Short answer: choose semifreddo tools by format. For single portions in volume, rigid plastic semifreddo bars with an extractor give identical portions that you can push out even before they are fully frozen. For shaped portions, inserts and logs, platinum silicone moulds rated from -40°C to +250°C (-40°F to 482°F) release cleanly from the freezer. For sliceable cakes, a stainless steel ring lined with acetate gives straight, clean sides. Add a probe thermometer, a whisk and a soft spatula for the aerated base, and the whole kit is set for a dessert that is stored at -18°C and served at about -12°C.
Quick answer: which semifreddo tool for which format?
| Your format | Tool | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Single portions for a display case, 133 ml each | Martellato circle single-portion bars + EM 1 extractor | $136.00 |
| Mignons for buffets and petit-four trays, 23 ml each | Martellato circle mignon bars + ED 1 extractor | $126.45 |
| Shaped single portions for plated desserts | Pavoni Pavoflex Lotus silicone mould | $69.00 |
| A semifreddo log to slice at the table | Pavoni Sequoia log silicone mould | $46.99 |
| A round semifreddo cake | Stainless steel ring + Pavoni acetate roll, 40 mm | $40.50 (acetate) |
What semifreddo asks of its tools
Semifreddo is a frozen, aerated dessert, and its air comes from the ingredients you fold together. A 2016 classification of cold desserts in the Italian journal Industrie Alimentari (Chiari, Pulvirenti and Giudici, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) groups semifreddi with desserts eaten at a negative temperature with an aerated structure, and names three air carriers: meringue (egg whites whipped with sugar), the semifreddo base (egg yolks whipped with sugar) and whipped cream. The same paper places parfait in the semifreddo family.
| Stage | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Storage | -18°C (-0.4°F) |
| Serving | -12°C (10.4°F) |
That gives your tools three jobs: hold an airy mix without crushing it, go into the freezer or blast chiller without cracking, and let go of a frozen piece with clean edges. Each type of mould below does those jobs in a different way.
Semifreddo bars: the fastest way to make single portions
Plastic semifreddo bars are the production tool for identical portions. Martellato makes them in rigid plastic for stability and precision while you fill and move them. An extractor pushes each portion out, and Martellato states it works even when the dessert is not completely frozen. A strip of acetate inserted in each cavity protects the edges during extraction and keeps the portion neat in storage and in the display case.
| Martellato model | Size per portion | Volume | Set we stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circle single portion (MONOP. B001) | ø 65 mm, h 40 mm | ~133 ml | 3 bars, 15 portions, for a 26 × 40 cm tray |
| Oval single portion (MONOP. C002) | 87 × 51 mm, h 40 mm | ~139 ml | 7 bars, 35 portions, for a 60 × 40 cm tray |
| Heart single portion (MONOP. B007) | 78.5 × 72.5 mm, h 40 mm | ~143 ml | 3 bars, 15 portions, for a 26 × 40 cm tray |
| Circle mignon (MIGNON B001) | ø 42.5 mm, h 25 mm | ~23 ml | 3 bars, 48 pieces, for a 30 × 40 cm tray |
- View the circle single-portion bars → $86.50
- View the oval single-portion bars, 7-bar set → $169.50
- View the heart single-portion bars → $86.50
- View the circle mignon bars → $86.50
Each shape has its own extractor, sold separately: EM 1 for the circle single portion $49.50 and ED 1 for the circle mignon $39.95. Line the cavities with Martellato food-grade acetate strips $59.99: 240 × 38 mm, 80 µm thick, 1,000 strips, made for lining moulds and unmoulding single portions and mignons, and suitable for blast chillers, freezers and fridges.
