‘unbelievably Terrible’: The Best (and Worst) Supermarket Vanilla Ice-cream, Tested And Rated

Last year, I won a assistance from nan environmental kindness Hubbub to create a food-waste-saving ice-cream brand. The learning curve was steep. Ice-cream is 1 of nan astir competitory and technically challenging foods to get right, because it has to beryllium smooth, creamy and, crucially, shelf-stable. That has led immoderate producers to beryllium over-reliant connected emulsifiers and stabilisers, immoderate of which whitethorn beryllium plant-derived, but they’re still ultra-processed, which whitethorn beryllium a interest for immoderate consumers.

My tasting revealed a very clear value scale. At nan bottommost are nan foamy, highly processed tubs that shouldn’t moreover suffice arsenic ice-cream. Others offered a somewhat amended texture and taste, but still person a processed edge, while others beryllium awkwardly successful nan middle, each food-dye yolk-yellow. But erstwhile nan value hits 68p per 100g, things displacement and we yet participate “real” ice-cream territory, featuring existent stiff custards made from creme anglaise, and pinch recognisable ingredients and acold cleaner flavours.

Across nan test, it became evident that what’s sold arsenic ice-cream spans from gorgeous churned custard to food-like business substances. Understanding what goes into these tubs, and really to sensation nan quality betwixt them, tin thief america take treats that really nourish america (albeit successful moderation), alternatively than conscionable simulate satisfaction. My proposal would beryllium to put successful nan astir delicious you tin spend and service 50% smaller portions (eating by nan scoop alternatively than nan tub will help, too!). That way, we tin bask nan bully worldly astatine nan champion imaginable value without overindulging.

The champion vanilla ice-cream

Best overall:
Duchy Organic vanilla ice-cream

£3.60 for 480ml astatine Waitrose (75p/100ml)
★★★★☆

Traditional patient scoop pinch a smooth, creamy texture. Mild and very cleanable vanilla flavour. A classical creme anglaise-style stiff custard, made pinch 28% cream. Minimally processed and organic, it’s hardly pricier than different premium options, yet has superior credentials and is bully value.

Best bargain:
Sainsbury’s Taste nan Difference vanilla ice-cream

£3.25 for 480ml astatine Sainsbury’s (68p/100ml)
★★★★☆

Firm to scoop pinch a clean, balanced flavour and conscionable nan correct level of sweetness. Less soft than some, but satisfyingly rich | pinch a creme anglaise-style base. Made pinch West Country double pick and Madagascan vanilla. Minimally processed and nan champion worth of nan lot.

And nan remainder …

Yeo Valley integrated vanilla ice-cream

£4.75 for 500ml astatine Ocado (95p/100ml)
£3.80 for 500ml astatine Waitrose (76p/100ml)
★★★★☆

A speckled, firm, accepted scoop pinch a clean, well-balanced vanilla flavour. Fractionally little soft than others, this is still a classical creme anglaise-style custard ice-cream. Minimally processed and organic, it stands retired arsenic having little sweetener and saturated fat than most. Contains 24.5% cream.

M&S Collection West Country Madagascan vanilla luxury ice-cream

£4.25 for 500ml astatine Ocado (85p/100ml)
★★★★☆

Firm, speckled scoop pinch a clean, subtle vanilla flavour. Smooth and creamy classical creme anglaise-style custard, made pinch 34% whipping cream. Minimally processed and satisfyingly rich. A bully premium pick.

Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice-cream

£5.75 for 460ml astatine Tesco (£1.25/100ml)
£6 for 460ml astatine Waitrose (£1.31/100ml)
★★★☆☆

A patient scoop pinch a custard-yellow hue. Very saccharine and eggy, pinch an intensely bold vanilla note. Very soft and chewy – a classical French texture that I love. High successful saturated fat and sugar, it’s super-rich, indulgent and made pinch 39.2% cream.

Kelly’s Cornish vanilla dairy ice-cream

£4.74 for 2 litres astatine Asda (24p/100ml)
£5.50 for 2 litres astatine Waitrose (28p/100ml)
★★☆☆☆

Very soft, soft and airy scoop. Contains emulsifier E471, but it’s redeemed by being made pinch Cornish beverage and 6% clotted cream. Although I can’t springiness it a stamp of approval, this is 1 of nan amended much economical ice-creams I tried.

Mackie’s indulgent Madagascan vanilla ice-cream

£3.60 for 1 litre astatine Ocado (36p/100ml)
£3.85 for 1 litre astatine Morrisons (39p/100ml)
★★☆☆☆

Pale successful colour pinch a soft scoop and light, soft texture. Airy but pleasant. Contains E471 and is somewhat higher successful sweetener than some, but not overly sweet. An OK budget-range option.

Carte D’Or Madagascan vanilla ice-cream

£3.75 for 900ml astatine Tesco (42p/100ml)
£4.75 for 900ml astatine Co-op (53p/100ml)
★☆☆☆☆

Bright yellowish from carotene dye and flecked pinch vanilla, this has a soft yet foamy mouthfeel. Despite nan name, this highly processed dessert isn’t existent ice-cream, because it’s made pinch reconstituted skimmed milk, coconut fat, glucose-fructose syrup and a slew of stabilisers and emulsifiers, including E471.

Wall’s soft-scoop vanilla ice-cream

£2.75 for 1.8 litres astatine Ocado (15p/100ml)
£2.75 for 1.8 litres astatine Tesco (15p/100ml)
☆☆☆☆☆

Bright yellow, pinch a light, aerated texture and synthetic sweetness. Not technically ice-cream (it contains zero cream) and loaded pinch additives specified arsenic carrageenan and mono- and diglycerides (E471). Ultra-processed and lacking immoderate existent dairy character. So cheap, it’s a parody of itself.

Co-op vanilla flavour ice-cream

£2.95 for 900ml astatine Co-op (33p/100ml)
☆☆☆☆☆

Bright yellowish pinch a synthetic vanilla flavour. Moussey, spongy texture and artificial creaminess. The main constituent is water, bulked pinch sugars, emulsifiers and stabilisers. Incredibly, it really contains crushed vanilla pods, though you’d ne'er guess. Unbelievably terrible.