Favorite Commercial Ice Cream/Yogurt/etc

[racer x]

I'm still suffering shock from the extinction of the Edy's Dreamery ice cream line. Hands down, theirs was the best vanilla - and I also loved their cashew praline parfait and blue ribbon berry pie. But nowadays I have to make do with Häagen-Dazs vanilla.

Meanwhile, a profusion of new ice creams and frozen yogurts have appeared in the freezers of the local markets in the past couple of years, including "slow-churned" and "low-fat" lines. I'm wondering whether any of these are worth trying.

What are you current favorites? And who makes the best vanilla?

[alkapal]

i didn't want to start a new thread, but the edy's frozen fruit bars (i got creamy coconut) are good. http://www.edys.com/brand/fruitbars/f...

the creamy coconut was like a frozen coconut custard pie on a stick (well....almost) as it had little bits of coconut for texture. good flavor, decent size, nice texture (not icy). the aftertaste flavor-wise (there is always going to be *some*) was barely perceptible; tongue-feel, i didn't notice any "after"-feel in my mouth. i ate two in a 45 minute span.

they're 6 in a box. on sale at giant this week, they cost about 60 cents each.

i'd buy them again, and try the other flavors. next up: tangerine, i think! ;-)).

[silvergirl]

Breyer's vanilla bean is my favorite vanilla. Their cherry vanilla and coffee are past favorites. My favorite right now is Haagen-Dazs fleur de sel caramel. But I did notice a Turkey Hill chocolate covered pretzel at the store last week that's been calling my name since.

[pepperminttea]

I am one of those strange people who likes frozen yogurt better than ice cream. I really like the Stonyfield Organic frozen yogurt in either After Dark Chocolate or Vanilla Fudge Swirl. They only have 100-120 calories per serving, so I can stress eat the whole pint and not feel too guilty! I also really like the caramel praline frozen yogurt that Edy's/Dreyer's makes. Yum!

[currymouth]

Does anyone remember "Frugen Glazier"? I think that was how it was spelled. Use to walk almost 11 blocks to a little bodega because this place was the only one who had strawberry, It was soooo dense and creamy, and not too sweet. Even back in those days I knew that eating a whole quart while watching Magnum PI was not a good thing for my ever expanding waist.

[greygarious]

Frusen Gladje, with some diacritical marks of which I am not certain.

[jcattles]

I haven't found anything that compares with Godiva's Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. I'm so sad they don't make it anymore. My husband is addicted to Dreyers Loaded Chocolate and Peanut Butter.

[dolores]

jcattles, I had White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl for dinner for a few weeks straight way back when.

Now I'm glad I did.

How sad that they gave up their ice cream line.

[Vetter]

B&J New York Super Fudge Chunk. Tillamook's Chocolate Peanut Butter is a close runner up.

[Emme]

In the Haagen Dazs line, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Caramel Cone. Also, their Raspberry Sorbet/Vanilla Yogurt popsicles are really tasty and calorie efficient.

Strawberry Shortcake Bars

Skinny Cow sandwiches

And I recently tasted the Oreo version Weight Watchers popsicle at parents' house, and it was quite tasty surprisingly enough.

[mrsbuffer]

Either Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk....
Or Edy's Espresso Chip....

Ohhhhh......Espresso Chip............

[mamaciita]

Edy's had an American Idol flavor last year called "Triple Talent." It had three flavors of chocolate ice cream: milk chocolate, chocolate mousse, and dark chocolate. The dark chocolate stripe was my favorite grocery store flavor in years.

Unfortunately, there was a vote involved and the Birthday cake flavor was chosen to stay.

[almccasland]

I completely agree! I loved the Triple Talent flavor and did not care for the Take the Cake at all. This year's Cookies-n-Dreamz is quite good.

[nofunlatte]

Since I bought an ice cream maker, it's homemade for me. BUT, I always did have a tremendous fondness for Turkey Hill Tin Roof Sundae and Chocolate Marshmallow. And that's what I eat when I go back to PA Dutch country to visit the folks. I have fond (and I might add RECENT) memories of taking the big tub of T-H ice cream out of my mom's overly cold freezer, putting it in the microwave, and nuking it until it get soft in spots.
And then scooping it into a bowl.

AND running a spoon around the tub so that I can get every good bit of ice cream-ness before I put it back in the freezer.

[wontonfm]

Palapa Azul is great.

http://www.palapaazul.com/home.php

No vanilla but delicious.

WON
http://whatsonmyplate.wordpress.com

[puppymomma]

I like Stoneyfield Farm frozen yogurt. Especially the Javalanche flavor. I like that it's organic and very low fat (I think it's just 1%). Plus, the flavor is great! But I don't care for their regular yogurt. I don't like the texture.

Meryl
http://mylittleworldoffood.blogspot.com/

[P Macias]

Homemade is THE best but who has time anymore? So...I'm with you..Haagen Daz but I like their coffee better than the vanilla. It's about the only ice cream I'll eat.

[greygarious]

Check out this "instant ice cream" thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/615646

If you have a food processor, you can have ice cream in about 2 minutes. You can make the dairy portion as rich or as lean as you wish, and have your choice of sweeteners. It will take longer to clean the processor bowl (do NOT lick the blade! ;-D) than to make the ice cream.

[ipsedixit]

I'll probably get crucified for this, by my favorite Ice Cream Sandwich is from Fat Boy's.

http://www.fatboyicecream.com/product...

[someyoungguyy]

http://www.dreyers.com

I believe Edy's ice cream is/was owned by Dreyer's and was used as the namesake on the east coast...kinda like the Carl's Jr./Hardee's chains... both the same, just different names.

