The Frozen Treat You Should Be Buying From Aldi, Not Costco, According To Customers

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Some shoppers say you're better off buying certain foods at Aldi instead of Costco, and super premium ice cream is one of them. This high-quality category of ice cream can be found at both stores, but Aldi's version appears to have really resonated with folks online. One fan on Reddit even labeled the treat, "Hands down, the best vanilla ice cream I've ever had!" And lest you claim bias, consider that a Costco shopper reluctantly admitted the same elsewhere on the platform. "I highly recommend the Aldi super-premium ice cream," the commenter said, explaining, "I prefer it to the Kirkland offering because it doesn't have the gummy texture. It also comes in chocolate."

That's not to say Costco's super premium ice cream is bad, just that it can't rise to the lofty standard set by Aldi. Along with quality, Aldi's ice cream also excels in terms of price. The store's Specially Selected Vanilla Super Premium Ice Cream will run customers $5.49, while the Kirkland Signature Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream retails for $13.99. It's true you get more from Costco, as its ice cream 2-pack equals 1 gallon while Aldi's carton only holds 48 fluid ounces (a little less than a gallon). However, you could double up on Aldi ice cream and still pay $3.01 less than you would at Costco.

Even if you think you know all there is to know about ice cream, the descriptor "super premium ice cream" might leave you scratching your head. First, a disclaimer: because super premium is a new category, there isn't a consensus about what it means. In general, this category includes brands with as low an overrun percentage as possible, with acceptable figures ranging from 15% to 50%. The overrun percentage is the amount of air in ice cream – less air means more ice cream, and more value for your buck. Keep in mind that all ice cream must have at least 10% milkfat, according to the USDA. Otherwise, it's categorized as a "frozen dairy dessert," which is also why some restaurants must label their frozen treats as soft serve instead of ice cream.

Aldi offers other flavors of super premium ice cream besides chocolate and vanilla, such as coffee and dulce de leche. As one Redditor expressed, "The dulce [de leche] is so good, I'm not a big ice cream consumer but have cravings for this." As far as customers are concerned, it seems that Aldi has Costco beat in the ice cream aisle.