Ice cream maker: how much electricity it uses, what it costs in Chilean pesos and which to buy, Ninja CREAMi, soft serve or compressor

A home ice cream maker uses very little electricity: between CLP 12 and CLP 28 per batch with electricity at CLP 255.27 per kWh (CGE, October 2026), according to Energía Futura's calculations. Wattage ranges from 12 W in freezer-bowl models to 800 W in the Ninja CREAMi, and prices in Chile start at CLP 14,990 and reach CLP 344,990 for home models, according to Falabella on 9 November 2026. A commercial soft-serve machine is another story: about 24 kWh a day, more than CLP 6,000 daily.

This guide explains the four types of ice cream maker sold in Chile, how much each one uses, why some require adding the freezer's consumption, and which one to choose depending on how much ice cream you make and how much you want to pay.

• Freezer bowl: a double-walled bowl with coolant liquid that must be frozen for at least 8 hours beforehand. The machine only turns a paddle for about 30 to 40 minutes. That is why it uses so little: the 1.4-litre Blanik Ice Cream Maker is rated at 12 W, according to its listing on Paris.
• Frozen-block processor (Ninja CREAMi and similar): the mix is frozen solid in a pint for 24 hours and then a blade shaves and whips it in a few minutes. Ninja CREAMi machines are rated at 800 W, according to SharkNinja.
• Compressor: it has a built-in refrigeration unit, like a small freezer, and needs nothing frozen in advance. It can make batch after batch.
• Commercial soft serve: the parlour machines that keep the mix cold all day and serve it instantly. They draw several kilowatts.

The wattage on the box is not enough to work out the cost, because two of the four types use the household freezer to do half the job. In a bowl machine, the freezer freezes the bowl; in a Ninja CREAMi, it freezes the mix. That cold also costs electricity, even though it does not come from the machine.

To estimate it, we calculated the energy needed to cool and freeze half a kilo of mix or coolant from room temperature to about -18 °C and divided it by the typical efficiency of a home freezer. The result is in the order of 0.03 to 0.04 kWh per pint or per bowl, that is, CLP 8 to 10. This is an Energía Futura estimate, not manufacturer data.

Source: Energía Futura calculations with electricity at CLP 255.27 per kWh. Wattages from Paris (Blanik) and SharkNinja (Ninja CREAMi). *The listings of compressor machines sold in Chile do not state wattage; the 110 W Cecotec Gelacy 1200 Touch is used as a reference, according to MediaMarkt. The Ninja's 3 minutes are an assumption that includes one cycle and one re-spin.

The difference between types is a few pesos per batch. Even if you make ice cream twice a week all summer, the electricity cost stays below CLP 250 a month. With bowl machines, the hidden cost is something else: taking up freezer space for hours.

Searches for a soft-serve ice cream machine mix two different products. The Ninja Swirl (NC701) is a home CREAMi that can also dispense ice cream in a swirl, like soft serve. It uses the same as other Ninjas: about CLP 18 per pint.

Commercial soft-serve machines are parlour units with a compressor that keep the mix cold all day. The Ventus VSP-30PRO, rated at 30 litres per hour, draws 1,950 W and its manual states consumption of 24 kWh per day. At the residential kWh price that is CLP 6,126 a day; over 26 working days, close to CLP 159,300 a month. A business usually has a commercial tariff, so the exact figure depends on its contract.

These were the prices listed on Falabella, which includes sellers such as Sodimac and third-party stores, on 9 November 2026.

Source: Falabella, 9 November 2026; wattages from SharkNinja, Paris and Easy (EasyWays Amalfi). Prices change often and several were on sale.

• If you make ice cream now and then: a freezer-bowl model, from CLP 14,990. It is the cheapest and uses almost nothing, but requires planning and freezer space.
• If you want fruit, protein or sugar-free ice cream: a Ninja CREAMi, from CLP 189,990. It works well with mixes that bowl machines cannot make creamy, although the pint must be frozen a day ahead.
• If you make ice cream often and for many people: a compressor model, from CLP 99,990. Nothing needs freezing in advance and it repeats batches.
• If you want to sell ice cream: a commercial soft-serve machine, with an electricity cost that must go into the business plan.

• Real capacity: the bowl's volume is not the amount of ice cream you get. A 1.4-litre machine usually makes considerably less, because the mix expands as it is churned.
• Freezer space: bowl machines and Ninjas need the bowl or pints kept in the freezer. Measure the space before buying.
• Extra pints or bowls: let you keep several batches ready. For the Ninja CREAMi they are sold separately.
• Voltage: Chile's grid runs at 220 V. Models designed for the United States run at 120 V; buy the European version (models ending in EU) or the one sold by local stores.
• Noise: the Ninja CREAMi and compressor models are louder than bowl machines, although for less time in the case of the Ninja.
• Cleaning: check which parts are dishwasher safe.

The purchase price weighs far more than electricity. With a CLP 189,990 Ninja CREAMi, it would take more than 10,000 pints for the electricity cost to match the price of the machine. The useful question is not how much it uses, but how often you will use it.

• Chill the mix in the fridge first: if it goes in cold, the machine or the freezer works less.
• Keep the bowl in the freezer: that way it is ready and does not have to be frozen from scratch each time.
• Do not overload the freezer: it needs space for air to circulate. We explain it in the guide to the chest or upright freezer and what it costs.
• Make several batches in a row with compressor machines: the first cool-down uses the most.
• Close the freezer properly: each long opening makes the compressor work harder.

The freezer is, by far, the appliance that uses the most energy in this story: it runs 24 hours a day. To see how much it weighs on your bill, check our guide to how much a fridge costs in pesos per month.

And if you want a single appliance that makes ice cream and sorbets and also cooks, a kitchen robot can make sorbet from frozen fruit. We analysed it in the article on the Thermomix and its consumption.

How much electricity does an ice cream maker use?

Between 12 W for freezer-bowl models and 800 W for the Ninja CREAMi. Per batch, the total cost including the freezer is CLP 12 to 28.

How much electricity does the Ninja CREAMi use?

About CLP 10 per machine cycle and about CLP 8 of freezer per pint, close to CLP 18 in total, according to Energía Futura's calculations.

How much is an ice cream maker in Chile?

From CLP 14,990 for bowl models, from CLP 99,990 for compressor models and between CLP 189,990 and 344,990 for Ninja CREAMi machines, according to Falabella on 9 November 2026.

What does a commercial soft-serve machine cost to run?

The Ventus VSP-30PRO uses 24 kWh a day according to its manual: about CLP 6,126 per day at the residential kWh price.

Which ice cream maker is best to start with?

A freezer-bowl model: it is the cheapest and uses the least, although the bowl must be frozen for at least 8 hours beforehand.