10 Tips for Making Cheap Soft Serve Ice Cream with a Home Machine
10 Tips for Making Cheap Soft Serve Ice Cream with a Home Machine
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There is a crowd-pleasing soft serve ice cream with flavor and texture that can be enjoyed by both young and old. At home is a cheaper way to treat yourself to the sweet and with proper equipment – it is not as complicated as you think. Buying a soft serve ice cream machine definitely pays off, especially when you compare these costs with the price of store-bought ice cream but also trips to the ice cream parlor.
In this post, we are going to provide you with 10 tips that will help you achieve a low-cost ice cream while maintaining a rich flavor and texture. These tips provide a guiding light, regardless if you are new to the home ice cream making scene or have made your own soft serve dozens of times before that can help create terrific tasting soft serve for next to nothing.
1. Choose an Affordable Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine
The key to getting your homemade soft serve fix for cheap is picking up an cheap home machine. Some machines are costly, but there are also many affordable types. Home soft serve machines retail for anywhere from $50 to $300, depending on the brand and features. Find a small and user-friendly model that has good performance reviews.
For example, you can find smaller machines for $50-$100 that are perfect for small amounts of soft serve ice cream. While they might lack all the bells and whistles, when used correctly these machines are capable of yielding silky-smooth results.
2. Use Simple Ingredients
Low cost ingredients are one of the simplest ways to save when making soft serve ice cream. Soft serve is mostly composed of milk, sugar and a stabilizer, all of which are available in any grocery store. And you need not purchase overpriced ice cream mixes or exotic substances.
- Milk: whole milk is usually the best option for an indulgent, creamy and rich ice cream but you can use low-fat options like 2% milk to cut down on costs.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is the cheapest soft serve ice cream sweetener. You can try using things like honey or maple syrup if you want natural sweeteners, although they are often on the pricier side.
- Vanilla Extract: If you want a classic vanilla soft serve, use real vanilla extract then your product will taste better. Another option would be to use imitation vanilla extract or simply vanilla flavoring for a cheaper alternative.
3. Opt for Homemade Ice Cream Mix
Instead of using pre-made soft serve mixes, you can make an ice cream base at home. A very basic homemade base consists of combining milk, cream, sugar and a little stabilizer (guar gum or xanthan gum are two fairly cheap options you can easily find online or in store at a health food store)
So, here is a simple recipe for preparing your own ice-creams mix:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup of heavy cream (This should also work with whole milk, and be the cheaper option.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Using these ingredients, combine them well before chilling for a few hours and then pouring into your soft serve ice cream machine.
4. Buy Ingredients in Bulk
If you expect to make ice cream often, purchasing bulk ingredients can help save a significant amount of money in the long run. Get 100 lb bags of sugar, gallons of milk, and on the odd chance, huge containers of vanilla extract. This lowers the batch price, which in turn makes your own ice cream a bit less expensive.
As an example, you can get whole milk in a gallon container for the same price or less than what you would pay for smaller individual cartons. In a similar manner, purchasing sugar in bulk may save you money overall.
5. Freeze Ingredients Before Mixing
It also just so happens that one trick to achieving a creamy smooth soft serve is to freeze the mix-ins beforehand in your soft serve ice cream machine. The reason being that when your ice cream base is pre-chilled, the machine can more easily incorporate air and freeze your ice cream to a smooth, creamy texture. Freezing the machine's bowl (if your model needs it) also aids in this as well, because the quicker everything freezes
6. Keep the Right Consistency
You should end up with smooth, soft ice cream equivalent to that of soft serve, but it can be difficult to create this consistency at home. OR IF your ice cream is too runny or thick, reduce the amount of sugar or milk in your base. If you add too much sugar, the ice cream is too soft, but if there is not enough milk or cream, it can be hard to scoop out as well.
There is also a consistency control knob on some soft serve ice cream machines that assists in regulating how hard or soft the end product will be. If your machine does not have this, just ensure the mix is cold enough when you put it in and do not over-mix.
7. Experiment with Add-ins for Variety
An even easier and more fun way to upscale your cheap ice cream is by adding pretty cheap add-ins like chocolate chips, crushed Cookies or fruit. The toppings do not have to be expensive store bought, so get creative and use what you already have in your cupboards.
- Chocolate Chips: An excellent addition to almost every flavor of soft serve and very cheap when purchased in bulk.
- Crushed Oreos or Graham Crackers: These cookies are perfect crunchy mix-ins to swirl into vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
- Frozen Berries: If you enjoy fruit in your ice cream, frozen berries can be a fantastic and more affordable alternative than fresh fruit, which usually spoils quickly.
8. Avoid Excessive Additives and Stabilizers
Commercial soft serve ice creams may contain additives and stabilizers for texture and shelf life, but this is not necessary in the home. The basic recipe that follows will also give you a similarly creamy texture. Make sure that if you were using stabilizers e.g. guar gum, to just use them in very small amounts because too much of it can change the texture and add overhead on cost as well.
9. Batch Size Matters
Preparing big batches of soft serve at a time is cheaper as you are utilizing your soft-serve ice cream machine efficiently without wasting ingredients. But do keep this size in proportion with the capacity of your machine. Most home machines can manage batches from 1 to 1.5 quarts. An important note: If you need more ice cream than the machine can hold, it is best to divide them into several smaller batches instead of overfilling the machine, because doing so will change the texture and consistency of your ice cream.
10. Make Ice Cream Sandwiches or Cones
To make the servings last longer and create less waste, you could also turn your homemade soft serve ice cream into ice cream sandwiches, or serve it in cones. Both of them are straightforward to make and by using budget cookies or cones, you can reduce your overall cost per serving. This is even more helpful if you are entertaining a large group.
- Ice Cream Sandwiches: Make ice cream sandwiches from store-bought cookies (or bake yourself) for a low-cost and simple treat.
- Cones: Ice cream cones tend to be less expensive than bowls, but they also work to reduce additional ingredients or waste.
Conclusion
A soft serve ice cream machine is a fun way to make cheap ice cream at home. You can achieve a creamy, rich ice cream without spending a fortune by selecting cheap ingredients, purchasing in bulk, and utilizing straightforward techniques. Now you can savor soft serve year-round, anytime the craving strikes—and get your fix for less. Report this page