With bittersweet coffee flavor, warmth from vanilla, and a creamy texture, this no-churn coffee ice cream needs only 4 ingredients and no heavy machinery.

Tasters rated each vanilla ice cream on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = No, thanks; 2 = Meh; 3 = Pretty good; 4 = Really like; 5 = Yes, Please!) across four criteria — look, smell, texture, and flavor ...

We tried 11 brands of vanilla ice cream side-by-side to determine the ultimate best. Our top pick is great for pie, brownies, milkshakes, or eaten straight from the cone.

There’s no correct answer here — only personal preference. This diner-style vanilla milkshake recipe yields a thick shake, with a ratio of 1 1/2 cups of ice cream to 1/4 milk.