Understanding Charts

What You’ll Learn: This guide explains what charts are, how they work, and how to create and manage them in the Ice Cream Calculator. Charts are essential tools for analyzing and balancing your ice cream recipes to achieve the perfect texture, sweetness, and consistency. Charts are at the heart of the Ice Cream Calc application.

1. What Are Charts?

Charts are customizable templates that define target properties for your ice cream recipes. Think of a chart as a blueprint that tells you what ranges your recipe should fall into for properties like fat content, sugar levels, total solids, and serving temperature.

Why Use Charts?

Different types of frozen desserts have different ideal properties:

• Ice Cream typically has higher fat content (10-16%) and higher total solids (39-45%) for a rich, creamy texture
• Gelato has lower fat (5-9%) and lower total solids (35-40%), but achieves a dense texture through minimal overrun and warmer serving temperature
• Sorbet contains no dairy and relies on sugar content and serving temperature for proper texture
• Soft Serve has specific formulations designed for serving at warmer temperatures directly from the machine

Charts help you create recipes that match these target profiles by providing visual feedback and enabling automatic recipe balancing.

How Charts Work

Each chart contains a set of data items (also called properties or parameters). For each data item, you can define:

• Minimum and Maximum values – The acceptable range for this property
• Target value (optional) – The ideal value within the range
• Priority – Whether this property is critical for balancing
• Display settings – How the property is shown in charts and reports

Example: A basic ice cream chart might include:

• Total Fat: 12-15% (Target: 14%)
• Total Solids: 36-40% (Target: 38%)
• Sweetness (POD): 180-200 (Target: 190)
• Serving Temp (PAC): 220-250 (Target: 235)
• MSNF: 10-11% (Target: 10.5%)

Charts in the Recipe Editor

When you select a chart for your recipe, the calculator displays your recipe’s current values alongside the chart’s target ranges. Properties that fall within the acceptable range appear in green, while those outside the range appear in red.

This visual feedback makes it easy to see at a glance whether your recipe is balanced and which properties need adjustment.

Learn More About Balancing: Charts are the foundation of the automatic balancing feature, which can adjust your ingredient quantities to meet your target ranges. For detailed information about how to use charts for balancing, see the Recipe Balancing Guide.

2. Types of Charts

The Ice Cream Calculator supports three types of charts, each serving different purposes:

Personal Charts

Personal charts are charts you create and customize for your own recipes. These charts:

• Are private to your account
• Can be freely edited, renamed, or deleted
• Are perfect for developing your signature ice cream styles
• Can be based on clones of default or community charts

Personal charts appear with a person icon and a green highlight in the charts list.

Default Charts

Default charts (also called Standard charts) are professionally developed charts that come pre-installed with the calculator. These charts:

• Provide proven target ranges for common ice cream styles
• Are available to all users
• Cannot be edited directly (but can be cloned to create personal versions)
• Serve as excellent starting points for your own recipes

Default charts appear with a share icon and a blue highlight in the charts list.

Tip: If you like a default chart but want to make small adjustments, use the Clone button to create a personal copy that you can customize freely.

Community Charts

Community charts are charts shared by other users. You can:

• Browse charts shared by the community
• Download and clone charts created by other users
• Rate and review charts to help others find the best options
• Share your own successful charts with the community

Learn More About Sharing: For information about browsing community charts, downloading charts, and sharing your own charts with others, see the Sharing Guide.

3. The Charts Page

The Charts page is your central hub for managing all your charts. Access it by clicking Charts in the main navigation menu.

Chart List View

The main chart list displays all available charts in a sortable table with the following information:

• Chart Name – The name of the chart with a type indicator icon
• Category – The recipe category (Ice Cream, Gelato, Sorbet, etc.)
• Description – A brief description of the chart’s purpose
• Actions – Quick buttons to edit, clone, or delete charts

Filtering Charts

Use the filter chips at the top of the page to narrow down the chart list:

• My Charts – Show only your personal charts
• Default – Show only standard/default charts
• All – Show all available charts
• Category dropdown – Filter by recipe category (Ice Cream, Gelato, Sorbet, etc.)

Tip: Use the category filter to quickly find charts designed for the specific type of frozen dessert you’re making.

Chart Actions

For each chart in the list, you have several action buttons:

Personal Charts:

• Edit – Modify the chart’s properties and settings
• Clone – Create a duplicate copy with a new name
• Delete – Permanently remove the chart (requires confirmation)

Default Charts:

• Clone – Create a personal copy that you can edit

Important: Deleting a chart is permanent and cannot be undone. Make sure you have backups of any important chart configurations before deleting.

