Many times, you get what you pay for — but not always.
Cheaper store-brand vanilla ice cream fared at least as well as more expensive brand-name counterparts in recent taste tests by Consumer Reports.
After CR experts participated in blind taste tests of vanilla ice cream products from seven store brands and two name brands, they came to a somewhat surprising conclusion:
“All of the supermarket vanilla ice creams tasted great and were less expensive than the big name brands. What’s more, the supermarket brands we liked also had fewer additives — much like the pricier ice creams we tried.”
The taste-testers note that store-brand ice creams — which often carry the retailer’s name on the packaging — may cost only half as much as those with a brand name.
Here are the four store brands that excelled in the taste tests, along with their ingredients.
Wellsley Farms (BJ’s) Premium Ice Cream, Vanilla (half-gallon)
Wellsley Farms vanilla is made up of the following ingredients:
- Milk
- Cream
- Sugar
- Vegetable gum (tara)
- Natural flavor
CR says it has an “airy texture” and a “good balance of dairy and vanilla flavors.”
Great Value (Walmart) Ice Cream Vanilla Bean (1.5 quarts)
Great Value vanilla bean contains:
- Milk
- Skim milk
- Cream
- Sugar
- Whey
- Corn syrup
- Buttermilk
- Vegetable gums
- Vanilla bean specs
- Cellulose gel
- Cellulose gum
CR says it is “creamy and smooth” but has more additives, such as vegetable gums.
Specially Selected (Aldi) Super Premium Ice Cream Vanilla (1.5 quarts)
Specially Selected vanilla contains the following ingredients:
- Cream
- Skim milk
- Sugar
- Pasteurized egg yolks
- Vanilla extract
CR notes that it has no additives and is a bit sweeter than some other brands, with a hint of caramel flavor.
Trader Joe’s Super Premium Ice Cream French Vanilla (half-gallon)
Trader Joe’s vanilla includes the following ingredients:
- Cream
- Milk
- Cane sugar
- Sugared egg yolks
- Natural vanilla flavor
- Stabilizer blend (vegetable gums and sugar)
CR says it has a “nice amount” of vanilla-bean flavor, but also has several additives.
For more on store-brand foods with great flavor, see “The 5 Best Potato Chips From Store Brands (Including 2 From Walmart).”
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