The Best Ice Cream Scoops For Sundae-Worthy Spheres

Best Overall

Zeroll Original Ice Cream Scoop

$23 at Amazon $42 at Walmart $25 at Wayfair

You wouldn't know from looking at it, but the Zeroll Original ice cream scoop is actually an engineering wonder. The scoop itself is made of lightweight aluminum, but the handle is filled with heat-conductive, FDA-approved mineral oil. The internal liquid heats up from the warmth of your hand, making the scoop's metal slightly warm. The result is a scoop that feels comfortable to hold and slides smoothly through hard ice cream with minimal pressure required.

When we tested this in a home kitchen, it took no time at all to scoop tight, round balls of ice cream with the Zeroll. The ice cream easily slid into an awaiting bowl, especially during the first tests while our hand was still warm. That ease of scooping hard ice cream, a sleek and balanced design, and perfectly sized servings put this scoop at the top of the list. Best of all, this is one solid piece, so there's no danger of parts breaking or loosening over time.

It should last a lifetime if it’s hand-washed as directed. The downside to the Zeroll scoop is that it is unable to tolerate temperatures above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, making it unable to go in the dishwasher.

Scoop Size: 2 ounces | Dimensions: 7.3 x 2.1 x 1.9 inches | Weight: 5.6 ounces | Material: Aluminum

Best Budget

Farberware Professional Soft Ice Cream Scoop

$20 at Amazon

It's just under $10, digs into the hard-to-reach corners of ice cream containers, and won't make your hand cramp up from use. What more could you ask for?! This simple-looking scooper proved to be very effective in our tests. The head of the scoop has a pointed square shape, allowing you to really get into those tricky corners or bottoms of containers. We also discovered during testing that the 8.6-inch length of the handle contributed to optimal ease of use. It provided a sturdy, comfortable grip that made for effortless scooping of our favorite frozen treats. We wouldn't recommend this one for left-handed people, though, because of the squared edge.

Scoop Size: 2 ounces | Dimensions: 2.17 x 0.98 x 8.66 inches | Weight: 7.7 ounces | Material: Stainless steel scoop, plastic handle

Best Large Scoop

Vollrath Stainless Steel Disher

$20 at Amazon $20 at Walmart View on Webstaurantstore.com

Sometimes you're craving more than just a little ice cream. One of these jumbo scoops is all you need for a generous serving of the delectable dessert, which means less scooping and more eating!

The Vollrath 4-Ounce Stainless Steel Disher is a disher-style scoop with an exceptionally long 9.56-inch plastic handle. When testing, we found this wasn’t the most comfortable to hold while scooping and using the trigger. However, it was especially useful for getting the ice cream at the bottom of the container. The resulting 4-ounce scoops are large and charmingly round. During tests, the sweeping piece was sturdy and didn’t break with hard ice cream, and worked even well with ice cream that had a lot of mix-ins. This dishwasher-safe scoop is very versatile and would work well for soft batters and doughs, especially if you're making extra-large cookies. One thing to note, though, is that this is another one that is made for right-handed use.

Scoop Size: 4 ounces | Dimensions: 9.56 x 3.8 x 1.06 inches | Weight: 8.8 ounces | Material: Stainless steel scoop, plastic handle

Best Spade

OXO Stainless Steel Ice Cream Spade

$15 at Amazon $14 at Target $15 at Sur La Table

Ice cream spades are usually seen in gelato stores, but you should really give one a chance over the traditional scoop. The Good Grips Stainless Steel Ice Cream Spade has a paddle that is slightly curved and slides through hard ice cream, or ice cream with mix-ins, easily. The spade is great for scooping large portions, as well as transferring homemade ice cream from the ice cream maker to a freezer-safe container or pint.

During testing, we found it was comfortable to hold, balanced, and doesn't cause any wrist strain when used. Plus, the non-slip handle ensures a firm, comfortable grip and keeps your hand from getting cold while using. With no moving parts, this scoop is sturdy and durable, and, as an added bonus, is dishwasher safe. This type of scoop isn’t the best for scooping small portions or for making ice cream cones since it can scoop a lot and it's hard to control the serving size and appearance. When we used this scooper with a pint of ice cream we found it a challenge to see over the paddle since it was larger than the container itself, so that's something to keep in mind. However, it worked very efficiently in the half-gallon tub of ice cream.

Scoop Size: 4 ounces | Dimensions: 9 x 2.5 x 1 inches | Weight: ​​7.4 ounces | Material: ​​Stainless steel

Most Ergonomic

Spring Chef Ice Cream Scoop

$10 at Amazon $12 at Walmart View on Springchef.com

The Spring Chef Ice Cream Scoop has an ergonomic, comfortable rubber handle that comes in twelve different colors (we tested the purple one). The handle also boasts a notch at the bottom for lifting off frozen lids, similar to a bottle opener. No more cold fingers!

This scoop is made from zinc alloy—it's also available in stainless steel—and the 3-ounce scooper creates medium-sized scoops that easily release with minimal effort. We found the curved handle very comfortable to hold and it kept our hand warm while scooping. Though one of the heavier scoops, it felt comfortable and didn’t cause any wrist strain while using, even with a hard ice cream that included mix-ins.

After completing testing, the zinc alloy scoop came out of the dishwasher as shiny as it went in, but the handle looked duller with some residue. This slight discoloration didn’t affect the comfort of the handle, though.

Scoop Size: 3 ounces | Dimensions: 7.75 x 1.8 x 1.25 | Weight: ​​7.4 ounces | Material: ​​Zinc alloy

Best Disher

Jenaluca Cookie Scoop Set

$50 at Amazon

One issue with ice cream scoops is that they're too large for other culinary uses like scooping cookie dough or melon balls for your cocktails. If you want a versatile tool, you're better off with a smaller disher-style scoop like the Jenaluca Cookie Scoop Set.

This set is great for gifting since it comes in a gray gift box with each of the three scoops arriving inside its own velvet drawstring bag. The largest scoop holds three tablespoons and would be the one most likely used for ice cream. While testing, the 18/8 stainless-steel dishers felt durable and comfortable to hold in either hand. The squeeze handle is easy to control and the sweeper mechanism is sturdy and produces nice tight balls, even with hard ice cream. Smooth ice cream released easily, but it took a couple of extra squeezes to release ice cream with mix-ins.

Testing found that the scoops did take some hand strength to squeeze and release, which gives a lot of control when serving, but might not be suitable for children or elderly people. These versatile, dishwasher-safe scoops come with a lifetime guarantee, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to use them for a variety of purposes.

Scoop Size: 2 teaspoons, 1.5 tablespoons, 3 tablespoons | Dimensions: 78 x 2.5 x 1 inches | Weight: ​​4.75 ounces | Material: ​​18/8 stainless steel