What’s the Difference Between Shakes and Slushes?
People like enjoying their sweets in all different kinds of ways. Some of the most popular types of dessert put all the sweet and rich flavors you love into a drink that you can walk around with easily. We’ve got some more information for you about two of these dessert drinks, slushes and shakes, as well as how your business can capitalize on the popularity of these beverages.
What Is the Difference Between Shakes and Slushes?
A Slush
These drinks are dispensed from specialized machines that are designed to keep the ice crystals that make up the basis for this drink at the ideal temperature and texture. With that basic mixture of sugar and water serving as the basis, all different kinds of drinks can be made, with this drink’s versatility making it one of the most popular choices among sweet lovers.
Many different kinds of flavors can be added to a slush to make it a unique drink that will delight the tastebuds of whoever’s enjoying it. Fruit juices or flavors are some of the more common ways to add an extra dimension to the taste, with flavors like banana, strawberry, blueberry, or lemon being common. Some also like to flavor their slush with fizzy drinks, creating a mix of slush and their favorite soda to enjoy.
A Shake
Another popular choice for dessert drinks is the milkshake, sometimes referred to as simply a shake. These drinks take your favorite ice cream flavors and put them into a liquid form to make for convenient sipping. While you might think that you can’t go wrong with a mix of sweet cream and all of the different toppings that can go into ice cream, this drink needs to be the right texture, which is why having the right equipment is essential.
Essentially any kind of ice cream can be made into a milkshake, but the most common offerings include vanilla, chocolate, or a mixture of the two. If you want to expand the variety of flavors that you offer, you might consider options like strawberry, peanut butter banana, or lemon meringue. You can also add a variety of toppings to your milkshakes to create drinks with an added texture, with chunks of cookie or real fruit inside.
How to Make the Best Frozen Drinks
Having these and other types of dessert on hand will help your business cater to the widest variety of different tastes that your customers may have. The only way to provide that variety to your customers is to have the right equipment on hand to make a slush, shake, or anything else that your customers may be craving. Each of these drinks requires specialized tools to ensure that the quality you end up with is everything you desire.
The first-rate ice cream and frozen dessert equipment that we can provide for you will have you putting smiles on the faces of your customers in no time. Check us out at ADI Electro Freeze!
4 Unique and Exotic Flavors to Make With Your Ice Cream Maker
In almost any flavor, ice cream is a classic treat enjoyed all over the world. As with many classic treats, adventurous dessert shops and restaurant owners are experimenting with creative twists to come up with unique delicacies for their customers. Ice cream is a perfect candidate for experimentation, so here are some exotic flavors to concoct using a quality ice cream maker.
4 Unique and Exotic Flavors To Make With Your Ice Cream Maker
1. Mango Mojito
Who doesn’t love a cool fresh mojito on a warm summer day? One of the world’s favorite tropical cocktails can easily be made into a unique and delicious ice cream. Feel free to experiment with whatever mango varieties are locally available as well as different levels of ripeness to get the balance of sweet and tart you prefer. Cool, fresh mint adds a distinct touch that gives this ice cream its distinct mojito flavor.
Mango mojito also makes a delicious frozen yogurt if you prefer that option over ice cream, and it can be made with or without the addition of rum.
2. Miso Peanut Butter
Looking at some of our most popular delicacies, it’s clear consumers have a unique love affair with sweet and salty flavor combinations. Examples of these include chocolate-covered pretzels, maple syrup with bacon, and the classic peanut butter and jelly. Peanut butter ice cream has made its way into our freezers, and you can make a unique version with the addition of miso.
Miso adds a complex saltiness that pairs well with creamy peanut butter while adding health benefits as miso is a good source of probiotics. This delicious ice cream can be served alongside a warm apple crisp to make a comforting gourmet dessert for discerning customers.
3. Red Wine Ice Cream
You may have seen or even tried red wine sorbet or gelato, but how would it taste as ice cream? It is absolutely delicious and very easy to make with a few basic ingredients. The obvious question is what kind of wine to use, and the good news is you have complete freedom to experiment with different varieties to find which type you prefer.
As is the case when cooking with wine, a better quality wine will produce a better end product. Whichever type you choose, you’ll have a beautifully-colored velvety ice cream that’s just begging for a spicy touch of cinnamon in the recipe.