4. Creating a New Chart

Creating a custom chart allows you to define your own target properties for your ice cream recipes. You can start from scratch or clone an existing chart as a template.

Creating a Chart from Scratch

To create a new blank chart:

1. Go to the Charts page
2. Click the Create Chart button in the top-right corner
3. You’ll be taken to the Chart Editor with a new blank chart

Cloning an Existing Chart

Cloning is often the fastest way to create a new chart, especially if you want to make minor adjustments to an existing default or community chart.

1. Find the chart you want to clone in the charts list
2. Click the Clone button in the Actions column
3. A copy will be created with “(Copy)” added to the name
4. The cloned chart appears in your personal charts list
5. Click Edit on the cloned chart to customize it

Best Practice: Start by cloning a default chart that’s close to your needs, then adjust specific properties. This is faster than building from scratch and ensures you don’t miss important properties.

5. The Chart Editor

The Chart Editor is where you define all aspects of your chart, from basic information to detailed property ranges.

Chart Information Section

At the top of the editor, you’ll configure the basic chart settings:

Chart Name

Give your chart a descriptive name that indicates its purpose. Good examples:

• “Premium Vanilla Ice Cream”
• “Low-Fat Gelato Base”
• “Fruit Sorbet – High Sugar”
• “My Signature Chocolate”

Category

Select the recipe category this chart is designed for:

• Ice Cream – Traditional American-style ice cream
• Gelato – Italian-style frozen dessert
• Sorbet – Dairy-free fruit-based frozen dessert
• Sherbet – Fruit ice with dairy
• Frozen Yogurt – Yogurt-based frozen dessert
• Granita – Italian semi-frozen dessert
• Soft Serve – Soft-serve ice cream or frozen yogurt
• Special – Special chart of some kind
• Confectionary – For non-ice cream charts like Ganache
• Other – For experimental or mixed styles

Note: Choosing the correct category helps you (and others, if you share the chart) find the chart more easily when filtering.

Description

Add a brief description explaining what this chart is for and any special considerations. For example:

• “Balanced chart for fruit-flavored ice creams with moderate fat content”
• “High-end gelato with intense flavor and creamy texture”
• “Budget-friendly ice cream using lower-cost stabilizers”

Balance Ingredients in Order

This checkbox controls how the automatic balancing algorithm processes ingredients:

• Checked: The balancing tries to keep sorted by weight in the order they appear in the recipe. This is normally only checked if you use the chart to reverse engineer a recipe.

Saving Your Chart

Once you’ve configured the basic information:

1. Click the Save Changes button in the top-right corner
2. Your chart will be saved and you can now add properties to it

Important: You must save the chart before you can add properties to it. The “Add Properties” button will prompt you to save first if you haven’t already.

6. Adding Chart Properties

Chart properties (also called data items) are the individual measurements and calculations that define your target ranges. Properties can include nutritional data (fat, sugar, protein), ice cream-specific values (PAC, POD, MSNF), and calculated values (serving temperature, freezing point).

Adding Properties to Your Chart

1. In the Chart Editor, locate the Chart Properties section
2. Click the Add Properties button
3. A dialog will appear showing all available data properties
4. Select one or multiple properties by checking their boxes
5. Click OK to add them to your chart

Tip: You can select multiple properties at once using the checkboxes. This is faster than adding them one by one.

Common Chart Properties

Here are some essential properties you’ll likely want to include in most charts:

Essential Properties:

• Total Fat – Overall fat content (from cream, milk, egg yolks, etc.)
• Total Solids – Total non-water content
• Total Sugars – Combined sugar content from all sources
• POD (Sweetness) – Relative sweetness measurement
• PAC (Serving Temperature) – Affects texture and scoopability

Dairy-Specific Properties:

• MSNF – Milk solids non-fat (important for structure)
• Milk Fat – Fat specifically from dairy sources
• Lactose – Milk sugar content

Functional Ingredients:

• Stabilizers – Stabilizer content (usually 0.3-0.5%)
• Emulsifiers – Emulsifier content (usually 0.2-0.5%)

Calculated Properties:

• Serving Temperature – Temperature at proper scooping consistency
• Freezing Point – Temperature where mix starts to freeze

Tip: You can add any property to the chart but you don’t need to set any target ranges. If no target ranges are set the property is displayed in the chart for info but not used in the automatic balancing.

