Coolest Thing Made in Iowa is down to the final eight. Which ones made the cut?

From a 1.5-ounce ice cream novelty to a 70,000-pound cotton picker, eight items await weighty decisions by Iowans on which will advance in the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa contest.

The contest began May 5 with 69 nominees. Voters will have from Friday, May 16, to May 21 to vote on which of the eight finalists announced Thursday, May 15, will be in the final four.

The decision process won’t be easy for voters as they ponder the “coolness factor” of products ranging from  heavy farm equipment to a chocolate pump and a pastry.

Butter Braid pastries from Country Maid Inc. of West Bend was the only repeat product from the Top Eight contestants a year ago, the initial edition of the annual contest. Sold through fundraisers, the pastries have helped thousands of organizations raise over $320 million for various causes, according to Country Maid.

The contest is sponsored by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry and MidwestOne Bank and culminates in a winner being named at the ABI’s annual conference June 11 in Council Bluffs. Voting is online at coolestthingia.com.

Iowa is one of 20 states holding the contests. A self-propelled hay baler from Vermeer Corp. of Pella took the state’s initial top prize in 2024.

Last year, the competition received 86 nominations representing products made in 53 cities across Iowa. Four rounds of voting took place, with 76,382 total votes cast.

The contest also serves as a chance to promote manufacturing in Iowa, accounting for more than 220,000 jobs and contributing over $43 billion to the state’s economy, according to ABI.

Here are the final eight products:

Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com.