Understanding Artisanal Ice Cream Pricing
Why is artisanal ice cream expensive? It comes down to ingredients, processes and distribution.
Ingredients
Premium ingredients cost significantly more. At its core, ice cream is made with milk, cream, and sugar. Artisanal ice cream makers use high-quality, often organic or locally-sourced ingredients. Small batches also allow more creativity with flavors and mix-ins.
Production Process
The process of making ice cream is inherently complex and time-intensive. You have to carefully control temperatures as you turn a liquid into a solid. Most artisanal companies do this in small batches, avoiding mass production short-cuts.
Distribution Costs
Finally, distribution costs are higher when dealing with perishables and small retail spaces rather than huge grocery store contracts. The result is a tastier but pricier product.
Artisan vs Regular Ice Cream
What is the difference between artisan ice cream and regular ice cream? Artisan ice cream is made by skilled craftspeople using high-quality, often organic ingredients. It is produced in small batches, which allows for creativity in flavors. The process requires meticulously controlling temperatures to turn liquid into solid. Avoiding shortcuts used in mass production and selling through small outlets rather than big grocery stores increases distribution expenses, thus artisanal ice cream is not only tastier but also costlier.
Soft Serve and Gelato Varieties
Soft serve has less fat and is stored warmer than regular ice cream, which keeps it smooth and creamy. Soft serve is made from 3-6% milkfat and stored at 25°F, incorporating more air and hence melts faster than regular ice cream.
Gelato starts with a custard base like ice cream but uses more milk and less cream. It’s churned slower, adding less air, making it denser than ice cream.
Dairy Queen soft serve has 5% milkfat—less than the 10% needed to legally be called ice cream. The air whipped in gives it a smooth, soft texture but means less actual ice cream per volume. Soft serve was invented in the late 1930s, with several claims to the creation of the first soft serve machines. It’s kept soft by storing at a warmer temperature and incorporating more air than regular ice cream.