Chart Properties Table

Once you’ve added properties, they appear in a table showing:

• Property Name – The data property and its display name
• Range – The minimum and maximum acceptable values (if set)
• Target – The ideal value within the range (optional)
• Scale – Display multiplier (usually 1.0)
• Options – Indicators for temperature, balancing, and priority settings
• Actions – Buttons to edit, reorder, or delete the property

Reordering Properties

The order of properties in your chart affects how they’re displayed in the recipe editor. To reorder properties:

• Desktop: Use the up/down arrow buttons next to each property
• Mobile: Properties are listed in order; edit to change position

Deleting Properties

To remove a property from your chart:

1. Click the Delete button (red trash icon) for that property
2. The property will be removed immediately (no confirmation required)
3. Remember to save your chart after making changes

Note: Deleting a property only removes it from the chart, not from the calculator. You can always re-add it later using the “Add Properties” button.

7. Editing Chart Properties

After adding properties to your chart, you’ll need to configure each one with appropriate ranges and settings. This is where you define what “good” looks like for each property in your recipes.

Opening the Property Editor

To edit a property’s detailed settings:

1. In the Chart Editor, find the property you want to configure in the properties table
2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) for that property
3. The Property Editor will open, showing all configuration options

Property Information

At the top of the Property Editor, you’ll see:

• Property Name – The data key (e.g., “TotalFat”, “PAC”, “MSNF”)
• Current Value – The value from your current recipe (if applicable)
• Temperature Indicator – Shows if this property represents a temperature

Note: The current value is only shown when editing a property from within the Recipe Editor. When editing charts directly from the Charts page, this will show “Not Available”.

Display Settings

Display Name (Caption)

By default, properties use their technical data key names (like “TotalFat” or “MSNF”). You can provide a more user-friendly display name:

• Examples: “Total Fat” instead of “TotalFat”, “Milk Solids” instead of “MSNF”
• Leave blank to use the default data key name
• This name appears in charts and reports

Scale Factor

The scale factor is a multiplier applied when displaying the property value. This factor is used to scale the height of the bar in the chart making the chart more readable when mixing properties with widely different values. Most properties use the default scale of 1.0, but you can adjust this for special cases:

• 1.0 – Standard display (most common)
• -1.0 – For temperature properties
• 100 – For properties with very small values like Stabilizers
• Other values – For specialized unit conversions

Tip: Generally, leave the scale factor at 1.0 unless you have a specific display requirement. The calculator already handles percentage conversions automatically for most properties.

8. Configuring Property Ranges

Ranges are the heart of your chart configuration. They define what values are acceptable for each property and enable automatic recipe balancing.

Enable Range Limits

The “Enable Range Limits” checkbox controls whether this property is used in recipe evaluation and balancing:

• Unchecked: Property is displayed but not used for balancing or evaluation (display-only)
• Checked: Property has defined ranges and can be used for balancing

When to disable ranges: Some properties are useful to display but shouldn’t constrain your recipe (e.g., total recipe weight, mix volume, overrun). Leave ranges disabled for these informational properties.

Setting Minimum and Maximum Values

When range limits are enabled, you’ll need to set the acceptable boundaries:

Minimum Value

The lowest acceptable value for this property. If your recipe falls below this value, it will be highlighted as out of range (shown in red).

Maximum Value

The highest acceptable value for this property. If your recipe exceeds this value, it will be highlighted as out of range (shown in red).

Example – Total Fat Range:

• Minimum: 12.0 (Below this, ice cream may be icy)
• Maximum: 16.0 (Above this, ice cream may be too rich)
• Result: Recipes with 12-16% fat are considered “in range” (green)

Range Validation

The Property Editor automatically validates your ranges:

• Min > Max: Warning shown; values will be swapped automatically when saved
• Valid range: Success message shows your configured range

Setting Target Values (Optional)

Within your min/max range, you can specify an optional target value – the ideal value you’re aiming for:

• With Target: Balancing algorithm tries to hit this specific value
• Without Target: Balancing aims for the center of your min/max range

Example – Total Fat with Target:

• Minimum: 12.0
• Maximum: 16.0
• Target: 15.0
• Result: Balancing prioritizes hitting 15% fat, but anywhere from 12-16% is acceptable

Best Practice: Use target values for your most critical properties. This gives the balancing algorithm clear goals while still allowing some flexibility. Sometimes you can accept a large range but prefer a specific target.

Clearing the Target

To remove a target value and return to center-of-range balancing:

1. Click the Clear button (X icon) next to the Target field
2. The target will be removed
3. Balancing will aim for the midpoint between min and max

Range Status Indicators

As you configure ranges, the Property Editor displays helpful status messages:

• Valid Range – Your min/max settings are correct
• Min > Max – Values will be swapped when saved
• Target Outside Range – Target should be between min and max
• No Range Set – Property won’t be used in balancing

9. Balancing Settings

These settings control how the property is used in the automatic recipe balancing algorithm.