4. Sweet Corn With Bacon and Cacao Nibs
This is a truly decadent option that combines classic American flavors in one unexpectedly delicious dish of ice cream. Sweet and buttery smooth corn is complemented by the salty and savory crunch of real bacon. Rich cacao nibs round out the flavor profile of this unforgettable treat. To make it extra special, start with a proper egg custard base.
These are just a few of so many fun and delicious ice cream experiments you can enjoy perfecting in your dessert shop or restaurant. Contact ADI Electro Freeze to find the right tools for making unique ice cream flavors and start experimenting today.
How Does a Gelato Maker Work?
Gelato is an elegant frozen dessert that takes the standard ice cream cone to the next level. If you want to give your customers a taste of Italy without having to leave their hometown, a gelato maker is a perfect solution. A high-capacity batch freezer can not only help you make an incredible product but can help you create that product in large volume so that you never run out of everyone’s favorite flavor.
How Does a Gelato Maker Work?
A high-capacity batch freezer specifically designed to produce gelato will enable you to produce a significant volume of product in a short amount of time. While many people opt to make their gelato by hand or with a smaller device, doing so can be tedious and time-consuming and may not deliver the amount of product you need to serve a large crowd, customer base, or event.
A batch freezer makes gelato by simultaneously freezing and churning the product, which takes the guesswork out of the process. All you need to do is prepare and flavor your favorite recipe or base and then insert it into the machine and let it take care of the rest.
Creating Your Base
The first step in making gelato begins with creating your base. Bases are available premixed, but many people choose to make their base from scratch. A typical gelato base contains a combination of milk, cream, and sugar to create a custard. Unlike ice cream, which often contains eggs, most gelato recipes are void of any egg products, although a few do contain eggs. It just depends on the recipe and your preferences.
A gelato base may seem similar to an ice cream base, but the main difference between the two is the butterfat ratio. Gelato contains less butterfat than ice cream. Ice cream has at least ten percent butterfat, usually more, while gelato typically has eight percent or less.
Aging the Base
Aging the base simple implies that you let your mixture sit before freezing. This process length will vary based on your techniques and preferences and may include a form of pasteurization. Aging the base allows the flavors to meld and strengthen, which will help your final product taste that much better. Aging the base can also improve the overall recipe by making it taste creamier.
Flavoring the Base
Flavoring the gelato base is the fun part, and it’s where you get to add fruits or other flavors to your gelato. Some of the most popular gelato flavors include chocolate, vanilla, espresso, pistachio, and tiramisu, but when it comes to flavoring your gelato, the sky is the limit. Some of the more unique flavors include caramel apple pie, s’mores, and bubble gum, among others.
Freezing the Base
Once you prepare, age, and flavor your base, it will be ready for freezing. The benefit of using a commercial, high-capacity batch freezer is that it will freeze your gelato quickly and evenly. The machine will do the churning work for you, so all you have to do is pour in the product, and when it’s ready, dispense and serve. Using a batch freezer will not only simplify the process but help you create and serve a high-quality gelato that will have everyone coming back for more.
Making gelato should be a fun, simple, and enjoyable process, not a time-consuming one. If you want to serve uniform, quality gelato to your customers, a commercial machine like our high-capacity B24 Batch Freezer can do most of the work for you and help you create the best product possible. Visit us today at ADI Electro Freeze to find out more about our batch freezers and how they can make the gelato-making process easier and your gelato better.
6 Keys to Creating Unforgettable Smoothies
Smoothies are a delicious, guilt-free treat packed with nutrients. Making this healthy drink is easy, but having the right tools and know-how can really take it to the next level. Investing in a quality frozen treats maker and using premium ingredients is a great place to start!
6 Keys to Creating Unforgettable Smoothies
1. Use Mostly Frozen Ingredients
While there’s no rule against using fresh produce in a blended drink, using at least some frozen ingredients will result in a smoother texture. Berries, bananas, mangos, and avocados are all examples of ingredients that freeze really well and that will give your finished product a thick, frosty consistency. Frozen ingredients are preferable over ice cubes, which can water down the flavor.
