I have been using a cappuccino milk frother like this that is about half the size. This size isn't really necessary if you're making cappuccino milk froth because the smaller size makes plenty and probably makes more than you'll need -- even for four or five servings. I thought I might want the larger size, though, because I put skim milk in it instead of whole, add some Splenda or Stevia powder, and a touch of vanilla, and pour the froth into a very large (think 12- or 14-oz) plastic cup and put it into the freezer. An hour later or so I scoop it out, add berries or fuit, and I have my version of nonfat ice cream. Not for everyone, I guess. But I like it. All this only explains why I wanted to check out the large size. I have a friend who also is watching her weight. She tasted my milk froth ice cream and decided she wanted to do that also. The joy of these hand pumps is that it only takes a minute to make this, and no batteries are required. And the frother will last forever with no maintenance at all. No electricity to worry about. No batteries to leak and destroy the thing. And I actually might burn 3 or 4 extra calories using my own energy to pump up the froth. Anyway, my pal usually has a holiday open house, so I was debating whether to keep this, or take it to her as a little gift instead of the traditional bottle of wine. Well, when the package arrived my decision was made for me. While the stainless steel frother was undamaged -- it had been properly packaged for shipping -- and in fine condition inside a plastic envelope, the original product box it came in was old, worn out, and battered beyond belief. It looked like it had been in the basement for 40 years and endured the ravages of dust, rats, four or five household moves, and a random tornado here and there. (Maybe, in fact, it had, actually). I can't think of any other reason a box would look like that. It was really disgraceful. I never would be able to give a gift in a box like that. Take it out of the box and just wrap the item? Tacky. So, I guess I'll keep it for myself. I could order the smaller one for her. Maybe it's best that way. This way she will have to start with the small, personal-sized one, and work up to making this dry-froth milk ice cream in bulk. One word -- or maybe 200 words -- to anyone who wants to try my recipe: When you put the froth into the freezer in the large plastic cup, the top part freezes really fast -- say, in 10 or 15 minutes or so. But while it's all cooling down, some of the bubbles burst and part of the froth reverts back to liquid form and sinks to the bottom. So, in place of "stirring the pot on the stove," I end up going to the freezer and "stirring the frozen slush." I go back every 10 or 15 minutes to give the batch another stir. The end result -- if I can resist eating it that long -- is a snowy confection that is sort of like dipping your spoon into a new spring snowfall. I put little colored sprinkles in it sometimes instead of blueberries. Sometimes little mini chocolate chips (except that's sort of a waste of calories since frozen chocolate doesn't really have a taste and this goes down too fast to taste the chips), Sometimes I add a small sprinkling of shredded, sweetened coconut, but my favorite add-ins are either a tablespoonful of sliced almonds (yum!) or small diced watermelon, or sliced strawberries. (Think poor man's Pinkberry.) So, maybe it's good that I'll be making more for myself -- eat one now, save one for later. But I will have to use extra self-control not to eat the whole thing. Come to think of it, I could wait until after a television boxing match or a football game and then rescue my hubby's empty Dreyer's ice cream bin, rinse it out and dry it thoroughly, and then pour this froth mixture into that. A Tupperware container might also work, or an empty Whole Food's clear plastic deli container (they also use those plastic containers for bulk dried grains and nuts). In using the plastic cup method, the unstirred bottom part freezes really hard, but if you keep stirring it every so many minutes as I explained, you can avoid that. Or, if you forget and the milk does end up settling and freezing hard, after you scoop out the top froth and set it back into the freezer, you can nuke the hard part in the microwave for 10 or 11 seconds and that softens it enough to eat again. Or, if you're impatient with the whole check-and-stir process, after you've scooped off the top dry-frozen froth, as long as the bottom liquidy part as not yet set up to freeze, you can re-pump that bottom liquid again and turn THAT into it's own froth. One last thing, if you want a really smooth texture which also is a little creamy (and a little less super frothy) you can add about 1/4 tsp of guar gum, or maybe a trifle more, to the milk mixture and before you pump the air into it. IT doesn't froth up as well, but the taste is smoother when it's frozen. ALSO -- if you're thinking of using sugar instead of Stevia or Splenda, NEVER add sugar BEFORE frothing. The sugar -- even if it's well melted and dissolved -- impedes the frothing process. Instead, wait until the froth is half frozen and then sprinkle in the amount of sugar you want while stirring. This will add a nice crunchy texture -- like sweet bursts of flavor. (However, I wouldn't know about that since, well, you know, I'm on a diet and NEVER use sugar. ;-). Truth to tell, I suppose my fretting about the dilapidated box it came in is rather pointless since I've now talked myself into keeping the large-size unit. I wrote this for future generations who might get some benefit from the idea of using a hand-pump milk frother, not only for Cappuccino, but also for a tasty frozen dinner treat. It seems rather sacrilegious to hijack an Italian gourmet product and turn it into a rather low-brow (eat-as-you-go) American diet aid. [My Italian friend who sent my my first hand-pump Cappuccino frother would die if he read this!) Anyway, the whole thing is probably moot anyway. This was the ONLY store offering the large-size frother, and it was their last one. So, beggars can't be choosers and I'm glad, after all this, that I have it. However, should you ever find another large-sized milk frother, you'll now have two ideas as to how to use it (the first being to actually make real cappuccino froth to serve on top of cappuccino or cocoa for 10 people or more after big, family holiday dinners.) So there. Bon appetit!
