9 Premium Ice Cream Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

For most of us, ice cream is nothing but a fun summer treat; we hardly think beyond which flavor to get or how many scoops to pile onto our cone. For high-end ice cream makers, though, the frozen dessert is so much more than a novelty flavor or a funny name: It's milkfat, overrun, and a lot of science to make every scoop as perfect as possible. For an ice cream to qualify as premium, it has to meet the standards set by the IDFA that require premium products to have a low overrun, high fat content, and quality ingredients. 

It's likely your favorite ice cream brands are premium. These brands tend to have a richer flavor and a heavier texture than regular ice cream (or worse: frozen desserts). They are often made with egg yolks and always with cream — a high calorie count is a sure sign that the ice cream is premium. The overrun, or the amount of air whipped into the cream, should be low, resulting in pints that feel denser than lower-quality counterparts.

Though ice cream has been popular for centuries, it seems that, now more than ever, there are endless choices. With so many brands striving for the perfect scoop, which one does it best? To find out, I gathered flavors from nine premium brands (first testing each brand's version of vanilla, then trying their best-selling or most unique flavors) and ranked them worst to best based on creaminess, flavor, variety, and value.

In a list of premium ice creams, it's impossible to call any of them bad — the last on the list still has the honor of being in a group of the best. The truth is, every ice cream I tested was delicious, but when comparing the flavors side-by-side, some tastes and textures stood out more than others. In the case of Straus — a proudly organic, sustainable brand that boasts climate-friendly farming practices – the ice cream is noticeably less flavorful, the texture more icy, and the variety more traditional than other premium brands on the list.

Straus has just 12 flavors in its repertoire, all of which are popular favorites like vanilla bean, strawberry, and mint chip. Though there is something to be said for the classics, the selection admittedly pales in comparison to the brambleberry crisps and earl grey teas found elsewhere. The vanilla, tried in tandem with the other eight brands, had just a whisper of flavor, and the texture was not as smooth, causing this ice cream to land last in the ranking.

A brand with a purpose, Alec's ice cream is not only organic but also uses regenerative farming — a sustainable practice that preserves water, restores biodiversity, and improves cows' and farmers' lives. The ice cream is also made with milk from cows that only produce the A2 protein, which Alec's suggests is easier for humans to digest, and therefore friendlier for those who experience lactose intolerance. Though one of the newest ice creams on the list, Alec's has quickly become a customer favorite thanks to its thoughtful brand ethos.

If sustainability and digestible dairy proteins are a priority for you, Alec's might rank first on your list — but when compared side by side with eight other premium brands, the flavor is noticeably lacking. The texture is smooth and creamy, but the taste is muted, the vanilla much less forward than in the other brands. Because Alec's has just over a dozen inventive flavors, I also considered variety, ranking it above Straus for its creative lineup, which includes flavors like olive oil pistachio and matcha chocolate chip. Still, the taste notes are softer and less sweet than others, leading me to rank Alec's nearer to the bottom of the list.

Ben & Jerry's has long been known for its fun, free-spirited branding, pointed collabs, and subtle political statements. An ice cream brand with a personality, Ben & Jerry's is beloved for its vast variety of unique flavors and creamy ice cream base. Though one of the most inventive brands on the list — with famous flavors like Phish Food and Karamel Sutra — comparing it side-by-side with other premium ice creams is telling in a way that I didn't expect.

Like many, I grew up on Ben & Jerry's and feel a sense of loyalty to the brand; however, when comparing all the vanilla ice creams side-by-side, Ben & Jerry's was noticeably less flavorful than the rest. While the ice cream was as creamy as the other brands, the texture was icy, lacking a strong vanilla taste or even any sweetness at all. I brought in a secondary tester to be sure, but even he agreed that the lack of flavor was surprising. As one of the cheapest pints on the list, the value is better than those ranked higher, but for only a dollar or two extra, I decided the more flavorful options are worth the splurge.

I can't pass up a good label. In any other circumstances, I'd fill my freezer with Van Leeuwen pints, the sleek, modern packaging a satisfying feat of minimalist color and design. The flavors are equally interesting. The lineup includes options like coffee affogato, lemon poppyseed muffin, and marionberry cheesecake. The young, Brooklyn-based brand is poised to take over the freezer aisle despite the rise of low-calorie ice cream alternatives, which are usually far from the super premium quality the company strives for. Steadfast in his belief in making premium ice cream, CEO Ben Van Leeuwen told Food Navigator that he plans on keeping the brand's high butterfat content — which makes the ice cream rich and creamy — insisting that, "if I'm going to eat ice cream, I want 18% butterfat."

Respectable as it is to forge ahead with premium quality in a world focused on minimizing calorie counts, I had to rank the brand against ice cream makers just as passionate about their craft. (At this point in the list, every brand is extremely high quality.) What puts Van Leeuwen slightly behind other brands isn't the consistency but the flavor, which is subtle, muted, and much less sweet. Even beyond the vanilla, I noted a lightness in the flavors that left me wanting a bit more. This brand might work well for those who prefer their desserts less sugary, but for me, I'd like a little more indulgence.

There is no brand quite like Tillamook. The difference is noticeable immediately when opening the container: The cream begins to melt right away, and the top has a matte, pillowy softness you can see just by looking at it. The ice cream is almost sponge-like, the consistency more similar to a gelato than a thick, solid premium ice cream. This texture, created by what the brand labels as "extra cream," is what makes Tillamook ice cream so distinct, but also so controversial.

