An ice cream freezer is not really a refrigeration purchase — it is a merchandising purchase that happens to need refrigeration. The cabinet that makes a gelato counter look premium will underperform in a convenience store, and the cabinet that moves impulse volume in a supermarket looks wrong in a dessert café.
So instead of another list of specifications, this guide is organised the way the decision actually gets made: by store format. Find your format, and the cabinet type, temperature class and glass configuration follow from it.
First, One Specification That Applies to Everyone
Whatever the format, ice cream needs a colder and more stable environment than most frozen product. Temperature swings cause recrystallisation — the gritty texture that customers notice immediately and blame on the product, not the cabinet.
Practical consequences:
- ≤ −18 °C is the standard class and is correct for pre-packaged ice cream and popsicles.
- ≤ −22 °C is worth specifying where texture is the selling point, ambient conditions are hot, or the lid is opened constantly.
- Stability matters more than the headline number. A cabinet that holds −18 °C steadily beats one that oscillates around −20 °C.
Operators in the US should confirm frozen-storage practice against their state’s adoption of the FDA Food Code. If you are comparing energy performance between quoted cabinets, insist on figures tested to ISO 23953-2 rather than nameplate wattage, which is not comparable across cabinet types.
Format 1: Gelato Shops and Ice Cream Parlours
What the format demands
The cabinet is the shop front. Product is the display, presentation drives the ticket price, and the customer is standing at the glass while deciding. Visibility and premium appearance outrank litres per metre.
What to specify
- Curved, high-transparency glass — the curve reduces distracting reflection and shows the product from a standing position.
- Stable low temperature, because texture is the product.
- Cabinet length matched to the number of flavours the counter will actually run, not the maximum the space allows.
Reference specification
| Model | Temperature | Volume (L) | Rated Power (W) | Dimensions (mm) | Net Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD-706 | ≤ −18 °C | 523 | 345 | 1846×818×883 | 89 |
| SD-806 | ≤ −18 °C | 603 | 375 | 2100×818×883 | 97 |
The Ice Cream Freezer Display Case is the cabinet built for this format: high-transparency curved glass, stable low-temperature preservation, and a footprint that suits a serving counter rather than an aisle.
Format 2: Cafés, Bakeries and Dessert Shops
What the format demands
Ice cream is an attachment sale, not the main business. The cabinet has to earn its floor space next to seating, so it must be compact, quiet, and often has to handle chilled product as well as frozen.
What to specify
- Dual temperature — one cabinet running 0~10 °C for chilled drinks and desserts alongside ≤ −18 °C or ≤ −22 °C for frozen.
- Compact footprint, because floor space is seating revenue.
- Curved sliding glass for presentation in a customer-facing room.
Reference specification
| Model | Temperature | Dimensions (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| SD/SC-518 | 0~10 °C | ≤ −18 °C | 1475×757×860 |
| SD/SC-618 | 0~10 °C | ≤ −18 °C | 1675×758×853 |
| SD/SC-718 | 0~10 °C | ≤ −18 °C | 2000×757×860 |
| SD/SC-518B | 0~10 °C | ≤ −22 °C | 1475×757×860 |
| SD/SC-718B | 0~10 °C | ≤ −22 °C | 2000×757×860 |
The Curved Glass Island Freezer covers this format, with the “B” variants stepping down to ≤ −22 °C where frozen dessert texture is the priority. At 757 mm deep it fits layouts where a full-width island cabinet would not.
If the cabinet also merchandises cakes and pastries, specify the internal cake display rack at order stage rather than retrofitting it.
Format 3: Convenience Stores
What the format demands
Impulse. The customer did not enter for ice cream. The cabinet must be visible from the till queue, quick to open, and small enough not to consume a category’s worth of floor.
What to specify
- Compact dual-temperature or single-temperature glass-top island, positioned on the customer path.
- Sliding glass top — retains cold air in a store where the door opens constantly, while keeping product visible.
- Realistic capacity. A cabinet that runs half empty merchandises badly and costs the same to run.
