
Possibly, depending on your state and on whether you pasteurise. Buying in a finished base is usually treated as ordinary food handling, while processing raw dairy on site can bring additional licensing. Because it varies between states, confirm with your state food authority before committing to on-site pasteurisation.
Supplying another kind of venue? We stock commercial kitchen equipment for every trade in Australian food service.
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