Ben & Jerry's Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream

2015 Update: This flavor is alive and well as a Non-GMO flavor and now that I think about it, I'm not sure I've tried it since having it fresh off the line at Ben & Jerry's. Even scraping the lid, I'm reminding of what an excellent flavor this one is. A nicely flavored swirl and plenty of crunchy chocolate covered cone bits. That's pretty much always a win in my book.

Ben & Jerry's Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream Ice Cream

Vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered waffle cone pieces & a caramel swirl

Ben & Jerry's Cheesecake Brownie Ice Cream

2015 Update: I've been blogging for so long that sometimes I question my very early reviews. I've grown so much since then, so will I now appreciate a flavor like this? Meh, not really. Don't get me wrong, it's typical Ben & Jerry's quality and there are a ton of brownie chunks in my serving. As my original review (see below) was trying to point out, this is CHEESECAKE brownie, not some 50/50 balance. The chunks are there for texture, but the milk & cream ingredients only serve to enhance the cheesecake flavor with the brownie flavor lingering in the background. In other words, this is a fine product made for cheesecake lovers, not brownie lovers.

Ben & Jerry's Cheesecake Brownie Ice Cream

cheesecake ice cream with cheesecake brownie chunks

Freezer Burn = Sadness

Freezer Burn....oh, how I scorn thee! Such wonderful tastes crushed by your insidious spread over the half gallon in front of me. Why must ye taunt thou? The spoon goes in with such grand expectations, but comes out so hebetudinous ....ok, that word was just uncalled for, I cheated and used a online thesaurus for that one.

So much for my review of Breyer's Cookie Dough ice cream. Usually a delightful treat...but last night, it was nothing but disappointment.

Topping of the Week: Hershey's Special Dark Syrup

So, I've been on a dark chocolate kick for awhile now. I never really liked the stuff as a kid, but now I can't get enough of "good" dark chocolate. Dark chocolate M&Ms are good, though dark chocolate peanut M&Ms just don't taste right. Quality dark chocolate bites are also good, that includes the little Hershey special dark mini bars.

So, I decided to try Hershey's Special Dark Syrup. It's a fine syrup, but in general, I think regular chocolate syrup is the way to go. I've added it to several flavors and it just doesn't hit my palette quite right. The one exception is when I added it to Breyer's Double Churn Peanut Butter Fudge. If you add just the right amount, the whole thing tastes like a giant Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. It was fantastic! Hmmm, I'll have to try Breyer's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream again and do a comparison.

Thinking of a new flavor: Cherry Pie

As I was typing the Cherry Garcia review, I started thinking about a nice slice of cold Cherry Pie (I like my ice cream frozen and my pie cold). Basically, while I don't like Cherries, I do love Sugars & Cherry. I grew up on a Cherry Pie with a nice thick sugary crumb topping, mmmm, good stuff any time of day (yeah, that includes breakfast).

So, for your mental taste buds, I would like to suggest Cherry Pie ice cream with chunks of sugar crumb topping. Now I don't have a lab to work out the exact ratios, but I think it could work. I did a quick search and back in 2004, Good Humor released a Cherry Pie Ice Cream Bar, but there is no mention of it on their site anymore.....ok, browsing Coldstone Creamery website, they do have a cherry pie filling mix in. Hmm, no sugar crumb topping, but they have graham cracker. Not sure which ice cream to mix in, whether it would be sweet creme, french vanilla, or maybe on a rogue choice cheesecake, but I don't know. Hmmm, sounds like I need to go on a field trip.

Treat of the Week: Hoodsie Cups

Let's be honest, Hood is not know for top notch ice cream. Now if for some strange reason that you've never seen a Hoodsie Cup, it's a 3 ounce paper cup for ice cream, half vanilla, half chocolate. It's a low grade ice cream, but at a party on a warm/hot summer day, they always hit the spot. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough for the parents at the particular party we were at, but when offered, I never turn down a Hoodsie Cup.

