A machine for making ice cream products such as artisan gelato, soft ice cream, comprising: - a first container adapted to contain a base mixture or an ice cream finished product and also provided with respective means for thermally treating the base mixture or the ice cream finished product and with a stirrer; - a dispensing device connected to the first container to allow dispensing the product inside the first container and provided with a dispensing outlet; - an actuator, associated with the dispensing outlet and movable between an open position, where the dispensing outlet is open, and a closed position, where the dispensing outlet is closed; - a sensor configured to detect the presence of a container at a predetermined spatial position, near the dispensing outlet; - a control and drive unit, connected to the sensor to receive a presence signal indicating the presence of an object at the predetermined spatial position and connected also to the actuator in order to drive it, the control and drive unit being configured to drive the actuator to move from the closed position to the open position after receiving from the sensor a presence signal indicating the presence of the container at the predetermined spatial position and to drive the actuator to move from the open position to the closed position after subsequently receiving from the sensor a non-presence signal indicating the absence of the container at the predetermined spatial position, the machine being characterised in that the control and drive unit drives the actuator to move from the closed position to the open position in such a way that the actuator has a first speed and the control and drive unit drives the actuator to move from the open position to the closed position in such a way that the actuator has a second speed, lower than the first speed. - a first container adapted to contain a base mixture or an ice cream finished product and also provided with respective means for thermally treating the base mixture or the ice cream finished product and with a stirrer; - a dispensing device connected to the first container to allow dispensing the product inside the first container and provided with a dispensing outlet; - an actuator, associated with the dispensing outlet and movable between an open position, where the dispensing outlet is open, and a closed position, where the dispensing outlet is closed; - a sensor configured to detect the presence of a container at a predetermined spatial position, near the dispensing outlet; - a control and drive unit, connected to the sensor to receive a presence signal indicating the presence of an object at the predetermined spatial position and connected also to the actuator in order to drive it, the control and drive unit being configured to drive the actuator to move from the closed position to the open position after receiving from the sensor a presence signal indicating the presence of the container at the predetermined spatial position and to drive the actuator to move from the open position to the closed position after subsequently receiving from the sensor a non-presence signal indicating the absence of the container at the predetermined spatial position, the machine being characterised in that the control and drive unit drives the actuator to move from the closed position to the open position in such a way that the actuator has a first speed and the control and drive unit drives the actuator to move from the open position to the closed position in such a way that the actuator has a second speed, lower than the first speed.