Review on 🍭 U.S. Kitchen Supply Jumbo Set of 18 Star Shaped Ice Pop Molds - Reusable USA Colored Ice Pop Makers for Healthy Kids Treats by April Goracke

I've been making lollipops since I was a kid. So when I bought a new set of molds, I just didn't realize it was possible to be so frustrated with something that was supposed to be so easy. How difficult is it really to screw up a technology that was perfected over 40 years ago? Anyway, these guys did it. I mean, the whole point is being able to pop them out of the mold without a stick, without popsicles, right? I've tried a few 18 rounds so far and I think only one of them came out of your tight little mold fully intact. NOT GOOD. ADVANTAGES: Funny shape. And they stand in the holder without tipping over. But that's the only good thing I can say - everything else is a complete mess. CONS: At first glance these things appear to be well made - real high performance plastic. But actually I think that might be part of the problem. I think the problem is that the plastic that makes up the "walls" of the mold is actually too thick; and that its thickness has serious consequences that spoil the pleasure. First, they freeze very slowly. It's not a disaster. Patience is a virtue after all; and slower setting pops tend to have a milder flavor, and that's okay. The real problem is that they just don't work. The plastic is so thick that it is very difficult to pop the popsicle out of the mold once it is truly frozen. This is true if you try to pick them up once they're frozen or if you leave them heavily frozen overnight. The shape just doesn't have "give" so there's no way to gently squeeze the shape to coax it out. And running them under warm water isn't very good either, because the thickness of the plastic insulates it from warm water. When the pop is hot enough to pop out of the mold, it will be so soft that the pop will usually crack and some of it will get stuck in the mold. the stick comes out without cotton, or the cotton tears when pulled. There's probably a magic point right in the middle, but you have to pinpoint it - and unfortunately my kitchen isn't equipped with the scientific lab equipment that would be needed to achieve that exact temperature combined with the exact number of seconds. Unfortunately, I only have to work with normal people's kitchens. But I haven't even told you about the craziest ones yet! It feels like there is a tiny plastic rim on the inside top edge of the mold. WHAT DOES THAT DO?!? It's a little hard to describe why this is a problem; but actually, that inwardly protruding lip — barely noticeable as it can be — is part of what keeps the frozen pop from easily slipping out of shape. Perhaps this is a design oversight, but in fact it is a fatal flaw. It's almost as if it wasn't made for making popsicles, but rather some kind of parental frustration device (like we don't have enough of them). Or maybe an analogue of a logic puzzle? I'm sure I don't know. All I signed up for was making frozen juices for kids; and so far I've won 1 win with 35 losses. I can't remember a single tie. A few small design changes could have made them great, but I just feel like they're terribly defeating their (very basic) purpose. I'll go back and try something from a different manufacturer as other shapes from the same company look like they might cause similar problems.