How Smitten Ice Cream Uses Technology to Create a Tastier Scoop
Smitten uses technology to create better (and tastier) ice cream. Photo: smittenicecream/Instagram
This weekend’s Bite conference in Silicon Valley promises to have many sweet surprises in store — hello, 3D-printed candy. But we’re especially tickled to sample selections from Smitten Ice Cream, the tech-savvy California company that uses science to create a more-perfect ice cream.
“We use nitrogen because it’s super, super cold. It’s actually negative 321 degrees Fahrenheit,“ founder Robyn Sue Fisher explained to CNN back in 2013. Nothing is frozen until the minute an order is placed, and every ingredient (aside from things like milk, of course) is made from scratch that morning. "And a super, super cold freezing process actually has the ability to make a smaller ice crystal, and a smaller ice crystal means a really, really smooth product.”
It’s all possible thanks to Smitten’s patented ice cream maker, Brrr, which Fisher developed after two years of tinkering. For inspiration, she looked to the mechanisms inside snow plows and airplanes, which led to the design of Brrr’s two DNA-like helical stirrers.
Fisher also has a yen for seasonal, local ingredients. Right now, Smitten’s seasonal flavor is tangy strawberry white balsamic. The more permanent offerings include Blue Bottle espresso; salted caramel; cookie dough with pretzels and chocolate; Tcho chocolate; and classic vanilla. Among the homemade toppings? Strawberry prosecco sauce, brown sugar caramel, and salted peanut brittle.
Smitten will be camped out at the Yahoo Food booth at Bite, which goes from June 5 to 7. Stop by to say hello and snag a taste. Tickets are still available here.
More stories about Bite Silicon Valley:
Why food world luminaries are heading to Silicon Valley
5 food tech innovations to look for at the ‘Bite’ conference in Silicon Valley
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