Food - Drink
Ina Garten's Go-To Ice Cream Brands For The Best Vanilla Flavor
By ERIN SHAW
Ina Garten is a master chef known for her refined tastes, so her favorite ice cream flavor may surprise you: vanilla. Vanilla may seem plain, but it's a true classic that suits a classy lady like Ina; the flavor's origins go as far back as the birth of America, when Thomas Jefferson used French contacts to bring vanilla beans to the U.S. from Mexico.
If you also love vanilla ice cream, should you make it at home or buy a trusted brand? If you prefer DIY, there are plenty of ways to make your own delicious ice cream at home, but if you don't own an ice cream machine or just want dessert fast, Ina has named a few brands that she thinks make the best vanilla ice cream.
When she's got a hankering for vanilla, Garten's favorite brands are Häagen Dazs, Ben & Jerry's, and Ciao Bella. She adds that making a really good vanilla ice cream is deceptively difficult, so if Ina — known for her very involved recipes with "good" ingredients — tells you it's fine to take a shortcut, there's truly no shame in it.