Vanilla Ice Cream

Crowd-pleasing vanilla ice-cream brands

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. Two brands compete for the top position among professional vanilla ice cream reviews: Ben & Jerry's and Häagen-Dazs. 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. Panelists for one consumer magazine favor Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean (*Est. $4 per pint) over Ben & Jerry's Vanilla (*Est. $4 per pint). On the other hand, Ben & Jerry's Vanilla is preferred by tasters over Häagen-Dazs Vanilla (different from Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean) in a similar review conducted by a professional cooking magazine; tasters describe the texture of Ben & Jerry's Vanilla as "ultra-creamy, dense" and call the vanilla flavor "indulgent." Häagen-Dazs Vanilla is also praised for its creamy texture, but some panelists say the flavor is too strong.

Unfortunately, other reviews include Häagen-Dazs Vanilla in lieu of Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean, so it's tough to tell if the difference between the two flavors is enough to sway tasters. Ben & Jerry's Vanilla is preferred over Häagen-Dazs Vanilla by tasters from Kitchen Addiction and Healthy Eats, and both reviews point out that Häagen-Dazs Vanilla has the highest fat content among the brands tasted. Ultimately, Ben & Jerry's Vanilla has less fat and lower calories than both Häagen-Dazs Vanilla and Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean, making it our top pick for the best vanilla ice cream.

SlashFood.com has a completely different take on the best vanilla ice cream, placing Breyers All Natural Vanilla (*Est. $4 for 1.5 quarts) and America's Choice Vanilla Bean (sold at Sam's Club stores) at the top of its ratings chart. Panelists say America's Choice Vanilla Bean has "the most pure vanilla flavor," but isn't overwhelming, and Breyers All Natural Vanilla is described as "classic vanilla." Häagen-Dazs Vanilla is fourth runner-up in this review, while Ben & Jerry's Vanilla lands near the middle of the pack. Breyers All Natural Vanilla earns a recommendation from a review in one foodie magazine; tasters describe its flavor as "clean" and "intense," but fleeting. It also has less fat compared to others in this lineup, which could be to blame for its icy texture.

Opinions are equally divided on Dreyer's/Edy's Vanilla (*Est. $5 for 1.5 quarts), which is the only one of eight vanilla ice creams "not recommended" by one cooking magazine. (This ice cream is called Dreyer's on the west coast, Edy's on the east coast). Editors measure Dreyer's/Edy's Vanilla at 97 percent overrun; the resulting fluffy texture doesn't fare well with tasters. In a similar professional taste test, Dreyer's/Edy's is deemed better than seven other vanilla brands, coming in fifth among 13 total vanilla brands. The Food Network's Healthy Eats blog points out that vanilla isn't listed as an ingredient; subsequently, it lands dead last in this review despite its "smooth consistency and delicious vanilla flavor." To complicate matters, Dreyer's/Edy's makes four different Grand flavors (Vanilla, Vanilla Bean, French Vanilla and Double Vanilla), Kitchen Addiction includes the Grand Vanilla Bean flavor in its roundup, which lands ahead of Häagen-Dazs Vanilla and is said to have "an all-around pleasant taste with little to complain about," although a few tasters say it's too sweet.

Similarly, Wells Blue Bunny Vanilla (*Est. $3 for 1.75 quarts) offerings include French Vanilla, Homemade Vanilla, Vanilla and All Natural Vanilla. Wells Blue Bunny All Natural Vanilla is recommended in a professional roundup of eight vanilla brands by one foodie magazine. Tasters say the vanilla flavor lingers in the mouth, but several complain about its airy, fluffy texture, described by one panelist as "foamy." In another professional roundup, Blue Bunny Vanilla is said to be good, but is rated better than only four other brands (out of a total of 13). SlashFood.com panelists place Wells Blue Bunny Homemade Vanilla as third runner-up; tasters say it's "sweet, delicious and thick."