I too like Ben & Jerry's, but I long for a local "cali" brand called BUD's Ice Cream...http://www.afcthailand.com/icecream.htm

But I honestly believe the BEST ice cream on the planet is DOUBLE RAINBOW.:)

[racer x]

Yes, Edy's is still in the stores here on the East Coast, such as the Edy's Grand line. But I'm afraid the Edy's *Dreamery* line went the way of the dodo and the sabre-toothed tiger. Edy's Dreamery vanilla was amazing, much much better than Edy's Grand vanilla (or Dreyer's).

I've never heard of Double Rainbow ice cream. I wonder if it's just a local product - I see the website has "San Francisco's Official Ice Cream" on the logo.

[dolores]

I guess soon the list of 'dead' ice cream is going to be longer than the list of 'live'.

But seriously, has everyone forgotten how to compute measurements? Breyer's was on sale, so in a pinch it would do. The coffee flavor was available in a 56 'formerly half gallon then 56 oz.' container.

HowEVER, the vanilla (the most popular flavor I read somewhere) was available only in 48 oz. 'formerly half gallon then 56 oz.' containers! That's a FULL pint less. A pint!

And at 2 for $5.00, can't people figure out that they were paying more for less, and now they're paying even MORE for even LESS?

As the Wicked Witch said, what a world.

[Ruth Lafler]

Double Rainbow is a Bay Area product, but Trader Joe's carries a few of their flavors, at least on the West Coast. Their vanilla is definitely my favorite commercial vanilla.

[Emme]

I agree their vanilla is great. So are the blueberry and coffee flavors.

[racer x]

I found Double Rainbow at a local Trader Joe's.
It is good, but not as good as Häagen Dazs.

Interestingly, on the Double Rainbow website there is a copy of an article from a 2001 taste test of vanilla ice creams conducted by Cook's Illustrated magazine, in which Edy's Dreamery was judged the best tasting and "highly recommended." Double Rainbow's French vanilla was "recommended," as were Breyer's French vanilla, Blue Bell's vanilla and Häagen-Dazs's vanilla (tied), and Whole Foods' 365 Every Day Value French vanilla bean. Ben & Jerry's Worl'd Best vanilla and Edy's Grand French vanilla were just recommended "with reservations."

[FoodieKat]

Ben N Jerry's, especially Chubby Hubby and Oatmeal Cookie chunk. So good!

When I'm being 'good' I like Golden Spoon frozen yogurt.

[Lucia]

Those are my 2 favorite Ben and Jerry's flavors too, until I discovered Imagine Whirled Peace this past weekend: http://www.benjerry.com/our_products/...
Totally addictive. I like the Cinnamon Buns flavor too.

[chocchipcookie]

Cake batter icecream, dear God I'm gonna have to try that!! And I agree with Dolores, it doesn't make sense to eat that low fat crap-when I eat it I want to enjoy it. Unless you are like my husband and finishes a whole container in 1 sitting.

[FoodieKat]

Unfortunately, I am like that too. Which is exactly why I tend to either go for frozen yogurt instead, or actually go to an ice cream parlor, so I don't end up polishing off an entire tub of ice cream in one go.

[Jeserf]

If you ever find yourself in Pittsburgh, go to Dave and Andys and have their birthday cake ice cream.

it has spoiled me for any other "cake" flavored ice cream...it's got chunks of cake in it, icing, sprinkles...nom nom nom.

[FoodieKat]

Good lord, that Cinnamon Buns ice cream sounds dangerously good! Every time I think Ben and Jerry's can't get any better, they prove me wrong. I am so going to a Ben and Jerry's this weekend!

[Emme]

I really wanted to like Cinnamon Buns, but those bits just tasted soo fake, even for me.

Like Americone Dream, American Pie (deceased), Peach Cobbler, Wavy Gravy (deceased), Phish Food, Strawberry Cheeecake, Mint Chocolate Cookie...

[cimui]

Sharon's Sorbet is pretty darn delicious, especially when served with a scoop of Ben & Jerry's World's Best Vanilla(TM) ice cream. A half-spoon of each in every bite.

[dolores]

Now the Dreamery line is gone tooooo? What is going on?

I'm still reeling that Godiva did away with all their ice creams in supermarkets. Their white chocolate with raspberry swirl was wonderful.

I stay faaaaaaaaaar away from any kind of light, lite, low fat, or slow churned with low calorie in teeny tiny print. I want full fat and a thousand calories in a spoonful. If I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it.

That said, racerx, I'm sad to say that Turkey Hill and H-D are my favorites for vanilla. OH, and it has to be 'French' Vanilla for the T-H. My 92 year old father inSISTS that the Vanilla Bean is better....but it's not.

I tasted Blue Bell once, but it was so long ago -- and so far away -- that I may be imagining that it was better than both T-H and H-D.

[jessicheese]

I'm a Breyers girl through and through, with a recent fondness for the Rainbow ice cream sold at Trader Joes.

Close second would be Hagan Daaz and Ben & Jerrys.

I also prefer the Vanilla Bean type over French Vanilla.

[danhole]

Dolores, Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla is by far the best ever! And right now it is on sale for 3 half gallons for $10! All the flavors are good, but my favorites are Pistachio Almond, Butter Pecan,and Moo-llennium.

[dolores]

ACK! Real half gallons, danhole?

I wonder if it is worth the airfare...... :O)

[danhole]

Yes, REAL half gallons! Stocked up last night!