Cups, not cones, are superior ice cream vessels

By Cole Tompkins | Photographer

I, personally, have never been a fan of the ice cream cone. They’re messy, and overall I don’t feel like they add to the ice cream eating experience.

I know this is a controversial take, but I stand by it. When you eat out of a cup instead of a cone, not only do you avoid the nasty drip of melted ice cream coming off the side of the cone, but you also will get a larger serving of ice cream in most cases.* While it may not be much different when it comes to serving size, there is in fact a difference, and I personally prefer to get the most bang for my buck.

*This highly scientific claim comes from me going to Dairy Queen and ordering one cone and one cup of the same size and eating them both … for research purposes.

On top of my highly scientific research, also consider this: we are in central Texas, aka the world’s largest toaster oven, where an ice cream cone will melt in less than 10 minutes. Who wants to race the clock to finish their ice cream cone? There’s no time to savor it. Whereas when I eat my ice cream out of a cup it isn’t exposed to the direct sunlight and therefore buys me a few precious minutes to enjoy my ice cream. More time when I don’t have the melted ice cream dripping down my hand making a mess.

Speaking of eating your ice cream before it melts, we need to talk about the method of eating your ice cream. Traditionally, you would lick your ice cream cone, or even bite it, if you’re really into it, but I’m here to tell you there is a better way. With a spoon, it’s quick, clean and efficient. No mess on your hands, just spoonfuls of delicious, cool and refreshing ice cream.

Now I know many will argue you can eat the cone, which breaks up the smoothness of the ice cream. This is fair and valid, but if it comes down to it and you’re really desperate for that extra texture, find a different snack that has texture. I know, genius idea.

In conclusion, ice cream belongs in a cup not a cone.