Oh, this taste test was so fun! But I might have gotten a *little carried away with this one. We had ELEVEN competitors in this taste test…yes, that’s ELEVEN different brands of vanilla ice cream that our judges had to taste. {Life is hard sometimes!}

And here’s what we found: Not all vanilla ice cream is created equal.

For this taste test I looked for titles like: vanilla, Homemade Vanilla, Old Fashioned Vanilla, All Natural Vanilla, Natural Vanilla, etc. (No french vanilla in this taste test. No frozen yogurt. No gelato.) And I also wanted high-end brands and generic to be fully represented, as well as everything in between.

The idea was: if you were serving vanilla ice cream as dessert to some important guests, which vanilla ice cream would you serve?

I purchased a special MINI ice cream scoop for this event…I figured 11 tiny scoops of ice cream would equal about 1 regular scoop or so…not enough to give all the judges a stomach ache! There would be no casualties after tasting ALL this ice cream!

See all those silver cups in the photo above? Those were all labeled with a number 1-11, the ice cream was given a corresponding number, and those were delivered to the judges. We also supplied water and the judging form.

Let me introduce you to all the contenders (with approximate retail prices for each):

1) Kroger Brand Generic Artisan Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. $3.49 for 1.5 qt. (48 oz)

2) Turkey Hill Homemade Vanilla. $5.49 for 1.5 qt. (48 oz.)

3) Graeter’s Vanilla. $5.49 for One pint (16 oz.)

4) Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla. $4.49 for one pint (16 oz.)

5) Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla. $6.99 for half gallon.

6) Blue Bunny All Natural Vanilla. $6.49 for 1.75 qt.

7) Baskin Robbins Vanilla. $4.99 for 1 qt.

8) Haagen-Dazs Vanilla. $4.79 for 14 oz.

9) Breyers Natural Vanilla. $5.99 for 1.5 qt.

10) Dreyers Vanilla. $5.99 for 1.5 qt.

11) Tillamook Old Fashioned Vanilla. $5.99 for 1.75 qt.

One thing I’ve found while conducting all these taste tests is that not all the judges always agree. In fact, there was some debate over which ice cream was TRULY the best. But in the end, the majority ruled and the winner was declared. So here are the top 3 choices (who’s got the drumroll?):

CROWNING THE WINNERS:

Tillamook makes a delicious cheese (one of my favorites!) but I had never tasted their ICE CREAM before, so I was quite surprised that it took first place. [Note: The only place I was able to find Tillamook was at Bashas.] Baskin Robbins has always been a favorite since I was a kid, but I NEVER choose vanilla when I go there (have you tasted their World Class Chocolate and Gold Medal Ribbon?! Wow). And Dreyers is a well-reconized brand, so that was expected, however one judge reported that it tastes like “store-bought syrup.” Other judges reported that it was “creamy and had a great ‘real’ flavor.”

THE LEAST FAVORITES:

The lowest rated ice cream brands were:

Turkey Hill got zero votes. Zero. The judges found it was “too bland,” “tasteless,” and “boring.” Another surprise was Blue Bell rated one of the lowest! One judge said “Yuck!” But I’ve always thought Blue Bell was one of the best around. They do also carry a Vanilla Bean flavor…so maybe that one is much better than their homemade vanilla? (Can someone report on this?) The Generic brand was rated on the low end as well, but to be fair, one judge loved it for it’s creamy consistency.

DEDICATED – BONUS REPORT

After our taste test, I decided I’d better try some of my highly rated brands again. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: “that girl is dedicated to her craft.” And it’s true. In the interest of reporting accurate and true results to you, dear reader, I opted to taste a few again and try them against each other. I did this bracket style: the winner of the first competed against the winner of the second, and so on. And I kept coming up with the SAME WINNERS time after time. So I thought I’d better give to you the Editor’s Top Picks:

My winner each time was Haagen-Dazs. And before this taste test I DID NOT think I even cared for that brand. They must have changed something, or perhaps my taste buds are getting more refined with age?! I also really enjoyed Graeter’s (Linda’s top pick) and Ben and Jerry’s. But let’s be honest here: who chooses VANILLA Ben & Jerry’s when they have all those other tempting and interesting flavors? Not me. I’ve never even tasted their vanilla plain before.

EDITOR’S LOW PICKS:

To give you the complete picture: other low picks from me and a few other judges were Breyer’s (I know, I thought that was a favorite! But when pitted against these other competitors, it tasted artificial and “off.”) and Blue Bunny (also artificial). I shed a little tear over this one because Blue Bunny has one of my current favorite flavors: Bunny Tracks!! Have you had it? Oh, so delicious.

Please share YOUR favorite Vanilla Ice Cream…or go out and try our winner(s) and let me know what you think.

So there’s the report on Vanilla Ice Cream. It was a pleasure to bring this report to you (really!) and I am open to suggestions for future taste tests. Just comment below.

Stay in touch to hear about our next taste test upcoming: ROOT BEER! It was meant to be: what could be better to create with the REMAINING vanilla ice cream than root beer floats? See you next time.

