You’re already familiar with pod coffee machines, and you might have even come across a pod cocktail machine in recent months. But a specialist pod ice cream machine? Never been done before – the closest would be last year’s ColdSnap, which takes care of all types of frozen goods but, to my knowledge, is yet to really take off (or even start shipping). That’ll make Frolic Home Ice Cream Maker the first of its kind, promising instant culinary-grade ice cream in around two minutes with the simple press of a button.
With Classic, Lite and Vegan pods available, Frolic will use grass-fed dairy sourced from Northern Illinois that has been made into ice crystals ten times smaller than average. So far, it’s looking like only pods will only be available in vanilla and chocolate flavours, although the machine also lets you add any flavouring to the pod, such as fresh fruit, sprinkles, crushed Oreos and whatnot. That means the machine is an easy three-step process – pop in the pod, add the flavourings and press the button.
Compare this to the ColdSnap, which was rather vague in its messaging. The pods for that machine are apparently filled with “unknown ingredients”. So at least Frolic is actually letting us know what’s included as part of the ice-cream making magic. The specialist pods are said to produce smoother and creamier results than would than you’d typically expect from homemade ice cream.
“We took the technology of the most expensive ice cream machines and made it available to all with the push of a button,” claims the official Frolic website.
The Frolic Home Ice Cream Maker was worked up in collaboration with accomplished pastry chef Dana Cree, who is well known around Chicago mainly for her work at what was once one of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants, Blackbird. The two-time finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Pastry Chef worked with Frolic to create a convenient countertop ice cream maker that takes all the guesswork out of making fresh homemade ice cream from scratch and avoids the need for any specialist equipment.
Frolic measures at 11-inches x 6-inches x 15.5-inches, making it a rather tall and slim machine that could easily fit on any countertop without commanding the same space as something a bit more rotund like an air fryer. The minimalist design also means the machine would be easy to clean up between ice-cream batches, with all that’s required being a quick rinse of the blade under hot water.
Any ice cream produced by the machine can be stored and frozen for up to one year.
The Frolic ice cream maker ran a Kickstarter earlier this year that was reportedly funded in less than 10 minutes. As such, shipments are expected to start from June 2022 with a price tag of US$389 (~AU$528). The company will also be running a subscription service for the specific pods, with options including a five-pack, ten-pack or a monthly subscription that includes five pods per month.
