Review: Zoku Slush & Shake Maker

Today I have something a little different from my usual makeup reviews. I will be reviewing a fun little kitchen gadget instead. With the summer heat just around the corner, most of us will be looking for ways to stay cool. This is where the Zoku comes in. You can make slushies or milkshakes easily, with only a few simple ingredients! I believe this is available exclusively at Williams Sonoma and costs $19.95.

This was a gift from my parents because they took a trip to the US recently and had a chance to go into a Williams Sonoma. Williams Sonoma does exist in Canada, just not in Ottawa, so going to one is always a treat. This is honestly not something I would have bought myself, since I already own an ice cream maker, but I am glad to have it now.

The Zoku comes with three parts. The inner core is the part that you freeze, the outer sleeve is like a cup that the inner core fits into and it also has a stir stick. To use the Zoku, you first must freeze the inner core for at least 8 hours. Once you have done that, put the inner core into the outer sleeve and pour whatever drink you want into it. Next, stir and scrape the sides every minute until you reach the consistency that you want.

I decided to do a full demo of the Zoku Slush & Shake maker, so you can all see how it works for yourself! I made myself a coffee concoction for the demo, in the hopes of having something like an iced capp when I was done. I started by freezing the inner core overnight, to make sure I would hit the 8 hour mark. The next day I made some strong coffee and let it cool before mixing it with some almond milk and simple syrup. I did leave that mixture in the fridge to get as cold as possible before starting.

I poured the coffee mix into the Zoku when it was good and cold. This is it at the very beginning:

As you can see, it is still completely liquid. I sat with the cup, stirring every minute or so and this is what I had at the 10 minute mark:

It looks like a slushie!!!!

This product definitely does what it says! I had an awesome frozen coffee in ten minutes! I did notice a few pros and cons while using it though, so I compiled them below.

Pros:
- It does work and can make a fun slushie or milkshake on a hot summer day.
- The design is really nice and comes in many fun colours!
- I love the stir stick/spoon design, it's fun to eat with.
- All the parts are easy to clean and wipe out.
- Overall it was a very fun experience!

Cons:
- It only makes one serving before you have to freeze it again (but if you pour your slushie into another cup immediately, rinse it in cold water, dry it really quickly and throw it back in the freezer, it only needs to freeze for about 2-4 hours)
- The Zoku is hand wash only in lukewarm water, which doesn't bother me, since I have no dishwasher anyways, but some of you might want to take that into consideration.
- It isn't as fast as making an iced coffee or smoothie would be (but it is fun to make).
- It takes up precious space in the freezer.

So overall I am very pleased with my Zoku Slush & Shake Maker! Like I said before, I probably wouldn't have paid $20 for it myself, since I already own an ice cream maker, but I still like it. I have really enjoyed the first few drinks I tried in it and can see myself getting a lot of use out of it this summer!

What do you think of the Zoku? Would you try something like this?