Last week I found myself facing the luckiest dilemma…
I was on a family vacation in Maine and had just bought a delicious-looking triple-berry pie from the local bakery. My daughters were home from college, the weather was warm enough to grill outside in our cozy Airbnb, and prime time was approaching. Vanilla ice cream was all I needed to make the night perfect. But the big question was: Which Vanilla ice cream?
Vanilla is often an afterthought, synonymous with boredom, and the notoriously non-chocolate flavor of ice cream, but it’s actually the quintessential summer drink of many, including milkshakes, sundaes, banana splits, and ice cream sodas. It plays an important supporting role in desserts. Root beer, of course, floats over a slice of (warm, preferably homemade) pie. I thought this was the best excuse to do an official Cup of Jo taste test. I headed to my local supermarket. There are actually several supermarkets and I bought 6 popular brands. I went for plain vanilla to taste as similar as possible. Not French vanilla, not organic vanilla, not extra creamy vanilla. You can see the image.
methodology
As with all previous taste tests, I was the moderator and asked the testers, my husband, Andy, and my daughters, Phoebe and Abby, to compare the tastes. They were instructed to consider various factors such as: texture (Creamy? Rich? Fluffy?) flavor (does it taste like natural vanilla?) and visual (Is the color appealing? What do you think of vanilla bean specks?). I numbered the bowls of ice cream, each served with three spoons he served, but only I knew which scoop was which brand. Needless to say, my crew accepted their challenge with the rigor and focus the job requires. Here’s what they said:
Ben & Jerry Vanilla
price: $8 for a pint
Cost per ounce: 50 cents/oz
scoop: “It’s delicious!” Phoebe said. “Excellent consistency.” All appreciated the creamy, positively rich texture and natural flavors. “It tastes like real vanilla, not sweet cream…”TRUEit’s really good,” Andy said, putting a second spoonful in his mouth.
haagen dazs vanilla bean
price: $7.50 for 14 oz
cost per ounce: 55 cents/oz
scoop: “I like the fluffiness,” said Phoebe. “I’m glad it’s like a milkshake.” Of course, nostalgia for some is a “weird aftertaste” (Abby) for younger people. Everyone agreed there was something satisfying about the light, airy consistency while retaining the actual essence. (Unlike some that can wobble on the side of ice.)
Edy’s Classic Vanilla
price: $7 for 1.5 quarts
Cost per ounce: 17 cents/ounce
scoop: Confession: I accidentally picked up a carton of “Slow Churned” vanilla, Edy’s 50% fat line. Then I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised by the review. “Terrible,” said Andy. “The only taste I can taste is ‘sweet,'” said Abby.Phoebe: “This is really silly.” But what is this? TRUE surprised. I bought the correct carton the next day to correct my mistake. And all the staff came to pretty much the same conclusion. Especially when compared side-by-side with yesterday’s winners.
Breyers Natural Vanilla
price: $7 for 48 oz
Cost per ounce: 13 cents/ounce
scoop: After eating this, everyone flinched a little. “Just cream and sugar,” said Phoebe. “I think so too,” said Andy. “No smell, nothing happens.” Having grown up on Breyer’s vanilla, I was shocked by this result and was convinced that Breyer would win. But it turns out that emotions trump external pressure. I tasted it and was mesmerized by its creamy texture and (admittedly) not a completely natural taste.
Turkey Hill Original Vanilla
price: $6 for 1.44 quarts
Cost per ounce: 13 cents/ounce
scoop: “If you don’t see any specks of vanilla, it’s always suspicious,” said Andy. But Abby rolled her eyes and said, “It tastes like you’re in a good humor vanilla bar!” Phoebe agreed, “It’s ice cream in an ice cream sandwich!” In other words, there was something appealing about this, even if the vanilla bean flecks (re:natural flavor) weren’t present. Andy admitted, “Yes, I get it. It’s artificial, but it’s delicious.”
Friendly Rich Creamy Vanilla Bean
price: $6 for 48 oz
Cost per ounce: 12 cents/ounce
scoop: Friendly’s is mostly East Coast stuff. I grew up begging my parents to take me out for burgers and fries and then eat the legendary sundae and banana his split. So I decided to put this in the fluffy texture category as well. “Well, in the middle,” said Phoebe. (Kids will break your heart.) Andy: “Definitely a decent vanilla flavor. Not A+, but okay.”
winner: Ben & Jerry Vanilla
“Ben and Jerry’s Rules” Usually in a taste test like this, it’s hard to tell which brands make it to the finals (lol! Imagine how difficult this is!), but this time it’s clear. There were striking results. “This was not difficult at all,” said Abby. “Number 1 was so much better than the others.” extravagant, One of the most expensive lots, at 50 cents per ounce. (Haagen-Dazs took that honor.) But the subtle flecks and short ingredient list made the pure, real vanilla flavor stand out.
Runner-up (and best value): Turkey Hill
At just 13 cents per ounce, this is a great way to eat a lot. And that sassy summer boardwalk flavor is perfect when layered on ice cream cake, mixed with chocolate syrup into a milkshake, or scooped on a root beer float and frothy. .
Special thanks to my tasting team! What a wonderful summer! Now for my favorite part. what did i miss?
P.S. Do more taste tests like the best brownie mixes and sliced and baked cookie dough.
