OXO SteeL Ice Cream Scoop
With a spring-loaded popup release, this medium-size round scoop (2-1/4-inch-diameter bowl and 9 inches long overall) molds perfect little mounds of ice cream, sherbet, and other frozen desserts. The release, which operates with a push of the thumb, also makes possible neatly molded servings of vegetable purées, like bright-green peas and yellow butternut squash. Oxo's Steel line is an all-stainless-steel variant of the company's familiar fat-handled Good Grips line. Rather than being straight-sided, this tool's handle is tapered from heel to finger grip and has satin-finish, stainless-steel panels top and bottom. The handle's sides feature the same design as those in the Good Grips line--they're made of soft processed rubber for comfort, with  "fins," or grooves, that flex under pressure, conforming to individual finger grips and providing control when handles are wet or slippery. Like all Oxo tools, this ice cream scoop is dishwasher-safe; a hole in its handle facilitates hanging on a hook or peg.--Fred Brack