3 Island artisans who create delicious, handcrafted ice cream

O‘ahu: IL Gelato

A doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa helped Dirk Koeppenkastrop excel in an occupation that gives him great satisfaction: owner and maestro gelatiere of IL Gelato.

After earning that degree in 1992, Koeppenkastrop worked in the analytical chemistry field for 19 years, managing laboratories in Hawai‘i and Germany. Embedded in his mind, however, were fond memories of growing up with gelato in Bochum, Germany.

“In the summer, the ice cream wagon came by my house every day, ringing its bell,” he said. “We kids always bought something, and over the years I kept thinking, I love gelato; why not learn how to make it?” 

In 2009, while Koeppenkastrop was in Hamburg, Germany, working as an executive for Eurofins, the world's largest food-testing lab, he began using vacation time to attend weeklong gelato-making courses at Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna, Italy. His knowledge of chemistry made understanding the process easy, and he earned the Master Gelato Maker title in 2010. That same year, Koeppenkastrop and his wife, Nicole Lueker, opened their first IL Gelato, realizing a longtime dream of settling in Hawai‘i.

Twenty of more than 200 flavors are available daily in their 6 O‘ahu locations. Ingredients include dark chocolate from Belgium; açai from Brazil; yuzu, matcha, and azuki beans from Japan; pistachios, hazelnuts, and walnuts from Italy; pineapples and Meyer lemons from O‘ahu; pineapples from Maui; and Kona coffee and macadamia nuts from Hawai‘i Island.

A perennial favorite is Hawai‘i Sea Salt Caramel: house-made caramel and Hawaiian sea salt swirled in milk- and cream-based fior di latte (Italian for “flower of the milk”) gelato. The sweet, salty, and bitter (burnt caramel) flavors meld with creamy gelato, gooey caramel, and crunchy salt crystals.

“My employees jokingly call me IL Gelato’s best customer because I eat almost a pint of our gelato every day,” Koeppenkastrop said. “Gelato has one-third less sugar and fat than ice cream, so it’s okay to eat 3 times as much of it, right?” Starts at $5.95 for a scoop.

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Maui: Island Cream Company

I can make it better. That’s what Dan Blessing of Island Cream Company. thought when he began seriously taste-testing gelato and ice cream in 2013. He found that, overall, gelato lacked full, strong flavors. And inexpensive ice creams often contained a lot of air—they were light and fluffy but void of a luxurious mouthfeel.

Blessing began experimenting in his home kitchen, armed with knowledge he had acquired as the president of a company with a division that, over 40 years, had developed dozens of formulas for the car wash industry. “I learned there’s an effective, efficient process for homogenizing things based on understanding harmony between products,” he said.

The result? Not gelato and not ice cream, but what Blessing dubbed “island cream,” which he says offers both the intense flavors of the finest gelato and the smooth, creamy texture of premium ice cream. Since he launched Island Cream Company in 2014, he has created more than 200 flavors; 36 are in the rotation at the Lahaina shop on any given day.

Everything is made fresh, from the hot fudge and creams to the cakes, breads, and cookies to the vanilla, chocolate, and cinnamon cones. Two top sellers are Coconut Poi (made with real poi); and Banana Maui, warm banana bread (Blessing’s late grandmother’s recipe) paired with vanilla island cream, fresh bananas, brandy, and banana liqueur.

“Sposhy” shave ice might include a mini scoop of island cream (your choice); a topping of condensed milk, fresh mango and strawberries; and a puree of mango or strawberry; with boba on the side.

Blessing creates all of Island Cream’s recipes and products. “I’m constantly observing what people enjoy and thinking about how we can improve our flavors and come up with new ones,” he said. “The possibilities are endless, which makes the process fun, interesting, and tasty!”

Starts at $6.25 for a single scoop or 2 mini scoops of different flavors.

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Hawai‘i  Island: Gypsea Gelato

Tim Heaton and his wife, Sandra, have held a variety of jobs (he even dispatched AAA tow trucks in Southern California), and in 2012, as they pondered their next move, thoughts turned to their favorite treat: gelato. “At the time, we were living in the Caribbean, where I was the captain of a liveaboard yacht that took people on dive excursions,” Tim says. “We were both dive instructors with captain’s licenses, but boating wasn’t something we wanted to do as a business. The idea popped up: Could we make a living making gelato?”

In 2013, the couple completed a 3-day class in New York City with Gianluigi Dellaccio, a gelato master from Italy, feeling confident they could be successful at it. The following year, they moved to Hawai‘i Island and opened Gypsea Gelato in a small space in Kealakekua that housed their office, retail store, and a 300-square-foot kitchen they shared with a pastry chef. Today, the company operates a 3,500-square-foot factory and store in neighboring Kainaliu and 2 other stores in Kailua-Kona and Waikoloa Beach Resort.

Inspiration for flavors often comes from things Tim and Sandra enjoy eating. Such was the case with Tom Kha, which, like its namesake (a traditional Thai soup), contains ginger, lemongrass, coconut, and turmeric. Those ingredients are sourced locally along with many others, including coffee, mint, lemon, orange, dragon fruit, white pineapple, and apple banana.

Ten “staples,” including Tom Kha, are usually on Gypsea Gelato’s menu. An additional 10 to 12 are available on a rotating basis, chosen from some 500 flavors the Heatons have created over the years. Options might be Mashti (rosewater, saffron, and pistachio); Pele’s Kiss (chocolate, cinnamon, and Hawaiian chile pepper); and Goat Cheese Salad (goat cheese, strawberries, pecans, and balsamic glaze).

The Heatons are hands-on with production and eat gelato every day, whether it’s tasting batches in the factory or savoring it from pints they always have at home. “We love making gelato,” Tim says, “and we love, love, love eating it!”

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