Zoku Quick Pop Maker: A Review

I received the Zoku Quick Pop Maker as a gift from work, and it was perfect to take along with me to my beach week trip. As excited as I was to make my very own pops, I have to admit the warnings I read from online reviews and the user instructions were intimidating. No unsweetened pops, minimal alcohol in pops, must freeze unit for at least 24 hours, no filling past the line, make sure unit is completely dry before freezing...break any rules and I run the risk of not being able to pull out my pops or, even worse, breaking the pop maker itself. For such a happy little product, there were a lot of things that scared me.

From the Zoku recipe book, I decided to try the recipe for the S'Mores pops, which involved making a fudge base and alternating with layers of mini marshmallows and graham cracker. For my first batch, it became a little messy as I tried to pour the fudge mixture into the narrow pop slots (see Exhibit A).

Exhibit A: My first attempt at pops, a hot (or rather cold) mess

I learned that a funnel or spout to pour the liquids vastly improved subsequent results. After filling the molds and with about 10 minutes of waiting, out came this little guy:

Verdict: Delicious! Very tasty and not at all artificial. I was so happy about how this turned out that I didn't mind all the extra hassle of reading through the do's and don'ts before starting. And I love how the Zoku maker lets you play up your creative side. I have a feeling the Zoku blog, filled with recipes and how-to's, will soon make its way to my favorites list.

Here are a couple other tips I learned through my first batch of pops:

- For the second and subsequent batches, it will take progressively longer for the pops to freeze. I even put the unit back into the freezer for the second batch to make sure it froze properly.
- It's also helpful to cool/chill the liquid for the pops (in my case, the fudge base) prior to filling the molds.
- If a pop gets stuck in the maker, just let it thaw out in the unit and then start over.
- Have a chopstick or other blunt object on hand to push down/pack in the ingredients, especially if you have something like marshmallows or toppings that can create gaps in the pop mold. You want to keep the pop packed in dense to make sure it doesn't fall apart.

Happy popping!