Cold Fusion Iced Cream Now in Palm Bay

Sandwiched between Five Guys and Moe's Southwestern Grill at Hammock Landing, is a most unusual new business. It doesn't take long after you walk through the front doors to notice the numerous large metallic canisters sitting off to the left. At first blush they look like something that would be more at home on the space shuttle. It was while I was reading the stickers on the sides -- wondering if they contained anything dangerous - when I heard this WHOOSH of sound. Startled, I looked over as a white fog billowed from behind the counter obliterating the working area and, well, obliterating the worker as well; they both disappeared into a void of white.

Is there a rocket launch taking place? Did a fire extinguisher just go off?

A few moments later I learned that you get two things when you visit Cold Fusion: A show during the creation of your frosty dessert, and, well, the dessert too! While Marble Slab and Cold Stone start out with ice cream, then do their mixing on top of a cold slab, Cold Fusion goes the other way -- starting with a premium ice cream liquid, then blasting it from above with liquid nitrogen.

Yes, you read right. Liquid nitrogen.

The shiny canisters hold LN2!

If you've ever wondered how cold liquid nitrogen is, the answer is *really* cold... more than 300 degrees below zero Fahrenheit cold. And since water freezes at 32 degrees F (0 degrees Celsius), you know right off, that the liquid mixture in the bowl isn't going to stand a chance when subjected to this mega sub-arctic blast. It does what it's supposed to. It freezes.

With the jet of nitrogen shut off, the Cold Fusion worker continues to mix the tasty ingredients into the proper consistency, perhaps even hitting the sugary concoction with another jet of instant chill. It is a treat to watch, and even more fun to peer at the rolling white vapor pouring over the countertop. It spills down the front of the spectators before chilling the tops of your shoes.

It's almost like an ice cream bath without the calories! All the chill without any fill! The encounter was so neat, I actually created a short movie using stills and video to chronicle my walk through of the whole freezing experience. There's a link at the end of this article, or, you can Click Here to watch it now.

How does all this work? How do you order?

When you first arrive, you select the base cream of your soon-to-be-frozen dessert. This can be Premium Ice Cream, Yogurt, Custard, Low Fat, No Fat/No Sugar or Yogurt. Of course there are all kinds of yummy additions and flavors that can go along for the deep freeze journey. My son chose vanilla flavoring with Snickers pieces and my wife and I shared a Carmel flavoring with Heath Bar pieces. Nearby customers could be heard choosing pineapple, peanut butter (with Reese's chunks) and huckleberry. Sizes range from the under 12-yrs of age Kiddie size, at $2.50, and go up in one dollar increments till you reach the "Jumbo" at $6.25. There are also specialty creations such as, "Frozen French Toast", "My Own Private Idaho Cheesecake", "Atomic Key Lime Pie", "Amaretto Rapture", and "Sublime Strawberry Cheesecake". These are in the $4.75 to $5.25 price range.

How's the taste?

So, how does this technological "fusion of coldness" taste? It's delicious! I loved it! To me, there was no doubt that the freezing process gave the ice (or iced) cream a different, creamier consistency than you'd find with just hard packed ice cream. And though my wife and I shared one this time around, that will not be happening in the future. Mint chocolate chip, here I come! :)

According to their website, the grand opening is still in the works. I can't wait. I think I'll don sandals and stand close to the counter so I can get the full iced cream experience!

Chilled from taste to toes!

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To watch my walk through video of Cold Fusion Iced Cream -- Click Here

Cold Fusion Iced Cream
205 Palm Bay Road NE
Hammock Landing between Five Guys Burgers and Moe's Southwestern Grill
Palm Bay, Florida