For the uninitiated, mapping your way through the minefield of different types, brands and models of Ice Cream Machines can be a daunting task for sure. Ice Cream Machines, also known as, Soft Serve Machines, do not come cheap and so its imperative to choose the correct model for your business. Here at Caterboss we have compiled a guide to help steer you towards the perfect machine for your business to ensure you are matched with a machine that will be suitable for the intended use!
Before deciding on which Soft Serve Machine is best for you, we need to ask some important questions. Caterboss stock and distribute the Spaceman Ice Cream Machines so it’s the Spaceman brand and models we will be comparing and discussing in this Blog.
What is the main difference between the different Soft Serve models?
There are many different features and functions available on different models but the main difference between them is the output and the way the output on any cone machine is measured, is its ability to produce X amount of cones per hour. How busy your business may be or its location, will ultimately determine the size of machine you require in terms of output.
For Example:
Spaceman T5 = 80 cones per hour
Spaceman T15 = 110 cones per hour
Spaceman T10 = 130 cones per hour
Spaceman T29 = 270 cones per hour
The Spaceman T5 and the T15 are the smallest in the Spaceman range but they tend to suit the needs of 80% of businesses nationwide. The T5 will happily produce 80 cones per hour and that’s a substantial amount of Ice Cream. To give you an idea of what 80 cones per hour is: if your doing 80 cones per DAY then your probably netting about €1000 profit a week from Ice Cream Sales, which means the investment on your machine will pay for itself in about a month! This is based on 80 gram servings of Angelito Ice Cream. If however your business is say located near a park or other attraction you might find your ice cream sales are steady all day but that you have peak times on certain days where you have high demand and instead of customers requiring single sales you may get families ordering 4-5 cones at a time. In this instance then it may be worth considering the T15 or a T10 which would be better suited to these peak demands. A T5 will happily pull about 4 cones consecutively but then it will need a moment to catch its breath. Whereas a T15 will happily pull about 6-7 cones consecutively before needing a short break to recoup!
Another difference between these countertop models to consider is the functionality. Most businesses will only serve the standard Angelito Ice Cream cones, and if this is the case then you don’t really need to worry about functionality or settings on the machine as it will come ready to plug and play. If however you plan to use different types of mixes such as Dairy Free or different flavour Ice Cream, or, Frozen Yoghurt, then you may want to consider a machine with a digital control panel such as the T10 or the T29. These control panels allow you to quickly and easily change parameters on the machine to suit different mixes. Frozen Yoghurt will need slightly different settings to say Angelito, to have it dispense at the right consistency.
How often do I need to clean?
Standard machines take 10-15 mins to clean properly. But all Spaceman machines come with a Night Mode feature, which allows you to put the machine on standby at the end of the day, allowing you to skip cleaning the machine. A full clean will be required every 3 days though.
Self pasteurising models only need to be cleaned once every 21 days. They are a lot more expensive but if your short staffed or time is a premium then this might be the option for you. The Spaceman T5B would be a good example of a Machine with Self Pasteurising Mode. They are a lot more expensive but it’s a luxury feature that some businesses cant live without!
What is the best Ice Cream Mix to Use?
You can use any mix you like in your machine but we like to recommend Angelito Ice Cream for use in your Spaceman. Angelito is the creamy tasting Ice Cream that we all know so well here in Ireland. Its also a very consistent mix and so there is little no difference between batches which allows for ease of use in the machine
Whats the difference between gravity fed and pump fed Ice Cream Machines?
Gravity machines produce a creamier and tastier cone as it uses less air in the mix. You get slightly less overrun to your mix but you get a substantially better quality cone
Pump machine mixes air into the mix, giving you more cones to your mix but it's less creamy due to the air mixed in
It's a trade off between quality and quantity. Gravity are by far the most popular and cheapest to maintain and run they also give the best cones, so the kids keep coming back!
But if you require a pump fed model then we have several options to choose from.
What kind of power do they use?
All our machines are 220v with the vast majority of Countertop Models being a standard 3 pin plug.
What kind of warranty and servicing does Caterboss offer?
All Spaceman models come with 1 year parts and labour warranty. If anything goes wrong with it in the first 12 months we will take care of everything. We hold stock of all parts that might be required so we can ship parts next day to site using DPD in the unlikely event that one would break down. We also have a spare machine on site most of the time that we can send to the customer should a machine breakdown and the part is not readily available. So the customer has no down time. We have a team of engineers nationwide that are on call to service your machine at any time!
Is Spaceman a good Ice Cream Machine Manufacturer?
Spaceman are preferred suppliers to Nestle, McDonalds, IKEA, Hilton group, Papa Johns, to name just a few, so you can rest assured they are super reliable and well tried and tested over the past 25 years.
They are very popular in the states and the UK. They also supply all the ice cream and milkshake machines to McDonalds Asian outlets.
Caterboss are the main distributors for Spaceman Ice Cream Machines in Ireland and we stock a complete range of Spaceman Machines at our warehouse, ready for next day nationwide delivery across the 32 counties. We have dealt with Spaceman machines for a number of years and we find them to be superior in terms or performance, reliability and most importantly, value for money. When compared to the competing brands in the market, Spaceman are definitely a premium brand and will give you the best value for your hard earned money
If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact us on 01-6875772 and one of our team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
