Answers to the questions buyers ask before ordering a commercial frozen dessert machine
Straight numbers on cost, power, plumbing, delivery and payback. Prices below are the live listed prices on axospro.com as of September 2026.
Answered by the AXOSPRO team — commercial refrigeration specialists, Vero Beach, Florida.
Equipment manufactured by Jiangmen Gongly Machinery Co., Ltd. (est. 1999).
Last reviewed September 2026.
Questions: axosproinfo@gmail.com · 1-772-258-0386
How much does a commercial soft serve machine cost?
AXOSPRO commercial soft serve machines cost $1,617–$1,800. Across the full line, listed prices run from $1,205 for a compact two-bowl slush machine to $6,780 for a 1,000 kg/day industrial flake ice machine. The spread is driven by output and refrigeration capacity, not by brand markup — a countertop unit that produces 18–25 L/h sits in the middle of the range.
Listed price ranges by equipment type (axospro.com)
| Equipment type | Price range | Typical output |
|---|
| Slush / frozen drink machines | $1,205 – $1,447 | 2–3 bowls, 30 L total |
| Cube ice makers | $1,314 – $2,681 | 95 – 450 kg/24h |
| Fried (rolled) ice cream machines | $1,573 | Freezes to −30 °C |
| Soft serve machines | $1,617 – $1,800 | 16–32 L/h |
| Popsicle / ice pop machines | $1,771 – $3,506 | Single or double freezing station |
| Milkshake machines | $2,283 | High-speed single spindle |
| Flake ice machines | $3,280 – $6,780 | 300 – 1,000 kg/24h |
When budgeting a full build-out, the U.S. Small Business Administration recommends separating one-time equipment purchases from working capital before you commit to a lease: SBA — Plan your business.
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Do commercial ice machines need a water line and a drain?
Yes — cube and flake ice machines need two separate plumbing connections. One line feeds potable cold water into the machine; a second, separate line carries melt and rinse water out to a drain. They are not the same pipe. Soft serve, slush, popsicle and fried ice cream machines work differently: an operator pours mix or water in by hand, so they need neither a water line nor a floor drain.
- Needs plumbing: cube ice makers (IM-108 through IM-260) and all flake ice machines.
- No plumbing needed: soft serve, slush, popsicle, fried ice cream and milkshake machines — you only need a sink nearby for rinsing parts.
Commercial ice-making equipment is one of the larger water users in a food service kitchen, which is why the EPA covers it under its commercial water-efficiency programme: EPA WaterSense. Full connection requirements are documented in our installation guide.
What size ice machine does my business need?
For a full-service restaurant, plan on roughly 1.5 lb (0.7 kg) of ice per guest per day, then add your bar, beverage and food-display needs on top. A 150-seat restaurant turning twice a day needs about 450 lb (205 kg) of ice daily, which puts it in the range of a 450 kg/24h machine such as the IM-260 rather than a 95 kg/24h unit. Bars and cocktail programmes run hotter — count 2–3 lb per drink.
Buying undersized is the most common and most expensive mistake: the machine runs continuously, wears out faster, and you end up buying bagged ice to cover the gap. Sizing up one step costs far less than replacing the unit a year later.
The National Restaurant Association publishes category benchmarks for food service operations: National Restaurant Association. See also our ice machine installation and sizing guide.
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Can a commercial soft serve machine run on standard 110V power?
Every AXOSPRO machine ships configured for North American electrical service — 110 V / 60 Hz with a NEMA plug — so no electrician is required to rewire a standard U.S. outlet. Machines destined for 220 V / 50–60 Hz markets are built to order on request.
Before ordering, confirm two things at your site: that the circuit is dedicated (not shared with other heavy kitchen equipment), and that you have the clearance the machine needs for air intake — air-cooled condensers overheat in tight alcoves, and overheating is the single most common cause of soft serve that will not set.
Electrical safety requirements for workplace equipment are set by OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
How long does delivery take, and will I pay import duty?
In-stock machines leave our U.S. warehouse and arrive in the lower 48 states in 10–15 business days by LTL freight. Because stocked machines have already cleared customs and are held domestically, there are no import duties, customs clearance fees or overseas freight charges on those orders. The carrier contacts you to schedule a delivery appointment.
Items not currently held in a U.S. warehouse ship directly from our factory, with longer transit and import handling. The product page states which applies for each machine.
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How profitable is a soft serve machine?
At a $3.50 average ticket and about $0.45 in mix and cone cost per serving, a $1,617 countertop soft serve machine grosses roughly $3.05 per serving and pays for itself after about 530 servings. A machine rated at 18–25 L/h can produce several hundred servings in a single busy service, so the payback window is measured in days or weeks of good trade — not years.
That figure is gross margin only. Your real number depends on footfall, ticket price and labour. Soft serve rewards high-throughput sites (cafeterias, dessert bars, food trucks at events) far more than low-traffic ones, which is why matching machine capacity to your peak hour matters more than buying the cheapest unit.
Category margin and operating benchmarks are published by the National Restaurant Association: restaurant.org. Model the numbers against your own volumes with our profit calculator.
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What warranty and support come with an AXOSPRO machine?
Every AXOSPRO machine carries a 2-year warranty from the original delivery date, covering parts and the compressor, plus lifetime free technical support. If a machine develops a fault, contact support with your order number, model and a description of the issue; the team diagnoses it and arranges repair or replacement parts.
AXOSPRO is the North American brand of Jiangmen Gongly Machinery Co., Ltd., which has built commercial refrigeration equipment since 1999. Support is handled from Vero Beach, Florida — by phone at 1-772-258-0386 or by email at axosproinfo@gmail.com.
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