Scooping Out Ice Cream With A Warm Spoon Is Actually A Mistake

There may be nothing more tortuous than waiting for ice cream when the craving strikes. Of course, if your frozen dessert is as solid as it should be, it can be an exercise in self-restraint, and while there are shortcuts to getting your scoop stat, one, in particular, is just not a good idea — and that's using a warm spoon to speed up the process.

While the logic might seem reasonable and the process is effective, you may be doing more damage to the eating experience than you realize. By dragging a warm spoon through your cold ice cream, not only are you melting the scoop you do manage to extract for yourself (meaning it will melt faster in your bowl or on your cone), but you're also doing a disservice to the surface of the ice cream you leave behind.

Warming ice cream leads to a phenomenon called "thermal" or "heat shock." Ice crystals, which are microscopic when ice cream first comes out of the freezer (making for that creamy, dreamy consistency), grow as they warm, making them more detectable to the tongue, which feels gritty and icy and generally unpleasant. Returning a pint to the freezer after having slightly melted the surface with a warm spoon means that those larger crystals will be frozen on the surface of what you've left behind, and your next scoop won't be nearly as creamy. In fact, it's actually suggested that you use a cold scoop to more easily get at that ice cream. Simply run your scooper under cold water or allow it to cool off in the freezer for a couple minutes prior to scooping to achieve optimal scooping temperature.

There are a lot of opinions on how to enhance your ice cream experience, and many experts suggest you finish the pint once it's open (as if you needed an excuse). If you're not able to get the job done in a single sitting, pressing a piece of wax or parchment paper to the surface of your ice cream helps protect your sweet investment and prevent pesky freezer burn.

When it comes to scooping, tools also matter. Quality scoops (also known as "dippers") can range in price from a few bucks to a few hundred. And while there are many ways to scoop your 'scream, a Zeroll model houses heat conductive fluid, meaning that the natural warmth from your hand helps create a temperature-assisted scoop. The construction is also a plus since the edges are just sharp enough to make headway in your pint. While there are countless options on the market, in critical reviews and consumer reports, this contender repeatedly comes out on top.

But the best, tried and true way to get at your ice cream? It's advice as old-fashioned as slow-churned vanilla: Have a little patience. Plan ahead so you can give a pint five to ten minutes to warm up, just enough time so there's a little give when you squeeze the container. Scoop around the edges, which will be a bit softer, and return to the freezer as fast as possible to preserve your future ice cream experience.

Whether the sun gets your 'scream in its steamy sights, or you simply have a forgetful moment, as sad as it can be, sometimes melted ice cream just happens. But your favorite pint can be pricey and precious, so instead of simply letting your ice cream languish as soup, there are some clever ways to make the most of the melted stuff.

Keep in mind that at the end of the day, it's simply an emulsion of cream, milk, sugar, and — depending on the flavor and producer — a few other ingredients that are there for taste and stabilization. That means that in liquid form, ice cream is a versatile ingredient all its own if you're able to think outside the freezer.

Transform your melted ice cream into a quick fudge. Or, take your box cake to another level by adding flavor and moisture. Melted ice cream hot chocolate is the cold weather warm-up drink we didn't know we were missing, but if you need something a little stronger, go for a melted vanilla ice cream White Russian spiked with vodka. And if ice cream for breakfast is more your thing, you can even make killer pancakes, swap melted ice cream for beaten eggs for a custardy french toast, and pair it with a latte topped with melted ice cream foam.