Coldsnap is a pod machine. That means you put a special pod, a large capsule, in a device, press the button and wait for – in this case – the soft ice cream to appear. Quite a few of these devices have appeared in recent years. Think of pod machines for coffee, juices, lipstick, weed, cocktails, cookies and tortillas. Such projects often find success on crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter.
This is the Coldsnap
The Coldsnap accepts large pods with unknown ingredients, which then conjure up a soft ice cream. Soft ice cream is the focus of the company, but the pod machine can make other products too: froyo and things like frozen coffee, smoothies, healthy shakes, and slushies. All of them are ice cold, of course. In addition, the machine is capable of making ice cream cocktails.
Although the device is being marketed as a pod machine with which families can make soft ice cream, there is also a version for companies. For example, companies can offer soft ice cream or something else in canteens. It is clear that this company has a core business, but there is still room for improvement in the marketing. The focus is mainly on soft ice cream, but in the meantime there are also advertisements with more options.
Such devices do have drawbacks. For example, it is a large machine that just has to fit on your countertop. In addition, you naturally have direct competition from supermarkets, which offer ice cream in the freezer. And what about the local ice cream farmer who offers fresh soft ice cream? Such external factors can influence the (possible use of) success of the Coldsnap.
The home soft-serve machine should be on sale in the second half of 2021. It is still unclear whether this also applies to the Netherlands and what we have lost for the machine and the pods.
Several companies have tried to launch a pod machine in the past. For example, we can a device from LG (and here another such device), which was also once presented at a CES fair. The devices have never been able to count on wide embrace of the consumer market, so the question is whether Coldsnap will succeed in 2021.
