You're Scooping Ice Cream Wrong

You've probably seen employees at ice cream parlors dipping their scoops into a container of water between orders. The reason for this move isn't to wipe off any residual chocolate before they dip into vanilla, or to somehow warm the scoop. Instead, it's because ice cream won't release from a dry scoop—it'll stick. Keep a bowl or cup of cold (not hot!) water nearby and give your scoop a dunk and then a light shake before scooping, so it's damp but not dripping, to ensure that the ice cream will come neatly off the scoop.