Along with single servings of coffee, we’ve also seen Keurig-like pods used to dispense cocktails, wine, fresh tortillas and even full meals. ColdSnap forges into different territory, by serving up fresh ice cream and other frosty treats.
Created by entrepreneur Matt Fonte (with input from his daughters Sierra and Fiona), the ColdSnap system consists of a countertop rapid-freezing machine, along with an assortment of pods.
These pods contain not only different flavors of both dairy and non-dairy ice cream (in liquid form), but also the ingredients for things like smoothies, frozen yogurt, protein shakes and frozen cocktails. The pods themselves are made from recyclable aluminum, and because their contents are fully sealed inside, they do not have to be refrigerated.
Users simply select a pod, insert it into the top of the machine, then wait 60 to 90 seconds for the machine to freeze and dispense its contents. The finished product is claimed to have quite a smooth consistency, as the ice crystals that form within it are very small.
And while LG recently showed off its somewhat similar SnowWhite prototype, Fonte claims that his product is different in that the food/beverage itself never touches the device – the ice cream (or other content) is dispensed directly from the pod, so the machine never needs to be cleaned. Additionally, SnowWhite takes a few minutes to freeze and dispense the ingredients, plus it requires multiple pods to create a single serving.
ColdSnap is the recipient of a CES 2021 Innovation Award, and will initially be available to commercial users, priced at around US$1,000. Fonte tells us the home version should be less expensive. The pods will cost $2.99 each.
ColdSnap makes single-serving fresh ice cream from unrefrigerated pods [New Atlas]