Electrical appliances are fairly simple machines, but they are a key factor in the success of a gelato, because they make your job easier and save time. Let's take a look at each of them, one at a time: a professional juicer and a centrifugal mixer are essential. As the products on the market are very tough, make sure that the motor does not overheat and that thermal protection does not have to cut in too often.
In a gelato shop, a hand blender is often used as an alternative to the cutter, in some processes where a fruit mix is needed. As with the juicer, make sure that the power cord is held firmly in place inside the machine. Examine the engine block cover too. This is usually made of a highly-resistant plastic material, which ensures that the air intakes are not obstructed. Next, check that the knives housed inside the bowl are in good working order.
For the workshop to function with accuracy, a number of measuring tools are essential, including scales, a thermometer and a refractometer. Thermometers and refractometers are not subject to wear, but scales, especially digital ones, might encounter some problems: it is best to check that the motherboard is working properly and that the seals are in proper working order, as excess stress or water infiltration can mean they break down from one moment to the next!
Knives of various shapes and sizes, provided they are sharp, are essential for preparing ingredients; just think how many different ones are needed for fresh fruit. When you need to make traditional flavours such as stracciatella or nougat, large knives with a long thick blade help to break up the blocks. What if they are hopelessly warped or chipped? The blades have stopped cutting efficiently? Then it's time to replace them.
Buckets are best made out of stainless steel, with a practical handle, graduated and with a spout. They can be used to hold (or even measure) lots of different raw materials, or to contain mixtures for blending or whisking with beaters or hand blenders. Steel containers present no particular problems, whereas the base of plastic ones is often chipped by the blender bowl or by the whirring of steel beaters, and so it might have some scratches, where the dirt can get in and be hard to remove.
Fine-mesh sieves, whisks and spatulas are now always made out of stainless steel and make it easy to hand-mix the ingredients in perfect safety and hygiene. All you need to do is give them proper maintenance and replace them whenever necessary.