Skip to main content

The perfect ice cream scoop, designed by an aerospace engineer

perfect ice cream scoop designed aerospace engineer midnightscoop
Unless you work at Cold Stone Creamery and have the buffest ice-cream-shredding forearms of all time, you probably share the same problem most of us have — despite your best efforts, you just can’t seem to get ice cream out of the container and into your mouth as fast as you’d like to. But don’t feel bad; the problem isn’t necessarily with you. According to aerospace engineer Michael Chou, your ice cream dishing woes are more than likely caused by the poorly-designed ice cream scoop you’re using.

You see, the shape of most ice scream scoops forces you to rely mostly on your wrist joints to scoop. This results in a sort of prying motion that puts a tremendous amount of stress on your wrists, while also limiting the amount of force you can apply with your upper arm and chest muscles.

midnight scoopRelatedJet-inspired fins help this ultra-efficient cookware heat up 40% faster

To remedy this problem, Chou applied his knowledge of ergonomic design and mechanical force to develop the Midnight Scoop. Unlike most traditional scoops, this badboy is built with a wide, slightly curved handle that allows you to keep your wrist straight. Instead of prying and clawing away at the ice cream, you hold the curved end in your palm and push down, using the muscles in your arms and chest rather than the weak ones in your hand and forearm. As you push, the sharp, pointed nose of the scoop dives into the ice cream in and curves naturally, resulting an a perfect, ice-cream-commercial-style scoop every time. Check out the video below to see it in action.

After spending the past three years tweaking the design and perfecting the final prototype, Chou has taken to Kickstarter to bring the Midnight Scoop (named because it was something he typically worked on late at night) to the world. He’s already blasted past his $17K funding goal, and is currently sitting at well over $60K with around 1,300 backers. If you make a pledge before the campaign ends, you can get your hands on one for $45 bucks. Barring any manufacturing problems, Chou expects to ship the first production units to backers as early as December. Find out more here.

Drew Prindle
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
Nest Doorbell vs. Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: which is the better video doorbell?
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus installed outside a front door.

Ring and Nest are responsible for some of the best video doorbells available. With easy-to-use smartphone apps, simple installation processes, and the ability to customize your motion alerts, the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus and Nest Doorbell have quickly established themselves as two of the best video doorbells money can buy.

But what exactly is the difference between these two popular gadgets? And which is better for your smart home?

Read more
The best Apple HomeKit devices for 2023
A person unlocking the Aqara U100 smart lock with their phone.

While not as widespread as Google Home or Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit remains one of the most popular smart home ecosystems of 2023. The software plays well with iOS devices, and several other gadgets such as smart lights, smart locks, thermostats, and cameras can be controlled using the fancy technology. If you’re looking to build your smart home around Apple’s ecosystem, here are the best HomeKit devices available today.
Locks

HomeKit doesn’t have the largest selection of smart locks, but that doesn’t really matter when you have something as well-rounded as the Aqara Smart Lock U100. Not only does it offer full HomeKit support, but you’ll even gain access to Apple home keys -- allowing you to unlock your door with your iPhone or Apple Watch. There’s also the standard keypad for entering a passcode, along with a fingerprint sensor that can store several dozen fingerprints (so your whole family can enter the home without worrying about forgetting their password or smartphone).

Read more
Secure your home with Ring Floodlight Cam Plus and save $80
Ring Floodlight Camera placed on a wall outside.

Best Buy has one of the best security camera deals at the moment with $80 off the Ring Floodlight Cam Plus Outdoor Wired Surveillance Camera. Usually priced at $200, it's down to $120 for a limited time only so if you're fast enough, you'll save a lot of cash. If you're looking to secure your home, keep reading while we tell you all about the advantages this security camera offers.

Why you should buy the Ring Floodlight Cam Plus
Considered to be one of the best floodlight cameras for someone seeking a hard-wired solution, the Ring Floodlight Cam Plus Outdoor Wired Surveillance Camera is a highly effective home security measure.

Read more