Nutrition: 100/50/0/2

My New Hero: John Harrison

There is a new section on Edy's website. It involves John Harrison, Edy's Ice Cream tester for the last 40 years. Not only does he have the best job on the planet, the man invented cookies & creme ice cream!!! Check him out at their website. He's a fourth generation Ice Cream man and answers all kinds of questions. Seems like a nice guy who appreciates the great job he has. Rock on John!

side note: Blue Bell Ice Cream of Texas also claims to have invented cookies 'n creme back in 1978. At the very least, the Edy's version was probably the first with nationwide availability.

On Second Scoop: If you prefer Turkey Hill, you can also contact Ernie Pinckney from Turkey Hill. He's been there a long time and really knows his stuff.

What the frak? 1.5 Quarts!!

I've been on the planet long enough to know that a dollar doesn't but you what it use to. You could buy a loaf of bread, 4 candybars, 2 ice cream sandwiches ...all kinds of things. Think a $1.50 bought you a half gallon of low end Hood ice cream.

Well, it was kind of late when I went to Walmart last night, so at first I thought my eyes were deceiving me. I looked closer. Man, that container of Edy's sure looks short. Oh Man! it is! it's a mere 1.5 quarts! Over $4 for 1.5 quarts, that's just wrong! I went back to the left and started examining Breyer's. Oh no. Some of them are still 1.75 Quarts, but the specialty ones are now down to 1.5 quarts (though both were $2.98).

we may make more and more money, but it always seems to buy us less and less...

Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Buns Ice Cream Review

2016 Update: I just wanted to say hi to all the people who continue to stumble upon this review. Now I may be a little biased because I do adore cinnamon, but this is still easily one of my very favorite Ben & Jerry's flavors. It's just so.... perfect. Please give it a try if you've never had it. Original review after the break.

Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Buns Ice Cream

Caramel Ice Cream with Cinnamon Bun Dough & a Cinnamon Streusel Swirl

Topping of the Week: Strawberry Syrup

Ok, we didn't buy this stuff for me, we bought it for my little daughter who briefly thought she wanted strawberry flavored milk :) Anyway, it's been sitting in the fridge for awhile, seems a shame to waste it ...at least, all of it ...time to get creative. Well I have a bit of the Double Churn Cookies & Creme left, mix in some Strawberry ...and hey, Strawberry Cookies & Creme ...and it ain't that half bad. Shame, the cookies & creme is light on the cookies. Granted, it does have that added strawberry flavor rather than a true flavor (like Breyer's or Turkey Hill's all natural), but still, it's respectable. Hmmmm, have to keep this flavor on the list for my future ice cream company.

Treat of the Week: Skinny Cow Mini Fudge Bars

Ok, technically they aren't ice cream, but all the ingredients are pretty much the same, so it's all good in my book. My wife's sister introduced us to her stash of these in her extra freezer and we've been fans ever since. Now at 50 calories, I wouldn't call them filling, but sometimes that's all you need. Plus, a serving is actually two of them, so there's no guilt running back to the freezer to get your chocolaty fix. Give 'em a try!

Nutrition: 100/20/1/3

Turkey Hill All Natural Neapolitan Ice Cream Review

Discontinued 2013: For whatever reason, no strawberry flavors have made it through the 2013 re-branding of Turkey Hill's all natural product line (though there will be a raspberry flavor coming).

You know, when I was a real little kid, I remember being able to only pick ice cream from 3 choices: chocolate, vanilla, and Neapolitan. Back in those days, if you wanted cookies or chips or anything else in your ice cream, you had to add it yourself. Now Neapolitan doesn't visit my freezer to often anymore, but when it does, you can be sure it will be the Turkey Hill version.
Originally released as Philadelphia Style Neapolitan, it is now known as All Natural Neapolitan with Philadelphia Style on a smaller second line. It's hard to beat all natural (that's why I like Breyer's so much), but in my humble opinion I believe Turkey Hill's version is better than Breyer's. So rich, so creamy, and all the flavors are spot on. This really is the best Neapolitan around.

So now that you have a bowl of this tasty Neapolitan, how do you eat it? One flavor at a time? take scoops from 2 or 3 flavors at a time? or, do what I do. Dig into it for a bit, making sure to eat all the vanilla, leaving some chocolate and a bit of strawberry (it's been awhile since I've tried it, but let's say a 3:1 ratio). Now, mix it together and make yourself a nice chocolate cream with a strawberry tang. Mmmmm, good stuff.

