I've Sworn by This Ice Cream Scoop for 10 Years, and I’m Never Going Back

This is the last ice cream scoop you’ll ever buy.

Updated on September 19, 2024

I've Sworn by This Ice Cream Scoop for 10 Years, and Iâm Never Going Back — Photo:
Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman

As someone who tests the best in cookware products for a living, I'm always on the lookout for the most useful kitchen gadgets. Ice cream scoops are certainly one of them, and you know what I've found? Even the most superior brands are no contenders for iceberg-level ice cream. I got so used to struggling with rock-hard ice cream and inferior ice cream scoops that I took to microwaving pints for a few seconds to soften them. You’d think there would be a better way.

There was, and it wasn’t me who solved the problem. It was my husband. He told me about this Thrifty Old Time Ice Cream Scooper his brother used when working at the ice cream parlor in California. It was supposedly the best. I got to researching and found that the brand, which has been around since 1940, sells the scooper online. And lo and behold, it was on Amazon.

After countless bowls of ice cream later, I can say the Thrifty Old Time Ice Cream Scooper is the best ice cream scooper I’ve ever tried. Not only does it work well, but it’s a joy to use, no matter which ice cream recipe you choose.

Thrifty Old Time Ice Cream Scooper

$27 at Amazon

This is a different type of scoop than most people, including myself, are used to. It’s a cylinder with a handle, springs, and a moveable lever attached to the springs. To scoop, you push the cylinder into the ice cream at a 90-degree angle, which moves the center portion of the ice cream scoop up. Pull it out, click the handle, and a perfect disc of ice cream pops out. It also makes a clicking metal noise that is so satisfying to the ears.

Since the ice cream comes out in cylinders resembling thick hockey pucks, the Thrifty is my secret to easy ice cream sandwiches. Simply click the ice cream onto an average-sized chocolate chip cookie and top it with another cookie. I sometimes roll them around in fun colored sprinkles to match the occasion, like red, blue, and white for patriotic holidays. You can order some fun ice creams online to make the sandwiches even fancier.

Although this scoop is the easiest I have used, I love how it keeps my hands clean. I don't have to dig my knuckles into ice cream pints to get a proper scoop like you do with traditional models. Some ice cream scoops are made from aluminum, which is not dishwasher-safe, but since the Thrifty is stainless steel, you can throw the entire thing in the dishwasher. Being able to wash this tool quickly is a blessing, considering ice cream is super sticky, and you never know if you've cleaned it well enough.

Trust me, this is the easiest and mess-free ice cream scoop ever. Adding it to your cart should be a no-brainer as the temperatures rise and your freezer fills with sugary frozen goodness.