You want one great scoop that’ll last for a long time, give you pretty ice cream scoops, and do the double task of also scooping cookie dough. Which one do you choose?
It’s officially the season of cold, frozen treats and refreshing ice cream and sorbet desserts. And while we have really popular 9×13 ice cream desserts to recommend (we already know you absolutely love the Frozen 9×13 S’Mores and the Frozen 9×13 Chocolate Bar Ice Cream), most of the time, ice cream needs to be scooped.
We’ve got great scoopable ice cream desserts too. There’s the Babka Ice Cream, the you’ll-make-it-every-week Raspberry Crumb Bar Ice Cream Cups (keep a big batch of the crunch in the freezer and there’s nothing else you need to do ahead!), the always popular Ice Cream with Silan and Pistachios (the Kanafe version can also be served scooped in cups), and the oldie but goodie The Hot + Cold Dessert.
But, sometimes you want to do nothing but take out the pint or gallon and that’s perfectly fine too! (We especially enjoy bringing out the real, dairy ice cream for shalosh seudos time.)
Whenever we’ve used scoops with springs for ice cream, though, they’ve broken. Most of them can’t handle more than cookie dough or batter. Which scoops can really do both jobs in the kitchen, giving us even pretty cookies, and also do the work of scooping ice cream (and last for years)? Is it possible? Yes it is!
Here are our top picks!
Zeroll EZ Disher
$10-$22
Why We Like It: Zeroll is the #1 leading brand in the ice cream scooping category. That’s all they do and they do it well. There’s basically three versions that they make. There’s the classic famous Zeroll Ice Cream Scoop that’s used by the pros in most ice cream stores (some of our readers love that one too. Note: We’re not sure whether the heat conductive fluid inside the handle would be an issue for Shabbos use. Ask your LOR). There’s the Zeroll Ice Cream Spade that’s used to smooth out gelato in those long tubs. The Zeroll that we’re recommending, though, is the EZ Disher–the same Zeroll quality, but more practical for home use because it can do more than just dish out ice cream (use it for perfectly sized cookie dough and muffin batter too). It’s sturdy, it doesn’t have springs so it won’t break, but it works with the same pressing motion as scoops that do have springs. Anything Zeroll will last you for years and years.
Every color of the Zeroll denotes a different size scoop.
See all sizes and colors of the Zeroll EZ Disher here.
Saebye Portion Scoop
$9.99
Why We Like It: The Saebye is also a solid choice at a good price. The spring inside is much smaller and stronger than in standard scoops. It’s also light and easy to hold. Like the Zeroll, Saebye’s focus is on cookie dough and portion scoops and every color corresponds to a different size; this blue one is for 2 oz scoops.
We don’t recommend ice cream/cookie scoops like the one on the left. Those with large springs tend to break when you put them to the ice cream test. If you have one in your drawer that doesn’t really work, you’re nodding right now.
OXO Good Grips Ice Cream Scoop
$15.99
Why We Like It: What if you don’t want to scoop cookie dough and you simply want a sturdy classic ice cream scoop that’ll do hard work all throughout the summer season, even on hard, straight-from-the-freezer ice cream? A classic Ice Cream Scoop like the OXO will give you a pretty ball of ice cream (it just takes a little practice). When it comes to classic ice cream scoops, our readers also recommended the Norpro Ice Cream Scooper for (nice price at under $7!), the Tupperware Ice Cream Scoop (more expensive at $40), the version from Spring Chef (priced at $10), and the premium pick, the Milvado ($40), and the Zeroll noted above. We’re going with the OXO because we like the solid construction, the comfortable handle, and the results–the ice cream scoops we get are pretty perfect and they come out easily.
(Note that OXO updates the design of their products often, so the version we own in the photos looks slightly different than the version currently available. The functionality is the same.)
Whenever I use the scoops for cookie dough, dough gets stuck under the metal sliding piece after the first few scoops and then becomes difficult to scoop, even when dipping into warm water in between scoops. How do I avoid this?
How do I know which size scoop to use for cookies?
Please tell me what I am doing wrong. I have bought the following scoop: https://amzn.to/466NCFh
From the reviews, everyone swears by it.
I followed the instructions. The handle never feels like it gets heated up. The ice cream doesn’t just “glide” onto the scoop. It’s definitely a strong utensil.
Any advice?
(And how is the scoop that you are advertising better or different then mine?)
Vollrath and winco are my go to. I worked for a bakery and both are industrial work horses . I personally own them and use them for years in my home based baking business as well. I use the red 1 for cupcakes batter and black or yellow for 2 different size cookies. And for cake pops or 1 oz servings I use the violent purple.
Hi, can you recommend which color zeroll for typical sized cookies?