Palm Grove Vanilla Ice Cream €1.85 per litre Highs:This really is remarkably cheap and, while it is nowhere near as nice as some of the other brands tried, it is ice cream - a product which it is very hard not to like, at least a little bit.

It has a strong vanilla flavour and is weirdly reminiscent of a 99 from the 1970s.

Lows: The front of the box warned us that this ice cream contained non-milk fats. While we were relieved to find this did not mean animal fats, we were dismayed to see listed amongst the ingredients hydrogenated vegetable oil, something which has no place at all in an ice cream.

There is so very little that is fresh or creamy about the ingredient list and it should by rights be called 'ice reconstituted skimmed milk powder' rather than ice cream.

Verdict: Cheap but not so creamy

Star rating: **

HB Vanilla Ice Cream €3.51 per litre

Highs: This is an old-school ice cream from a very well-known company that is available in pretty much every supermarket in the country. It is pretty creamy and lacks the heavy sweetness some ice creams have. The most surprising thing about this is its fat content, which is very, very low when compared with the competition. It also has the lowest calorie count as well, making it an ideal everyday ice cream.

Lows: If you are concerned about fat or calories, then you probably shouldn't be eating ice cream every day. The vanilla flavour is so discreet that you might not notice it. It is a little on the ordinary side so may not be what you're looking for when it comes to that special desert.

Verdict: The less guilty option

Star rating: ***

Ben and Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream €6.09 for 500ml €12.18 per litre

Highs: When PriceWatch told people it was reviewing ice creams, pretty much everyone said Ben and Jerry's would be the best and, annoyingly, they were right. It is made with real egg yolks and 37 per cent fresh cream and tastes almost homemade. If the bears had been eating ice cream when Goldilocks burgled their house, then this would definitely have found its way into baby bear's bowl. It is sweet but not too sweet, creamy but not too heavy and the vanilla flavour is spot on. And as if that wasn't enough, the company is also funky and right on and a firm believer in fair trade to boot.

Lows: It is far too dear and far too easy to eat and unless you exercise real self control you could handily demolish a tub in a single sitting.

Verdict: Just right bar the price

Star rating: ****

Marks & Spencer Extremely Clotted Vanilla €4.49 for 550ml, €8.16 per litre

Highs: This ice cream is made with clotted cream, whole milk, free-range eggs, vanilla extract, sugar and not a great deal besides. It is very, very creamy and undeniably very good quality.

Lows: The name, the pleasant packaging and the almost completely natural ingredient list raised expectations, but ultimately this fell ever so slightly short in the tasting. It was perhaps a tiny bit too sweet for PriceWatch's taste and maybe a little too creamy, if such a thing is possible. While the lightweight cardboard carton is environmentally friendly it was on the flimsy side. It is also ridiculously high in calories and a single smallish portion will account for more than 10 per cent of your daily food allowance.

Verdict: Terribly posh

Star rating: ***

Maud's Vanilla Ice Cream €2.49 for 500 ml, €4.98 per litre

Highs: This friendly looking ice cream from Co Antrim was the "winner of the champion of champions" in 2004-5. We have no idea what this means but it sounds good. It is rich and creamy and very luscious. It is also very cheap when compared to the other luxury brands tried.

Lows: There is no way of telling just how much cream has been included in the recipe as Maud doesn't bother with percentages on the ingredients list. It is made with vanilla flavouring rather than vanilla extract which may explain the lack of flavour - it tastes more of milk than anything else. This is not actually such a bad thing and, while it might not be so good as an ice cream to be eaten on its own, it is pretty brilliant when served with fruit or chocolate.

Verdict: Good quality, good price

Star rating: ****