Graeter's just landed at number three on Newsweek's Readers' Choice list of the best ice cream chains in America for 2026. The award was decided by everyday ice cream lovers who voted for the shops that keep them coming back for another scoop, and Graeter's made the top three nationwide.
For a family that has been stubbornly doing things the same slow way since 1870, this kind of recognition means something different than a trophy on a shelf. It means the people who actually eat the ice cream noticed the craft behind it.
What makes Graeter's the best ice cream for generations of fans?
Every gallon of Graeter's ice cream still starts in a French Pot, a technique the company has used for more than 150 years. Each pot holds just 2.5 gallons at a time, which is a fraction of what a modern industrial ice cream freezer can churn out in a single batch.
That small batch size matters because it keeps less air whipped into the mix. The result is a denser, more velvety texture that holds up scoop after scoop, along with chocolate chips so oversized they have to be poured into the pot by hand rather than pumped through a machine.
Why did readers vote for Graeter's ice cream shops?
Ice cream shops earn loyalty one visit at a time, and Newsweek's Readers' Choice Awards are built entirely on that kind of loyalty. Readers cast votes for the chains that felt worth returning to, not just the ones with the biggest marketing budget.
Graeter's shops have leaned on the same formula for generations: superior ingredients, a hand packed process, and flavors that taste like they came from someone's kitchen rather than a factory line. That consistency, visit after visit, city after city, is what tends to show up in a reader vote.
How does Graeter's compare to other best ice cream brands?
Plenty of best ice cream brands compete on novelty, chasing the next over-the-top flavor or gimmick. Graeter's has taken the opposite approach, refusing to shortcut the French Pot process even as the company grew from a single Cincinnati shop into scoop shops across the country.
That stubbornness is exactly what a lot of ice cream lovers are voting for when they pick a favorite chain. Quality earned over 155 years is hard to fake, and it's harder still to match with a faster, cheaper process.
What's next for Graeter's?
An award like this is a nice moment to celebrate, but the real celebration happens every time a carton gets hand packed and sent out the door. Graeter's plans to keep doing exactly what it has always done: 2.5 gallons at a time, no shortcuts, same family recipe.
If you haven't tasted what earned Graeter's a spot among the best ice cream chains of 2026, there's an easy way to find out. Visit a Graeter's scoop shop near you, or order online and have a taste of Cincinnati's original French Pot ice cream delivered straight to your door.
FAQ
What is the best ice cream?
The best ice cream comes down to how it is made, not just what is in it. French Pot ice cream is churned in small batches of 2.5 gallons, which keeps less air in the mix and gives every scoop a denser, richer texture than mass-produced ice cream ever achieves.
What is the best ice cream brand?
The best ice cream brands tend to be the ones that have stayed in the same hands for generations, because that kind of ownership protects the recipe from shortcuts. Graeter's has been family-owned since 1870, with the same French Pot process passed down rather than replaced by faster equipment.
Who makes the best ice cream?
Ice cream makers who hand pack every carton and stay loyal to slow, small-batch methods are usually the ones ice cream lovers point to first. At Graeter's, that means real people watching each 2.5-gallon French Pot batch by hand, not a machine running unattended.
Who has the best ice cream?
That answer changes depending on who you ask, which is exactly why reader-voted awards matter. Newsweek's panel and readers put Graeter's in the top three ice cream chains of 2026, a vote that came from people who actually eat the ice cream, not just industry insiders.
Ready to taste it for yourself? Order a pint for home delivery or find a scoop shop near you.
