Our Chocolate Pen, Comes Up Empty

I LOVE toys, seriously! My Mom has been using me as a toy tester for several years now for different articles she wrote or even TV segments…and this is one I REALLY wanted to like, but it came up a little short. Sadly, Our Chocolate Pen, Comes Up Empty.

Kids BELONG in the kitchen so they can be taught math and science on the sly — fractions with measuring and chemistry in baking. Toys that work with this are usually right up my STEM alley…and just listen to some of the descriptions:

The push-button design makes it easy for kids to play with the chocolate and the molds mean anyone can make Pinterest-worthy shapes and treats.

Um. Just no…

We DID read the Chocolate Pen directions, and followed them.

The chocolate was a tad hard to prepare: you could easily melt it in a glass of warm water but it was hard to snap the clamps on the bags once the tip was inserted. (Totally an adult job).

The push-button design does not react quickly…if you STOP, some chocolate still comes out. This led to messy mold filing and free-hand designs that trailed a bit after you were done.

My mom used to make candy for her catering company in the 90s and we tried to “tap” the molds to get out air bubbles. It just made the colors run out of their designated spots. We used silicone mats instead of waxed paper to pop them out on – more eco-friendly than waxed paper.

Better yet, pieces broke along color lines when popping out of the molds:

Face it, I am NINE and was frustrated with this…I can just imagine what a younger child would feel like. There was NO WAY anything would look like the pictures on the box and as for a “Pinterest-worthy” treat? #PinterestFail

The chocolate DID taste good, the colors fun, and the clean up was a breeze. After we were done, everything fit into a 1 Gallon baggie. For $29.99, this falls more under the “Art” category as something fun to play with…unless you are a perfectionist like me.

Disclosure: Skyrocket toys gave us one to test. they were nice enough to include batteries but all thoughts are entirely my own. Kids can’t do this without the help of a parent, pretty much start to finish.

*****Update: Since reviewing this we talked with the company and learned that they have several improvements in the works – which would address most of the issues we found. New collar design, a few added tools and a reworking of the actual pen. Look for the improved version to hit stores this fall!