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Individually wrapped chocolate-covered ice creams make the perfect grab-and-go treat on a hot summer’s day.
But if you usually opt for Magnums, you could be missing out on some big savings. The leading premium brand costs more than double the price of many supermarket own-label options.
In May 2021, we tested Magnum and Cadbury Dairy Milk ice creams alongside 10 cheaper supermarket alternatives from Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and more.
Several supermarket ice creams were a hit with our tasters, and we found one bargain Best Buy – proving you needn’t pay a premium for an indulgent frozen treat.
Only logged in Which? members can view our results. If you're not yet a member, you'll see an alphabetically ordered list of the ice creams on test.
To get instant access, join Which?
Prices correct as of July 2021.
99p for four (25p per ice cream)
Aldi’s budget-friendly ice creams cost around a third of the price of Magnums. But how do they compare on taste?
Log in now or join Which? to unlock our test results.
Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Aldi.
£1.10 for three (37p per ice cream)
Our panel rated the taste, texture, aroma, and appearance of these Asda chocolate ice creams. Are they worth stocking up on this summer?
Log in now or join Which? to unlock our test results.
Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Asda.
£2.75 for four (69p per ice cream)
Cadbury Dairy Milk ice creams are more than twice the price of some supermarket own-labels. Are they one of our top picks?
Log in now or join Which? to unlock our test results.
Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Asda, Co-op, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco.
£1 for three (33p per ice cream)
Co-op’s milk chocolate sticks will set you back just 33p per ice cream. Are they good value for money?
Log in now or join Which? to unlock our test results.
Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Co-op.
£1 for for (25p per ice cream)
Iceland’s Majestics contain more chocolate than other supermarket ice creams. But does this generous chocolate coating make them a better-tasting treat?
Log in now or join Which? to unlock our test results.
Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Iceland.
£1.59 for six (27p per ice cream)
At just 27p per ice cream, Lidl’s ice creams are some of the cheapest you can buy. Can they compete with the big brands on taste?
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Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Lidl.
£1.50 for three (50p per ice cream)
M&S ice creams have the lowest number of calories per ice cream. But do fewer calories mean compromising on flavour?
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Want to buy without reading our results? Available from M&S.
£3 for four (75p per ice cream)
Magnum promises ‘velvety smooth vanilla ice cream’ and ‘creamy milk chocolate’. At more than double the price of the cheapest ice creams we tested, are Magnums' expensive ice creams worth paying more for?
Log in now or join Which? to unlock our test results.
Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Asda, Co-op, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
99p for three (33p per ice cream)
Morrisons shoppers can get three ice creams for less than a pound. Do they deserve a spot in your trolley?
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Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Morrisons.
£1.35 for four (34p per ice cream)
Sainsbury’s ice creams contain less chocolate than other own labels we tested. Are they any less indulgent?
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Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Sainsbury’s.
£1 for three (33p per ice cream)
How does the UK’s biggest supermarket chain measure up when it comes to its own-brand ice cream? Our tasters reveal all.
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Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Tesco.
£1.50 for three (50p per ice cream)
Waitrose describes its ice creams as ‘smooth and velvety’. Did our panel of tasters agree?
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Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Waitrose.
The calorie content of the ice creams we tested varied from 192 to 267 calories per ice cream.
You can compare the calories of all the ice creams we tested in the table below.
Ice cream | Number of calories per ice cream |
---|---|
M&S Milk Chocolate & Vanilla Ice Creams (90ml) | 192 |
Asda Heavenly Moments Milk Chocolate Classic (110ml) | 199 |
Aldi Gianni's Milk Chocolate Ice Creams (110ml) | 200 |
Co-op Milk Chocolate Sticks (100ml) | 212 |
Sainsbury's Milk Chocolate Indulgence Ice Cream (110ml) | 219 |
Morrisons Milk Chocolate Amour Lollies (120ml) | 238 |
Magnum Classic (110ml) | 239 |
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Wooden ice cream sticks aren’t recyclable, but they can be composted or placed in your garden-waste collection.
Alternatively, you can wash them and reuse them for homemade ice lollies, or as part of an arts and crafts project.
If you’re buying a multipack, the outer cardboard box can go in your household recycling bin, but individual plastic ice cream wrappers can’t be recycled or composted.
Find out what the supermarkets are doing about plastic.
The ice creams were assessed by a large panel of consumers who regularly buy and eat chocolate-covered ice creams.
The make-up of the panel broadly represents the demographic profile of adults in the UK.
Each ice cream was assessed by 64 people.
The panellists rated the taste, texture, aroma and appearance of each product, and told us what they liked and disliked about each one.
The taste test was blind, so the panellists didn’t know which brand they were trying. The order in which they sampled the ice creams was fully rotated to avoid any bias.
Each panellist had a private booth, so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.
The overall score is based on:
These weightings are based on consumer rankings of the importance of different ice cream attributes.