Soft serve ice cream machines are very popular processing equipment that can produce soft, creamy and full-bodied ice cream. Makers work by using a refrigeration system to freeze the mixture into soft serve ice cream. In refrigeration systems, there are generally two different ways of doing refrigeration – air cooling and water cooling.
This article will focus on these two refrigeration methods and analyze their advantages and disadvantages in soft serve ice cream machines.
Air cooling
One of the most common types of refrigeration is air cooling, which cools the mixture by passing the mixture through internal pipes, using compressed air to force-circulate the coolant while maintaining a constant cooling temperature.
In addition, air cooling can also input cold air into the mixture through the air machine, so that it can be cooled rapidly. The advantage of the air cooling system is that it is easy to operate, and the maintenance and cleaning of the machine are relatively easy. Plus, it freezes relatively quickly, allowing the mixture to quickly freeze into soft-serve ice cream. And by changing the air flow, the hardness of the soft serve ice cream can also be controlled.
However, air cooling also poses some problems. First, the cooling system it uses consumes a lot of power and is usually noisy, making it less suitable for use where a low-noise environment is required. In addition, due to limited conditions, air cooling is difficult to achieve a large amount of cooling effect, so it is not easy to produce in large quantities.
Water cooling
Water cooling system is also a very efficient and commonly used cooling method in soft serve ice cream machines. It uses a water circulation system to cool the mixture, thereby freezing the mixture into soft serve ice cream. Water can be cooled in radiators and then redeployed into coolers, continuing the cooling cycle. Chilled water must be kept running at a specific temperature and pressure for optimal cooling.
A major advantage of a water-cooling system is that since it uses water, it is a more environmentally friendly choice of cooling material, with lower energy consumption and lower maintenance costs than air circulation. And the cooling effect of water is quite good, and the thermal conductivity of water is better than that of air, which can cool the mixture faster, thereby increasing the freezing efficiency.
However, water cooling also has some disadvantages. Firstly, a water-cooled maker requires more space as it involves a lot of piping and heavy equipment. Additionally, this method requires the use of more water than air cooling, increasing cost and environmental impact.
Therefore, water cooling and air cooling have their own advantages and disadvantages. For different types of soft ice cream machines, it is relatively appropriate to choose different cooling methods. You should choose a suitable soft ice cream machine according to your own needs, so as to produce soft ice cream with delicate texture and strong taste.
Custom Flavors on Demand
In the past, soft-serve ice cream usually only came in a few basic flavors, such as vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. However, consumers now expect more flavor options and innovative ice cream flavours. This trend has led many soft serves ice cream vendors to offer custom flavor options.
In short, whether it is air cooling or water cooling, it is an effective method to realize the cooling of the soft ice cream machine, and the most suitable method can be selected according to the needs of weighing the respective variables. The continuous development of technology may lead to more and more efficient cooling methods, so that they can also be applied to produce more and different kinds of food and beverages.
