What Makes Cold Stone Creamery's Ice Cream So Uniquely Rich

In the landscape of ice cream chains, Cold Stone Creamery stands out for having some of the most rich, decadent ice cream on the market. But what makes its ice cream so uniquely indulgent? Cold Stone Creamery is committed to making ice cream fresh daily. The process begins with a liquid ice cream base that's blended with your choice of mix-ins right before your eyes on a frozen granite stone. This on-the-spot mixing ensures each scoop is at its peak freshness and is brimming with flavor and creaminess. But what truly sets its ice cream apart is that it's simply creamier than most.

The dairy industry categorizes types of ice cream, and one such classification is known as "super premium." Though the intricacies of super premium ice cream are not as clear cut as they might seem, Cold Stone Creamery's ice cream does have a higher butterfat content than most standard ice creams. It's also made using a low overrun, or a low amount of air churned into the ice cream, which means the product broadly fits the super-premium category. This creates a richer, smoother mouthfeel, which pairs beautifully with the ice cream's freshness.

So, what exactly is super-premium ice cream? This depends not only on the ice cream's amount of overrun but also on its butterfat content. This fat, found in dairy products like butter and cream, is partially responsible for that luscious, velvety, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The higher the butterfat content, the richer and creamier the ice cream becomes. Typical ice cream must contain at least 10% butterfat to legally be called ice cream; while that's delicious in its own right, super-premium ice cream takes things up a notch, offering a smoother, silkier mouthfeel and a more intense flavor experience.

While super-premium ice creams have no set butterfat percentage, they can range anywhere from 14-16%. Some might contain as little as 12%, such as Cold Stone Creamery's 12-14% ice creams, but these super-premium ice creams still tend to have a lower overrun and high-quality ingredients. Other ice creams may even contain up to 18% butterfat.