Nutrition: 140 / 60 / 0 / 3

Edy's Grand Ice Cream Sandwich

"All the taste of an ice cream sandwich...and no sticky fingers!" -Edy's(Dreyer's)

To be honest, I can't really argue with Edy's self diagnosis, this ice cream really does taste just like an ice cream sandwich. Who doesn't remember ice cream sandwiches being a staple of your childhood diet, long before we had frozen snickers and a never ending supply of Dove Bars and Häagen-Dazs. Oh, so many times I remember having just a few coins in my pocket and being hungry, but knowing I could always afford an ice cream sandwich. If you've never had it, give it a try and take a stroll down memory lane. Great idea Edy's!

Nutrition was 150/60/0/3

Sept 2008 Update: This is now known as the Nestle Vanilla Sandwich Fun Flavor. That mean's it's gone from grand ice cream to a frozen dairy dessert. Nutrition now clocks in at 130/35/0/2. I like the line "This is a New and Exciting Fun Flavor". Sure, take out the ice cream, slap on a new label, and you have a fun new product ....funny how that works. Can you tell I'm a little miffed they messed with one of my favorite Edy's flavors?

Treat of the Week: Carvel Ice Cream Cake

Oh, perfection...why must you be so unhealthy? You usually find this tasty treat at birthday parties, and who can argue. You don't have to bake and you don't have to risk getting a store bought cake that just doesn't cut it. A layer of chocolate and a layer of vanilla separated by a layer of chocolate crunchies. No, it may not be the best chocolate or the nicest vanilla, but they are both respectable and come together great in this treat. Oh so tasty, but remember, try not to eat too much (that, or don't read the nutrition label)

Breyer's Black Raspberry Chocolate An Ice Cream Review

2024 Update: It does appear that the frozen dairy dessert version has been cancelled.

2012 Update: Like so many other quality Breyers flavors, this one has been demoted to a frozen dairy dessert. I never liked this one, so I much rather would have seen them retire it.

Besides Cookies & Cream in the fridge, we also have Breyer's Black Raspberry Chocolate ice cream. While my wife may endorse this flavor, I'm afraid I can not. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a nice Black Raspberry (Friendly's makes a fine one), I just don't enjoy Breyer's take on it. It's a very mild Black Raspberry, but it's swirled with this hideous raspberry syrup and small chips of chocolate. To me, the syrup doesn't even smell good, let alone taste good. Maybe it's the beet juice, but I assume that's for coloring, not for flavoring (or odor). So back in the freezer it goes, spoons down on this one!

Nutrition: 150 / 60-4.5 / 0 / 2

Ice Cream = Happiness

Ask yourself: When's the last time you saw a sad person eating ice cream? Can't think of one can you, unless it's some sappy scene in some random movie. Ice cream makes you happy, nothing wrong with that. You might say "I can't eat ice cream, too many calories" Who said you have to eat the whole container? Read the side of the box, a serving is a half a cup. Doesn't sound like much? Stuff a half cup full of ice cream and eat slowly with a small spoon. Still tasted good, didn't it?

We live in a stressful time of information overload and two income families. My question is, why are you waiting in line at McDonald's to choke down some unhealthy fast food. Just Relax. Roll down the windows and take yourself to the nearest ice cream shop (Friendly's, DQ, local place, it doesn't matter). Now order yourself something nice. It doesn't have to be huge ...get a small, get a medium, get a large, just get something. Now, take your treat and find a nice spot to sit. Slow down, enjoy the breeze, and take a break from your crazy day.

Now, don't you feel better? Remember, Ice Cream = Happiness.

Breyer's Double Churn Cookies & Cream A Light Ice Cream Review

There's nothing like taking the wrapper off a fresh container of ice cream (I'd say half gallon, but no one wants to make those anymore). Anyway, last night I opened a fresh container of Breyer's Double Churn Cookies & Cream. You have to be careful with Breyer's because there are several variations: I had the regular old double churn which uses some skim milk to cut the fat in half but still leave you with a respectable taste (I believe they also call this the Light version). There is also the fat free version which uses no regular milk, just skim (comes in the Chocolate Cookies & Cream flavor and Chocolate Fudge Brownie). The third double churn style is No Sugar Added, which comes made with my arch enemy, the evil SPLENDA. I'm sorry, but I don't buy things with Splenda, end of story.

