[C]afé owners, it’s time to step up your cold beverage options for summer. Cold-brew and Japanese-style iced coffee are delicious options—as is the occasional frappe—but sometimes, all you want is something cold and sweet. We’ve found five fun tools for you to use in your café to DIY some delicious frozen treats, caffeinated or not.
Mini Me
Treat your customers to the cutest little ice cream sandwiches with Cuisipro’s Mini Ice Cream Sandwich Maker. These minis are easy to use, dishwasher safe, and come in three shapes: heart, star, and classic circle. Your customers will love the variety, and your employees will love how easy they are to make.
Slush Puppy
Slushies are so hot right now—get your café on trend with a slushy machine. These countertop machines come in all shapes and sizes, but we’re a fan of the Bunn Ultra-2, featuring twin three-gallon hoppers. Bunn’s slushy machine is NSF certified and approved for use with alcohol and dairy, so your frozen drink possibilities are endless.
Notter Pop
Move away from the sugar-water ice pops of the nineties and make your own fruit-filled treats. Zipzicle zip-top ice pop pouches are resealable, easy to fill, and come in packs of eighteen or thirty-six—perfect for making a big batch! Blend fruit and juice or coffee and milk together, fill the Zipzicle bags with a funnel, and freeze through.
We all Scream
For a classic summer treat, look to ice cream. Cuisinart’s electric ice cream maker, the Ice 70, produces up to two quarts of creamy deliciousness in about twenty minutes. The Ice 70 has a digital control panel with three settings: ice cream, gelato, or sorbet. Available at Williams Sonoma.
Safari Sam
Take your customers on a tasty frozen safari with Zoku Safari Pop Molds. The four molds—Curious Professor, Parrot, Elephant, and Monkey—are not only adorable, but they make it super easy to craft your own Popsicles in any flavor combo you can think of. We’re partial to cold-brew, cream, and a touch of maple, but go crazy!
—Rachel Sandstrom Morrison is Fresh Cup‘s associate editor.
