Gelato Freezer Styles
The top gelato freezer styles are
European, American, and Pozzetti.
Equipment and Concepts compare the differences in displaying gelato,
along with their pros and cons of each style of gelato freezer.
American Style Gelato Freezer
The American style tub case is the most simple of units, and least able to maintain quality. The American cases are “4 Walls” cases meaning the cold air is on the 4 walls and does not circulate. It just radiates the cold from the walls. Because of this, the tubs have to be kept very low or deep, thus taking away any advantages to viewing. Another disadvantage is when you open the door the cold air goes out and the hot air rushes in, thus reducing the life of the product faster than in any other showcase. The product looks very unattractive. These units build ice and the only way to defrost them is to turn them off and scrape the ice off from the inside which is quite a chore. The only time these are effective is if you are not making your own product and are possible receiving a case free of charge from the product manufacturer you are buying your product from. From an industry standpoint, we never recommend using a high-quality product in this type of case.
The US has a tendency to draw attention to the case and allow the customer to see the beautiful flavors. In Italy, it’s more about the taste and texture than the eye appeal. With the right graphics and marketing, success can be achieved as it is in Italy using Pozzetti Style Gelato Case.
European Style Gelato Freezer
The traditional visual European showcases are popular because of the eye appeal. They feature “forced air” or ventilated refrigeration and the products are tilted higher and are more visible to the customer. The constant airflow over, below and around the product, actually allows the showcase to operate with the doors off on the employee side during busier times of the day, because the cold air never leaves the product. Due to the exposure to sunlight and the fact that the product is not protected by lids, the length of time to expose the product and still offer the finest quality is 24-48 hours. After 24-48 hours the product begins to change its appearance and then its texture due to the exposure.
These showcases can be set up to go through a quick defrost cycle every 6-8 hours, thus reducing the ice buildup on the coils. It is our recommendation to bypass the defrost cycles and remove your flavors at the end of every workday. When a case goes into defrost, the compressors shut off so the case can raise in temperature to melt any condensation that has built up into ice.
If using a visual display freezer, training your employees to serve the correct way will be extremely important to your business. If your employees just serve without regard to cleaning the pan and maintaining the visual effect of the pan, your product will NOT look appealing throughout the day.
While seeing the gelato product in the case can be a major benefit, it is also much harder to preserve and to keep the pans looking fresh & beautiful. Nut and chocolate flavors tend to dry out and sorbets can get a shiny or wet look on top; however, these things can be fixed and maintained with the right training and daily/hourly attention to detail by the staff.
Pozzetti Style Gelato Freezer
The pozzetti style gelato case showcases are an extremely efficient way to hold your product for the longest time while still maintaining the highest quality and protection of the ice crystal. The lid on the pozzetti “protects” the ice crystal and actually allows you to serve your product a bit warmer so the taste comes out in its fullest form. Since it is not exposed to the elements of light your product will maintain a longer shelf life. This is the most traditional technique used in Europe in high volume locations.
Pozzetti offers a wide range of choices. From single deep to double deep, anti-spin tubs, flexibility in layout design, this style display freezer can be customized and grouped to fit just about any layout. Pozzetti style gelato cases are available in static, ventilated, or glycol.
With the right graphics and marketing, success can be achieved as it is in Italy using Pozzetti Style Gelato Case.
Equipment & Concepts and help with selecting a gelato display case or equipping your business with the finest traditional gelato equipment, transforming your ice cream parlor, restaurant or catering business into an artisan gelato and ice cream experience. Our authentic gelato makers feature the latest technology while being the most reliable and durable gelato makers and ice cream machines in the industry.
Gelato Carts
Gelato Carts, considered a “Moving Business” and is an good alternative to opening up a shop in a specific street and going to where customers are. It’s also a way to expand your existing business with catering.