So, do I endorse double churn? ofcourse! while not as great as Breyer's All Natural varieties, it is very close, and the difference is easy to accept when you remember that it's only half the fat. The flavor is still good (not great), and the cookie pieces where nice and crisp. And while there are some artificial ingredients, there is no nasty aftertaste. [Edy's has some decent slow-churned varieties as well, but that review will have to wait til another purchase]

on second scoop: hmmm, the cookies to ice cream ratio has not remained consistent ...ok, it's actually kind of embarrassing. I think I had better luck on the last container, but keep it in mind.

Nutrition: 120 / 35-2 / 0 / 2

Rocky Road Rocks

Ahhhh, my old friend Rocky Road, we've had so many good times together. After moving to New England, I remember many a warm summer day of heading to Friendly's with my mom. My choice? a double scoop of the mighty Rocky Road. A nice chocolate blended with peanuts and a quality marshmellow. Ratios are important ofcourse. Mmmmmm, always good stuff.

Well it's not exactly the same as buying a fresh scoop, but Breyer's makes a nice all natural Rocky Road (I've always said Breyer's makes the best chocolate of the main stream brands). What I refuse to buy ever again is Edy's (Dreyer's) brand of Rocky Road, what an embarrasment that is. It's an OK chocolate with low grade peanuts and these tiny plastic-like mini marshmellows. A disgrace to the Rocky Road name.

UPDATE: HAHAHAHAHAHA. I just learned that John Edy invented Rocky Road! Not only that, but Edy's manufacturer's the most popular rocky road there is. Wow, maybe I need to try it again ...nah, I'm good.

Nutrition: 150/70/1/2

Best Milkshake Ever

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for milkshakes ...real milkshakes, you know, milk + ice cream = real milkshake. My favorite milkshake flavor is a Cookies N' Creme milkshake (long along they were also called black and white milkshakes). You can try an excellent one at Cold Stone Creamery, but the best one ever was done at the SCi-Fi Dine-In Theater Restuarant at Disney Hollywood Studios in Florida. I couldn't resist ordering one when I saw it on the menu (intrigued, my wife got one as well). The very nice waitress went out and came back with the coolest looking milkshakes ever, oh I wish I had taken a picture. It the middle was a layer of white shake, and in the middle of that was a layer of crushed cookies. Oh, it was so good. My wife and I both agreed this to be the most perfect milkshake ever. If you're ever in the area, give it a shot! (Since the milkshakes counted as our meal plan beverage, we also picked out desserts, both of which were excellent)

Turkey Hill Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup

For a long time, my favorite flavor was Turkey Hill's Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream.
It's a nice chocolate between layers of peanut butter. and I don't mean little wussy layers, I mean real LAYERS, the kind where if you put your spoon under some of them, a huge chunk of peanut butter covered in chocolate comes out. Great peanut butter to chocolate ratio as well. It's been awhile, but I remember the peanut butter also having a nice texture, slightly salty, to give it a nice overall balance with the chocolate. If you've never had it, give it a try.

Nutrition: 180 / 90 / 1 / 3

Worst Flavor Ever (Disclaimer: It's really not that bad)

Disclaimer #1: I'm always amazed at how many people find this post still. I literally wrote this on the day I started the blog (May 8th, 2008). Now we all have different tastes, and I pretty much never liked cake flavored ice creams, so keep that in mind when reading this old post. Have a good day! 

Disclaimer #2: Just had some today (11/1/14), it really isn't that bad!

Turkey Hill Party Cake Ice Cream

Vanilla flavored ice cream swirled with buttercream frosting and multi-colored cake pieces

Disclaimer #3: It's now 2015 and I have to ask, did the cake chunks get bigger? That's actually pretty cool. because they've become so very pleasant and add a definite #funfactor in my book. The funny thing is that while I would now be tempted to pick this one up for my daughter, she told me she prefers either Blue Bunny's version or Friendly's version. Oh well!


