It was hard prying Urban Trend’s Fruzen Ice Cream Scoop away from my uncle and auntie for a photo shoot. I felt bad that I would have it for several days, depriving them of its use.
My uncle told me he used to perspire trying to scoop ice cream straight out of the freezer. “I bent a lot of spoons … but this one works really well,” he said, holding Urban Trend’s gadget.
My auntie, who has arthritis and tries not to eat too many sweets, has a love-hate relationship with the tool. She said it has made scooping so easy she finds herself eating an ice cream cone every day.
>> How it works: It looks — and works — like a standard ice cream scoop, but instead of rounded edges like a spoon, the Fruzen has a zinc alloy “power tip” with angled sides like a shovel. It easily slides through hard ice cream and can be used to dig every bit out of containers. The device was designed for use in pints, but I found that it works with larger containers as well. The power tip, the thin edges of the scoop, plus the weight and balance of the gadget work well at cutting through even rock-hard ice cream.
>> Does it work?: Yes.
>> Pros: I love the weight of the tool, and the ergonomic handle is so comfortable. It’s easy to create balls of dessert, as the ice cream curls within the scoop. Comes in pretty colors. I made about 11 scoops before I had to wet the scoop to prevent sticking — when I use a spoon, I usually have to wet it after every scoop.
>> Cons: Eating more ice cream. Arms don’t get a workout.
>> Cost and availability: Around $15 (various shipping charges) at amazon.com, urbantrend.com and walmart.com; and $8.99 at surlatable.com ($13.49 shipping)
>> Worth it?: It’s a must for my aunt and uncle.
Got a gadget that you love? Curious about one you’d like us to test? Email crave@staradvertiser.com or write Crave, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813.
