The great ice cream taste test: 12 of the most popular vanilla ice creams rated
In a show of good taste, we took 12 of the most popular vanilla ice creams – including dairy free – and subjected them to a blind taste test. Which one came out on top?
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Fossick through the freezer of most families and, along with the obligatory bag of peas and an ancient pack of mince or sausages, there is bound to be a tub of vanilla ice cream.
Unlike some freezer items that can remain hidden away, in suspended animation, for months on end, the ice cream is in constant demand, particularly at this time of year.
It’s the perfect foil to strawberries, peaches and other fruit, used in a banana split, essential alongside jelly. It can be drizzled with topping, sprinkled with Milo or eaten just as it is.
But look in any supermarket cabinet and it’s clear that even plain old vanilla ice cream comes with plenty of choices.
Sizes and prices vary greatly; “gourmet” versions promise to include real vanilla beans, and even vegans are looked after with dairy-free ice-cream imitations.
So how do you know what is best for you and your family? Which ice creams will put a smile on your dial and be value for money? Conversely, which aren’t worth the extra cost?
Our panel sampled a dozen vanilla “ice creams”, including two that weren’t really ice cream at all. They were all bought at major supermarkets, kept under similar conditions and tasted blind, with only a glass of water and broken-up cone to help it go down.
The judges were The Advertiser food editor Simon Wilkinson and ice-cream-loving mother and son Barb Thompson and Ben Dewhirst.
For more expert advice, we also called on chef Vincenzo Spatola, who grew up surrounded by frozen treats in his family’s gelataria in Montesilvano, on Italy’s east coast. He moved to Adelaide – originally to play soccer – 10 years ago but now is following another passion as executive chef of Antica Pizzeria in the city and Hyde Park.
Vincenzo says he has done many courses and visited factories to learn about the manufacture and chemistry of gelato, ice cream and other frozen desserts
“The ingredients that go in are very important to the final product. But it’s also about the measure and balance of different things to get the right flavour and consistency,” he says.
“I was a bit disappointed in the tasting because most of the ice creams were based on a low-quality product and only a few of them were well balanced, with good flavours.”
Vincenzo explains that a warm or cool feeling on the tongue can reveal how ice cream is structured. A warm sensation means it contains a lot of fat, particularly extracted fat, added to the base, while a cool feeling means less fat and maybe a base of water and milk powder. “The best balance is in between,” he says.
Barb and Ben both recognised Golden North when they tasted it in the line-up.
“It’s the only ice cream we have at home,” Ben says. “And I’m happy to stick with that – it’s Golden North all the way.”
Barb says she likes to buy a South Australian brand but the tasting had shown a surprising amount of variation in what was available.
“Some you can really taste the vanilla bean and others you can taste the artificial sweetness,” she says. “You really do pay for what you get. And if you’re not eating a huge amount all the time, you might as well spend a little bit more.”
SARA LEE INCREDIBLY CREAMY FRENCH VANILLA
(1 litre, $9)
Simon: Pale yellow, soft texture and quick to melt. Sweet and inoffensive with reasonable creaminess but not much vanilla taste. 6/10
Barb: Creamy colour and texture. Smooth and soft. Good vanilla flavour but very sweet. 8/10
Ben: Soft and bright. Creamy, sweet. Nice and soft. 7/10
Vincenzo: Shiny, spongy, light colour. Icy in the middle, creamy on the outside. Cold on the palate. Feel the sweetness of sugar more than vanilla. 5/10
Total: 26/40
BLUE RIBBON CLASSIC VANILLA
(2 litres, $4.90)
Simon: Pale, buttery and holds its shape. Rich flavour that is like a frozen custard and might divide the room. Not overly sweet. Could be good with jelly, like a cold trifle. 6.5
Barb: Yellow tint. Creamy texture with a nutty, buttery flavour that isn’t too sweet. Not much vanilla. 6
Ben: Looks harder and doesn’t melt as quickly. Tastes a bit buttery and like honey, though it isn’t as sweet as some. 5.5
Vincenzo: Spongy. Presents a grainy texture. Doesn’t taste of vanilla. Bland and very low-fat taste. 4
Total: 22
SO GOOD VANILLA BLISS
(1 litre, $6.60)
Simon: Pure porcelain white – it looks like an iceberg. Soft, smooth texture and melts with a clear oil slick, rather than creaminess. A weird flavour that clearly isn’t ice cream and is unpleasant on the finish. 3
Barb: White and icy. Strange flavour that isn’t really vanilla or milky. Is it really vanilla ice cream? 4
Ben: Melty and soft but nice appearance. Has a flavour of coconut and licorice. Doesn’t taste like vanilla ice cream. 4
