Buyer's guide
How do you choose a soft serve or slush machine?
Six things worth checking before you choose a machine: output, size, power, number of flavours, cost per serving — and above all, who stands behind it after the sale.
Size for the peak hour, not the daily total
Output is quoted in litres per hour, but what you actually sell is servings by weight. The number that matters is not how many servings you sell in a day, but how many you need to put out in your busiest hour.
A kiosk selling 150 servings across ten hours does not necessarily need the same machine as a pool bar selling those same 150 in two.
So before choosing a machine, ask: how many servings am I likely to sell in the busiest hour? Only then look at the production rate and the hopper capacity.
The larger the hopper, the fewer times your staff has to stop and refill it during the rush.
Counter space and power
Every machine in the CREAMO range runs on 220V / 50Hz single phase, so no three-phase connection is needed. Before installation, check that there is a socket and a power line suited to the rating of the model you choose.
After the power comes the space. Our narrowest ice cream machine is 230 mm wide, and the smallest slush machine is 200 mm. The largest slush machine in the range, with three tanks, needs about 54 cm of counter run and about 63 cm of depth.
Leave proper ventilation clearance around the machine as well — usually about 15 cm behind it. A refrigeration unit pushed too close to a wall, or hemmed in at the sides, struggles to shed the heat it generates, which raises the load on the cooling system and can affect both performance and the life of the components.
One flavour, two, or a twist
A single-flavour machine is an excellent answer for a business that wants to add dessert to the menu without giving up much space. For a café, a kiosk, or a business selling one main flavour, it can be the right choice.
But the moment you want to give the customer more options, a two-hopper machine becomes far more interesting. Twin-flavour machines also offer a twist that combines both flavours together — which gives you three serving options from just two hoppers: the first flavour, the second, and the twist.
The choice between countertop and floor-standing is not necessarily about output either. In many cases similar output is available in both builds. The question is simply which is more expensive in your business — space on the counter, or space on the floor.
Ice cream or slush — two different businesses
Slush machines generally have a lower entry price and simpler operation. Fill the tank, choose the mode, and the machine starts producing. The transparent tanks themselves become part of the display, showing the product to a customer before they have ordered.
On models with night mode, the machine keeps milk-based drinks chilled overnight, so the tanks do not have to be emptied at the end of each day.
A soft serve machine can generate higher value per serving, and its operation is not fundamentally different: preparing the mix is a simple task, and orderly cleaning together with staff who know how to work with the machine is a recipe for success.
Many businesses start with one of the two and add the other once the routine has settled.
What a serving actually costs
In a business selling tens or hundreds of servings, the gap between ingredient cost and selling price is exactly what makes soft serve attractive to so many operators.
In the calculator below you can enter your own price, volume and ingredient cost, and see the numbers for your business.
Payback calculator
How fast does a machine pay for itself?
Built on our own mix pricing: 1 kg of American soft-serve powder at ₪37 blended with 4 litres of milk at ₪32 yields 5 kg of finished ice cream — ₪69 of ingredients, or ₪13.80 per kilo. All figures include VAT.
Ask these before you sign anything
The price of the machine matters, but it is not the only thing that matters. Before you buy, it is worth knowing who stands behind the machine on the day you need them.
Who actually honours the warranty? Does the company that sold you the machine also service it? Are spare parts held in Israel, or ordered from the factory only after a fault occurs? Does the technician know the model? Are the mixes available on an ongoing basis? And are there operating instructions and support videos in Hebrew?
A professional machine is an investment made up front. A difference of a few hundred shekels in the purchase price becomes far less significant when a business is left with a machine that is down and no spare parts.
At CREAMO we hold spare parts for our models in Israel, and provide service and warranty for the machines we supply.
Not just choosing a machine — defining how it is built
CREAMO machines are built for us in selected factories, to the specifications, requirements and standards we set.
We are involved in the choice of systems and components, and we make technical adaptations aimed at suiting the machines to intensive commercial work, the Israeli climate, and the way businesses in Israel actually operate.
Every CREAMO series carries our fingerprint — from the technical specification, through the cooling and control systems, to the functions, the build of the machine and the way it is operated.
The aim is not just to sell a machine, but to know it inside out and to be able to stand behind it after the sale as well.
Which model fits which business?
- Café or kiosk adding dessertCreamo Solo S1
One flavour, an unusually narrow 23 cm body, and up to 200 servings an hour. Suited to a business that wants to add soft serve without giving up much counter.
From ₪8,000 incl. VAT - Busy kiosk, chain or franchiseCreamo Duo D2
Two flavours plus a twist, high output, and a size that fits a professional work counter. Up to 300 servings an hour.
From ₪14,000 incl. VAT - High traffic through peak hoursCreamo Duo D2-S
Two flavours and a twist in a professional floor-standing build, on braked castors with cooling for the upper hoppers. For a business that would rather keep the counter clear.
From ₪17,000 incl. VAT - High output without giving up floor spaceCreamo Duo D2-Linex
A countertop soft serve machine with high output of up to 30 litres an hour. Suited to businesses that need production capacity in a countertop build.
From ₪14,000 incl. VAT - Small counter, one frozen drinkCreamo Frost F1
A single 15-litre tank in a body only about 20 cm wide. A compact answer for a business adding slush, iced coffee or one frozen drink.
From ₪3,900 incl. VAT - Café, bar or convenience storeCreamo Frost F2
Two tanks holding 30 litres in total, with night mode for milk-based drinks. Lets you offer two flavours at once and keep the product chilled overnight.
From ₪5,200 incl. VAT - Chain, mall, pool or event venueCreamo Frost F3
Three tanks holding 45 litres in total. Built for businesses that want several flavours running at once and a large volume of product ready through the rush.
From ₪7,600 incl. VAT