[Original Review from an experience way back in 2000]
To me, it's wrong on so many levels to waste ice cream, never does it go in the trash.....except once. Yes, I committed the gravest of ice cream sins, I tossed the Ice Cream away and tried to wash away the experience as quickly as possible.

The culprit: Turkey Hill's Party Cake Ice Cream. One mine as well shove their face in a bucket of cheap cake frosting. This flavor was not only disappointing, but it was insulting. Who at Turkey Hill thought this could possibly taste good to all but a small portion of the population? Don't get me wrong, I believe that in general that Turkey Hill ice cream is up there with the rest of the mainstream ice creams (Breyer's, Dryer's/Edy's, etc), but man this was disgusting. I couldn't finish my bowl, let alone the container ...oh so sickenly sweet.

side note: I had an in depth discussion with Turkey Hill when this flavor came out (back in 2000 I believe). In return, I got some coupons and added to their calendar mailing list which I'm still on all these years later.

2008 Nutrition: 160 / 80 / 0 / 2

2015 nutrition

Companies

Here is a quick list of some of the most common brands still making containers of ice cream:

Ben & Jerrys,   Blue Bell,   Blue Bunny,   Breyers,   Dreyers/Edys,   Dolcezza,   FatBoy,   Friendlys,   Giffords,   Graeters,   Haagen-Dazs,   Homemade Brand,   Hood,   Hudsonville,   Jeni's,   Kemps,   Klondike,   Magnum,   Mars/Dove,    Nestle,    Perrys,    Pierres,    Talenti,    Tillamook,    Turkey Hill,   Van Leeuwen

Here is my freezer aisle breakdown based on pricing.

Craft / High end Brands ($$$$)

Jeni's Ice Cream: Out of Columbus, Ohio. Usually the most expensive pint in a store.

McConnell's, Salt & Straw, and Ample Hills

Dolcezza Gelato - based in DC, somewhat hard to find in my area but tasty (est 2004)

Van Leeuwen - French ice cream and non-dairy options out of Brooklyn (est 2008). Very prolific and fairly easy to find at Walmart and other stores.

Premium Brands ($$$)

Ben & Jerry's: I'm going to have to give the top spot to B&J. They make top notch ice cream in all kinds of wonderful flavors, plus they're tree huggers, so it's all good! (I tend to be a little hard on Ben & Jerry but it's only because I expect perfection in every pint)
Owned by: Unilever (since 2001)
U.S. Sales: 2019 #1, 2022 #1, 2023 #1

Haagen-Dazs: B&J's very worthy competitor. H-D flavors tend to be a bit more "classic"...sorry, best word I can think of, but these guys are neck in neck in my mind.
Owned by: Froneri (announced Dec 2019)
U.S. Sales: 2019 #2, 2022 #2, 2023 #2

Talenti Gelato: Started in 2003 as a gelato stand, Talenti has grown to be the #1 gelato maker in the US and the #3 premium brand in the country. Oh, I compiled a list of all their flavors here.
Owned by: Unilever (announced 2014)
U.S. Sales: 2019 #6, 2022 #8, 2023 #8

Graeter's: the "french pot process" has earned this company well deserved respect and loyalty by many. 
Owned by: Graeter's (since 1868)



Mainstream / Middle of the Road Brands ($$)

Breyers: I was raised on Breyers, but they have fallen out of my favor as most of their flavors are now "frozen dairy desserts".
Owned by: Unilever since Fall 1993, founded in 1866
U.S. Sales: 2019 #4, 2022 #4, 2023 #4

Turkey Hill: Turkey Hill was expanding westward as the #4 producer of ice cream at one point. They made a lot of great quality flavors but have switched many flavors to frozen dairy dessert.

ice cream started in 1954, owned by Kroger from Aug 1985 to 4/29/19

Owned by: Peak Rock Capital 
U.S. Sales: 2019 #5, 2022 #6, 2023 #7

Friendly's: Friendly's use to make some pretty great ice cream but have resorted to frozen dairy dessert like the other mainstream brands. They are all over the east coast. Note: They stopped making their dessert rolls in 2021.
Owned by: bought by Dean Foods (5/9/16) >> sold to DFA in 2020

