Alfred L. Cralle Invented the Ice Cream Scooper

Alfred L. Cralle was a African-American from Virginia, who became an inventor and businessman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is best remembered for inventing the ice cream scoop in 1897.                                                      It was while working in Pittsburgh as a porter that Cralle noticed that ice cream, which had become a popular confection, was difficult to dispense. It tended to stick to spoons and ladles, usually requiring use of two hands and at least two implements to serve. To overcome this, he invented a mechanical device now known as the ice cream scoop and applied for a patent. On February 2, 1897, he was granted U.S. Patent #576395.                                                                                                                      Cralle’s ingenious invention, originally called an “Ice Cream Mold and Disher” was designed to be able to keep ice cream and other foods from sticking, and easy to operate with one hand.