The Affogato Bar: the first workstation built for gelato and espresso together

Affogato has been on café menus for decades, but gelato production and espresso service have traditionally lived in separate parts of the café.

Gelato typically comes from a dipping cabinet, while espresso comes from a machine at the bar. Serving an affogato means bringing those two sides of the operation together. 

La Marzocco and Texas FrozenTech have built the workstation designed to close that gap. The Affogato Bar is a first-of-its-kind workstation that churns fresh gelato and pulls professional espresso from one customer-facing counter. La Marzocco has handcrafted espresso machines in Florence since 1927, while Texas FrozenTech engineers front-of-house frozen dessert systems from Plano, Texas.

Together, the two companies have created an entirely new equipment category built around making gelato and espresso part of the same experience.

Here is what it does and what it takes to run.

What makes this the first of its kind? 

Frozen dessert equipment and espresso equipment have traditionally developed as separate categories. Batch freezers were designed around producing frozen desserts, while espresso machines were built around the coffee bar.

The Affogato Bar brings the two together in one purpose-built workstation.

Two Live Pozzetti batch-freezer-and-display systems sit on the customer side of the 67-inch cart. Each produces batches from 1.5 to 3 liters, allowing gelato to be churned and then held in the same pot at serving temperature. Highly transparent protective lids, anti-fog technology, and built-in LED spotlights keep the gelato visible throughout service.

Beside them sits a professional La Marzocco espresso setup.

One operator. One counter. One motion from fresh gelato to espresso.

The result is a customer-facing workstation where both sides of an affogato can be prepared in one place.

Why does fresh gelato make a better affogato?

Affogato depends on the interaction between two very different temperatures and textures. A hot shot of espresso lands directly on frozen gelato, so the structure and serving temperature of the gelato matter.

Freshly made gelato retains the structure, temperature, and aroma that make it especially well suited for affogato, allowing it to blend and emulsify smoothly with hot espresso.

The Affogato Bar removes the traditional separation between production and service. There is no need to move the gelato from a separate production machine to a display cabinet before serving it. Gelato is made and displayed in the same Live Pozzetti system, directly in front of the customer.

That single design decision is at the center of the Affogato Bar experience.

What can you actually make with it?

Affogato is the obvious starting point, but the format opens the door to a much broader menu.

Each Live Pozzetti accepts fresh solid and liquid ingredients directly, including fruit, nuts, milk, and chocolate. This allows operators to build recipes around ingredients already used throughout their kitchen or beverage program.

On the coffee side, the combinations can change with the menu. Pistachio gelato under a ristretto. Fior di latte with espresso and cocoa. Seasonal gelato paired with a signature coffee. Matcha or fruit-based flavors can expand the menu beyond traditional coffee-forward combinations.

The same system can also support a broader frozen dessert program throughout the day, allowing operators to rotate flavors and build seasonal offerings around their concept. 

The throughput is what makes that rotation practical.

A full 3-liter batch yields roughly 38 servings at 80 grams each. Initial batches reach texture in approximately 12 to 18 minutes. Ultra Freeze performance brings 1.5 to 2 quarts to texture in approximately 10 minutes and 2 to 3 quarts in approximately 15 minutes. Continuous refill batches can be ready in approximately six minutes.

Rated production capacity reaches up to 300 80-gram servings per hour.

Six minutes is the number worth remembering. With two independent Live Pozzetti systems and fast refill cycles, operators can rotate flavors throughout service without relying on a large inventory of pre-made frozen product.

Professional espresso, built into the same workstation

The espresso side of the Affogato Bar is designed around professional La Marzocco equipment, bringing freshly pulled espresso directly alongside the two Live Pozzetti gelato systems.

Rather than placing the espresso machine behind a traditional coffee bar and the gelato elsewhere, both become part of the same customer-facing workstation. Customers can watch fresh gelato being churned and served alongside espresso preparation from a single counter.

The Affogato Bar is designed to accommodate a range of La Marzocco espresso machine configurations, giving operators flexibility when building their setup.

