Gelato machine vs. ice cream machine

[Nougat]

Does anyone know what the difference between a batch gelato machine and batch ice cream machine?

Edited July 8, 2014 by Nougat (log)

[weinoo]

Commercial or consumer?

 

I own a Lello Gelato machine; it makes gelato, ice cream and sorbet.  I didn't realize the difference was in the machine vs. the recipe.

[Mjx]

. . . .  I didn't realize the difference was in the machine vs. the recipe.

There isn't. The extent of the difference between Italian and traditional US ice creams is roughly that between Philadelphia and traditional US ice creams, and not every place that makes ice cream in Italy uses the identical base ingredients or churning times/temperatures (not to mention, in Italy, every bloody thing from Vivoli's best creations to the Algidas you can get in the freeze case of any convenience store are called 'gelato').

 

I'd just get an ice cream maker that offers a decent range of time and temperature settings, and find a good base recipe.

[paulraphael]

Gelato means something different in every Italian region, and probably to every Italian pastry chef. The one thing gelatos typically have in common is low overrun. So any machine sold as a gelato machine is going to be capable of spinning low overrun ice cream. Likewise, any machine that can be set for low overrun can be used to make a traditional gelato.

 

Since I like ice creams that are low on overrun, the distinction between the two doesn't mean much to me. My Kitchen Aid attachment tends toward low overrun, so I could call my stuff gelato if I wanted.

 

In the commercial world, the Italian Carpigiani machines are top of the heap. These things can be set to whatever overrun and whatever drawing temperature you want, and then get there automatically. A pastry chef I worked with said his spinning times were something like 6 minutes.

[Nougat]

Gelato means something different in every Italian region, and probably to every Italian pastry chef. The one thing gelatos typically have in common is low overrun. So any machine sold as a gelato machine is going to be capable of spinning low overrun ice cream. Likewise, any machine that can be set for low overrun can be used to make a traditional gelato.

 

Since I like ice creams that are low on overrun, the distinction between the two doesn't mean much to me. My Kitchen Aid attachment tends toward low overrun, so I could call my stuff gelato if I wanted.

 

In the commercial world, the Italian Carpigiani machines are top of the heap. These things can be set to whatever overrun and whatever drawing temperature you want, and then get there automatically. A pastry chef I worked with said his spinning times were something like 6 minutes.My work has a Carpigiani machine to produce gelato (and a lot of it) for other properties and a Pacojet for the onsite restaurant.  I need to send the Pacojet for service and I wanted to what difference the Carpigiani that will make.  I've yet to source a manual and no one else here seems to know the full potential of the Carpigiani machine. 

Thanks for your responses!  My work has a Carpigiani machine to produce gelato (and a lot of it) for other properties and a Pacojet for the onsite restaurant.  I need to send the Pacojet for service.  I've yet to locate a manual for the Carpigiani machine.  I'm new here and the gelato has been made under one setting that never changes.  Do all Carpigiani machines have adjustable overrun?

[HungryChris]

Not sure how many models they have. Maybe its older than these.

http://www.specialtyrestaurantequipment.com/store/manuals/carpigiani_LB302-502-1002-G_manual.pdf

 

HC

[Nougat]

Thanks @HungryChris.  It's the right manual.

[paulraphael]

Do all Carpigiani machines have adjustable overrun?

I don't know ... it's just a feature mentioned to me by a pastry chef. I just looked around on their site and they sell way more products than I expected. Details about specific features aren't so easy to find.

[teonzo]

Gelato means something different in every Italian region, and probably to every Italian pastry chef. The one thing gelatos typically have in common is low overrun. So any machine sold as a gelato machine is going to be capable of spinning low overrun ice cream. Likewise, any machine that can be set for low overrun can be used to make a traditional gelato.

 

 

Uhm, this is not correct, Mjx wrote it right. Here in Italy the word "gelato" is simply a general definition for all that kind of preparations (water based, dairy + egg, only dairy, artisanal or industrial... everything). Most professionals look for medium/high overrun, not for low (if we are speaking about traditional gelato in Italy).

 

 

 

Teo

[paulraphael]

Uhm, this is not correct, Mjx wrote it right. Here in Italy the word "gelato" is simply a general definition for all that kind of preparations (water based, dairy + egg, only dairy, artisanal or industrial... everything). Most professionals look for medium/high overrun, not for low (if we are speaking about traditional gelato in Italy).

 

 

 

Teo

I don't doubt that you are right, since nothing is standardized anywhere in Italy, and gelato is such a generic term. That being said, I've never encountered high overrun gelato, at least from gelaterias in Italy. And in the U.S., every gelateria and Italian pastry chef I've encountered makes very low overrun product. The other qualities that people debate endlessly (can it have cream? eggs? corn starch? lots of fat? little fat? etc.) seem completely variable.

 

Which is just to say that if "gelato" means anything at all, it's most likely to mean ice cream without much air. And there's plenty of ice cream without much air that doesn't get called gelato ...

 

Edited to add: Carpigiani makes different machines designated for ice cream and gelato (and some for both). There isn't much helpful info on their site, so I wrote an email asking for clarification. I'll post the answer here.

Edited July 10, 2014 by paulraphael (log)

[weinoo]

 it's most likely to mean ice cream 

 

I think this is pretty much what its definition is.

[Nougat]

The Carpigiani I have is model LB 502 G (I'm guessing "G" for "Gelato").   The manual does not differentiate between ice cream and gelato.  It only uses the term "ice cream." The machine doesn't have adjustable overrun but adjustable "Consistency" on a 1-10 "Hard-O-Tronic" scale, with 10 being the hardest.  There is no mention of overrun in the manual.  It does say "High butter fat ice cream may require a higher consistency, while ice cream with low fat content (such as shebert) requires a lower consistency setting." After reading the manual I decided to test out a trustworthy recipe of standard vanilla ice cream.  I set the consistency on 8.  The ice cream came out smooth, creamy, and dense at first.  As I continue to dispense the ice cream became rough looking and had a broken cream texture.  Maybe I should've gone with a lower consistency?

[pastrygirl]

Maybe, or use less fat. Sounds like it was just starting to break and turn to butter. Those machines do spin very quickly, I used one in CA that spun 3 quarts in 7 minutes. You have to be vigilant.