ZOKU INSTANT POP MAKER - Review and Tutorial

Harold and I went to the San Diego County Fair on Monday night and one of the things we like most about the Fair is the huge showroom full of booths and stands of people doing demos and selling products that you would see on "As Seen on TV". Last year I got suckered into buying the "Ovation Cell Therapy" set which helps you grow thicker, more beautiful hair (with 100% money back guarantee) and we also got the Aussie Slushie maker. You put these special ice cubes in a plastic cup they give you and you basically shake it for a minute or so before the liquid turns icy. And the year before we purchased this awesome car organizer that we still use to this day. So this year we were totally into the ZOKU instant Popsicle stand. We must've seen at least three demos before we finally made up our mind and got one. You can also buy one at a Williams Sonoma store or online:  http://www.amazon.com/Zoku-Single-Quick-Maker-Purple/dp/B006Y25AWG/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1341508855&sr=8-12&keywords=ZOKU+maker for $24.99. I think they have way more colors to choose from online. They only had red, orange, and blue at the Fair...

I don't know about you but, I LOVE eating Popsicles! You name it, BIG STICKS, Melon bars, B-B-Big, coffee bars, Strawberry Shortcakes, there's always a box of pops in the freezer. So of course when I walked by this stand, I was very curious to know how it worked, if it was really worth the cost, and what kinds of cool things it did. I probably had "SELL TO ME" written all over my face. A part of me really wanted to take one home but another part of me was worried that it was going to be just another item in our kitchen (which is totally running out of space at the moment) and we would maybe use it a handful of times before we stored it away in a plastic bag somewhere. The guy doing the demo offered it to us for $20 (for the single one which makes 3 at a time) and threw in a bunch of extra sticks and drip guards so we decided to just go for it. We had to pair up with another couple that wanted the same thing though because it's basically 1 for $24.99 but 2 for $40. Luckily the couple standing next to us were sold as much as we were and agreed to buy a single pack as well so Harold and I left the Fair really happy and excited.

 So here is what was included in the ZOKU single pack (the one we got):

- A single pop maker (you can choose from several different colors)

- 3 sticks with a drip guards

- A screw that you HAVE to have in order to pop out the ice pop.

AND the guy threw in an extra 6 sticks/drip catcher for us as a nice gesture (which means I can pre-make the pops and store it in the freezer since I can only make 3 at a time)

How to prep the base:

- You need to freeze the base for at least 24 hours. The colder, the faster and better it works.

- You can make three back to back. Depending on how thick your liquid is or whether it's carbonated or not, it can take up to 7-10 minutes to make a pop. 

- You do not have to wash the base after every use. The popsicles come out totally frozen and will leave it pretty clean for several uses at a time.

- If you ever want to wash the base, you need to make sure the base is completely defrosted and dry it completely off before you put it back in the freezer for up to 24 hours before you use it again.

How to use the maker and some things you should NOT put in there:

DO NOT put in any liquids that don't contain real sugar like diet sodas or diet drinks. It will over freeze or something like that and could be impossible to pull out. Obviously don't stick your fingers in there and keep a close eye on your kids so that they don't stick their tongue or fingers in there as well. After a few uses, I really like the consistency of the yogurt pops. Mix a little bit of milk in with your flavored or Greek yogurt blend so that it's not too thick. Unlike making pops the traditional way where you freeze them like you would freeze an ice tray, the ZOKU maker has a flash freeze effect that gives you a nice horizontal crystallization (which makes it like the store bought ones).

Some of the most creative ones I've seen online:

I also love that you can layer it up or add in real fruits and juices, smoothies, etc. It makes it a lot healthier and more fun since you can really let yourself be creative. Here's a fun little character kit you can buy if you have kids:

Harold and I had some friends over yesterday and we experimented with yogurt, milk, frozen blueberries, punch, and gingerale! You can also use a little straw to make several layers or one layer like a creamsicle! So far I love it and want to keep trying new and fun recipes! I will post more pictures of my various pops in the near future. :)

  

An all natural organic strawberry/watermelon pop!

 Lemon Yogurt pop! My favorite!
(Make sure you mix a little bit of milk or lemonade with the yogurt so it's not too thick)

 Starbucks decaf mocha frap pop!

Key lime yogurt with non-alcoholic Margarita mix pop! (Left)

 Orange juice with tropical berry juice (right)

 Blueberry smoothie pop (Left)

Chocolate fudge yogurt + sliced bananas (right)

Plain OJ (Left)

Strawberry slices + Strawberry lemonade (Right)