Eileen McHale is going Yonanas!

The Miami-based caterer and private chef turned entrepreneur now spends her days in Shopping Channel TV studios and in supermarkets demonstrating the year-old machine that turns over-ripe bananas into an instant dairy-free dessert with the consistency of frozen yogurt or soft-serve ice cream.

It’s certainly easy to use:

1. Freeze spotty old peeled bananas, berries, mango, pineapple, etc.
2. Let thaw a few minutes.
3. Turn on the powerful Yonanas machine.
4. Set a bowl under the spout.
5. Insert frozen fruit in the chute and gently press down with the plunger.
6. Stir and dig into a healthy homemade frozen dessert.

McHale has created a booklet of Yonanas recipes, and says she’s especially proud of her tiramisu with a shot of Kahlua, her frozen banana-pumpkin pie on a ginger-snap crust and a buttery blend of bananas and meaty medjool dates sprinkled with toasted pecans. You can also turn the puréed fruit into popsicles.

The verdict:

It’s rare to find a gadget that works as promised and … even better … is easy to clean and re-assemble. The Yonanas machine is noisy, and the frozen fruit looks a little strange coming out, but the results are creamy and refreshing.

Look for Yonanas on the Shopping Channel or in Home Outfitters and other Canadian stores by summer.

Suggested retail price: $54.94.

www.yonanas.com