Questionable science of ice cream scoop

[TrueHeart]

Of course there are several designs of ice cream scoop, but I have one that is pretty popular. Naturally, it is extremely rigid and has a deeply concave scoop surface. But get this: it has a hollowed out area inside of it that is supposedly filled with antifreeze. I can't be 100% certain of this, because I no longer have the packaging or label, but word of mouth says that many commercial and/or gourmet ice cream scoops have a hollow filled with antifreeze. Has anyone else heard of this?

 

So my question is why in tarnation would they put antifreeze in it?? A lot of commercial ice cream parlors rinse their scoops in warm or tepid water periodically, so that they will cut through the hard frozen ice cream more easily, but I don't see how antifreeze would assist! Antifreeze can get as cold as anything else, by conduction, as far as I can figure... it's just that it has a much lower freezing point than water. I fail to understand how it would keep the scoop any warmer than a non-antifreeze-filled scoop would.

[ecoli]

I have never heard of anything like this. Do you have any sources?

[bloodhound]

isnt anti freeze like poisonous.

[Artorius]

only if you drink it.

[Gilded]

"isnt anti freeze like poisonous."

 

Depends what you use as anti-freeze. You could use ethanol, that causes trouble only when you wake up the next day. (And possibly some time after the drinking, when you rob a candy store while drunk and go to jail)

[TrueHeart]

I have never heard of anything like this. Do you have any sources?

Yes, you are so right! I should never have posted my question before looking up a source or two. It is so very easy to find any number of shopping sources where the antifreeze thing can be verified. For example, I found this here at Froogle.com.

 

Ok, now there is confirmation... so what's the answer?

[Dudde]

I think your link pretty much answered the question as well, did it not? With warmth from your hand

[TrueHeart]

No, that link doesn't answer my question because my inquiry was, "I fail to understand how it would keep the scoop any warmer than a non-antifreeze-filled scoop would."

[Gilded]

Doesn't the anti-freeze liquid transfer heat better than just plain metal? (Depends quite a bit on the anti-freeze and the metal though)

[swansont]

It would work if the "antifreeze" had a large heat capacity, so it would be able to release a lot of energy without cooling very much. Which means it's not antifreeze in the same sense as your car's radiatior, where you lower the freezing point of the liquid. It's not so important, as you rightly point out, that the liquid not freeze. You want to keep the metal warm.

 

The problem with running the scoop under water to warm it is that you get ice crystals forming on the ice cream. Yecch. I have wondered why they don't inductively heat the metal - put on a system like electric toothbrush chargers with a heating element in the scoop. Keep it warm so it scoops better, and it's sealed up so there's no shock hazard.

[Gilded]

"I have wondered why they don't inductively heat the metal - put on a system like electric toothbrush chargers with a heating element in the scoop. Keep it warm so it scoops better, and it's sealed up so there's no shock hazard."

 

http://www.whynot.net/view_idea.php?id=1526

It seems that this has been discussed at Why Not too. A good idea though, I wonder if you could make a fortune marketing these... (If someone hasn't already)

[TrueHeart]

The problem with running the scoop under water to warm it is that you get ice crystals forming on the ice cream.

No, I really don't think so; the satin finish on those scoops repels nearly all the moisture off. Those yeechy ice crystals on ice cream are more likely just from what has condensed out of your freezer's air.

It would work if the "antifreeze" had a large heat capacity, so it would be able to release a lot of energy without cooling very much.

That statement just deepens the mystery (to me anyway).

[YT2095]

being a liquid antifreeze, it`ll stay liquid at REALLY cold temps, but also being a liquid it`ll move heat around alot easier (from your hand).

it`s not perfect, but it`s A way

[Gilded]

Now I'm really starting to think that someone is going to make millions by designing ice-cream scoops. )

[gpdone]

It would work if the "antifreeze" had a large heat capacity' date=' so it would be able to release a lot of energy without cooling very much. Which means it's not antifreeze in the same sense as your car's radiatior, where you lower the freezing point of the liquid. It's not so important, as you rightly point out, that the liquid not freeze. You want to keep the metal warm.

 

The problem with running the scoop under water to warm it is that you get ice crystals forming on the ice cream. Yecch. I have wondered why they don't inductively heat the metal - put on a system like electric toothbrush chargers with a heating element in the scoop. Keep it warm so it scoops better, and it's sealed up so there's no shock hazard.[/quote']

 

I agree as to the first part. The less dense antifreeze will gain and loose heat more slowly than the denser metal thus keeping the metal warmer for a longer time. As for the second, holding the scoop upside down under the flow of water will keep moisture out of the scoop while still heating the metal!

[TrueHeart]

Ok gpdone, but then according to your theory, it would be even more advantageous to keep just AIR in the hollow!

[gpdone]

Ok gpdone, but then according to your theory, it would be even more [/i'] advantageous to keep just AIR in the hollow!

 

Not really. This would be going to far as the air would conduct its heat too slowly back to the rapidly cooling metal. Liquid would be better due to its order of magnitude greater surface contact.

[TrueHeart]

"Greater surface contact". Uh...yeah... mm-hmm. Okey-dokey. I guess you solved it then, pardner.