9 tips on how to recognise a really good ice cream parlour

There are no figures on how many ice-cream parlours actually make their own ice cream by hand. Often you read on signs the words "homemade" or "Homemade ice cream". But is it really true? Unfortunately these terms are not exactly defined and also not protected. That means anyone can use it. And if you look at it closely, sometimes it's not even really a lie, because the ice cream may actually be made in the house, but ready-mixes were still used in the ice cream parlour. Nowadays you can buy ice cream mixes in all kinds of variations, which are transformed into the different types of ice cream by adding flavour and additives.

How can I tell if an ice-cream parlour makes its own ice cream and in good quality?

I want to give you a few tips that can help you find a good ice cream parlor. Some of these points cannot be clearly judged in a few minutes, but you actually have to observe the ice cream parlour for a certain time and subject it to close scrutiny.

Evaluations on the Internet a useful criterion?

You can refer to the reviews on the Internet sorry for not leaving. For one thing, ice cream is Cold and their influence on the sense of taste difficult to judge. Especially if you do not know which points to look out for. More on this below.

On the other hand, evaluations of food and eating are always strongly dependent on Relationship level. This means that if I am always treated nicely at the ice cream parlor around the corner, I automatically rate the ice cream better.

The visual impact is also not to be underestimated. Because if the ice cream is presented nicely, I also assume that it will taste very good.

In the following I have put together 9 points that will definitely help you in the future to better classify ice cream parlors and to find a really good ice cream parlor for you.

9 things you should pay attention to

1. Piled up ice is a bad sign - right or wrong?
2. Assessment of freshness and quality of the varieties
3. Natural appearance and taste of the ice cream
4. Fewer varieties are better
5. Changing varieties and species according to season
6. How long has the ice cream parlour been open?
7. Bad location of the ice cream parlor and still it runs
8. Hygiene in the ice cream parlour and display case
9. Unusual ice cream varieties cost more

1. piled up ice is a bad sign - right or wrong?

It is often claimed that the piled up ice, a clear indication of Ready mixes is. But it's not that simple.

When the ice piles up and also over the whole day its fluffy, in frozen, creamy waves lying appearance you should be skeptical. Often this is a sign that a lot is happening with Binders or ready-mixes are worked. This would again be a bad sign for the quality of the ice cream offered.

However, it is quite possible that the ice-cream parlour has a special cooling technology so that the ice not only comes from below, but also also cooled from above will. Thus the lasting shape would be of natural origin and also an indication that the ice cream parlour is investing in very good refrigeration technology. An indication of this can be a Marking strips on the side glass be the showcase that shows where the refrigeration goes. This one is not particularly noticeable, so you have to look closely. Of course, one can also simply use the Ask personnel. Everyone in the company is certainly very proud of such a special refrigerated display case and likes to tell people that they use such a model. But if the staff looks at you without understanding, you can forget about this ice cream parlour.

2. assess the freshness and quality of the varieties

A freshly prepared ice cream can be recognized by its taste and consistency. You can feel it when you eat larger ice crystalsthe ice cream is usually already older. This criterion may of course only be applied to ice that should contain small ice crystals such as milk ice or sorbets. A granita should consist of crushed ice, i.e. contain large pieces of ice. But this is rarely offered by us.

Also Water crystals on the surface of the varieties indicate that the ice cream was taken out of the chest and put back in it more often. Everyone knows this from their own freezer. The differences in temperature cause condensation water to form, which then freezes and forms a layer of ice.

Some bigger ones Ice cream parlour chains have only one ice cream kitchen and distribute the ice cream to the different locations after production. This means that the ice cream pre-produced and temporarily stored has to be. The quality suffers as a result. Smaller ice cream parlors with own production directly at the location have the advantage that the ice cream freshly produced and reaches the customer without much detour.

3. natural appearance and taste of the ice cream

We have certain ideas about how ice cream should look like. Children in particular are quick to respond to very bright colours, but adults are not immune to them either. However, the rule is that the more intense the colour of the individual types of ice cream, the more likely it is that Dyestuffs worked. The natural colouring may not always be an eye-catcher in the first moment, but speaks for the high grade the ice cream parlor.

You can see this very clearly from the Colour of the Pistachio ice creamwho are more likely green brownish than bright green should be. Also Strawberry ice cream should rather be a subdued red show as bright, intense red. Furthermore Vanilla ice cream more creamy white than too much of a yellowish one.

