Best Reviewed
Ice Cream
- Best vanilla ice cream Ben & Jerry's Vanilla *Est. $4
- Best chocolate ice cream Friendly's Classic Chocolate *Est. $3
- Best light ice cream Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Chocolate *Est. $4
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- Low fat, although not the lowest
- Creamy texture
- Pleasant taste for a low-fat ice cream
- Full-fat ice creams fare better in some tests
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.
Our Sources
The Boston Globe conducted a taste test of five low-fat ice creams, using an unspecified number of tasters. Breyers Light is the winner, described as "creamy" with a "real vanilla" taste. Häagen-Dazs and Edy's also drew praise.
Review: Taste Kitchen: Low-Fat Ice Cream, Devra First and Boston Globe Staff
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
Consumer Reports usually requires a subscription to see its articles, but every so often throws a free one to the masses, such as this "first look" at Breyers Fat Free Double Churn.
Review: Breyers Fat Free Double Churn Ice Cream: First Look, Editors of Consumer Reports, Oct. 2007
3. Good HousekeepingDetails/Subscribe
Good Housekeeping had 19 testers taste 15 low-fat vanilla ice creams, some sweetened with sugar and others with no sugar added. Only the winners are identified, however. Breyers Double Churned Light Creamy Vanilla wins the sugar category.
Review: Taste Test - Light Ice Cream, Staff of Good Housekeeping, July 2007
4. Real SimpleDetails/Subscribe
This report picks winners in six categories, but doesn't say how many products were tried and how they were tested. For what it's worth, Breyers Double Churned Light Creamy Vanilla wins the low-fat category.
Review: The Best Vanilla Ice Cream, Editors of Real Simple, Nov. 2006
5. Fitness MagazineDetails/Subscribe
Fitness magazine says nutritionists narrowed the field in each category and then "dozens of staffers" tasted the top ice creams in each category. Testers "couldn't believe" that Breyers Double Churn Light Creamy Vanilla was a low-fat ice cream.
Review: The Fitness Healthy Food Awards, Sara Wells and editors of Fitness magazine
Ice Cream Runners Up:
3 picks including: Detroit News, York Daily Record/Sunday News…
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream, 16oz a Pint (Pack of 8)
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