An Ice Lolly Maker is a really fun and very useful kitchen utensil to own. Also called an Ice Pop Maker, this deceptively simple piece of equipment comes in various designs, compositions and price ranges to suit all budgets. What are the advantages of owning an Ice Lolly Maker and what must you consider before buying one?
Ice Lolly Maker Design Considerations
- How easy is the unit to fill?
- How easy is it to remove the frozen ice lollies from the mould?
- Can the unit be cleaned easily? Is it dishwasher friendly or can it only be washed in lukewarm water?
- How stable is the unit and can it be free standing in the freezer?
- How many compartments does the unit have?
- What is the material or composition of the ice lolly mould? Is it BPA and Phthalate free?
- Does it come with drip trays?
- How long does it take to freeze and is it a quick freeze design? For example, Zoku is considered the world’s fastest ice pop maker and depending on the ingredients used, it only takes between 7-15 minutes to produce ice lollies.
Advantages of Owning an Ice Lolly Maker
- A huge range of ingredients can be used, including:
- Fruit Juices such as pineapple, apple, orange, peach, mango, cranberry, pomegranate, blackcurrant, grape.
- Fruit and fruit pieces including bananas, raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, currants, strawberries.
- Yogurt, crushed nuts, chocolate chips, small foam sweets.
- Fizzy drinks, milkshakes, smoothies, honey or nectar, molasses, maple syrup, milk, cider or booze for the adults. The sugar present in the juices, fruit, honey etc. actually helps the ice lolly release easily from the mould. Natural sugar is fine and a 20-25% juice/75-80% water ratio is normally acceptable.
- Create unique and colorful designer ice lollies – the only limit is your imagination! Put your own spin on proceedings by adding various pieces of fruit or create striped lollies or freeze various ingredients at different stages to create a multi-layered multi-flavored extravaganza.
- You can control the sugar content, nutritional value, colorings or additives that are present.
Additional Benefits of Owning an Ice Lolly Maker
- Fantastic all year round and not only during the summer. They are also great for children’s parties.
- Everyone in the family can always have their favorite flavor whenever they want.
- Fun to use and children love to get involved.
- Convenience factor. They are quick and easy to use and you won’t have to queue up for ages when the ice cream van comes or have to dash out to a packed supermarket.
- Great taste. They are delicious, refreshing and make a super fruity frozen treat at any time.
- Generally very safe for children to use.
- Inexpensive compared to buying ice lollies from a shop or ice cream van.
- Save money by not throwing away all those beverages and soft drinks that have gone flat. Although fizzy beverages can be used with some moulds, in general, it is actually better to use those that have lost their fizz!
- Ice lolly Makers are economical given that they do not require batteries or electricity and make use of your existing freezer.