Breyers Double Churn Light Creamy Vanilla

The Boston Globe's website, Boston.com, has the best taste test of low-fat ice creams (five brands are compared). Consumer Reports has an article available free online instead of just to subscribers. It's not a comparative review in the traditional sense of a formal ranking, but editors say unspecified regular ice creams were included in the blind taste test. Good Housekeeping, Real Simple and Fitness magazines also had ratings that they said were comparative, but they did not list the losers, which is unfortunate.

In reviews, Breyers Double Churn Light Creamy Vanilla is the best pick when it comes to low-fat nationally-available ice cream. It has 3.5 grams of fat per half-cup serving -- compare that to the top-rated premium ice cream, Häagen-Dazs (*est. $4 per pint), which contains 18 grams of fat per serving. The "double churn" is an attempt to achieve a creamier texture by making the fat globs smaller. Several reviews say tasters were surprised after they were told it was a low-fat ice cream. Some reviews liked the taste, but most focused on the creaminess. So although Breyers Double Churn can't really compete will full-fat ice cream, most say it's a good compromise for those looking for a lighter alternative.