Zoku Popsicles: The Best Toy For Your Freezer

I'm trying to clear my kitchen of one-trick ponies -- the bread machines, the donut machines, the countertop gadgets that don't work as well as a good solid pan.

But I have to admit that I have fallen in love with a $50 popsicle maker.

Williams Sonoma's Zoku popsicle maker is a loaf-sized gadget that you store in your freezer.  There is some liquid sealed inside.  You pour juice or some other liquid into the three holes on top, and, in less than 10 minutes, you have popsicles.

You can have popsicles of almost anything.  We started with a peach puree.  We used lemonade.  My nephew made a batch of lemon-lime.  A touch of sugar, but they were far more sour than I had ever expected an eight-year-old to enjoy.

The Zoku's beauty is that you can freeze almost anything.  (Except diet soda.)  Simple juices.  Adult recipes like cilantro and lime.  Creams.  Crazy mixes like layers of red watermelon topped with a layer made from melon rind and lime.  Even people who don't love to cook can play with popsicles without a fuss.

And let's be honest:  It's instant gratification.  You can buy popsicle molds for way less.  You can even buy popsicle cookbooks.  But the Zoku freezes three popsicles in less than 10 minutes.  Then freezes three more.  (Up to nine, says the box.)  A kid's snack or an adult dessert.  You can have what you want in minutes, and it's a blast.  We have bought two as gifts so far this year.