What you need to know:

Ice Cream Storage vs. Display Freezers: Do You Need Both Types?

When a delivery turns up, the ice cream display vs. storage freezer debate can come up time and time again. That beautiful, curved-glass display freezer for the front of the house may help you move products, but what do you do with the excess stock?

You also don’t just want a storage freezer, with your staff having to go out back and move things around every time someone wants a scoop or a particular flavour. One machine can’t handle it all.

This guide will help you decide which freezer types you need for storing and displaying ice cream to give you the best of both worlds.

Ice Cream Storage vs. Display Freezers: Do You Need Both Types?

The Display Freezer: The Front-of-House Salesman

A display freezer is a sales tool as much as it is a piece of refrigeration equipment. Its job is to keep the product at a stable temperature while being visible enough to drive impulse buys and allow for immediate service. Customers see the product, they want it, and your staff can scoop and serve without breaking the flow of service.

Display Freezer Temperature and Airflow

Display freezers typically run at around -14°C to -16°C, which is warmer than a storage freezer for a reason. At this temperature, the ice cream stays soft enough to scoop without the product being so hard that it takes excessive effort or gets messy. The temperature range is important for being able to store different types of ice cream. For example, the best freezer for gelato is warmer than normal. This helps it maintain its distinct texture.

Most display units also use a specialised ventilated airflow system to prevent frost from forming on the glass panels. Without this, condensation builds up, and your customers won’t be able to see the product, completely defeating the entire purpose of the display.

Limitations of Display Freezers

As the lid or front of a display freezer is opened repeatedly throughout service, or completely stays open for dipping-style cabinets, the internal temperature fluctuates quite a bit. Over time, these varying temperatures can cause ice crystals, which break down the natural texture and flavour of the product. It’s why display freezers should only be used for stock in active rotation, not for holding backup tubs.

The Storage Freezer: The Back-of-House Vault

A storage freeze is designed to hold bulk stock, and that’s it. It holds the stock at a stable, deep temperature for as long as you need it without compromising quality.

Storage Freezer Temperature

Storage freezers run at -18°C to -22°C. The higher temperature largely prevents ice crystallisation, so you won’t get that undesirable flavour and texture, while making it simple to know how to store commercial ice cream.

Types of Storage Freezers

There are two main commercial ice cream freezer types:

  • Chest freezers: which have low running costs, excellent temperature stability and good capacity for large bulk tubs. However, they can be difficult to access as staff will need to reach down into the unit to retrieve stock.
  • Solid door upright freezers: which are easier to organise and access, making them better for higher-turnover businesses where staff need to move stock in and out quickly. They do take up more room.

For food establishments with limited back-of-house space, a chest freezer is often the more practical choice. Operations with more space and higher volume in trade may benefit more from an upright appliance.

The Workflow: How They Work Together

In an ideal situation, you would have both a display freezer and a storage freezer for a simple, repeatable process that protects your stock at every stage.

  1. Delivery arrives, and tubs go directly into the deep storage freezers to immediately lock in quality and prevent temperature exposure during transfer.
  2. Before service, move the tubs needed into the display freezer. They should sit at the warmer display temperature long enough to soften to the right scooping consistency.
  3. During service, staff scoop directly from the display freezer without the product being too hard or too soft.
  4. After service, any tubs that have not been opened can be returned to storage if your food safety procedures allow it. Opened tubs should stay in the display unit for the next service.

This process of how to store commercial ice cream at different stages helps prevent freezer burn on display stock that sits for a long time, and stops you from having to throw out product that’s not held at the ideal temperature for too long.

Do You Actually Need Both?

Not every business will need both commercial ice cream freezer types. It all comes down to your volume, format and what you’re actually selling.

Take a corner store or small café, for example. They may sell pre-packaged ice creams or single-serve gelato cups from a glass-top chest freezer. With the product being sealed and a predictable turnover, their volume may not call for separate storage.

On the other hand, a dedicated gelato bar, dessert shop or high-volume hospitality venue scooping artisan product through a summer rush is in a different situation. They may need a display freezer to display goods and make service quick and easy, but also a storage freezer to maintain the quality of excess stock until it’s needed.

If you’re scooping fresh products, running multiple flavours or moving large volumes of ice cream, then a two-freezer system is pretty much essential. It’s how you protect your margins and your product.

Explore Ice Cream Freezers at AGC Equipment

Whether you need to display your flavours beautifully or store bulk tubs securely, AGC Equipment has the exact refrigeration your dessert menu requires. Browse our ice cream display and storage freezers to find what you need.

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