I really like this week’s gadget.

Dole claims that its Yonanas “turns any frozen fruit into soft serve” — similar to the nondairy banana soft serve offered at Banan on University Avenue. (See TheBuzz on Page 19.)

I began testing with the basic Simply Yonana recipe included, to see if the consistency and taste would be similar to what I had from the Banan food truck. I remember being amazed that it was dairy-free and delicious, and was hoping this gadget could produce something similar. It did!

I ventured further into the 200-recipe guide and tried the mixed berry recipe using a frozen mix of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Although it was delicious, the fruit didn’t break down all the way. But that didn’t bother me. It was like ordering ice cream with bits of real fruit. I adapted the recipe to use fresh watermelon that I froze — the results were refreshing and yummy, even though it too had a few chunky pieces.

For those who don’t like bananas, the Yonanas produces banana-free sorbets, too. I used Dole’s frozen fruit blends, which are easy to find in supermarkets and work well with the device. I even tried one that included spinach. You can use other packaged frozen fruits or freeze your own.

How it works: Small pieces of frozen fruit are dropped into a chute, which carries them to the blade cone to be pulverized. Frozen bananas create the right texture for soft-serve desserts. The instructions say to peel and freeze bananas that are “cheetah-spotted” — “The more brown spots, the sweeter the banana,” it notes. But don’t wait until they turn black. And definitely don’t use green bananas.

The instructions suggest thawing fruit seven to 10 minutes before putting it through the machine. I found that seven minutes of thawing left lots of chunks in my sorbet; at 10 minutes only a few chunks remained. I let the watermelon thaw about 20 minutes (in an air-conditioned room), and it was almost perfect. It didn’t become melted goo, as the instructions cautioned.

Does it work?: Yes.

Pros: The recipe book is awesome, covering a wide variety of desserts, such as Lemon Drop (yes, with vodka), Mango Papaya Baked Alaska and Candice’s Cannoli. Easy to assemble, but I still suggest reading the instructions. Safe and fun for kids to use with supervision. Makes healthy desserts; could make frozen veggies fun for kids to eat.

Cons: The machine has to rest for one minute after two minutes of running, according to the instructions, so if you’re making individual servings for a small gathering, it’s going to take a while. A couple of times, especially when the fruit was really frozen, a lot of it got stuck around the blade; you’ll see this when taking apart the five attachments. If taking a break between servings, juice will leak out of the blade cover; place a bowl to catch it and minimize the mess.

Cost and availability: Mine was $40 at Costco, but none of the branches carry it anymore. Available at bedbathandbeyond.com and target.com for $49.99 and amazon.com for $44.06. All note free shipping.

Worth it?: Yes. Close enough to ice cream with less fat.

Got a gadget that you love? Or are you curious about one you’d like us to test? Email mramos@staradvertiser.com or write Crave, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza Suite 210, Honolulu 96813.