This Kroger Brand Ice Cream Gets A Huge Thumbs Down From Shoppers

When you compare generic store-brand ice cream to high-end names like Häagen-Dazs, you're typically not expecting them to stack up in terms of taste or texture. But when it comes to a grocery chain retooling a store-brand ice cream and releasing it under a new look and name, you wouldn't think there'd be a dramatic difference. Unfortunately for quite a few Kroger shoppers, that was apparently the case when the chain dropped its Vividly Vanilla ice cream and rolled out its 1883 Vanilla in new packaging. Spoiler: Many reviewers hate it.

On the Kroger product page, reviews of the new vanilla ice cream, which debuted in 2025, are less than favorable. "You take something fantastic and replace it with something horrible! I only took one bite of this ice cream and threw the rest of it away! Please bring back VIVIDLY VANILLA!" cried one Kroger customer. "Very disappointed in the new airy quality," said another. " Ended up throwing half away. Will not buy again."

Texture seems to be a big issue with the new vanilla ice cream offering at Kroger. "This new abomination, 1883, is white and tastes faintly of milk. That's it. Also, it melts incredibly quickly. Yes, they ruined the texture too. If you want vanilla ice cream, look elsewhere," exclaimed a disappointed vanilla ice cream fan in their review. Another stated that "this 1883 is horrible. It comes out crumbly. It doesn't melt the same. It doesn't taste the same. We are never buying it again."

Is Kroger 1883 Vanilla really that horrible of an ice cream, or does it just not measure up to memories of Vividly Vanilla? It's hard to say. Glancing at the ingredients of the two (the latter is currently still listed on the Kroger website), it would be easy to say that they shouldn't taste much different from each other. They have the same ingredients listed in the same order (neither has real vanilla as an ingredient, by the way). They sport almost identical nutritional info, as well.

It could come down to manufacturing differences, as customer reviews are pretty adamant that the texture is now much more airy and melty. Or it could just be that some customers' favorite, budget-friendly, store-brand ice cream has changed, and they don't like that on principle. As per Ina Garten, whose favorite store-bought vanilla ice cream brands include Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's, it is possible to find a restaurant-worthy frozen dessert at the grocery store. You just might want to skip Kroger 1883 Vanilla Ice Cream if you like a creamier, richer scoop.