As far as flavor goes, Tillamook nails the classic old-fashioned warmth and nostalgia of really good ice cream. The vanilla is rich and creamy, the chocolate is sweet and fudgy. It doesn't have a particularly unique variety of flavors, focusing largely on classics that are reliably good every time.

Good premium ice cream is often measured by its low overrun — or low amount of air whipped into the cream — making it denser and heavier than typical ice creams. Tillamook is an outlier, creating almost the opposite effect with an airy, creamy texture instead. While this may be preferable to lovers of soft-serve and gelato, it makes it hard to recommend to premium ice cream aficionados expecting a firmer bite. For that, Tillamook lands near the middle of the pack.

Jeni's is in a league of its own, offering totally different flavors from any other brand. Even the vanilla defies the norm — the brand's closest flavor to classic still includes honey as a stand-out ingredient. Of course, when buying Jeni's, you aren't expecting to buy classics, and that is exactly what makes the brand so great. How does it compare, though, when stacked against other premium brands?

What Jeni's does well is unique flavor: The more unique the flavor, the better the taste. The Brambleberry Crisp is sublime. The Bubble Gum is refreshing and sweet. Where the brand lacks is in the more predictable flavors. The honey vanilla is much less sweet and vanilla-forward than other premium brands. If you are primarily going to Jeni's for something different, though, does that matter? 

I also considered the value: Jeni's is, by far, the most expensive on the list, close to $10 a pint in some stores. With a few other brands offering interesting combinations for several dollars less, it's hard to rank Jeni's higher based on creativity alone. The brand is worth the splurge if you want a particularly interesting new flavor experience, but it falls short on value comparatively.

The top three on our list are heavy-hitters: Each one is exceptionally rich, thick, and flavorful. These are the brands that really exemplify what premium ice cream is, leading the way in both texture and flavor. Häagen-Dazs has long been known for its high-end creamy texture and mouthwatering flavor, often ranking as the best vanilla ice cream among other premium brands. It's true — in my side-by-side tasting, the Häagen-Dazs vanilla stood out against most others. It was richer and more flavorful by a large margin. The vanilla bean flavor is distinct, the base milky, and the overall finish deep and perfectly sweet. The brand offers plenty of flavor options, too, which taste spot-on to their descriptions — the fruit-forward ones are fresh and delicious. What, then, causes Häagen-Dazs to take third instead of first place?

Häagen-Dazs enthusiasts may already have an idea about why the brand isn't crowned the best. Sometime in the past few years, the recipe changed, causing a slight difference in flavor and texture. To many, this might not matter, but to ice cream connoisseurs, recipe adjustments can make all the difference. The new recipe is icier, with a musky taste that is almost too vanilla-forward. The difference is slight, but the ice cream is just a little less creamy and rich compared with the top two.

If you are located outside of the West Coast, McConnell's may simply look like a new, modern brand with stylish vintage-inspired packaging. That's because McConnell's is a California-based company that grew roots on the West Coast before expanding. The vintage packaging is genuine: The brand is nearly 80 years old. This actually makes it older than even Häagen-Dazs, one of the oldest and most beloved premium ice creams on the market. The two are nearly identical, too, both exceptionally creamy and milky with a similar vanilla bean flavor. How, then, do you determine which one edges ahead?

There are a few factors to consider. While Häagen-Dazs is slightly cheaper, the pints are also slightly smaller — 14 ounces to McConnell's 16, negating any monetary value saved. The flavor is also almost the same, though Häagen-Dazs has a deeper intensity while McConnell's is more milky. The texture differs slightly, McConnell's remaining dense and frozen for a few minutes longer than Häagen-Dazs, and scooping into creamier bites with no icy aftertaste. Finally, the variety: McConnell's, though a vintage brand, offers similarly unique options to brands like Van Leeuwen and Jeni's. McConnell's sort of does it all, capturing modern and vintage flavors all in one pint, leading to its strong position at number two.

Predating Häagen-Dazs and McConnell's by nearly a century, Graeter's is technically one of the oldest ice cream brands in America and was first sold out of a street cart in Cincinnati in 1870. One of America's oldest scoop shops, the brand has a long reputation for exquisite ice cream made uniquely in French pots. The French pot method, as described by Graeter's, freezes and churns a high butterfat mix in a small, 2 ½ gallon open pot. It is then scooped by hand into the pints and shipped to retailers. Regarded as small-batch, the method is impressively artisanal, especially considering the brand's national scale.

This method also creates a distinctly creamy, dense, and milky ice cream that surpasses even near-perfect brands like Häagen-Dazs and McConnell's. The lineup is old-fashioned in a nostalgic way, but the selection is also bolstered by modern flavors that keep the brand fresh without being overly zany. The value is notable, considering the old-fashioned method, coming in at around the same price as McConnell's and just a dollar more than Häagen-Dazs. Though every brand on this list is delicious, this is the one I'd recommend to both casual ice cream enjoyers and aficionados, who would appreciate the consistency, volume of ingredients, and rich, milky flavor every pint includes.

Ranking the best ice creams in the store against each other is no easy task: I deeply considered each brand's taste, texture, density, creaminess, airiness, value, and variety. To compare flavor directly, I tried each brand's version of vanilla side-by-side, offering a constant variable. Besides overall flavor and creaminess, I also examined each vanilla's density, how fast it melted, whether it was icy or milky, and what texture the scoops were when perfectly thawed. I ranked worst to best first by flavor, then by texture, and value. I also tried each brand's specialty flavors, noting the variety, quality of add-ins, and overall taste.