Imagine this. A small operation out of Waynesboro, VA, allows you to create your own ice cream flavors, where they will hand-churn each individual batch from local and organic ingredients. You can purchase your creation in batches 4 or 8. You log onto the Perfect Flavor website, your imagination flowing. Decadent combinations of organic cream bases and exotic mix-ins float through your head. Should you go with sweet cream? How about French Custard. Oooh, Cheesecake sounds so good. But you've never tried mousse ice cream before.
After some wrangling, you decide to go with Sweet Cream, a perennial favorite. You excitedly reach the next step in this choose-your-own-ice-cream adventure: The base flavor. Chocolate, Vanilla, Caramel, or Coffee. Four strong contenders. Moving almost independently of your brain, like an Ouiji board planchette, your mouse clicks on Caramel.
Now for the fun part: Mix-Ins. Do you go with Mexican Aztec Chocolate? A double-dose of creamy caramel? Have a little fun with hot chocolate and marshamallows? Create a spiced-up blend of cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise? Do a little savory saffron and white pepper? Get a little earthy with hibiscus and cloves? Make a breakfast out of it with scones and biscotti? Go all Frenchified with crisp Macarons? Relax yourself with Rooibox Tea? Seduce someone with truffles and raspberries?
Being the ice cream purist that you (I) are (am), you go for Cinnamon buns and a drizzle of caramel sauce. You give your flavor a name - Fatty Bom Batty Breakfast Pint (you'll work on the coining next time) and add this bad boy to the cart while you whip out your Visa.
Well, you'd better put that away and grab your Amex Black Card, because for 8 pints of this ice cream, you're paying a whopping $194.99!!! BEFORE TAX.
You read that right. One hundred and ninety four dollars and ninety nine cents for 8 pints of ice cream.
Lets do that math. That is TWENTY FOUR DOLLARS AND THIRTY SEVEN CENTS A PINT.
And that is for the 8 pint deal! If you want to limit yourself and only order four pints, you're paying $41.25 a PINT. A PINT!
I'm sorry, but the last time I checked, we were in a recession. Now don't get me wrong. Ice cream is my weakness in which I can eat it morning, noon, and night. But who has two hundred dollars lying around for ice cream right now? Or ever? This ice cream could be hand-churned by the Dalai Lama, washed with holy water from The Pope himself, blessed on a Talmud by the highest Rabbi in Israel, and sprinkled in dust from the surface of Mars, I still would have a hard time paying for a $25 pint of ice cream right now.
All kidding aside, I don't mean to give the company a hard time. Not at all, actually. I completely embrace the concept. The flavors and mix-ins are outstanding. My mind was racing when going through the site. And I am sure they produce an amazing product, of which the price is completely justified (they are HAND CHURNED). I wish them only the best of luck with their enterprise, as I hope I can begin my own culinary enterprise one day. And if I had the money I would absolutely support them, because I think we all should support businesses like this right now, and I think they have an outstanding product that they are selling.
But for now, I'll have to stick with my pretty little red Cuisinart Ice Cream maker. But hopefully one day, I won't have to think twice about buying a $25 (or $40) pint of ice cream. I'll just make that pint last a looooong time.
If you can, definitely check out the site! And support them!
WHAT?!?!? That is so expensive. . . I just don't know who would ever spend that kind of money on a dessert!
Posted by: She-Fit | August 03, 2009 at 11:11 AM
That site is such a cool idea, however, I also cannot purchase for that price. I hope there are a few people out there that can support them.
Posted by: Nicole | August 03, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Oh my gosh! Ain't NO ice cream worth that! Not when you can whip up something pretty darn close at home. So when are you making and posting yours? Cinnamon roll, sweet cream, caramel, right?!
~ingrid
Posted by: ingrid | August 03, 2009 at 12:16 PM
I think custom ice cream is a fabulous idea but I'm not one of those lucky people who can afford it (champagne wishes and caviar dreams, anyone?!) Kinda like those customized M&Ms - you go through picking your colors, phrases, and packaging only to find out it costs $30 for one little bag.
Posted by: Phyllis (me HUNGRY!) | August 03, 2009 at 02:20 PM
Whoa...it's a neat concept, but for now I'll stick with the hagen daas.
Posted by: jenn | August 03, 2009 at 03:20 PM
yes, i played around on that site for awhile myself before my mind was blown by the prices. how are they doing any business whatsoever? i know not.
Posted by: grace | August 03, 2009 at 03:31 PM
Wow...that is quite out of my price range. I'll have to stick with my ice cream maker as well!
Posted by: Alta | August 03, 2009 at 04:43 PM
Yikes! We are in a recession. That's toooo much. But the flavors sound good!
Posted by: The Duo Dishes | August 03, 2009 at 07:41 PM
Oh yeah, you can definitely make that flavor yourself. That's crazy pricing there.
Posted by: Wendy | August 03, 2009 at 07:46 PM
WHAT! THat is just absurd.
Posted by: Lori | August 03, 2009 at 09:26 PM
Oh wow...that's CRAZY! But I'll bad die-hard ice-cream fans will disagree.
Posted by: Sophia | August 03, 2009 at 09:51 PM
OMG that is ridiculous! (Though prob. delicious too!) Good luck with the upcoming move--so exciting!
Posted by: Rachel | August 03, 2009 at 10:45 PM
I'm an ice cream lover and thought there was not price I wouldn't pay for a good scoop. But this is stretching it. Sorry for the plug but you can find a coupon for Haagen Dazs on our site www.SmartShopit.com. (Go to our site, not our blog).
Posted by: Trent @ SmartShopIt | August 04, 2009 at 06:55 AM
That is a great idea - but I'm wondering if they really thought through that business model. You can make your own at home (with flecks of gold, probably) for so much cheaper!
Posted by: Jessica | August 04, 2009 at 08:45 AM
It's a great concept, but wow, that's definitely too much to pay for ice cream. I think the ice cream maker machine costs less :)
Posted by: Natasha - 5 Star Foodie | August 04, 2009 at 02:54 PM
I think you're all kinda missing the point... 1) food costs so little in the US precisely b/c it's been "industrialized" -- ice cream is a perfect example, 2) they say they pay a living wage to employees (including health insurance!) and a fair price to all of their local suppliers (dairy farmer, herb/vegetable grower, etc.), 3) Americans eat really large portions of "fake food" in lieu of savoring small portions of decadent, natural "real food", and 4) ain't nobody pretending it's cheap (it sure as hell ain't inexpensive).
Posted by: Tony Vitale | November 05, 2009 at 11:43 PM
It's so nice to have you do all of the research for us. It makes our decision making so much easier!! Thanks.
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I propose not to hold off until you get enough amount of money to buy all you need! You should take the loan or commercial loan and feel free
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Next time I'll put on some lederhose and sing "Adelvice". That should shatter the Captain Von Trapp illusions most thoroughly..
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