2. Balance Out Your Sweet Ingredients
Loading up your blender exclusively with fruits and fruit juices can result in an overly sweet drink. Balancing out your ingredients with nut butters, avocado, chia seeds, kale, or other low-sugar ingredients will not only give you better flavor but will also add a big nutrient punch. Using almond milk or other milk alternatives as your liquid base is another way to keep the sugar content in check.
3. Don’t Forget the Protein!
A frozen treat can also be a great source of protein. Throwing in a scoop of protein powder is an extra step that will make your drink much more filling and nutritious. There are a wide range of vegan and plant-based protein powders on the market if you wish to avoid dairy. Nut butters and Greek yogurt are other excellent protein sources that can switch up your drink from a snack to a full meal replacement.
4. Add Ingredients in the Right Order
Always start with a liquid base. If you’re using any leafy greens, these should go in with the liquid and be blended first, as they can take a bit longer to fully break down than some other ingredients. Powders and nut or seed butters should go in next, followed by whatever mix of frozen fruits and veggies are on the menu.
5. Pick a Superfood Smoothie Ingredient
Everything that goes into these nutrient-packed blender drinks is good for you, but there are some extra add-ins that can really drive up the antioxidant power of your favorite beverage. Powdered greens, turmeric, matcha powder, ginger, and ground acai are just some examples of on-trend superfoods that can give your drink an extra edge. A pinch is all you need, as some of these ingredients can have a strong flavor.
6. Invest in a High-Quality Frozen Treats Maker
Using the right equipment is just as important as choosing the best ingredients. A premium frozen beverage blending machine will give you consistent results each time, which is particularly important if you are running a commercial operation. Work with a reputable dealer that offers a solid warranty and technical support.
If you are looking for the very best frozen dessert and beverage equipment for your establishment, contact us today at ADI Electro Freeze. We offer a wide range of highly dependable, commercial-grade equipment.
3 Secrets for Creating the Best Soft Serve Ice Cream
Nothing hits the spot like good ice cream. Heaped with flavor, sweet and creamy, and a prime vehicle for chocolate or caramel sauce, it’s the perfect dessert in high summer or on a cold winter’s day by the fire. But while those recipes look simple, it’s tricky creating that perfect batch of ice cream. Here are three secrets to the culinary art of making the best soft serve ice cream.
3 Secrets for Creating the Best Soft Serve Ice Cream
Start With the Best
Combine the best ingredients with the best equipment and you’ve got a good chance at making the best ice cream. Like how the quality of your water affects the taste of your morning coffee, good quality dairy, sugars, and flavorings can bolster the taste of ice cream. Think of it as the more flavor the ingredients have to offer, the more your ice cream has to work with.
A good machine also plays a part. Events have to happen in a certain order and at certain temperatures for a batch to turn out well, and if a machine can’t deliver, then your ice cream will suffer. ADI Electro Freeze soft serve machines deliver consistently smooth ice cream with traditional and low-fat mixes.
Freeze It Fast
Temperature plays a big part in ice cream recipes because it affects the creaminess of the batch. Ice cream is filled with ice crystals, and the smaller they are, the creamier the ice cream. Chill the ice cream fast and hard in a subzero freezer or try putting the ice cream in small, shallow containers instead of one large one. That way the cold can reach the center faster.
It also pays to keep air out of your containers. Air gives the moisture room to move around. If it evaporates and collects inside the container, those larger ice crystals have room to start forming up. If you find yourself with lots of empty headroom, cover the ice cream with plastic wrap or parchment paper before putting the lid on, to keep air out.
Keep It Ice (Cream) Cold
This might seem obvious, but ice cream melts. And once it’s refrozen, those ice crystals refreeze in larger clusters, making ice cream grainy and unpleasant. But it’s also a good idea to cool your mix before it’s actually ice cream. Keeping your ingredients cold means they won’t have to go through any temperature fluctuations that affect their quality or taste.
Flavorings also lose their strength in warm mixtures and churning a warm mixture means the temperature has further to drop, keeping it from freezing quickly. Also chilling your bowls can help the churning process along, especially if you have a small, at-home machine. Just make sure you start the bowl moving before you pour your mix in. There’s a chance it will freeze to one spot of the bowl instead of churning properly.
