Blue Bell ice cream in NOVA

[BT Lover]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

I've tried to like Talenti Gelato, and I just don't know--I didn't find it all that great--I wanted to!! It's all really a personal preference I suppose. I can't explain the Blue Bell phenomenon. I consider myself an ice cream fanatic and I eat it just about every night. I partake in several different brands that I like well enough--each having different flavors that make them better over one other brand.

For some reason, Blue Bell really tastes good to me and when I go to Florida I buy a few flavors and "have at it" for a week. Not sure what makes it so good--even if it does have artificial ingredients. Breyer's and Haagen Daz offer lines with 5 simple ingredients and, while obviously more pure, they don't necessarily rate high on my list of favorites.

Depends on the flavor for each. I don't like every option for both. My favorite in the Talenti is the Caramel Cookie Crunch.

[ACWhite]

You haven't lived until you have had Graeter's ice cream (HQd in Cincinnati, but you can ship it many other places). All natural, high quality ingredients:

Our Ingredients | Graeter's

[themommy]

I lived in Austin for 13 years, and I never understood the Blue Bell love either. I figure it must be one of those regional loyalty things.

[fusilier0770]

I think for me, its the flavor combinations that make Blue Bell stand out. I love their banana split ice cream because it has real chunks of banana in it and not banana flavored ice cream. Its the closest thing to a DQ banana split blizzard in a grocery store tub. I'm eating their Christmas Cookie seasonal flavor right now (happened to be in Fredericksburg visiting friends this weekend and couldn't go home without it), and its full of chocolate chip and sugar cookies and snickerdoodles. None of the other store brands are doing anything this delicious. Yum!

[Carlingtonian]

I grew up on Blue Bell and still think it's the best ice cream I've ever had. Ben & Jerry's is very good, but they don't have many standard flavors (and inexplicably got rid of some of my favorites, like Cool Brittania and Urban Jumble). I consider Haagen-Dazs a close second to Blue Bell, but it's so expensive I never buy it.

In DC, Hill Country BBQ does sell Blue Bell, but the prices are not listed, so I'm guessing they overcharge for it, just like they do with the BBQ.

One thing that bugs me is that they sell ice cream by volume and not weight; all this "slow churned" nonsense means they mix air into the ice cream, so you're getting less. I've long thought about carrying around a small hand scale to compare the real value of different brands. For now, I will often "hand weigh" them. I also do this with toilet paper (which, if you think about it, should also be sold by weight rather than number of sheets or square feet).

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

Ben & Jerry's is very good, but they don't have many standard flavors (and inexplicably got rid of some of my favorites, like Cool Brittania and Urban Jumble).

I still hopefully search for Bovinity Divinity. I loved that flavor. Why did it have to go?

One thing that bugs me is that they sell ice cream by volume and not weight; all this "slow churned" nonsense means they mix air into the ice cream, so you're getting less. I've long thought about carrying around a small hand scale to compare the real value of different brands. For now, I will often "hand weigh" them. I also do this with toilet paper (which, if you think about it, should also be sold by weight rather than number of sheets or square feet).

And I thought that I was the only one who picked up a container of ice cream and thought "Man, this feels light!! What's wrong with it???!!" and promptly put it back on the shelf.

[fusilier0770]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

I grew up on Blue Bell and still think it's the best ice cream I've ever had. Ben & Jerry's is very good, but they don't have many standard flavors (and inexplicably got rid of some of my favorites, like Cool Brittania and Urban Jumble). I consider Haagen-Dazs a close second to Blue Bell, but it's so expensive I never buy it.

Oh man, how do I miss Cool Brittania! One of my all time Ben and Jerry faves. That's the frustrating thing with Ben and Jerry- the constant loss of favorite flavors in order to make way for new ones. Bummer! As for my 2nd most favorite ice cream, I would say is Jeni's. You can only find it in upscale markets like Whole Foods or Balducci's, but its really high quality. Its also super expensive (like $6-7/pint), so I only rarely buy it as a special treat.

[Flamingo13]

Guess it's just as well that I'm not a big fan of ice cream.

[Mike from back east]

Blue Bell Ice Cream lovers need to beware a current issue found in some of their products. Story here.

[leighland]

BlueBell is available at Chuys in Ffx.
[url=http://www.chuys.com/#/regions]Chuy's Dot Com[/url]
Love Chuys

I'm more of a Ritas fan than BB (also in Ffx)

Listeria in Cheeses and some nut butters is much more common and frightful than other dairy products. Eat your BB with confidence.