What is better water cooled or air cooled yogurt machines?

Answer 1

Air Cooled - These machines bring in air from three sides of the main housing (Front and Sides) to cool the coil and exhaust from the rear. This exhaust only occurs while the machine is being used (product is being dispensed) or when the machine cycles on to mix and maintain the frozen product (about every 7 minutes or so). These machines do not create much heat in the space and standard size A/C will suffice without the need to upgrade. We have installed up to 8 machines in one space without the need to modify the existing A/C.

Water Cooled - These machines require water to cool the coil. If water is the coolant, it is usually plumbed in from your city supply. This water circulates through the machine to cool it, then is sent down a drain. This is a large waste of water and will result in a substantial water bill because the water is not recovered. These machines also use as much electricity as an air cooled model (unless you are looking at a typical Taylor which has two 220V plugs compared to the Donper BH7480, which only requires one)

Glycol Cooled - These machines require Glycol to cool the coil. This Glycol is circulated through the machines, up to a manifold, then to an exterior radiator to exhaust the heat. This manifold system requires a large capital investment on your part, usually $15,000 - $20,000 and will require an ongoing maintenance budget. These machines also use as much electricity as an air cooled model.

Because either system requires substantially more investment than an air cooled unit, these "Water Cooled" systems have fallen out of favor within the industry.