Now that I have been here on campus for a little over a month, I have had the great privilege of being able to taste-test all of the ice cream options on campus. However, there are only two, so the options are limited, but let’s dissect the options we do have.Â
Starting strong with Kimball Hall is the infamous soft-serve ice cream machine. At some point or another, this ice cream machine will make a victim of everyone on campus. Whether it’s your stomach or your brand-new white shoes, the Kimball Hall ice cream machine will always have a lasting impression. However, Kimball does have the wonderful option of including toppings on your ice cream… that is, if there’s any left. Way too frequently have I been a victim of the lack of vanilla ice cream in the machine. While Kimball also includes an additional dessert that can sometimes be layered with the ice cream (cookies, cake, s’mores dip, etc.), without any vanilla ice cream, it doesn’t hit the same. Similarly, there also tends to be a lack of Oreos for toppings at dinnertime. I’m not asking for a lot, just a working vanilla ice cream machine, Oreo cookies, and a tray of ice cream that won’t spill onto your shoes. Although I have complained a lot, I must admit that when Kimball ice cream is all in order, it hits just right. The sweet treat after dinner is always a mood booster for me and my friends after a classic Kimball dinner.Â
Onto Cool Beans, although I haven’t been able to try all of their flavors yet, the ones I have had have all been very delicious. However, I will say that if you’re looking for soft serve ice cream, then definitely go to Kimball instead. At Cool Beans, their ice cream is more traditional, with different flavors of Cookies & Cream and Moose Tracks. And unlike Kimball, their toppings are always available, and there’s no need to fight with anyone in line for the last bits of Oreo. My personal favorite to get is two scoops of Cookies & Cream ice cream with Oreo cookie toppings. As an avid Oreo enjoyer, this always boosts my mood.
Both Kimball and Cool Beans have good ice cream in their own ways, and they are hard to compare because of the differing options that they both have. Personally, I enjoy traditional ice cream more than soft-serve so I would say that Cool Beans has better ice cream than Kimball. But, if you are someone who enjoys the opposite, it could be argued that Kimball is better than Cool Beans.