Use in Recipe Balancing

This checkbox determines whether the property participates in automatic balancing:

• Enabled: The balancing algorithm will try to keep this property within its range
• Disabled: Property is evaluated and displayed, but doesn’t affect ingredient adjustments

Note: This option is only available when “Enable Range Limits” is checked. Properties without ranges cannot be used in balancing.

When to Disable Balancing

You might disable balancing for properties that:

• Are useful for evaluation but shouldn’t drive ingredient changes
• Are dependent on other properties and would conflict
• Are informational only (e.g., serving temperature for display purposes)

High Priority

The Priority checkbox marks this property as critically important:

• Enabled: Balancing algorithm gives this property higher weight and importance
• Disabled: Property has normal importance in balancing

Example Priority Properties:

• Total Solids – Critical for ice cream structure (set as priority)
• PAC/POD – Affects texture and sweetness (set as priority)
• Stabilizers – Important but narrow range (normal priority)

Note: High Priority is only available when “Use in Recipe Balancing” is enabled. You can’t prioritize a property that’s not being used in balancing.

Best Practice: Only mark 1-3 properties as high priority. If everything is a priority, nothing is. Focus on the properties that define the fundamental character of your ice cream style.

Saving Property Changes

After configuring all settings for a property:

1. Review the range status indicator to ensure your settings are valid
2. Click the OK button to save your changes
3. You’ll return to the Chart Editor with your property updated
4. Remember to save the chart itself using the main “Save Changes” button

Deleting Properties

If you decide you don’t need a property in your chart:

1. In the Property Editor, click the Delete button
2. Confirm the deletion when prompted
3. The property will be removed from your chart

Important: The Delete button removes the property from your chart immediately. Make sure you want to remove it before clicking.

10. Chart Configuration Examples

To help you understand how to configure charts effectively, here are two fundamental charts that demonstrate the differences between ice cream and gelato formulations.

10.1 Ice Cream Base Chart

This is a versatile chart for traditional American-style ice cream. It’s ideal for vanilla, and other dairy-based flavors where the flavoring ingredients are in relatively small amounts or as a base for inclusions.

Ice Cream Base – All Properties:

Property	Range	Purpose
Milk Fat	10 – 15%	Fat from dairy sources; provides richness and smooth texture
Total Fat	10 – 20%	All fats including milk fat, egg yolks, and other sources
Milk Solids	16 – 22%	Solids from dairy; provides body and helps prevent iciness
Total Solids	39 – 45%	All non-water content; controls overall structure and texture
Water	55 – 61%	Water content; inversely related to total solids
Serving Temp	-17 to -14°C	Calculated serving temperature for proper scooping consistency
POD (Sweetness)	165 – 185	Relative sweetness level; 100 = sucrose reference
Stabilizers/Water	0.2 – 0.35%	Stabilizer concentration relative to water content
Emulsifiers	0.3 – 0.5%	Emulsifier content for improved texture and overrun
Lactose Concentration	0 – 10%	Milk sugar concentration; high levels can cause sandiness

10.2 Gelato Base Chart

Gelato has a different target profile than ice cream. This chart is designed for Italian-style gelato with dairy flavors, spices, herbs, infusions, or as a base for add-ins where the flavoring ingredients are in relatively small amounts.

Gelato Base – All Properties:

Property	Range	Purpose
Milk Fat	5 – 9%	Lower fat allows more intense flavor expression
Total Fat	5 – 12%	Overall fat content from all sources
Milk Solids	16 – 22%	Non-fat dairy solids for structure
Total Solids	35 – 40%	Lower than ice cream; density comes from minimal overrun
Water	60 – 65%	Higher water content than ice cream
Serving Temp Gelato	-13 to -11°C	Gelato is served warmer than ice cream for optimal texture
POD (Sweetness)	165 – 185	Similar sweetness range to ice cream
Stabilizers/Water	0.2 – 0.35%	Standard stabilizer concentration
Emulsifiers	0.3 – 0.5%	Emulsifier content for texture control
Lactose Concentration	0 – 10%	Maximum lactose to prevent crystallization

10.3 Ice Cream vs Gelato: Key Differences

Understanding why these charts differ helps you create the right chart for your specific frozen dessert style:

Property	Ice Cream	Gelato	Why Different?
Milk Fat	10-15%	5-9%	Lower fat in gelato allows flavors to be more pronounced
Total Solids	39-45%	35-40%	Ice cream has higher solids for richer base structure
Water	55-61%	60-65%	Gelato has more water but feels dense due to low overrun
Serving Temp	-17 to -14°C	-13 to -11°C	Gelato served warmer for softer, creamier texture

Ice Cream vs Gelato: The main differences between artisanal ice cream and Gelato are the fat content and serving temperature. Ice cream typically has higher fat (10-15%) and is served colder (-17 to -14°C), while Gelato has lower fat (5-9%) and is served warmer (-13 to -11°C). The warmer serving temperature and lower fat content allow Gelato’s flavors to be more pronounced on the palate.

Tip: When creating a chart for a new style, start by cloning the closest existing chart (ice cream or gelato) and adjust the ranges based on the differences in your target product. For specialty products like chocolate gelato or nut-based ice creams, you may need to further adjust ranges to account for fat and solids from flavoring ingredients.

11. Best Practices for Chart Design

Start with Proven Charts

Rather than building charts from scratch:

1. Clone a default chart that’s close to your target style
2. Test with existing recipes that you know work well
3. Adjust ranges gradually based on actual results
4. Document your changes in the description field

Keep Critical Properties Tight

Focus your narrow ranges on the properties that define your style:

• For texture: Tight ranges on total solids and water
• For sweetness: Narrow POD range
• For mouthfeel: Specific fat content targets
• For stability: Precise stabilizer and emulsifier ratios

Tight vs. Relaxed Ranges:

• Tight range example: Total Solids 38-40% (only 2% tolerance)
• Relaxed range example: Total Fat 10-20% (10% tolerance)

Use tight ranges for properties that critically define your ice cream style, and relaxed ranges for secondary properties.

Avoid Conflicting Properties

Some properties are mathematically related and can create impossible balancing scenarios:

• Don’t constrain both: Water AND Total Solids with tight ranges (they must sum to 100%)
• Be careful with: Milk Fat AND Total Fat (milk fat is part of total fat)
• Consider the relationship between: POD and PAC (both influenced by sugar content)

Common mistake: Setting Total Solids to 38-40% and Water to 55-60% creates an impossible scenario (they don’t sum to 100%). Instead, set ranges on one and let the other be calculated.

Use Priority Wisely

Only mark 2-4 properties as high priority – these should be the properties that truly define your product:

Good Priority Selection for Ice Cream:

• ✓ Total Solids (controls structure and texture)
• ✓ POD (defines sweetness level)
• ✓ PAC (affects serving temperature and texture)
• ✗ Stabilizers (important but narrow range is already constraining)
• ✗ Total Fat (important but with wide acceptable range)

Test and Refine

Creating great charts is an iterative process:

1. Create a test chart with your best-guess ranges
2. Balance several recipes using the chart
3. Make and taste the results
4. Adjust ranges based on which recipes worked best
5. Document successful ranges in your chart description
6. Share your findings with the community once perfected

Pro Tip: Keep notes about which recipes worked with each chart version. This helps you understand why certain ranges work better than others and accelerates the refinement process.

Consider Your Ingredients

Your chart should match your actual ingredient inventory:

• Limited sugar options? Relax PAC/POD ranges slightly
• Using specific stabilizers? Adjust stabilizer/water ratios for your blend
• No egg yolks? Ensure emulsifier ranges compensate
• Plant-based? Use TSNFS instead of MSNF

Document Your Charts

Always fill in the description field with helpful information:

Good Description Example:

“Balanced chart for fruit-flavored ice creams using 14% milk fat cream and Cremodan 64 stabilizer. POD range of 170-180 provides noticeable but not overpowering sweetness. Tested successfully with strawberry, peach, and mango recipes.”Better Than:

“Fruit ice cream chart”

12. Summary

Charts are powerful tools that define target properties for your ice cream recipes. By understanding how to create, configure, and use charts effectively, you can:

• ✓ Develop consistent recipes that match your signature style
• ✓ Use automatic balancing to quickly adjust recipes to target ranges
• ✓ Visualize how your recipes compare to proven formulations
• ✓ Experiment with new flavors while maintaining quality standards
• ✓ Share your successful formulations with the community

Next Steps:

• Browse the default charts to see proven configurations
• Clone a chart that matches your style and customize it
• Test your chart with several recipes and refine the ranges
• Learn about Recipe Balancing to put your charts to work
• Explore Community Charts for inspiration and ideas

✅ Charts Documentation Complete!
You now understand how to create and configure charts for your ice cream recipes.