Blue Bunny: They had a ton of fun flavors and novelties but they also slid in to the world of frozen dairy dessert. Novelties are easier to find then tubs in my area.
Owned by: Ferrero acquired Wells' Enterprises in late 2022, founded in 1913
U.S. Sales: 2019 #9, 2022 #9, 2023 #9

Kemps Surprisingly, Kemps still makes actual ice cream. They are big in the midwest, but unfortunately there are very few of their products in my area these days.
Bought by HP Hood LLC in 2004 >> sold to DFA in 2011

Dreyer's (Edy's): I was a pretty big fan of Edy's in college, but they fell out of favor when they ditched awesome flavors for terrible frozen dairy desserts. Their branded product lines have gotten fairly quiet in recent years as Nestle moves towards co-branded ice creams.
Owned by: Froneri (announced Dec 2019)
U.S. Sales: 2019 #7, 2022 #5, 2023 #5

Dean's: Dean's was the number three ice cream manufacturer in the US after purchasing Friendlys. They sold ice cream under Dean's Country Fresh as well as Mayfield, PET, Meadow Gold, etc. Unfortunately they went bankrupt and sold the dairy business to Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) in 2020. You can still find Dean's Country Fresh ice cream, but now Dean's is in little letters and country fresh is in big letters (aka the opposite of what it used to be).

Hudsonville has undergone several phases of expansion and has now brought their ice cream (not frozen dairy dessert) to the Northeast! They are responsible for the Little Debbie ice creams as well.

Tillamook: Now in the Northeast, they started in Oregon. It took awhile for their ice cream to grow on me but I am now a big fan. They tend to be light on mix-ins but have several good flavors.
Owned by: Farmers (the people, not the insurance)

U.S. Sales: 2022 #7, 2023 #6

Gifford's: Gifford's (of Maine) bought Gifford's (of Maryland) in 2010 to expand their distribution along the east coast. They make some fun quarts and now make pints as well.
Owned by: Gifford's

Pierres Ice Cream Company: Pierre's products are sold in 10 states. They used to produce Yovation and the excellent Hola Fruta. It's very possible you are eating Pierre's ice cream, but under a private label name.
Owned by: Ohio Processors (2022)

Perry's Ice Cream: Is out of upstate New York. They have been nice enough to send over samples several times and I also used to be able to find their stuff at Wegman's. Their current ice cream is a lot less dense than when I started the blog.
Owned by: Family Owned - 4 generations

Blue Bell Creameries: While Blue Bell creameries was the #4 brand in the country, though it's only available in 17 states. I don't happen to live in one of them, so we had CT from Nerd Lunch try them for us every now and then.
Owned by: Blue Bell Creameries
U.S. Sales: 2019 #3, 2022 #3, 2023 #3

Mayfield Creamery: Expanded its Southern US reach by four more states in 2017. They also went back to their full name of "Mayfield Creamery" and not just Mayfield.
Owned by: Dean Foods >> DFA (2020)



Budget / Entry level brands ($)

Stone Ridge Creamery: Owned by the conglomerate that runs a bunch of grocery stores. They tend to be light on the mix-ins, but overall it's quite good considering the price point. (Stone Ridge is made at the same facilities as Kemps, but Kemps is not SR). Whatever store chain supervalu owns near you, that is where you will Stone Ridge products.
Owned by: Supervalu

Hood: Among it's collection of dairy products, Hood makes entry level ice cream...which is good if you're in college and can't afford anything better. They have operations throughout the country, own several other brands, and have over 2 billion in sales annually. I didn't cover them much at first, but their New England Creamery line up has some fun stuff.
Owned by: HP Hood LLC

Target: Throwing Target here because their stuff tends to pack a good amount of flavor at a discount price though the branding seems to roll over every few years..

Flavor King: Found this at a Price Rite -- do not eat this stuff.



"Healthy" Brands:

Skinny Cow
reduced to a few products

Owned by: Froneri (announced Dec 2019)

Weight Watchers
reduced to a few bars.... and then.... nothing?

Made by Wells' Dairy Inc. since 2004

Halo Top - young California company making all natural, high protein, low sugar, low fat ice cream with the help of erythritol. I never eat it. Add mix-ins in 2025.
Owned by: Wells' Enterprises (now Ferrero) since Sept 2019
U.S. Sales: 2019 #8, 2022 #10

Arctic Zero - lactose free, often low/no fat, and low glycemic thanks to monk fruit extract >> moved to a non-dairy lineup.