View all plastic moulds for mignons and single portions →
Silicone moulds: shapes, inserts and logs
Silicone is the choice when the shape is the design. Pavoni Italia's moulds are made of platinum food-grade silicone rated from -40°C to +250°C (-40°F to 482°F), safe in the blast chiller, the oven and the dishwasher, so the same mould can take a frozen semifreddo or a baked insert.
| Pavoni mould | Cavities | Size | Volume | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pavoflex Passion (PX4325) | 30 | 40 × 30 × 20 mm | ~18 ml | Mignons and small inserts |
| Pavoflex Lotus by Antonio Bachour (PX4371) | 20 | ø 57 × 63 mm | ~105 ml | Plated single portions |
| Pavocake KE001 | 1 | ø 180 × 45 mm | ~900 ml | A round semifreddo cake |
| Sequoia log (KE066) | 1 | 250 × 92 × 74 mm | ~1,186 ml | A log to slice |
- View Pavoflex Passion → $69.00
- View Pavoflex Lotus → $69.00
- View Pavocake KE001 → $35.99
- View the Sequoia log mould → $46.99
View all mousse and semifreddo silicone moulds →
New to silicone? Our guide on how to use silicone moulds covers preparation, filling and care.
Rings and acetate: clean sides for semifreddo cakes
For a semifreddo cake or a layered entremet, a stainless steel ring lined with acetate builds straight sides and lifts off cleanly. Pavoni's acetate roll is 40 mm high, 100 microns thick and 200 m long. Pavoni also notes that its guitar sheets can separate desserts stored in the blast chiller so they do not stick to each other.
View single-portion rings → View all stainless steel rings →
For layering, inserts and glazing, see our entremet techniques guide.
Support tools for the aerated base
The base is where semifreddo is won or lost: you are folding air-filled preparations together without knocking the air out.
- Martellato 8-wire stainless steel whisk, 40 cm → $13.95: for whipping yolks, whites or cream by hand.
- Martellato soft one-piece spatula → $12.95: flexible thermoplastic, heat resistant up to 100°C (212°F), for folding.
- Martellato 50T003 probe thermometer → $53.95: immersion probe and timer, reads from -32°F to +482°F (about -36°C to +250°C), a range that covers hot syrups as well as frozen desserts.
How AI can help your production
Give an AI assistant your semifreddo recipe and the cavity volumes from the tables above, and ask it to scale the batch to the moulds you will fill. For example, one set of circle single-portion bars holds 15 × 133 ml, about 2 L of mix. Ask it to turn the result into a production sheet with weights per batch, the number of bars or moulds to prepare, and a freezer plan, and to keep a log of storage and serving temperatures for each batch.
AI organises the information; tasting and the final decision stay with your chef.
Semifreddo tools at Zucchero Canada
We are an authorized distributor of Martellato and Pavoni Italia, and each brand covers a different part of the semifreddo kit: Martellato for plastic bars, extractors and hand tools when you produce identical portions in volume, and Pavoni Italia for platinum silicone moulds, acetate rolls and guitar sheets when the shape or the cake format matters. Our stainless steel ring collections include rings from both brands. Moulds and tools count toward free shipping on orders of $300 CAD or more within Canada (remote areas and the territories pay the actual carrier rate), and orders over $500 CAD get 5% off automatically at checkout.
Equipping a pastry kitchen, hotel or several locations? Contact our B2B team, write to sales@zuccherocanada.ca or call 587-774-8873 (toll free 877-741-8251).
Mignon & single-portion moulds | Mousse silicone moulds | Log silicone moulds | Can you freeze chocolate mousse? | Mousse-filled chocolate cake
This article is for information only. Every business is different: draw your own conclusions based on your own expectations, budget and goals, and talk to qualified experts before you decide or invest.
Sources: P. Chiari, A. Pulvirenti, P. Giudici, "Dessert freddi: criteri per la loro classificazione", Industrie Alimentari, April 2016; Martellato General Catalogue 2026, "Single portion & mignon bar moulds"; Pavoni Italia Food Equipment 2026 catalogue (silicone moulds, Pavocake, guitar sheets); Martellato and Pavoni Italia product data on our product pages.
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