Vincenzo: Gloss white colour. Compact and slightly grainy. Very cold on the palate. Not much vanilla. Can detect the taste of soy milk. 5
Total: 16
PETERS ORIGINAL
(2 litres, $4)
Simon: Plain white and super smooth, almost like a soft serve. Sweet and simple, with the vanilla flavour tasting a little artificial. One for the kids. 5
Barb: Bright white and smooth. Tastes like it has lots of added sugar and not much vanilla. An ice cream for the kids. 3
Ben: Looks inviting and creamy soft. Very sweet. Nice creamy taste and mouth texture. 7.5
Vincenzo: Nice, creamy and compact appearance. Smooth. Cold to taste. Very sweet, leaving an unpleasant feeling of sugar on the lips. 4
Total: 19.5
GELISTA VANILLA BEAN GELATI
(570ml, $10.29)
Simon: Soft and airy texture, like a marshmallow. Can see the little black vanilla specks but the taste is super sweet, without a lot of creaminess. An ice-cream lolly. 5.5
Barb: Smooth and white with visible vanilla. Not a traditional ice cream – more like gelato. Very sweet, without a strong vanilla taste. 5
Ben: It looks too soft and melty. Not that inviting. Tastes just like eating cream. Not as vanilla-ey as expected. 3
Vincenzo: Very soft, presents some vanilla bean dots. Grainy. Watery. Very sweet. Cannot perceive vanilla flavour. 3
Total: 16.5
GOLDEN NORTH SIMPLY INDULGE
(2 litres, $7)
Simon: Plain white with an extra-creamy mouthfeel and flavour. Not too sweet and only let down by a hint of ice crystals in one spoonful. Great all rounder and family favourite. 7
Barb: Firm and creamy. This tastes like Golden North, the ice cream we have at home. Not too sweet and has a nice aftertaste. 8
Ben: Looks to be a bit rougher. Great taste. Not too sweet and not too creamy. Just right. 8.5
Vincenzo: Glossy. Presence of a few ice crystals. Very cold to taste. Not very sweet and low flavour of vanilla. 4
Total: 27.5
WOOLWORTHS ESSENTIALS VANILLA
(2 litres, $2.65)
Simon: Appealing creamy colour but has a strange, sweet and sickly flavour that lingers. Reminiscent of milk bottle lollies – but not in a good way. 2
Barb: Lightweight and icy. A strange taste. I don’t like this one at all. 1
Ben: Looks thick but is soft in the mouth. Tastes yuck. Way too sweet and a horrible flavour. 1
Vincenzo: Grainy. Not compact. Very sweet. No vanilla taste. Very cold with some ice particles. 2
Total: 6
OVER THE MOO VANILLA BEAN
(500ml, $9)
Simon: Whiter than white, this looks like it could be used to fill cracks. Clearly made with coconut, not dairy, it is thin and icy, with a honey sweetness. 3
Barb: Very white colour. The coconut flavour is overpowering and no real vanilla. Is this one vegan? 1
Ben: Very white with a strong coconut smell. It’s a bit sour and doesn’t taste like vanilla. In my opinion, disgusting. 1.5
Vincenzo: White colour with some vanilla bean dots. Quite icy. Coconut taste with a hint of honey as well. 5
Total: 10.5
BULLA CREAMY CLASSICS
(2 litres, $4)
Simon: Rich and creamy with a definite vanilla aroma. Yes, it is super sweet but not unpleasant overall. Could almost be mistaken for a honey ice cream. Pancakes, please. 7
Barb: Pale yellow. Rich and creamy with a very sweet flavour and a hint of butteriness. Rich, rich, rich. 7
Ben: An inviting golden colour. Very sweet and creamy, with a flavour of honey. Very rich. 6.5
Vincenzo: Shiny with a custard cream colour. Creamy and buttery. Very sweet. Not cold to taste. 5
Total: 25.5
BLACK & GOLD VANILLA
(4 litres, $7.53)
Simon: The Grinch of the ice-cream world, this has an icy texture and is thin on flavour, like a carton of milk that has begun to freeze. Tastes cheap and nasty. 1.5
Barb: White and watery. Too sweet with little other flavour. Icy. 1
Ben: Looks thick and creamy but is soft and icy. Not the best mouth texture. 2
Vincenzo: White with no presence of vanilla. Curdly. Icy. Very sour. No perception of vanilla. 1
Total: 5.5
RUNNER-UP: CONNOISSEUR CLASSIC VANILLA
(1 litre, $10)
Simon: Pale yellow and smooth, like putty. Good mouth feel. Nicely balanced flavour with hints of caramel/toffee but without getting too sweet. One of the best. 8
Barb: Creamy and very smooth. Nice vanilla bean flavour. Not too sweet. Could happily eat a bowl of this. 8
Ben: Looks very, very creamy and soft. Nice vanilla taste and texture. 6
Vincenzo: Custard cream colour. Smooth. Good consistency. Sweetness well balanced. Creamy and pleasant on the palate. 7.5
Total: 29.5
THE WINNER: COLES VANILLA BEAN
(1 litre, $4.70)
Simon: Pale yellow to beige with the telltale little black dots. The flavour doesn’t disappoint. It’s still a little on the sweet side but a real vanilla bomb. 8.5
Barb: Yellow, creamy appearance with dots of vanilla visible. A strong, rich vanilla flavour and nice aftertaste. Nothing artificial. 9
Ben: Inviting look with little black dots. Very thick and creamy. Good vanilla flavour. 7
Vincenzo: Presents real vanilla beans. Smooth and slightly elastic. Cold to taste. Slightly too sweet. 6
Total: 30.5
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