Aldi's Specially Selected Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream, priced at £2.69 for 480ml, has been crowned the best buy in a blind taste test conducted by consumer group Which?. The ice cream scored 77% overall, beating premium brands such as Häagen-Dazs and Jude's, as well as other supermarket own-brands.
Taste test results
Which? assembled a panel of 63 people to blind taste tubs of vanilla ice cream in June 2026. The panel rated each ice cream on flavour, appearance, aroma, and texture, with flavour accounting for 50% of the overall score. Aldi's offering was described as 'delicious' and a 'crowd-pleaser', with nearly three-quarters of tasters praising its 'perfect creaminess' and balanced sweetness. It also received a 'great value award' from Which? for being one of the cheapest options at under £3.
Three ice creams tied for second place with 76%: Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Vanilla Ice Cream (£3.50 for 480ml), Waitrose No.1 Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream (£4.50 for 500ml), and Yeo Valley Organic Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream (£4.75 for 500ml). Sainsbury's was noted for its good flavour and well-balanced sweetness, while Waitrose was a 'well-liked all-rounder'. Yeo Valley was the top branded ice cream, but some felt it lacked creaminess.
Other contenders
Morrisons The Best Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream (£3 for 480ml) and Tesco's Finest Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream (£3.50 for 480ml) both scored 75%, tying for third place. Morrisons was praised for its great price and creamy texture, while Tesco was described as 'creamy with a good texture' but could have used stronger flavour. Lidl's Deluxe Vanilla Ice Cream (£2.69 for 480ml) scored 72%, considered a good budget option.
At the bottom of the rankings were Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream (£5.75 for 460ml) with 67%, and Jude's Vanilla Clotted Cream Ice Cream (£5 for 460ml) with 63%. Häagen-Dazs received mixed reviews on flavour and texture, while Jude's was deemed 'a bit on the bland side'.
Methodology
According to Which?, the blind taste test was conducted in June 2026 with a panel of 63 ice cream buyers and eaters, broadly representative of UK adults by age and gender. Each ice cream was served in a random order in private tasting booths to prevent bias. The scoring was weighted: 50% flavour, 20% appearance, 15% aroma, and 15% texture.
Note: M&S Collection West Country Madagascan Vanilla Luxury Ice Cream was also tested but excluded from final results as the recipe was reformulated after the test.
