Häagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry’s, and Target’s Archer Farms Top in Ice Cream Test

Target’s chocolate offers superior flavor at a fraction of the cost

CR JUL 2010 Cover YONKERS, NY — There’s nothing better than indulging in a bowl of ice cream on a hot summer day. And although fancy flavors fill the freezers at the local market, chocolate and vanilla are still the nation’s favorite ice creams. Consumer Reports trained testers tried 13 vanillas and 11 chocolates with varying amounts of fat, and found seven Excellent choices.

Six of the seven ice creams Rated Excellent by Consumer Reports are Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s; the seventh is from Archer Farms (Target), which offers a tasty alternative for about a third of the price of the other Excellent choices. All are dense and creamy, with strong, high-quality flavors. The full results are available in the July issue of Consumer Reports and online at www.ConsumerReports.org.

Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean ($1.13 per ½ cup serving) topped the list of vanillas, for having a big dairy and real vanilla taste. It comes at a price, though, in the amount of 270 calories and 17 grams of fat per serving. Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla ($0.97 per serving) and Häagen-Dazs Five Vanilla Bean ($1.13 per serving) took the other vanilla top spots. Ben & Jerry’s has 230 calories and 14 grams of fat, while the Five Vanilla Bean has 220 calories and 11 grams of fat.

Among the Excellent chocolates, testers found that Archer Farms Belgian ($0.33 per serving) has an intense, complex chocolate flavor enhanced by bits of dark chocolate. It has 230 calories and 14 grams of fat per serving.

Both Häagen-Dazs chocolates have a big dairy flavor. Häagen-Dazs Five Milk Chocolate ($1.11 per serving) has 220 calories and 12 grams of fat, while Haagen-Dazs regular chocolate ($1.16 per serving) has 260 calories and 17 grams of fat. Ben & Jerry’s ($1.02) has a strong chocolate flavor but is a touch icy, according to testers, and has 250 calories and 14 grams of fat.

Lower-rated ice creams are less creamy and less flavorful, with flaws such as an artificial taste or gumminess. According to Consumer Reports testers, it seems to be harder to make a high-quality vanilla ice cream than a high-quality chocolate. The chocolate may help mask mistakes. In fact, 10 of the 11 chocolate ice creams tested are Recommended.

The tastiness of the top-rated ice creams comes at a cost—they are full of calories and fat. For a special treat, try one of the top-rated varieties. For a more healthful choice, try a light-or fat-free ice cream, which has fewer calories and less fat.

Most top rated ice creams are also a bit pricey, 97 cents to $1.16 per serving. For a less expensive alternative, try Archer Farms Belgian Chocolate or Walmart’s Great Value chocolate ($0.23 per serving). Both are CR Best Buys and offer excellent or very good quality at a great price.

About Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports is a nonprofit membership organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. For 80 years, CR has provided evidence-based product testing and ratings, rigorous research, hard-hitting investigative journalism, public education, and steadfast policy action on behalf of consumers’ interests. Unconstrained by advertising or other commercial influences, CR has exposed landmark public health and safety issues and strives to be a catalyst for pro-consumer changes in the marketplace. From championing responsible auto safety standards, to winning food and water protections, to enhancing healthcare quality, to fighting back against predatory lenders in the financial markets, Consumer Reports has always been on the front lines, raising the voices of consumers.

© 2010 Consumer Reports. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports® magazine, ConsumerReports.org® and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our prior written permission. Consumer Reports will take all steps open to it to prevent unauthorized commercial use of its content and trademarks.