Enlightened - started as bars but has moved in to pints and other products. low sugar because of erythritol. Still kickin!

Yasso - started off with frozen greek yogurt bars, usually fat free and high in fiber, and have expanded their lineup since then.



Local Brands:

Brighams: It's only served in New England. They were sold to Hood in the summer of 2008 and the plan then was to keep the status quo. They used to make good ice cream, but quality has fallen and they rarely pop out something new and catchy.
Owned by: HP Hood LLC

Batch Ice Cream: Boston Area ice cream started in 2009, sold to new owners in 2018 who hope to expand to nationwide distribution.

Non-Dairy Only Brands: all the rage starting in 2020

Tofutti is made from Soy (Tofu)

So Delicious has coconut milk, cashew milk, almond milk and soy milk products

FoMu and NadaMoo! are both coconut milk based.

Cado is avocado based frozen dessert.

There are now several oat based lines as well

Other Brands & Retired Brands:

Walmart also has their own brands of ice cream but we don't try it often

Starbucks ice cream was a limited selection, often coffee based (produced by Unilever).

Walgreens made their own ice cream, making both standard and premium ice creams.

There was Green's and Hagan in the Pennsylvania area, but they were run by Kemps, which is run by HP Hood LLC.

There is Carolina based Mooresville ice cream that put out pints of Front Porch ice cream.

Magnum makes ice cream bars but was in the U.S. "tub" game from 2018 to 2023. They are owned by Unilever.

Mars is responsible for any Mars or Dove ice cream (Dove pints are rare nowadays)

Milk Bar - Started as a bakery in 2008. Ice cream pints were in stores 2021 to 2023.

Rice Dream & Almond Dream - out of the frozen game

Cool haus: originally known for their ice cream sandwiches, they got out of the pint game

Gelato Fiasco: Out of Maine, top notch stuff, no longer on store shelves

Snow Monkey was banana based

Steve's Ice Cream: Bought by Dean Foods in June 2017, seems to be gone

Tea-rrific: Tea infused ice cream out of Connecticut.

Three Twins Ice Cream: Organic ice cream out of California, closed up in early 2020.

Vice Cream: young company out of the Boston area, competing with B&J and H-D. They have gone silent in 2019 but said they would come back (which they did not).
Owned by: Vice Cream

Yuengling's returned in 2014 after a 29 year hiatus but have been offline for a few years. They spun off in 2019 (announced 2019). You can read the latest 2021 announcement here. In 2022, they bought Revolution Desserts which owns or licenses Gelato Fiasco, Sweet Scoops, Art Cream and Soco Creamery. In Late 2023, it seems like they will be divesting their ice cream assets >>> they merged with an IT company. It's all very odd.

Healthy Choice ice cream is gone ---  Owned by: ConAgra (but made by Edy's)

High Road: was out of Georgia (est 2010). They also ran Helados La Neta as of 2018 and they bought Ciao Bella Gelato (est 1983). Their assets were sold off in September 2022.

hmmm, did I forget anyone? other places might carry "store" brands, but deep down these are probably rebadged ice creams. As time goes, I will place them where I can. Feel free to leave a comment.

US Sales Note: I am excluding private label ice creams when showing the sales rankings.

Blizzard of the Month: April 2008: Tin Roof Sundae

What can I say, I'm a sucker for DQ. My old job was about 2 minutes from a DQ and I've been an addict ever since. It started off simple with the hot dog special chased by a chocolate sundae, but eventually I became a Blizzard addict who tries hard to test every blizzard.

side note: for those who don't know, most DQs close in New England during the wintertime due to low demand. April is when they open back up.

So my first trip to DQ in 2008, and this blizzard looks to be one of the best ever. I was excited, plunked down my $3.35 and dug in. After a few bites I was hooked, this was one good Blizzard, well mixed, brownie chunks and chocolate peanuts hitting the spot. I ate about half and headed back to work. On the way, an awful thing happened... a bad aftertaste.... ewwww.... tastes like artificial sweetener. Now I remember, frozen DQ brownies aren't that good. While the initial blizzard experience was enjoyable, in the end, it was regrettable. I even wrote to DQ asking if there were any artificial sweeteners in the blizzard, but they said no......so what in the world is that aftertaste?

