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The Equipment
Though scoops with a release lever may look fancy and fun, every professional we talked to prefers a one-piece model because it's sturdy and uncomplicated to clean (Loggins calls them "indestructible"). The gold standard: Zeroll. Its main selling point is that it contains a heat-conductive liquid in the handle, which uses the warmth of your hand to make it a breeze to scoop and release the ice cream. Tyler Malek, co-founder and head ice cream maker at Salt & Straw, which has multiple West Coast locations, is also a fan of these scoops because of their shape. The blade is slightly sharp, which gives a clean edge to your scoops, and makes for an easier entry as you dig in. They come in a variety of sizes; the standard is four ounces, which yields about a five-and-a-half-ounce scoop of ice cream. The only caveat: You must handwash these scoops.