Progress: Experimenting in the kitchen: Aitkin Bakery finds new life in cooperative effort | Split Commercial Cube Ice Maker

The nutrition level of most alternative milks, such as those derived from almond, soyabean and grains, are low when compared with dairy milk. They, however, provide safer alternatives for those who are averse to milk; the lactose intolerant; those who are allergic to milk protein casein; those who follow veganism; or those who follow dairy-free diet due to calorie or cholesterol restriction. But for commercial enterprises manufacturing pizzas, tacos, confectionery, milk beverages, cheese, yoghurt and frozen treats, these dairy look-alikes have emerged as cost-cutting opportunities.

"I grew up in the ice cream business. It’s part of who I am. But family businesses are hard, and I needed a break," he said.

Combine all ingredients except the ginger beer into a shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer and add a sprig of rosemary for garnish.

Samsung RF23M8070SR 4-door French door Sale price: $2,100 Discount: 28 percent CR’s take: If you’re looking for a four-door, French-door refrigerator, consider this highly rated Samsung. It offers plenty of features, including an external water/ice dispenser, dual evaporators (to prevent air and odors from migrating between fridge and freezer), adjustable shelving, and much more. It earns an Excellent rating for temperature uniformity, meaning it does a great job of mitigating warm and cold spots, but it isn’t the most energy efficient model out there.

The restaurant’s neighbors at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar use a similar strategy, adding a watermelon ice cube to a gin and vodka drink called the F.W. Southside, and using a Campari-infused cube to slowly transform a Manhattan into a Boulevardier.

Next Thing: To grow her niche market, Ms. Kirchhoff plans to use her photography and D.J. skills to create short online films about Disco Cubes. “My dream is to make a never-ending spy film where all the pieces are connected,” she said. She is also teaching herself about cocktails, with plans to recommend drinks for each cube. “I was recently in Asia, and they love corn. So I’m working on a corn-infused ice cube that goes with a corn coconut cocktail,” she said.

This countertop ice maker is the ideal choice for budget-minded shoppers with heavy ice needs. Featuring a 26-pound ice bucket, it can produce a full batch of ice in as little as six minutes. The ice melts pretty fast in the storage bin, however, so buyers should have an alternate storage solution on hand if the ice won’t be used right away. If you have a large family, frequently need ice for your cooler, or host a fair number of parties, the nicely priced RCA-Igloo certainly comes in handy.

The flat lower drawer has a three-position divider and is very handy. Packs of cold meats, bacon, cheese and small plastic containers all fit in here a treat, freeing up space for bigger items in the open fridge space up top.

▪ Attention should be given to the type of violation (red versus blue) and whether the restaurant has a history of red violations or repeat violations.

‘Tis the season to by jolly. And what’s more jolly than playful peppermint-flavored ice cream peppered with colorful, crunchy bits of candy cane or peppermint bark? It’s like a holiday party for your mouth.

With its super-large capacity, the Bertazzoni is never going to be as frugal in running costs as a standard 60cm-wide fridge freezer. It isn’t bad, though. Over the course of our three-week test, it used just over 25kWh of electricity.

Eric G. Freeman Jr., 26, Duluth, possession of a controlled substance, stay of adjudication on two years of probation with conditions.