A machine for making liquid and/or semi-liquid products of the ice cream sector comprises:a processing container forming a processing chamber for making an ice cream product;a stirrer mounted inside the processing chamber;a cooling system equipped with at least one heat exchanger associated with the processing container, for exchanging heat with the container and cooling the processing container;a unit for receiving and treating a capsule containing a basic preparation for an ice cream product, configured to allow the capsule to be compressed in such a way so as to deform lateral walls of the capsule and to squeeze the basic preparation out of the capsule and transfer it to the processing container.