Vanilla Ice Cream

Best vanilla ice cream

When it comes to ice cream, everyone has their own particular favorites -- which makes it especially difficult to establish consensus, even among "scientific" tasting panels. Still, no full-fat vanilla ice cream is picked more often by reviewers than Häagen-Dazs Vanilla (*est. $4/pint), which is the top choice of one national consumer magazine (though its roundup of chocolate and vanilla ice creams is over five years old) and also scores recommendations from such disparate sources as Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine and the foodie site Chowhound.com.

Because of its exotic name, a lot of people believe that Häagen-Dazs is imported from Scandinavia; actually, it's churned out in a big factory in New Jersey. Reviewers say Häagen-Dazs Vanilla is especially rich, sweet and dense ("decadent" is a word sometimes used), but has a pleasing texture and authentic vanilla flavor. Says Every Day with Rachael Ray reviewer Jane Black, "We love the vanilla-bean taste; experienced tasters picked up subtle caramel and maple notes. The creamy texture convinced all of us that pain old vanilla can be anything but."

However, the denseness and sweetness that makes Häagen-Dazs Vanilla a favorite of some reviewers gives others pause. The top source in our All Reviews chart, Cook's Illustrated, rates Häagen-Dazs Vanilla and Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean (*est. $4/pint) below both Turkey Hill All Natural Flavor Vanilla Bean (*est. $5 for 1.75 quarts) and Dreyer's/Edy's Dreamery Vanilla (*est. $5 for 1.75 quarts), saying the Häagen-Dazs has a strong, "boozy" flavor and a rich, creamy, high-fat texture. The Häagen Dazs flavors still merit a "recommended" tag; whether you like them or not clearly depends on your own preferences.

Although Turkey Hill only shows up in this Cook's Illustrated review, Dreyer's/Edy's Dreamery Vanilla is also recommended by the same consumer magazine that touts Häagen-Dazs. (This ice cream brand is called Dreyer's on the west coast, Edy's on the east coast.) Cook's Illustrated praises Dreamery Vanilla for its "ultra-creamy and yummy" texture and strong vanilla flavor. However, since we found more convincing recommendations for Dreyer's/Edy's Grand Chocolate ice cream, we refrained from including Dreamery Vanilla in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers in that category.

Only two other vanilla ice cream brands receive nearly as many picks as Häagen-Dazs: Ben & Jerry's Vanilla (*est. $4/pint) and Breyers Natural Vanilla (*est. $5 for 1.75 quarts). Real Simple praises Ben & Jerry's "sturdy, old-fashioned firmness" and "unmistakable vanilla flavor," and this brand sweeps a taste test by the Dayton Daily News (which didn't include Häagen-Dazs). In this case, however, we're inclined to go with the judgment of Cook's Illustrated, which concedes that Ben & Jerry's is "creamy, rich and subtly flavored," but says its vanilla doesn't stand out enough to make for a satisfying experience. In the words of one of this magazine's tasters, it's "fatty but flavorless."

Cook's Illustrated is also ambivalent about Breyers Extra Creamy Vanilla (*est. $5 for 1.75 quarts): "The problem with this ice cream wasn't texture or richness; there just wasn't enough vanilla flavor." However, this hasn't kept Breyers from being the top pick of other sources, such as Local10.com, whose taste testers call Breyers Natural Vanilla "absolutely sublime," with a "near-perfect mouth feel." This all-natural version is also a top pick among foodies posting on Chowhound.com, who compare it favorably to Häagen-Dazs. However, in light of the huge popularity of Breyers Double Churn Light Creamy Vanilla (about which more below), we decided not to include its full-fat vanilla in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers. Given the price difference between it and Häagen-Dazs, however, the Breyers vanilla ice cream could be a better pick for a family or party.