Posted by Tupper Wheatley in
Tuesday, December 2. 2008
Early Ice Cream Scoops
Ice cream was originally called iced cream. It has been a popular treat for thousands of years. Its history can be traced back to ancient times, developing through the centuries into the tasty treats we have today.
Servers often found it difficult to serve ice cream using early antique ice cream scoops, also known as dishers, dippers or molds. This occurred because the ice cream was sticky and difficult to remove from the serving utensil. Servers generally found themselves using a second utensil, or sometimes their hand, to release the ice cream.
The First Ice Cream Scoop with Mechanical Lever Action
Alfred L. Cralle, a young inventor living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, realized the need for an easy way to dispense ice cream. He applied for a patent for his invention called an Ice Cream Mold and Disher on February 2, 1897. Eventually, his invention would be known as the ice cream scoop. Simply designed to stop ice cream from sticking when dispensed, Cralle’s invention was durable,
inexpensive and very successful. It was easy to use with one hand, and eliminated the need for two utensils when serving ice cream. His basic design could be manufactured in various sizes and shapes such as mounds, cones and cylinders. This design is still used in the manufacture of ice cream scoops today.
Ice Cream Scoop Sizes and Shapes
Ice cream scoops were made in many different sizes. The number located either on the bowl or on the scoop’s wiper indicates size and number of scoops per quart. The most common ice cream scoop sizes range from 6 to 24.
Ice cream scoops were made in many different shapes.
