The sun is out, and that can only mean one thing - it’s ice cream weather and what better to cool you down than a refreshing, creamy magnum? Yes they are delicious but Magnums don’t come cheap.
A pack of four will set you back £3.50, whereas you can pick up supermarket own versions for around £1. That’s a huge saving - but is it worth it? Magnums are a firm favourite in Scotland with their creamy ice cream coated in thick chocolate - often with an array of extras to choose from - making it a tasty freezer staple and a more upmarket nod to the humble choc ice. They’re perfect for an afternoon sugar hit or as a light pudding option after a meal.
However, they can be on the pricey side so, in this economy, some people may be looking elsewhere for their ice-cream-chocolate craving, according to Birmingham Live. Luckily, all of your major supermarkets do their own version of a Magnum, but are any of them worth it?
With the ongoing cost of living crisis leading shoppers to double check the price tags on items or even switch up their supermarket, checking in on big brand dupes has become routine. Make-up dupes, fast food dupes and even birthday cake comparisons are being drawn to make sure everyone goes home with a good deal.
So, to make sure nobody goes through the summer without the pleasure of a Magnum, we legged it round our local supermarkets to collect the goods. We've tried them all and you could save some pennies - call us the Martin Lewis of Magnums, if you like.
Magnum
You just can’t beat a Magnum, can you? Well I suppose we will find out.
The ice cream is creamy, the chocolate is good quality and snaps off with a satisfying crunch that compliments the soft ice cream. Also, the ice cream is 100 per cent ice cream, rather than being watered down with chunks of ice, which I would soon find out is what a lot of supermarket own-brand ice creams do...
10/10
Aldi
Sometimes Aldi is cheap and cheerful but surprisingly good quality. Other times you get what you pay for.
This was one of those times. This ice cream was frankly more ice than cream, the chocolate tasted overly sweet and cheap, and I certainly wouldn’t swap out a Magnum for this measly alternative.
2/10
Asda
Thankfully the Asda ice cream was much tastier than the Aldi version. The ice cream had a much creamier texture and felt less like I was just eating a chunk of ice.
It was still not as good as a Magnum, but I was beginning to think nothing would be.
5/10
Lidl
Surprisingly, the Lidl ice creams were the most expensive of the supermarket own brands but they were the best value because you get six in a pack, so each ice cream ultimately only costs 27p. They also made up for it in taste.
The ice cream tasted far more natural than either the Aldi and Asda, and it was sweet without being sickly. They were a good size, and these were the best I had tried so far.
9/10
Sainsbury’s
At cost per ice cream, Sainsbury’s was the most expensive so I was expecting big things. To be fair, the actual ice cream was delicious.
I would even go as far as to say the ice cream tasted like Cornish ice cream, made with clotted cream instead of regular cream. Sadly, it was slightly let down by the odd tasting chocolate.
6/10
Tesco
Finally, the Tesco ice cream, which I thought a pretty good price. The ice cream itself tasted quite similar to that of the Sainsbury’s version, much creamier and more natural.
However, again, it was let down by tasteless chocolate. Both are proof neither the ice cream nor the chocolate is enough to carry a Magnum, or imitation Magnum, it must be a combination of both.
7/10
Final verdict
- Magnum 10/10
- Lidl 9/10
- Tesco 7/10
- Sainsbury’s 6/10
- Asda 5/10
- Aldi 2/10
All in all I did not find a fake-Magnum which quite lived up to the heady heights of an actual Magnum, but I did find one almost as good for a lot cheaper. The Lidl version was almost as good, and one I’d be happy to enjoy on the regular, saving Magnums for a treat.
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