Ice cream can be very difficult to scoop straight from the freezer. Using traditional scoops in this situation can put a strain on the user's wrist without necessarily being that effective. The Midnight Scoop, however, is designed to protect the user's wrist, whilst making the scooping process easier.
A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign is underway for the the Midnight Scoop, designed by mechanical and aerospace engineer Michael Chou. The device is similar to another product for which funds were recently raised on Kickstarter, the ButterUp butter-grating knife, in that small refinements to an existing design are incorporated to make a big difference.
The main premise upon which the Midnight Scoop is based is that much more force can be applied to something by pushing it with a straight wrist than by other actions that result in a sideways force being applied to the wrist. As such, the scoop is designed with a thick, curved handle that allows the user to push it through the ice cream forcefully using their palm without discomfort or risk of injury to the wrist.
In addition to minimizing the strain placed on a user's wrist, Chou says that the Midnight Scoop's push-focused design means that ice cream can be scooped much more quickly. This, he explains, is again due to the extra force that can be applied to the scoop.
Chou says it took 38 prototypes to eventually produce the final design for the Midnight Scoop (so called because of the late nights that he spent working on the project). The scoop is forged from solid aluminum and is available in its natural form or with ebony, graphite or moonstone coatings.
The Midnight Scoop has already surpassed its Kickstarter target and, at the time of writing, individuals can pledge from US$38 to receive one. Assuming all goes to plan, deliveries are expected to begin in December.
The video below is the Kickstarter pitch for the ice cream scoop.
Sources: Midnight Scoop, Kickstarter
