Ice Cream Scoops
Even badly designed ice cream scoops do the job—but they make you work much harder than necessary with their uncomfortable handles, thick edges that can’t penetrate hard-frozen surfaces, bowls that won’t release the ice cream, or scoop sizes that won’t fit in an ordinary cone. To find the perfect dipper, we scooped up six models, both traditional and innovative, plus our favorite portion scoop.
We quickly eliminated three models, including the dwarf-sized model— concluding that nobody needs a scoop that stands upright—besides, ice cream clung to its plastic bowl, then dripped all over the counter. A second, untraditional model sported a comfortable, bicycle grip-style handle, but its big blunt teeth marred even hard-packed ice cream. The beak-nosed contestant rolled gawky, pointed scoops, as did the elongated scoop on another model.
The three remaining models, including a sleeker update of our previous favorite, scooped capably and easily, but the “perfect,” “camera-ready” orbs made by our winner impressed us most—especially when it came to loading up a brittle sugar cone.
-
TASTE TEST
Supermarket Vanilla Ice Cream -
EQUIPMENT
Ice Cream Makers -
TASTE TEST
Chocolate Ice Cream
- Good:
- ★★★
- Fair:
- ★★
- Poor:
- ★
- N/A:
- ----
| Product Tested | Performance | Comfort | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highly Recommended | ||||
 |
Victorinox (formerly Victorinox Forschner) 6-inch Straight Boning Knife: FlexibleThe nonslip grip and narrow, straight blade let testers remove the smallest bones with precision and complete comfort. Perfectly balanced with enough flexibility to maneuver around tight joints. The low price was a bonus. |
★★★ | ★★★ | $19.95 |
| Recommended | ||||
 |
Wüsthof Classic Boning KnifeHefty in weight, this knife was a solid performer when removing poultry bones, and the handle was easy to grip, even when covered in chicken fat. Piercing silver skin was a challenge since the tip wasn’t sharp enough and the long narrow blade produced slightly jagged cuts. |
★★ | ★★★ | $99.95 |
| Recommended with Reservations | ||||
 |
Mundial Boning Knife: FlexibleThe sharp tip performed well when removing silver skin, but it was too flexible when maneuvering around poultry joints, leaving testers feeling a lack of control. The heavy handle was slightly unbalanced and became slippery once covered in poultry fat. |
★★ | ★★ | $19.95 |
| Not Recommended | ||||
 |
Shun Gokujo Filet KnifeDesigned to replicate a samurai blade, this expensive knife was a disappointment. It struggled to pierce the silver skin, although long cuts were smooth and even. Minimal flexibility and extreme curve got in the way when maneuvering around joints. The smooth handle was hard to grip and slippery. |
★★ | ★ | $179.95 |
 |
MAC Boning Knife—Chef SeriesThe large, cumbersome handle reminded testers of an outdoors knife for fishing and hunting. The blade was too wide to maneuver around joints and it struggled to pierce silver skin. Unlike other knives, this boning knife could only slice in one direction, making intricate cuts around joints difficult. |
★ | ★★ | $34.95 |
 |
Messermeister San Moritz Elite Flexible Boning KnifeThe blade was so flexible it led to erratic cuttings; testers said the knife was hard to control. The blade was not sturdy enough to maneuver around joints and the lightweight handle felt flimsy and unbalanced. |
★ | ★ | $53.60 |
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