GelatoLabs teaches the numbers behind great gelato: fat, sugar, milk solids, and serving temperature. Courses are taught by Chef Widad "Wi" Mueller, founder of Rollin' Gelato and Executive Chef at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, who learned gelato-making in Italy. Learn to balance your own base, fix a sandy or icy batch, and build a menu you can make every day.
Typical gelato serving temperature. Ice cream is often served near −18 °C.
Air whipped into gelato (overrun). It is denser than most ice cream.
Target fat for a milk-based gelato base.
Target total solids. Too low turns icy; too high turns gummy.
Change the grams. The bars show where your base lands against the target range (green band).
Start online, then make it with your hands. Every course includes a printable balancing workbook.
Ingredients, the role of each solid, churning, hardening, and storage. Eight video lessons with recipes for fior di latte, chocolate, and a fruit sorbetto.
Four live sessions on sugar choice, freezing point, sweetness, and stabilizers. You leave with three balanced recipes of your own.
Two days of hands-on production with batch freezers, held at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor, Michigan. Includes tasting sessions and an affogato workshop.
Equipment, layout, licensing questions to ask, menu size, costing a scoop, and a 90-day launch plan. Built for first-time owners.
The same mixes and tools we use in class, sized for home kitchens and small shops.
Pre-balanced sugars, milk powder, and stabilizer. Add milk and cream. Makes 2 liters of base.
Locust bean gum and guar in a measured blend. Use 3 to 5 grams per liter for a smooth, slow-melting texture.
Sugar and fiber blend for dairy-free fruit sorbetto. Pair with ripe fruit at 40 to 50 percent of the batch.
Digital scale to 0.1 g, probe thermometer, Brix refractometer, and two silicone spatulas.
A spreadsheet that does the math for any recipe, with targets for milk, fruit, and nut bases.
Balanced recipes with weights for home machines and 5-liter batch freezers.
For restaurants, lodges, cafés, and new shops that want a gelato program that holds up every day.
One custom flavor, balanced for your machine and display case, with a written recipe and batch sheet.
A 12-flavor rotating menu, equipment list sized to your volume, and scoop cost for each flavor.
Planning through opening week: menu, staff training, production schedule, and an on-site visit.
Icy, sandy, gummy, or too hard to scoop. Send your recipe beforehand and we will work through it together.
Tell us what you are making and what you need. We reply with the course or service that fits, or tell you if none does.