Ice Cream: Reviews

Ben & Jerry's Vanilla is named the best ice cream by reviewers more often than any other flavor -- vanilla, chocolate or light -- or brand. In reviews, tasters describe it as "ultra-creamy," "dense," "rich" and… expand"indulgent." While many find the vanilla flavor to be well balanced, some say Ben & Jerry's Vanilla tastes too strongly of vanilla. Compared to the also-popular Häagen-Dazs Vanilla and Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean varieties, Ben & Jerry's Vanilla is lower in both fat and calories. collapse

Individual preferences vary more dramatically when it comes to chocolate ice cream, perhaps because chocolate flavors can be too rich, too sweet or too mild. Friendly's Classic Chocolate appeals to most reviewers, with a… expandmiddle-of-the-road milk chocolate flavor that's neither overbearingly sweet nor too mild. Reviews across the board agree that Friendly's Classic Chocolate has a balanced flavor; one describes it as having a frozen hot chocolate taste. Creaminess is also a highlight in reviews. collapse

Churning is a low-temperature process by which ice cream manufacturers improve the texture of their low-fat ice cream, which might otherwise taste thin or chalky. Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Chocolate contains 4 grams of… expandfat and 100 calories per serving, less than both Breyers Smooth and Dreamy and Häagen-Dazs Five varieties, the other brands that dominate light-ice-cream reviews. When pitted directly against full-fat competition, Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Chocolate holds its own better than the brand's Slow Churned Vanilla Bean. collapse