Glossary · The van
Soft serve machine
Definition
A soft serve machine freezes and whips liquid ice cream mix in a chilled barrel, then dispenses it through a nozzle when the handle is pulled.
Inside an ice cream van, the soft serve machine does most of the work. Liquid mix is held in a refrigerated hopper and fed into a freezing barrel, where a rotating beater scrapes frozen mix off the cold walls and folds in air. Pull the handle and soft serve comes out through a shaped nozzle, giving the ridged swirl.
The machine needs steady power to keep the mix at a safe temperature and to freeze it on demand. It also needs regular dismantling and cleaning, because the mix is a dairy product. Good cleaning routines are a large part of a van's food safety record. On a conventional van the machine is often powered by the engine or a generator. On our vans it runs from lithium batteries through an inverter, so there are no fumes and no engine noise while we serve.
Related terms
- Soft serveSoft serve is ice cream frozen and whipped to order in a machine, then piped straight into a cone or tub. It is softer and lighter than scooped ice cream.
- Electric ice cream vanAn electric ice cream van powers its freezers and soft serve machine from batteries, so it serves without an engine or generator running.
- OverrunOverrun is the extra volume ice cream gains from air whipped in during freezing. Higher overrun means lighter ice cream; lower overrun means denser.
- Cold chainThe cold chain is the unbroken chain of temperature control that keeps frozen and chilled food safe from the manufacturer to the customer.
- The full glossary54 terms, from soft serve to street trading licences.
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