The Iowa Housewife: In the Kitchen...Food Dishers or Scoops

In our Mom’s kitchen, the only scoop we had was an ice-cream scoop. After I became a dietitian and worked in food service kitchens around the country, I came to love scoops or food dishers and purchased some for my kitchen at home from our food service vendor. I now have an abundance of scoops, 2 of some sizes, so I can supply a helper on some projects! I also have two ice cream scoops, one plain and an ice cream spade. My first scoop, a size 24 for muffin and cupcakes, was purchased 50 years ago; I still use it every week!

Food dishers feature squeeze handles or thumb press devices that ensure no food is left in the scoop after release. You can do with one hand what usually takes two! Food service kitchens and restaurants use them for serving perfect portions of pudding, mousse, applesauce, steamed vegetables, and mashed potatoes! They give perfect portion control, and customers get just what they pay for, and managers know the recipe will get the desired amount.

Top scoop: size 100, middle: size 40,
Bottom Size 24

I use mine to easily shape meatballs, drop cookies, muffins, cheese and butter balls, candy centers for dipping, batter rolls and anything else where the recipe calls for 2 spoons to shape the product.

I like good quality scoops from Zerol, (the plastic-handled scoops), and from restaurant supply houses (the metal scoops). My first one is 50 years old, and I still use it almost every week.

For convenience, the size scoop number is marked on the scoop, as shown in the picture, either on the bar inside the scoop, or on the handle. They are also color-coded for commercial kitchen use.