Attention, anyone who loves to bake!! What kind of vanilla do you like to use in your baking? I have been using Mexican vanilla for years, and I love it! However, one day my husband brought me home a bottle of Watkins vanilla and I knew it would turn into a taste test challenge for sure.

I first asked all my friends who liked to bake what kind of vanilla they liked to use. My great Aunt used to own her own bakery and pastry shop, and she likes Trader Joe’s vanilla. So I had to add Trader Joe’s vanilla to the challenge as well. Unfortunately, when I went to Trader Joe’s to get “their vanilla,” there were 2 kinds to choose from. So what did I do? I bought them BOTH.

So let me introduce you to the contenders:

A) Watkins Vanilla

B) Trader Joe’s Bourbon Vanilla

C) Trader Joe’s Alcohol Free Vanilla

D) Mexican Vanilla (yes, that’s the biggest bottle of them all! What can I say, I love to bake and I use it all the time!)

E) McCormick’s Vanilla (used only in the caramels)

In order to be completely fair to all the vanilla contenders, I made 3 types of vanilla items to taste: vanilla caramels, vanilla mini cakes, and vanilla pudding sauce. We had the most volunteer judges in the history of our taste tests….maybe because this sounded like a DELICIOUS opportunity?!

This was a blind taste test and each item was given a letter. The judges were instructed to rank each vanilla into first, second, third, and fourth place.

I held two separate taste testing sessions, in order to get all the judges in! And as the sessions progressed, I soon realized that the judges were voting for DIFFERENT vanillas for the caramels, pudding sauce and mini cakes! In fact, ALL the judges had different votes except for one judge who voted for the same vanilla in first place each time.

It was apparent to me that there was not going to be a CLEAR winner in this taste test. So I had to pull in a professional analyst: my husband. He quickly drew up a spreadsheet to tally the points for each contender. Here’s how the judges voted:

For the Caramels

In first place, was Watkins Vanilla, with 11 of the 15 votes

In second place, was Mexican Vanilla, with 8 of the 15 votes

For the Pudding Sauce

In first place, Watkins Vanilla

In second place, Mexican Vanilla

For the Mini Vanilla Cakes

In first place, Mexican Vanilla

In second place, Trader Joe’s Alcohol Free

**I was surprised by the votes. I expected my favorite (Mexican Vanilla) to take first place. But overwhelmingly, Watkins Vanilla placed first by a wide margin in 2 out of the 3 tests. The interesting thing was, the judges agreed that this taste test was DIFFICULT, because there really wasn’t a bad one of the bunch. In fact, most judges agreed that each item was delicious, however, a couple judges had a slight NEGATIVE reaction to either the Bourbon Vanilla or the Mexican Vanilla.

After much analyzing and deliberation, we have declared the winner to be WATKINS VANILLA!

I am sure I will continue using Mexican Vanilla, but to switch things up a bit I am now adding Watkins to my vanilla repertoire. I should also mention that we used the Double Strength Watkins Vanilla, which contains more vanilla bean and less alcohol.

(NOTE: Many people have asked me where you can get Watkins vanilla, and so I am including a link HERE to a Watkins representative for your reference. Please note that I do not receive compensation for any vanilla purchases. However, I have been told by Jennifer that if you CALL her rather than place an order online, she may be able to SAVE you on shipping costs. 🙂 I love to save money for my readers!)

So, what do you think? Do YOU agree with our results? Do you have a vanilla that you swear by? Let me know in the comments below.

Thank you, judges! Stay tuned for our next Taste Test Tuesday: VANILLA ICE CREAM. (Do we have a vanilla theme going on here?) I’m looking forward to it!

I like to have string cheese on hand for when I need a quick snack, so I thought string cheese would be a good taste test Tuesday subject. While it may not be as exciting as, say Salted Caramel Chocolate bars or Vanilla Caramels, I think some “healthier” options are also great for reviewing!

The contenders are only 2, but they are the “Big 2” when it comes to string cheese. Here they are:

Precious Stringsters, the brand you can find at Costco VERSUS Frigo Cheeseheads, the brand that claims to be “America’s Favorite.”

This was a very quick taste test, and easy, since there were only 2 contenders on the docket. And the judges actually liked both brands….they said “these are both good,” and “I would eat either one if I had them on hand.”

All good comments, and better than what I had to say about a less well-known string cheese I tried a couple months ago. It was a clear package with black writing on each individually wrapped string cheese serving. I searched to find this particular brand to report back to you, dear reader, but I could not find it! (If I do track it down, I will update this post). This particular string cheese was practically inedible. Nobody would eat it, except the dogs. [If you know the one I’m talking about, please comment and let me know!]

Back to the 2 contenders. After all was said and done, one edged out ahead of the other…

THE RESULTS

The judges declared that the winner was creamier and more pleasant (less chalky). And the winner is (drumroll please):

PRECIOUS Stringsters String Cheese #1!

