In short, we weren't averse to this ice cream, but we wouldn't eat it out of the container like we would for some of the others we tasted. Could eat the entire tub." Of all the ice creams we tried, the one with the most ingredients only listed 10 items total, without any weirdly scientific additives in sight. As is the case with any ranking, the majority rules, and the majority of us were not enthused with this ice cream. Then each tester choose a favorite. Testers said this ice cream is slightly sweeter than the others, with a fluffy texture and a floral, almost coconut-like taste. THE DAILY MEAL ® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF TRIBUNE PUBLISHING. One editor compared this ice cream to soft serve, whereas another said it reminded her of a fluffy marshmallow. Not only is the flavor good on its own, but it also holds up the best to just about any topping imaginable, and is also the base flavor for most of the chunky or swirled ice creams that are out there. It’s not ice cream and probably not vanilla either, but the crunch part is great. This flavor was consistently chosen as a second favorite. Experts told us that the ground beans stirred into ice cream are usually left over from vanilla extract production and have already lost much of their flavor. Rich G: yes! Ice creams with low overrun percentages are typically dense, creamy, and silky and associated with premium brands. This classic done right would be great in a float, topping a slice of pie, or all on its own. Blind Taste Test: Best Ice Cream - Duration: 6:32. myCountyMarket 1,998 views. Ice creams rely on fat and sugar for creamy texture; both substances prevent ice crystals from forming, and without enough of either, the ice cream becomes icy and hard. Instead, this vanilla gets its body from tapioca starch, which also takes the place of other stabilizers. (Besides, with National Sundae Day on November 11, you can use these vanilla ice creams as a base for any number of concoctions.). Crema Cafe, for example, seems to focus more on its sorbets and its feature flavor — Crema. As a long-time vanilla fan, I stand that vanilla is anything but basic, and I'm here to prove it. In satay sauce, however, some tasters felt that heavier body made for a "pasty" end result. Earning praise for its genuine vanilla flavor and pleasing balance of sweetness, this vanilla was liked by many. If paired with strongly flavored desserts you might lose some of the nuance that makes it so great, so we recommend eating it on its own by the scoop instead. We Tasted 5 Fast-Food Vanilla Ice Creams—This Was the Best. By contrast, our top-rated ice cream had 7 grams of fat and 12 grams of sugar, striking the right balance for our tasters, with no off-flavors. We purchased all the ice creams in Boston-area supermarkets except for Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, which we ordered by phone. Sweet and not too creamy was the overall consensus for this ice cream. Thank you for this scientific research! The marketing around these brands is working; sales of Halo Top have risen 500 percent in the last two years; it's now the fifth most popular ice cream brand in the country. © 2020 America's Test Kitchen. RELATED: The easy way to make healthier comfort foods. Completely different in taste from the other vanillas, this ice cream was too odd for most panelists’ palates, and many thought it yielded an especially off-putting flavor and strange aftertaste. The Ultimate Vanilla Ice Cream Taste Test. See which ice cream pints, quarts, and gallons we couldn't get enough of, as well as the ones we would pass on. The ice cream up the street from the Trolley now tastes like Kemps ice cream from Cub Foods … at the best. Looking for something to scoop that vanilla ice cream onto? Another editor who had never tried any of Turkey Hill's ice creams before wrote, "I was very surprised by how much I liked this one—very creamy.". They usually have at least a dozen Sebastian Joe’s flavors at one time (but they rotate some of the flavors daily), but the their newest flavor, “Nicollet Avenue Pothole” is to die for if you’re a chocolate lover.