I'll never forget the sense of freedom I felt when I moved into my first apartment. After I unpacked my boxes and settled in, I promptly bought a toothpaste brand my parents would never buy, and I proceeded to eat ice cream for breakfast and lunch (... and then again at dinner). Ice cream for breakfast has often felt like a time-honored tradition of the newly independent, and I was no different when it came to indulging.
One of my fondest memories of my late father was of us sitting on the couch on Saturday afternoons eating a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. I can still remember the exact feeling of the melted ice cream and the sharp mint chips coating my seven-year-old mouth. I'd usually let out an audible sigh of contentment with each spoonful. So did my father. This was how we bonded and I will forever hold on to the memory.
Over the years, my love of ice cream has evolved as much as the flavors have. Though I never attended Ben & Jerry University—nor do I know if one actually exists—I probably could have because my own countertop ice cream concoctions were as creative as what I've seen in the freezer case.
A Keurig, but for Ice Cream
My love of ice cream is closely rivaled by my love of coffee and hot beverages. I've had more coffeemakers and Keurigs than Elizabeth Taylor had husbands. I love being able to make my own unique beverages all at the drop of a pod.
Imagine, then, my utter shock and amazement when I heard about one of the Consumer Electronics Show's 2021's most noteworthy products: ColdSnap.
Described as the Keurig equivalent for ice cream, when it becomes publicly available later this year (with a $500 price tag), consumers will be able to pop in an ice cream pod, hit a button, and voila... single scoops on command. I'm not even going to address the fact that this machine can also produce frozen margaritas, frozen coffees, or other frozen treats that will make it hard for me to want to leave my house.
Just as the world gets even more restless with lockdowns and quarantines, here comes a countertop accessory that makes it easier to want to stay close to home. Why go to the bars, the ice cream shops, or the coffee bars, when you can drop in one of ColdSnap's pods all from the comfort of your kitchen?
When left to our own devices
I'm not doing any justice explaining what ColdSnap is capable of. According to the website, "The ColdSnap™ machine uses a proprietary, high-powered, refrigeration system to rapidly freeze and dispense the contents of the ColdSnap™ pod."
Having spent almost a year now watching how bread-making went from ho-hum hobby to quarantine chic leaves me wondering if ColdSnap may have the same effect on frozen indulgence. I guess we're about to find out.
Erin Hallstrom is the resident geek and Swiss Army Knife of FoodProcessing.com and the author of our Working Wit blog, she's responsible for the digital strategy for FoodProcessing.com including posting content, managing social media, and analyzing reader data. She's a Toastmaster, a Black Belt in Karate, and an improv performer. Erin is the creator and founder of the Influential Women in Manufacturing program, the creator, host, and producer of our Food For Thought podcast, and is a producer for our Manufacturing Tomorrow's Workforce podcast. Give her a shout-out or get in touch with her via email.