Making creamy ice cream requires precision. With the right ingredients, good timing, and a dependable machine, anyone can make their own favorite flavors. Learn more about ADI Electro Freeze ice cream machines so you can start your own delicious adventure.
4 Rules for Using Fruit in Soft Serve Ice Cream
So you’ve mastered your vanilla soft serve recipe and now you’re looking to add more variety to your soft serve line-up. Fruity ice creams are always a hit with the customers, as they’re cool and refreshing, marrying the tangy sweetness of fruit to the comforting deliciousness of vanilla and cream. But how do you use fruit in a soft serve ice cream maker? Read on to uncover the basics of making fruity soft serve flavors.
4 Rules for Using Fruit in a Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker
1. Don’t Use Whole Fruit
You may be thinking that making fruit soft serve is a simple as adding cut-up fruit to your vanilla ice cream base, but that would be a big mistake. Fruits have a high water content, which means that using fruit whole in your soft serve will result in icy chunks of fruit disrupting your smooth, creamy soft serve. Not only is this an unpleasant eating experience, but it can also be dangerous! If you want your customers to keep their teeth, don’t use whole fruits.
2. Using Frozen Fruit
Using frozen fruit may be the easiest way to add fruit into your soft serve. Following the first rule, it’s essential that you don’t use the frozen fruit whole. Even though it’s been frozen, this fruit still has a high water content and poses the same danger to your customer’s teeth if used whole. Instead, frozen fruit needs to be macerated in order to be safe to use in soft serve.
3. Using Fresh Fruit
4. Don’t Use Too Much Sugar
4 Tips for Making Amazing Gelato at Home or Your Restaurant
There’s something about gelato that takes ice cream to the next level. It’s a refined, unique, and elegant dessert that can add a little more excitement to your dinner party or your dessert menu. Whether you need to produce mass quantities or you have a large crowd to serve, you need a frozen dessert machine like a gelato maker that can help you do it.
4 Tips for Using a Gelato Maker or Frozen Dessert Machine for Ice Cream
1. Focus on the Classics
There is something about classic flavors that make everyone feel safe. If you don’t want to go out on a limb, or you’re not in the mood to try something new, you need something known, something classic to fall back on.
Making sure that you always offer at least a few of the classic gelato flavors, like chocolate, vanilla, almond, and pistachio, can help you accommodate those who want the comfort of knowing exactly what they’re going to get.
2. Get Creative
While some people love classics, others like to try something new. Don’t be afraid to offer new and unique flavors to your guests. If you run a restaurant, consider adding a flavor of the day, week, or month to your menu to keep things exciting and offer your guests the opportunity to experience something new.
3. Invest in the Right Equipment
When making gelato, using high-quality ingredients is critical to your product’s outcome, but using the right equipment is just as important. Making gelato is an art form, so you need a machine that can help deliver a consistent product every time.
Consider investing in a high-quality machine that can help you mass produce your product. Doing so will help you maintain that homemade taste and preserve the integrity of your gelato while making your life easier at the same time.
4. Consider a Topping Bar
Toppings make everything look and taste better, especially when it comes to frozen desserts. Offering the option of toppings to enhance your gelato can help you deliver an aesthetically pleasing product that stands out from the rest. Toppings can take your gelato to the next level visually and make it taste that much better.
You can pair specific toppings to match flavors, like crushed pistachios for pistachio gelato, and those fun extras like sprinkles and gummy bears that will attract your younger guests. Your guests, children and adults alike, will remember both the look and taste of your gelato and will be sure to come back for more.
Making gelato is an art form and a science. To preserve your product’s integrity and taste, you need a machine that you can count on, one that’s simple but gets the job done, and we can help. Our high capacity B24 Batch Freezer will make your product better and your life easier. Contact us today at ADI Electro Freeze to learn more about our machines and how they can help take your gelato and frozen dessert-making experience to the next level.
3 Things to Look for in Restaurant-Quality Frozen Dessert Machines
Want to improve the dessert offerings that your business is able to offer? Acquiring some restaurant-quality frozen dessert machines will open up all sorts of possibilities for the ways you can delight your customers. So what should you keep an eye out for when shopping for this equipment for your business? Keep these three tips in mind while you’re shopping to get the best product for your needs.