Speaking of Vanilla ice cream: here of course the little black dots do not miss. Because vanilla ice cream should definitely be made with real vanilla. And also here you can enjoy finished products Don't be a tease. Because the vanilla additive for the purchased basic mass can also be added to the vanilla, in addition to colour and aroma, to Coffee grounds ...to be mixed in. Yeah, you read that right. There's a waste product mixed in to fool the customer. But if you look closely, you can see the difference. The coffee grounds consist of brown particleswhile the Vanilla from small black seeds exists. At the latest when one at dinner the silent Cracking you can be sure that real vanilla was used.

Anyway, you should concentrate much more on what happens in the mouth. This works very well if you with closed eyes on the taste and consistency ...into the building. How does the ice feel in your mouth? Is it creamy and the ice crystals nice and small? Does the ice cream have a fine, natural taste? With milk ice cream: does it leave a light film of fat in the mouth? Do the types of ice cream taste different or are they all somehow the same?

4. fewer varieties are better

If an ice-cream parlour makes its own ice cream by hand, then this is only possible to a certain extent. This can only be an indication of the ice cream parlour's own production, because it depends very much on the size of the ice cream parlour and the number of employees and ice cream machines. As a rule, one can assume that a Ice cream parlour can produce a maximum of about 20 types of ice cream fresh and homemade. This is still feasible in terms of time - unless, as already mentioned, there is a very large team with an appropriate kitchen behind it. This means that Ice cream parlors with a rather small selection, most likely to make their own ice cream.

5. changing varieties and species according to season

A reference to in-house production can also be the Assortment deliver. A Basic stock of ice cream varieties will always exist, because the traditional varieties such as vanilla, chocolate and strawberry are simply too popular not to be offered. But as a rule. change a few types of ice cream over and over again. If an ice-cream parlour works with ready-made products, this is not necessary, as all types can be made at any time from the basic mass with the appropriate flavour and additives. If an ice cream parlour Fruit types according to season this is also a very good sign. Because it means that fruit and vegetables are bought when they are ripe. Rhubarb Rice would be an example of a variety that is in season in the first half of the year.

6. how long has the ice cream parlor been open?

Ice cream parlors that have been in existence for a long time have proven their worth. Especially in larger cities with a lot of competition, an Ice cream parlour with tradition a good indication of the quality offered here.

This is not always easy to find out. Some ice cream parlors advertise their long existence. However, you still can't be quite sure that there isn't Change of ownership gave. Some information can actually be obtained from the Internet ratings to the ice cream parlor. As mentioned above, it is best to ignore the reviews for the ice cream parlor itself, but you should take a closer look at the dates and the text of the reviews. How long have there been reviews for the ice cream parlour? Only recently or already for years? Has there been a recent slump in the reviews or is there actually something in the text about a change of ownership? The people who take the time to write reviews are usually surprisingly well informed.

7. bad location of the ice-cream parlor and still it runs

In the pedestrian zone or in highly frequented locations it is easier for an ice-cream parlour to keep its head above water with walk-in customers. Here it is not so important to retain customers with high quality and freshness. Ice cream parlorswho Good inflow even in worse locations are an insider tip. Because this means that customers take the detour to buy their ice cream at exactly this ice cream parlour.

8. hygiene in the ice cream parlour and display case

In general one should Overall impression from the ice cream parlor. Is everything clean and tidy? How much do you like Hygiene respected? The time-tested saying that the toilet of a restaurant says a lot about the business can also be applied.

If you just want to have a look at the street sale, then you should Display take a closer look. Care is taken to ensure that later in the day everything duly looks like? In an ice cream parlor should also no decoration lying around, which becomes a dust collector.

The Ice cream scoops is also a very good indication. It should be between each type of ice cream and under running water be cleaned. A cup of water in which the scoop is immersed repeatedly is a stove for pathogens. Some ice-cream parlours have an installation that allows easy rinsing with water when the scoop is pressed against it.

9. unusual ice cream varieties cost more

What irritates or perhaps even annoys many customers in the first moment can be a further indication of quality. Then, when for certain types of ice cream a higher price is required. This should, of course, only concern varieties that really do contain an expensive ingredient. Then the price for a ball can quickly be 10-20% more. An example of this is Pistachio ice creamwhich is particularly expensive to produce due to the price of pistachios. However, some ice-cream parlours shy away from actually selling price-intensive varieties more expensively in order not to annoy their customers and make a mixed calculation.

I hope you enjoyed the article and will help you to find a delicious ice cream parlor near you. If you have any experience with the points above, I would be happy if you leave a comment. Maybe you have some more tips on how to find a really good ice cream parlour?