Reference specification
| Model | Temperature | Volume (L) | Rated Power (W) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SD/SC-1300 | ≤ −18 °C | 358 | 251 |
| SD/SC-1500 | ≤ −18 °C | 418 | 290 |
| SD/SC-1800 | ≤ −18 °C | 558 | 390 |
| SD/SC-2000 | ≤ −18 °C | 798 | 412 |
The Deluxe Island Freezer spans 358 L to 798 L with curved sliding glass lids, which is the range most convenience formats sit in. Small-format stores that also need chilled capacity should look at the compact curved-glass dual-temperature cabinets above.
Format 4: Supermarkets and Hypermarkets
What the format demands
Volume and throughput. Pre-packaged ice cream sits in the frozen aisle competing on facings, and the cabinet is restocked heavily. Merchandising still matters, but litres per metre and temperature recovery matter more.
What to specify
- Forced-air cooling with automatic defrost — fast pull-down after restocking, even temperature end to end, and no manual defrost task for store staff.
- Open top for grab-and-go impulse, or sliding glass where energy retention is prioritised.
- Deep-basin cabinets where bulk frozen volume is the objective.
Reference specification
| Model | Cooling | Rated Running Power (W) | Defrost Power (W) | Dimensions (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DG-151060FH | Forced air | 1180 | 980 | 1500×1060×880 |
| DG-201060FH | Forced air | 1380 | 1200 | 2000×1060×880 |
| DG-251060FH | Forced air | 1735 | 1500 | 2500×1060×880 |
The Air-Cooled Open Island Freezer covers the open-top case; the Air-Cooled Glass Door Island Freezer puts sliding glass on the same forced-air body for premium and imported frozen lines.
Format Comparison at a Glance
| Format | Priority | Cooling | Temperature | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gelato shop / parlour | Presentation | Stable low temp | ≤ −18 °C | Ice Cream Freezer Display Case |
| Café / bakery | Compact + dual use | Static | 0~10 °C | ≤ −18/−22 °C | Curved Glass Island Freezer |
| Convenience store | Impulse visibility | Static | ≤ −18 °C | Deluxe Island Freezer |
| Supermarket / hypermarket | Throughput | Forced air, auto-defrost | ≤ −18 °C | Air-Cooled Open / Glass Door Island |
Three Mistakes Buyers Make
- Buying on litres alone. A cabinet that runs half full looks poorly merchandised and costs the same to operate. Size for realistic turnover, not maximum theoretical stock.
- Ignoring who defrosts it. Specifying a manual-defrost cabinet into a store where nobody owns that task guarantees frost build-up, higher energy use and a warranty conversation.
- Leaving refrigerant compliance to the freight forwarder. Our cabinets ship on R290 (island range) or R600a (smaller uprights), both low-GWP hydrocarbons. EU importers should still confirm requirements under F-gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573, and US importers under the EPA SNAP program, before the order ships.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature should an ice cream display freezer run at?
≤ −18 °C is the standard commercial class. Specify ≤ −22 °C where texture is the selling point, the ambient environment is hot, or the cabinet is opened very frequently. Stability matters as much as the setpoint.
Curved glass or flat glass?
Curved glass presents better in customer-facing counters and reduces reflection at standing height. Flat sliding glass is the practical choice in aisles where cabinets sit end to end and durability outranks presentation.
Can one cabinet hold chilled desserts and ice cream?
Yes — dual-temperature models run a 0~10 °C zone and a frozen zone simultaneously. This is the standard answer for cafés and convenience stores that cannot give two footprints to two cabinets.
Do you supply OEM and private-label cabinets?
Yes. Exterior colour, door style, logo branding, glass type, capacity, shelf configuration and destination power standard (EU, US, Asia) are all configurable. Fix these at order stage, not after production scheduling.
What should I send you to get a useful quotation?
Store format, available floor dimensions, whether you need chilled capacity in the same cabinet, destination market and voltage, target quantity, and whether branding is required. That is enough for us to return a model mix and a container loading plan.
Next Step
Send us your store format and floor dimensions and we will come back with a cabinet recommendation, capacity options and OEM/ODM configuration. Start with the Ice Cream Freezer Display Case or the Curved Glass Island Freezer.