3 Things to Look for in Restaurant-Quality Frozen Dessert Machines
1. Evaluate What Your Business Needs
It almost goes without saying, but before you shop for equipment for your restaurant, you’ll need a clear assessment of what you’re looking for first. Different machines will be able to create different products for your customers to enjoy, so figure out exactly what you want to offer before buying a machine. Some options include soft-serve ice cream or frozen yogurt, milkshakes, or high-end gelato, but there are even more varieties to consider.
Beyond the type of product you want to make, there are some other considerations to keep in mind. How much volume will you be looking to make to meet the demand of your customers? Do you want a machine that will be stationary or would you prefer one that is easily movable? How many different flavors do you want to be able to make at a time? All of these factors and more will weigh in on what machine is right for your business needs.
2. Consider Buying New vs. Buying Used
When shopping for equipment for your business, you want to get the best value for your money possible. After all, every expense impacts your bottom line, and you want to make sure you’re getting a good return on your investment. When it comes to buying machinery for creating high-quality frozen desserts, part of that decision comes down to buying brand new equipment or finding an offer for used equipment.
Buying used equipment has its benefits, the most obvious being that you’ll often find a lower price for used equipment. If you have to resell your equipment, buying used can be invaluable, as new equipment depreciates in value quite quickly. However, in terms of the guaranteed quality of product you’ll get, buying new is the better choice. You never know exactly what condition the previous owners left the equipment you’re buying in if you buy used.
3. Do Your Research on the Brand
Naturally, not all equipment for restaurants is created equally. You want to make sure that the provider you’re getting your equipment from is trustworthy and respected. Choose a well-established provider, and check out reviews that other customers who have bought their equipment from the same provider left. That will give you the assurance you need that you’re getting exactly what you need for your restaurant machinery.
Once you’ve evaluated what you need in your restaurant-quality dessert machinery, get in touch with us to learn more about the quality line of products that we offer. Contact ADI Electro Freeze today!
3 Keys to Making the Highest-Quality Frozen Yogurt
When you have plenty of guests to serve, making frozen yogurt by hand isn’t the most economical or time-saving option. The easiest and most efficient way to produce this dessert is by going big. When you invest in a frozen treats maker, a machine designed to make your product both look and taste better, and you can save time but still create and serve an exceptional product, time after time.
3 Keys to Making the Highest-Quality Frozen Yogurt With a Frozen Treats Maker
1. Invest in a Quality Machine
Just because you aren’t making each of your frozen desserts by hand in the back of a kitchen doesn’t mean you have to compromise quality. Homemade products don’t have to look homemade. They can look professional, and when you invest in a high-quality machine designed to serve your frozen dessert, you can count on the fact that you will deliver an exceptional product to your guests every time.
The right machine should help make your life easier, expand your capabilities and output, and make your frozen desserts taste amazing every time. Investing in a high-quality machine will allow you to serve the best of the best, and a lot of it.
2. Add Flavor
Everyone likes options, especially when it comes to frozen desserts. If you want to take your frozen desserts to the next level and make the highest quality homemade yogurt-based frozen dessert, you need to add flavor. Adding flavor doesn’t have to be complicated; it should be as easy as pressing a button. Investing in a device that allows you to serve different flavors will help you target and accommodate different preferences.
Whether you want to serve the traditional favorites or get creative with something new, flavoring and serving your dessert should be effortless. If you want a product defined by flavor, uniformity, and consistency, you need the right machine. Adding flavor should be easy. You should be able to add syrup and flavor with the push of a button without any complicated add ons. Such a machine can help you create the perfect frozen dessert in flavors that everyone will enjoy.
3. Use Quality Ingredients
The simplest ingredients make the best desserts. If you want to produce a high-quality yogurt-based frozen dessert, you need to consider your ingredients. Your product’s ingredients can make or break the taste and can affect the quality of the dessert. Choosing simple, wholesome, natural ingredients free of chemicals and going organic when possible can help you produce something that tastes amazing but is still good for you.
The right soft serve machine can catapult your business and help you create a high quality frozen dessert that everyone will love. If you need a machine that you can trust to help you serve quality and flavorful frozen desserts, we have the perfect options. Visit us today at ADI Electro Freeze to learn more about our soft serve machines that can make your life easier and your frozen desserts look and taste better.
Frozen Dessert Equipment Open House