About

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About this ice cream blog
My very first blog post was on May 8th, 2008. I had been trying to think of what to blog about when I realized that the world of ice cream was not fairly represented in our digital life. We had the short lived adventures of adailyscoop followed by the mostly text based 2dips reviews, but that was it for any meaningful kind of blog dedicated to reviewing widely available ice creams.

I started a blog creatively titled "the ice cream blog". After blogging for a few months, and after some consultation, I bought the domain name onsecondscoop.com. The first scoop is about what you might expect if you just randomly bought a product. On second scoop (as in on second thought), is about what happens when you've had time to think about what you bought and you go in for that second tasting. This can involve lowering expectations, being less critical (aka being in a better mood), or sometimes just getting a better sample since not every scoop is the same.

I try to be as fair as possible, but seeing as how I buy most of the ice cream with my own money, I tend not to buy multiple samples to verify if I got a bad batch or not. In my defense though, the average consumer isn't going to verify bad results with a second container either.

To be more specific, I do not work for a food company. My job has nothing to do with food and I'm in an industry that has nothing to do with food. This blog is all about my love of ice cream and getting you to try something new so we can bump vanilla from the top spot on the nation's flavor list. Ok, that probably won't happen, but I do hope that this blog encourages you to try new products, new brands, and new flavors.

One other thing: I know there are places out there were anybody can review pretty much any food product, but it's hard to trust a stranger's opinions if I don't know how their tastes resemble mine. The checkout guy can tell me he loved the new Star Trek film, but I don't know anything about him. I'd rather hear it from a well known critic since his tastes are well established. So I may be hard on a flavor of Turkey Hill, but if you click for other Turkey Hill flavors, everything comes in to context and hopefully becomes a more useful review to you.

FCC requires truth in blogging, check out my thoughts here.

About Dubba
So what qualifies me to be an ice cream blogger? Does eating ice cream almost every day of my life count? When I was real little, ice cream was a rare treat. I want to say we got a half gallon once a month. After we moved and the food budget loosened up, ice cream was always in the freezer. Whether I was making myself a milkshake or maybe a sundae topped with freshly crushed cookies, I was always enjoying a frozen treat. I blame my parents really, even my grandparents. Everyone was in to enjoying a quality meal as a family. I don't mean we were eating steak at every meal, I just mean that we always ate as a family, and no one went to bed hungry.

I met my wife many moons ago and she too is an ice cream addict. Our food budget was tight in college, but there was always 2 containers of ice cream in the freezer (we each got to pick one). More than a few times we had ice cream for dinner on a hot summer day. We do love to stop for ice cream, but most of the time we try to stretch our dollars by digging something out of our very full freezers. I often interject her opinion or that of my daughter's to add a little balance to reviews that fall out of my comfort zone.

About Nick (Retired)
Nick officially joined the blog on May 12, 2012 after an extensive check of his ice cream analysis credentials. Nick is an ice cream addict like myself and often replaces meals with ice cream sundaes. This devotion translates into realizing that not all ice cream is created equal, not every flavor is a winner, and not every pint is worthy of your money. Nick is more opened minded then myself when it comes to fringe flavors, plus he brings in the perspective of the next generation. Well there's that, and the fact that he'll review coffee flavors when the need arises.

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I LOVE Ice Cream

Hey!
We all have our vices. Last year we were having a discussion and my new acquaintances wanted to know what my vice was. Drink? nope. Smoke? nope. Drugs? nope. Something? Anything? someone chimes up and says "he loves ice cream, bring on the cookie puss!" I do enjoy good food, and if you ask, then yes, I'd probably have to say that Ice Cream is my favorite dessert. How can you go wrong with so many flavors? so many additions? so many ways to enjoy the most versatile dessert on the planet: nothing like cold ice cream on a hot day! ice cream at a birthday party...better yet, ice cream cake! share an ice cream with a special someone! when does eating ice cream not make you feel better? (well, unless you eat too much)