On the battery version, the coffee-machine connection is rated at 20A, 220V, with auxiliary AC output up to 5,000 watts. Dedicated 110V outlets are also provided for a grinder and additional accessories.

The result is not simply a gelato machine placed next to an espresso machine. The two systems are integrated into one workstation designed to make both gelato production and espresso preparation part of the customer experience.

Where can you put it?

The Affogato Bar is designed to operate in places where building a permanent dessert and espresso station may not be practical.

Freshwater and wastewater storage are integrated into the cart, eliminating the need for a direct plumbing connection during operation. Heavy-duty caster wheels and a push handle allow the unit to move between service areas, while the structure is designed to be assembled and disassembled for transportation.

A waterproof canvas canopy sits above the workstation, supported by height-adjustable poles. Exterior canopy and front-panel graphics can be customized, and an integrated 27-inch digital display can be used for menus, promotions, or branded content.

The battery version carries two lithium-ion battery packs, each rated at 48 VDC, 100 Ah, and 4.8 kWh. On a full charge, the system is designed to support approximately 300 cups of freshly churned gelato and 150 cups of espresso.

Charging takes approximately five hours, and the systems can continue operating while connected to external power.

A non-battery version is also available.

The cart measures approximately 67 by 33.5 inches at the base and stands 94.5 inches high. The battery version weighs approximately 990 pounds, while the non-battery version weighs approximately 770 pounds.

That opens the format to hotel lobbies, banquet floors, restaurant dining rooms, rooftops, festivals, brand activations, weddings, catering operations, and other locations where a permanent gelato and espresso station would be difficult to build.

What does it take to run day to day?

Each Live Pozzetti pot can be cleaned in less than five minutes.

The process is straightforward: remove the blade and scraper, add 2 liters of water, start the automatic cleaning program, and drain the water through the internal front drainage system.

The workstation uses an anti-condensation 304 stainless steel countertop, while highly transparent protective lids and an anti-fog system help maintain a clean, customer-facing presentation throughout service.

The Live Pozzetti system also includes a self-adaptive anti-freeze scraper, speed-adjustable high-power steel agitator, built-in LED spotlights, flavor-tag display, and a safety switch that stops the blades when the lid is opened.

The result is a production system designed not only to make gelato, but to make the production process visible.

Does the business case hold up?

The business case comes down to flexibility, production, menu expansion, and the customer experience.

Producing frozen desserts in small batches allows operators to build flavors around ingredients already used throughout their business. Milk, fruit, nuts, chocolate, coffee, and other ingredients can become part of a rotating frozen dessert menu without requiring large batches of finished product to be stored in advance.

The 3-liter batch size also makes experimentation and seasonal rotation more practical. Instead of committing to large quantities of a flavor, an operator can produce smaller batches and adjust the menu based on demand.

Affogato also creates an opportunity to extend espresso service beyond the traditional morning coffee occasion. It combines coffee and dessert into a single menu item that can work during afternoon, evening, restaurant, hotel, catering, and event service.

Then there is the display itself. 

Fresh gelato churning behind protective glass at the front of the house gives customers something to watch. The Live Pozzetti system allows production, preservation, display, and service to happen in the same place. 

The equipment is not hidden behind the operation. It becomes part of the experience. 

The bottom line 

The Affogato Bar brings two categories that have traditionally operated separately onto one customer-facing workstation. 

Two Live Pozzetti systems produce fresh gelato in batches of up to 3 liters, with continuous refill batches ready in approximately six minutes and rated production capacity of up to 300 80-gram servings per hour. Beside them, a professional La Marzocco espresso setup allows espresso and freshly churned gelato to move from the same counter directly into the customer's cup. 

The battery configuration adds another layer of flexibility, supporting approximately 300 cups of gelato and 150 cups of espresso on a full charge without requiring a permanent plumbing connection. 

Affogato is the name and the obvious application. 

The opportunity is considerably wider. 

The Affogato Bar is available from Texas FrozenTech in battery and non-battery configurations. To request specifications or book a demonstration, contact info@txfrozentech.com or +1 (406) 407-7897, or visit txfrozentech.com.