A while back, we got into making ice cream and haven't looked back since. Of course, we've made a lot of new friends who now come over anytime they want some great homemade ice cream :). We bought 4 of these Zak containers to store our homemade ice cream as these were (and still are) the only reusable options for home ice cream storage in the pint size.
I mention that this container is multi-purpose because it is large enough to put homemade ice cream directly into the container, or the standard store bought pint-sized container (e.g., Ben & Jerry's) if you want to take it on-the-go with you. The container is well insulated so will keep your ice cream chilled for a good 2-4 hours depending on outside temps. We've put these containers in coolers with ice to go camping and they lasted all day.
If you are using the container for making homemade ice cream, I suggest you get at least 2 as most ice cream recipes make a healthy 1 quart portion (assuming you don't eat it all while being made). When you make homemade ice cream, it often is not as hard when it comes out of the maker so you'll need to chill it for a while. One of the issues we found with using the Zak container in the freezer is that because it is very well insulated it takes longer to make the ice cream colder. This can be a problem if you plan to serve the ice cream the same day you make it. Our solution is to put the freshly made ice cream in the Zak container and instead of using a lid, put plastic wrap directly onto the ice cream (making sure to get a tight seal without any air). The ice cream will chill much faster this way.
Folks have complained about the problem with opening the container as lid will tend to freeze shut after being in the freezer for a while. This is a problem and reason I give it 4 stars. The lid should really have a better grip than a low profile motif of a spoon on top. However, this is no longer a problem for us because when we put the lid on, we now always tighten it shut and then crack it open slightly. Because the lid has plenty of screw turns, we have found that air does not get into the ice cream when slightly cracked open. Anyways, hope some of these tips help folks make better use of this excellent product.
