Battle of the ice machines: Carpigiani Labo XPL-P vs. Labotronic HE

One thing first: Carpigiani is rightly the market leader in ice cream technology! If you are an ice-cream maker who values quality, durability, hygiene, value stability, reliability, professional service and ease of operation, you can hardly ignore the machines from Bologna.

But Carpigiani also has a whole range of different machine series with different features and at different price levels. One question we receive very frequently is: What is the difference between the two professional ice cream machine series from Carpigiani, the Labotronic HE Series and the Labo XPL-P series?

And: Which machine is the right one for which ice cream maker?

The similarities

All Carpigiani ice cream machines make great ice cream, are easy to use, easy to clean and use little water and electricity.

Both series - HE and XPL-P - are reliable, extremely durable (often well over 20 years), stable in value - and if something does break, Carpigiani has both the most extensive spare parts warehouse directly in Germany and the densest service network compared to all competitors, so that your machine can produce ice again the very next day if possible.

And both machines rely on simple, almost "idiot-proof" operation: you don't have to specify the quantity or the type of ice cream mix filled in to achieve an optimal result - the machine does all that for you. This leads to far fewer sources of error and thus fewer problems and consistent quality.

But what are the differences between the two machine series?

Most obvious difference: the price

Let's start with the most obvious difference: the price. With the same cylinder size (and thus the same production capacity per cycle), the Labo XPL-P series is a good 20 % cheaper than the corresponding Labotronic HE model.

That sounds tempting , of course - but of course it also has its reasons

From the outside, there are few differences: both machines are the same size and look similar. The housing is the same, the keyboard of the HE series has a larger display and a few more buttons - more on that in a moment.

In the basic version, however, the Labo XPL-P has a door made of a special plastic - the Labotronic HE, on the other hand, has a steel door. Frankly, we are not big fans of the plastic door, because apart from the fact that the stainless steel door is much more robust and durable and has a larger inlet and outlet, the ice simply freezes faster and harder with a steel door than with the plastic door.

The reason is simple: plastic never gets "really" cold - that's why the ice "thaws" slightly every time the door makes contact during the freezing process. The steel door , on the other hand, becomes ice-cold and - once cooled - additionally supports the freezing process. It's a good thing that the Labo XPL-P can also be equipped with the same steel door for an additional charge - this puts the price difference into perspective a little, but in our opinion it is definitely recommendable.

The inner values

When you open the cylinder, you notice the next difference: in the HE series, scrapers (so-called "knives") are made of steel, whereas in the XPL-P they are made of plastic. The even better scraping "steel knives" make the machine faster, the ice more stable despite a slightly higher air impact, last much longer, are less sensitive (e.g. to frozen raspberry seeds) and - correctly - more expensive.

But when we go into the technical inner workings of the machine(s), things get even more exciting - and the differences even more obvious.

This is because the Labotronic HE series has three decisive technical differences to the XPL-P series: The inverter, with which the speed of the agitator can be infinitely regulated (and which, incidentally, minimises wear on the gearbox). A hot gas injection, with which the cylinder can be heated (or even heated up) . And an electronic injection valve with which the cold supply to the refrigeration system can be sensitively adjusted.

OK. What's in it for me?

So what does the customer get out of it? Quite simple: The combination of the three components (inverter, hot gas, electronic injection valve) enables a whole range of intelligent functions and programmes that not only make life easier for the gelatiere, but also offer completely new possibilities.

It is indeed difficult to list all the additional options and programmes here and now - because there are so many, and because not every ice cream maker will need all of them. That is why we will concentrate on the essential ones.

1. flexible production volume

On the one hand, the interplay of intelligent sensor technology and sensitively controllable refrigeration system enables enormous flexibility in production quantities. For example, a Labotronic 20 90 HE-I can easily process both a minimum quantity of 2.5 kg and a maximum quantity of 12 kg of ice-cream mix - that's from one to three bowls of finished ice-cream: only one bowl for "exotic varieties" or in the pre/post-season, but a whole three bowls (mind you, in about 7 minutes) of chocolate or vanilla. An equally large Labo 50 90 XPL-P has a minimum quantity of 6 kg, so at least two bowls must always be made.

2. excellent ice cream

The combination of sensor technology and refrigeration system is also the heart of the "Excellent" ice cream programme, for a long time the flagship programme of the Labotronic series, in which the cold intake of the ice cream mix is constantly analysed and the refrigeration capacity is controlled accordingly. This programme ensures significantly improved ice cream quality, especially for varieties that are difficult to balance and/or process (varieties with alcohol, fruit ice cream with fluctuating sugar content,...).

3. hot gas - for cleaning, taste and emergencies

The hot gas injection not only facilitates cleaning by heating the cylinder (which dissolves fats much better), but can even be used in the HOT machines (series since 2020) to heat the ice cream mix in the cylinder in portions. Of course, this is no permanent substitute for a pasteuriser, but it can be used in a variety of ways - be it for better flavour development of oily varieties (e.g. chocolate and nut), or if the pasteuriser is already empty or has failed for a short time.

4. special programmes - gelatiere heart, what more do you want!

And of course there is a whole range of special programmes for the ambitious gelato maker: The "Hard" programme freezes the ice cream extra hard - so it can be sold immediately in the display case, without shock freezing or intermediate storage. The "Crystal" programme produces soft ice cream with high air impact and is ideal for ice cream cakes or filling portion cups. The "Zero" programme makes it possible to produce ice cream with significantly less sugar (which must, however, be stored and sold at a different temperature). In addition, there are many other programmes - and more are regularly added via software updates . By the way, in order not to confuse the ice cream maker, programmes that are not needed can simply be hidden . This way, the operation always remains clear.

Only the Top series offers all this Labotronic HE.

So which machine for which type of ice cream maker?

We summarise again briefly:

The Labo XPL-P is a reliable, proven and high-quality ice cream machine that concentrates on the essentials in favour of a lower price: making good ice cream. It is more or less the "VW Golf" among ice cream machines. So if you want to "just make ice creamnormally", always work with relatively constant quantities and can do without the last few percent production speed and air surcharge: Perfect, you have found your machine! But remember our tip from above and invest the few euros more for a stainless steel front door.

But to stay with the example of the car: The top engine and the latest safety, comfort and additional functions are only ever available in the top lines.

So if you value maximum flexibility in production quantities and maximum ice cream quality even with difficult flavours, if you want to optimise production speed and air impact, if you want to try out different ice cream specialities (layered ice cream, cup filling, less sugar), if you want to be prepared for future trends thanks to software updates , or if you simply demand the best from yourself and your production - then decide in favour of the Labotronic HE series.

Have we aroused your interest? We will be happy to provide you with individual advice at any time - whether by telephone, e-mail, video conference or in person.

We look forward to seeing you!