It’s no secret that almost everybody has a soft spot for soft serve. But what is it about this whipped treat that wins people over more than typical ice cream? In this article, we’re going to go over the main reasons why we believe soft serve takes the cake in comparison to ice cream, and how the sweet treat is beneficial for consumers and companies alike.
Convenience of soft serve
Soft serve is incomparably more convenient than ice cream. Regular ice cream is typically stored at an optimum temperature of 0°F or colder. Soft serve is usually stored at a temperature around 18°F. When it comes to ice cream, trying to scoop it when it is frozen solid can be frustrating. With soft serve, this is never an issue. You simply place your cone or cup beneath the dispenser and pull down on a lever. This leads to faster and more convenient service.
Costs of soft serve vs hard ice cream
One thing people might not realize is how much more cost effective soft serve machines are compared to ice cream freezers. With hard ice cream, certain points need to be taken into consideration. A batch freezer is a necessity for making your own hard ice cream. Batch freezers are typically more expensive than soft serve machines. Not only would you need to purchase a batch freezer, but you would also need a blast freezer to cool the ice cream down at a rapid rate to avoid large ice crystal formation, as well as a display case to show customers what flavors your company has to offer. A soft serve machine, on the other hand, utilizes all these functions in one. Soft serve machines produce the ice cream, as well as store the ice cream until it is ready to be dispensed. This will not only save you money, but space as well.
Soft Serve Overrun
One of the most obvious differences between soft serve and ice cream is the fact that soft serve is smoother and lighter. Many people may not know that one way that soft serve gets its creamy, softer texture is through the incorporation of air throughout its production process. Overrun is the term for the percentage of ice cream that is air incorporated during the freezing process. Soft serve ice cream typically contains about 30%-60% overrun. Since this means 30%-60% of the ice cream is air incorporated, the product is being expanded by 30%-60%. For example, if you have 1 liter of product and 50% overrun, after the air is incorporated into the freezing process, you will end up with 1.5 liters of product. Not only does this increase the volume of your product, but it also increases profitability since you are increasing the amount of soft serve you can sell.
Nutrition
Ultimately, it depends on the recipes being used, but, generally speaking, soft serve tends to be the healthier choice between the two. This is due to the fact that soft serve contains around 3%-6% of milk fat, while ice cream must contain at least 10% by federal law. Per a study done on foodstruct.com, when comparing the two desserts, soft serve ice cream tended to be lower in sugar and sodium than ice cream, and richer in vitamins A, B1, B12, C, D, E and K. Again, it depends on the ingredients you add to your soft serve mixture, but if healthier options are integrated, this can be used as a major selling point.
While many people may use the words soft serve and ice cream synonymously, the two snacks are not very similar at all. In this article, we’ve learned about the taste, the texture, the production, the contents, and the nutrition of both soft serve and ice cream. Now it is up to you to decide – soft serve or ice cream?