GETTING STARTED
Beginner's Guide to Scoop Science
Your first steps to understanding ice cream science
Published: January 2026 · 10 min read
What is the Scoop Science Calculator?
The Scoop Science Calculator is a free ice cream texture tool. It analyzes your recipe ingredients and predicts whether your frozen dessert will be creamy, icy, or somewhere in between.
Whether you're making ice cream with a Ninja CREAMi, Cuisinart machine, or even a simple freeze-and-stir method, the calculator helps you get the perfect texture before you freeze.
The Three Key Metrics
1. PAC (Anti-Freeze Power)
PAC measures how much your ingredients lower the freezing point of water. The higher the PAC, the softer your ice cream will be at freezer temperature.
- • Too low (under 20): Rock-hard, icy texture
- • Just right (22-30): Creamy, scoopable texture
- • Too high (over 35): Too soft, won't hold shape
2. POD (Sweetness Power)
POD measures perceived sweetness, where sugar = 100. This is separate from texture!
- • Honey: POD 130 (sweeter than sugar)
- • Allulose: POD 70 (less sweet than sugar)
- • Stevia: POD 30,000 (extremely sweet, tiny amounts)
3. Water Content
More water = icier texture. Heavy cream is 58% water; skim milk is 91% water.
- • Under 65%: Rich, dense texture (gelato-style)
- • 65-75%: Classic ice cream texture
- • Over 80%: Lighter but potentially icy
Step-by-Step: Your First Recipe
Choose a Category
Select your recipe type (Ice Cream, Gelato, Sorbet, etc.). Each category has different target PAC ranges.
Add Your Base Ingredients
Start with your dairy or non-dairy base. For ice cream, try 300g heavy cream + 200g whole milk.
Add Sweeteners
Add sugar, allulose, or another sweetener. Watch the PAC gauge—aim for the green "Perfect" zone.
Fine-Tune with Add-Ins
Add flavors, proteins, or stabilizers. Each addition affects your PAC—the calculator updates in real-time.
Save & Freeze
Once your gauges are in the green zone, save your recipe. If you have the mobile app, it syncs automatically!
⚠️ Common Beginner Mistakes
Using too much milk
Milk has more water than cream. Swapping cream for milk makes your recipe icier, even if PAC looks okay.
Adding frozen fruit directly
Frozen fruit adds water weight when it thaws. Use the "fresh" fruit entry and account for the water content.
Ignoring protein percentage
Protein helps with structure and overrun. Aim for 4-6% protein for classic ice cream texture.
Ready to Create?
Jump into the calculator and start experimenting. It's free and doesn't require an account.