I f ice cream flavors were movie character tropes, vanilla would be the best friend. Simple and straightforward, yet ...

We ranked popular vanilla ice creams—you should skip and creamy, rich favorites that actually deliver real flavor and texture ...

Ice brought a friend with him: Ninja Turtle Michelangelo. Or at least a guy in a suit representing the famed movie/cartoon/comic book character, who danced along as the one-time hip-hop icon rapped.

It's not yet known if Vanilla Ice's character will be one that can be played or if he'll be a non-playable character (NPC or a "Free Guy," like the one Ryan Reynolds played in that movie).

We tried 11 brands of vanilla ice cream side-by-side to determine the ultimate best. Our top pick is great for pie, brownies, milkshakes, or eaten straight from the cone.

Vanilla gets a bad rap. It’s boring, the haters say. It’s bland. The word is even used as a synonym for a kind of drab ordinariness that’s definitely to be avoided in our colorful times.

Find out which vanilla ice creams, as well as salted caramel, mint chip, and fudge brownie ice creams, were rated the best with the help of the expert tasters at Consumer Reports.