So it seems that “America’s Favorite” was actually NOT the favorite this time.  While the Cheeseheads string cheese had a chalkier taste, some judges declared that it had a cheesier flavor! Even though they liked the cheesy taste of the cheeseheads, the judges said that the chalky-ness up front could not beat out the creamy taste of the Precious Stringsters!

[A special thanks to all our judges.]

What is your favorite snack? Favorite string cheese? Go give these two a try and see what you think.

Stay tuned for our next Taste Test Tuesday! All you Bakers out there, take note: the next taste test is VANILLA! What is your favorite vanilla to use in your baking? I can’t wait to reveal the results of this exciting taste test!

I have to admit, I was very excited about this particular taste test. I mean, who wouldn’t be when Salted Caramel Chocolate bars are on the agenda?!? (Actually, I shouldn’t even ask…my husband hates salted caramel, my 2 sons do not like chocolate, I also have a friend who does not particularly like it either, and my grandma is allergic to it!) But for perhaps everyone else in the world, this is an exciting taste test!

The results were also a little shocking, but practically UNANIMOUS. But first, I must introduce you to the contenders:

THE CONTENDERS:

1) Good & Delish – generic bar new to the scene that I picked up from Walgreens. Retails at $1.99

2) Lindt Caramel with a Touch of Sea Salt – a seasoned performer as far as brands go, but this is a new flavor for them. Retails at $2.99

3) See’s Candies – Butter Caramel Milk Chocolate. This served as a control, but backfired just a little. I went in to find a salted caramel to add to our list of greats, but See’s is very traditional and does not carry a salted caramel. This was the next best option, and at just under $4.00 for 5 pieces, was also the  most expensive of the bunch.

4) Godiva Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel – another well-known and well-loved brand, this one also boasted salted toffee pieces. Retails at $2.99, but I got on sale for $2.50.

5) Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Bar, Caramel with Black Sea Salt – this bar was supposed to be the heavyweight contender, with much talk and support of fans, but it did not stack up well in this competition! Retails at $1.99

6) Ghirardelli Dark & Sea Salt Caramel – another well-loved competitor! I purchased this one on sale at $2.50, the small bags sell for around $4.69.

THE SET-UP:

This was, of course, a blind taste test. We cut the chocolate bars into small pieces and distributed them onto their corresponding numbered plate.

All panel contestants took 2 pieces of each contender and put them onto their “placemat” with the matching number. We also provided water so the judges could analyze the flavors without them fighting each other. (Some chocolate flavors were stronger than others, but that didn’t necessarily mean they took first place).

THE JUDGING:

We had multiple categories for judging: Texture, Caramel taste, Chocolate Taste, Saltiness, and Overall Taste. We also added Smell as a category at the last minute, as requested by the judges.

Here is the form we used:

(If you’d like to conduct this taste test in your test kitchen and you’d like this form, please let me know!)

THE RESULTS:

Are you sitting down? Because 9 out of 10 judges chose the ONLY contestant that didn’t officially have “salted caramel” in their description!! The See’s Candies milk caramel took this whole contest by surprise! It does say something about tradition, though, doesn’t it? Sometimes the oldies REALLY are the best!

Unfortunately, the See’s Milk caramel had to be disqualified because it snuck into the fight without all the qualifications. However, I wanted to note this crazy turn of events, for you, dear reader! Because it’s worth taking a second look at an oldie. (And I was afraid that if I didn’t acknowledge this little gem, the judges might come after me!)

THE REAL WINNER:

Godiva Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel !! (Crowd goes wild!)

Truth be told, the real winner actually came in SECOND place, but the first contender was disqualified for not actually having the “salted caramel” in the title. This Godiva bar was introduced to me by a good friend and neighbor (thank you, Sherri) and the results showed an all-around love and admiration by all!!

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Good & Delish (yes, the generic one!) AND Ghirardelli (still a favorite, although it came in third place with a wide margin between 2nd and 3rd).

STRONGLY DISLIKED:

Lindt. Yes Lindt. Many judges were VERY vocal about their dislike of this particular contender. To me, the chocolate had a strange coconut taste, but other judges said: 1) it had a strange after-taste and 2) they wouldn’t want to eat an entire bar of this.

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate with Black Sea Salt. Some judges said it was too salty. Some said the chocolate was just too bitter. Another said it had a chalky taste. One judge even choked a little after eating this one! [editor’s note: I am very saddened by this report. I heard many great things about this bar, and eaten alone it may be good, but it just didn’t have what it took to stand up against the other contenders!]

  Congratulations, Godiva!

A special thanks to all the judges and assistants: Jenn, Jay, Shellie, Kerri, Lindsay, Linda, Kait, Kari, Sherri, and Lann. You are truly professionals at what you do!

So, what do you think? Did I miss any strong contenders? Do you think you would have chosen the same winner if you conducted this taste test?

So if you do like Salted Caramel Chocolate, go out and try our winner and let me know what YOU think!

{Stay tuned for our next Taste Test Tuesday!}