Product Description: The Zeroll company refers to this product as the Universal EZ Disher that is a “hand-operated food portioner.” It looks like an ice cream scoop and comes in over a dozen numbered sizes; the smaller the number, the larger the bowl. The handles are individually color-coded. Its shaft and gear are solid stainless steel, designed for right- or left-hand use and are not spring loaded, which means there are no springs to break. NSF Approved (this stands for National Sanitation Foundation, an independent certifying agency and the label the food service industry looks to for quality approval).
Test Kitchen Overview: I have used scoops like this for years, dating back to my bakery days. They are called “food portioners” or “food dishers” in the industry because they allow food-service operators to determine the size/volume of something that they want to portion out, and then by using the appropriately sized scoop, they get the same portion every time. This is good for keeping yields exact, which affects food costs, but it is also an aesthetic thing. This is the best way to get all your drop cookies the exact same size, for instance.
I have recommended Zeroll scoops before. This is a new product with an extended shaft or neck. The advantage with this is that if you are digging into the deep narrow bowl of your stand mixer – to portion out your cookie dough, for instance – you won’t get the dough all over your hands! It works effortlessly, just as its shorter-necked brethren, but if you want the advantage of the longer neck, this is even better.
Pros: Simple and intuitive to use for righties or lefties. Easy to clean. Color codes tell you instantly which size you are reaching for. The dishers help you make every cookie and truffle the same exact size. Perfect for cake balls and cake pops, too. In fact, I wouldn’t make cake balls without my trusty #2040 or truffles without the #2100.
Cons: For home use, unless you make big batches of product often, the shorter-necked version might be more effective for you. These scoops work great with most drop-cookie dough, however, if the dough is very hard either because of its formula or because it is chilled, the scoop mechanism can break or be pushed off of its axis. (Though this can often be easily fixed.) They are not recommended for scooping ice cream.
Suggested Use: If your cookies, truffles or cake pops are always different sizes and you want a more precise, professional approach to portioning, then these are perfect. I do consider them necessary in the Test Kitchen.
Where to Buy: Direct through Zeroll and Amazon.
Price at Time of Review:
$18.00 from Zeroll
Have you tried this product? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Bakepedia received this product as a gift for review. All opinions are the reviewer’s own.
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