# What is the straight dope on this ice cream scoop ("Heat-conductive liquid in the handle")

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-this-ice-cream-scoop-heat-conductive-liquid-in-the-handle/586742>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 24, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-this-ice-cream-scoop-heat-conductive-liquid-in-the-handle/586742 "2011-06-24T18:33:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-this-ice-cream-scoop-heat-conductive-liquid-in-the-handle/586742/21 "2011-06-25T12:41:25Z")

</div>

Um, _all_ freezers maintain temperatures below freezing; that’s kind of the whole idea.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-this-ice-cream-scoop-heat-conductive-liquid-in-the-handle/586742/22 "2011-06-25T12:49:53Z")

</div>

Also, the “usual” temperature for a household freezer is about zero degrees Fahrenheit, well below freezing.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-this-ice-cream-scoop-heat-conductive-liquid-in-the-handle/586742/23 "2011-06-25T15:39:50Z")

</div>

When you scoop with a wet scoop, you leave water behind as well as tiny amounts of melted ice ream, which freezes to the frozen ice cream and forms crystals. If you scoop with a dry scoop, you don’t leave water behind and the only substance left to form ice crystals in the ice cream mix itself.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-this-ice-cream-scoop-heat-conductive-liquid-in-the-handle/586742/24 "2011-06-25T17:26:43Z")

</div>

> [@chacoguy](#):
>
> You should dry your scoop before use to avoid having ice crystals form in you ice cream.

> [@naita](#):
>
> My impression is that ice crystals are the result of thawing and refreezing ice cream.
> 
> Um… Are you talking about a few ice crystals from water left on the surface of the ice cream, or ice crystals throughout?

> [@kanicbird](#):
>
> I though the ice crystals are a result of sublimation and refreezing, AFAIK my freezer maintains temps below freezing and there should be no melting/refreezing.

> [@Amblydoper](#):
>
> When you scoop with a wet scoop, you leave water behind as well as tiny amounts of melted ice ream, which freezes to the frozen ice cream and forms crystals. If you scoop with a dry scoop, you don’t leave water behind and the only substance left to form ice crystals in the ice cream mix itself.

water from a wet scoop will leave water ice crystals on the ice cream surface.

during the scooping process water vapor from the room will condense on the ice cream and freeze into water ice crystals.

scoop quickly to minimize this and get the container back in the freezer.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-this-ice-cream-scoop-heat-conductive-liquid-in-the-handle/586742.md?page=1)