Artisanal Ice Cream

By Lexi Green
September 3, 2010

Nothing says summer better than a giant cone of refreshing ice cream, and this was certainly the summer to appreciate the frozen treat—for many parts of the U.S., it will end up being the hottest summer ever on record. But as we happily say goodbye to the blistering heat waves of 2010, we need not give up our decadent chilled refreshments. Artisanal ice cream is thriving around the country, with specialty shops and good old fashioned trucks popping up from Scottsdale, Arizona, to Cambridge, Massachusetts. eBay, too, has seen a recent surge in the trend—there are currently 1,400 more "ice cream" listings on eBay than there were at this time last year, an increase of 25 percent.

New York, in particular, is in the midst of a sweet cream boom, thanks to the arrival of Italian import Grom, which serves mouth-watering “gelato” at two Manhattan locations. All of Grom’s ice creams are made using hand-picked ingredients, including peaches, apricots and pears, right from their very own organically-run farm, Mura Mura, in Italy. There are also buttery yellow Van Leeuwan ice cream trucks now stationed around the city, with more adults than kids lining up for their fresh and locally-sourced treats. (Van Leeuwan’s vanilla beans are aged in vodka in oak barrels for four months.) And finally, over the bridge in Brooklyn, there's Blue Marble Ice Cream, which keeps customers coming back into the fall with flavors like egg nog, peppermint stick, pumpkin and maple. Each of these purveyors does everything they can for the planet, with biodegradable serving dishes, give-back programs and well, smiling faces.

With Labor Day now upon us, we enlisted the help of Blue Marble owner Alexis Miesen to pick some of the coolest of ice cream accoutrements from eBay, for your next ice cream social.

Alexis Miesen’s Picks:

Roll over items for details

NEW White Mountain Ice Cream Maker

"What could possibly be more gratifying than hand-cranking your own ice cream?? My business partner, Jennie, and I used one of these when we made our first test batch of ice cream in Rwanda, as part of our Sweet Dreams initiative to help women in the country build a sustainable and profitable business. The ice cream was out-of-this-world delicious."

(buy it now price, $185.99)

NEW King Louis Crystal Colored Ice Cream Dessert Cup Dishes

"When I was young, my grandmother used to babysit me and we would have 'tea parties.' Instead of tea, though, we'd have ice cream and she served it to me in her nicest crystal bowls. We'd get dressed up and pretend to be very fancy ladies."

(buy it now price, $219.50)

NEW Zeroll Original Ice Cream Scoops

"We use these Zeroll scoopers in our shops. They are the best scoopers out there. Makes a difference when you're serving rock-hard ice cream all day long!"

(buy it now price, $17.86)

Ice Cream Dessert by Andy Warhol

"I like art with a sense of humor and whimsy."

(buy it now price, $17.95)

NEW Whipped Cream Dispenser

"Nothing can compete with fresh whipped cream. Forget that store-bought stuff!"

(buy it now price, $45)

NEW Hamilton Beach Mixer

"I. Love. Milkshakes. I typically get my fix at one of our shops, but it's good to have one of these at home, too, just in case a craving strikes."

(buy it now price, $32.99)

Volkswagen Ice Cream Van

"Who made such a precious thing?? I wish I could climb into it and drive around town."

(buy it now price, $449)

More Ice Cream Finds on eBay:

Cuisinart Ice Cream Yogurt Sorbet Maker

If hand-cranking isn’t your thing, Cuisinart makes one of the easiest-to-use automatic ice cream makers around.

(buy it now price, $39.99)

Antique Sterling Silver Ice Cream Spoons

Anything would taste sweet in one of these charming spoons!

(buy it now price, $280)

Four Cobalt Blue Ice Cream Glasses

These cobalt blue glasses would make for decorative sundaes.

(starting bid, $8.50)

Antique Ice Cream Freezer Maker

Keep the nostalgia going by storing your ice cream in this vintage maker during parties.

(current bid, $26)

1926 Art Deco Poster Vanity Fair

Whether you're throwing an ice cream party or not, this art deco poster and retro frozen custard sign would make a great addition to any room.

(buy it now price, $16.95)

NEW Frozen Custard Retro Diner Sign

(buy it now price, $16.00)

Conical Ice Cream Scooper

Just think of the adorable little ice cream domes this will produce!

(current bid, $9.99)

Antique Ice Cream Shop Chairs & Table

Give your patio an old ice cream parlor feel with an authentic curlicue wrought iron set.

(starting bid, $399)

Set of Four Antique Ice Cream Molds

Reshape your homemade creations into edible art.

(buy it now price, $129)

NEW Norpro Three Piece Marble Slab

For "mixing in" everything from crushed Heath bars to fresh fruit to warm, gooey brownies; simply pound out your frozen ice cream and use the paddles to fold in fresh/local ingredients.

(buy it now price, $18.99)