Chocolate Ice Cream

Best chocolate ice cream

For whatever reason -- possibly because it's easier on the palate over extended periods of time -- vanilla ice cream is the subject of many more taste tests than chocolate ice cream. Eight of the sources in our All Reviews chart devote themselves entirely or primarily to vanilla ice cream, while only four concentrate on chocolate (the rest conduct taste tests with both chocolate and vanilla ice creams, or various other flavors). For this reason, it's a bit harder to establish a consensus, as there's less differentiation between the top-ranked brands.

Whatever the case, it's clear that Häagen-Dazs doesn't fare nearly as well in the chocolate category as it does in vanilla. In a taste test by Cook's Country (the sister magazine of Cook's Illustrated), Häagen-Dazs Chocolate (*est. $4/pint) is ranked near the bottom: the panel says its "boring" flavor can't compensate for its rich, creamy, high-fat texture. The only source we found that recommends Häagen-Dazs Chocolate is The Detroit News, whose panel still rates it behind Kroger's Private Selection Chocolate (*est. $5 for 1.75 quarts) and one regional brand. From reading these reviews, it appears that Häagen-Dazs' trademark texture and fat content work better with vanilla than with chocolate -- not an unusual occurrence in the world of ice cream.

To identify the best chocolate ice cream, we looked to Cook's Country, the highest-ranking source on our All Reviews chart to conduct the most recent chocolate-only tasting. This magazine's two top picks are about as diametrically opposed as two ice creams can get: Ben & Jerry's (*est. $4/pint), with its "fudge-like," "almost-chewy" texture and high fat content, and Dreyer's/Edy's Grand Chocolate (*est. $5 for 1.75 quarts), which is much less dense, "like something you'd get from the ice cream truck, but better." Cook's calls Dreyer's/Edy's the ideal choice for kids, and it's certainly cheaper than Ben & Jerry's, which prompted us to make it the top chocolate pick in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers.

As you may have guessed, not everyone is a fan of the texture of Dreyer's/Edy's Grand Chocolate. The Detroit News downgrades this brand for its "unusual color and texture," and points out that it's prone to develop ice crystals if refrigerated improperly (still, the newspaper has no issue with its "good, deep chocolate flavor"). On the same note, this ice cream does well in a taste test by teens on York Blog who praise its rich flavor, though again there are some complaints about its texture.

Once you get past Dreyer's/Edy's, Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's, reviews (and recommendations) of full-fat chocolate ice creams are thin on the ground. One national consumer magazine praises Godiva Belgian Dark Chocolate (*est. $4/pint), a brand that doesn't pop up in any other reviews, while the only other national ice cream brand -- Breyers -- keeps a low profile in this category. Indeed, we found that the top chocolate picks of reviewers often tend to be regional brands, like Berkshire (*est. $4/pint), the choice of Real Simple, or regional and/or mass-market brands like Kroger's Private Selection (The Detroit News) or Friendly's (*est. $5 for 1.75 quarts), the pick in a review at The Dayton Daily News. Lacking any strong consensus for other brands, Dreyer's/Edy's Grand seems to be the best (and cheapest) choice.