Cold Stone Vs Baskin-Robbins: Which Ice Cream Chain Is More Affordable?

Cold Stone Creamery has been a favorite franchise since it opened in Tempe, Arizona, in 1988. Founders Susan and Donald Sutherland distinguished their shop by making ice cream in-house daily and letting customers add mix-ins to their frozen treats, which employees fold into the ice cream on an ice-cold stone slab, which is how the chain got its name. Employees also shout greetings and spontaneously burst into song. 

Baskin-Robbins, a premium ice cream brand, was founded more than 40 years earlier, in 1945, by Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins in Glendale, California. The pair grew bored with the limited selection of flavors at most ice cream parlors at the time and thought it would be a great idea to have a shop that offered customers 31 flavors to choose from, a number that has now grown to more than 1,400. Besides its large selection of flavors, it doesn't distinguish its in-store experience from its competitors as much.

Figuring out which ice cream chain is the more affordable of the two can be complicated, since both have different business models. We looked at several items that both chains sold and compared prices. If you're getting a small cup of ice cream with no additional toppings, Baskin-Robbins is about 28 cents cheaper per ounce than its competitor. Baskin-Robbins is also more affordable than Cold Stone when it comes to shakes and take-home quarts. But things aren't so straightforward beyond that, and each chain has some features that may tip the affordability balance in its favor, depending on what treat you're looking to purchase. Keep in mind that prices will vary by location, and our calculations did not include local sales taxes.

Cold Stone Creamery offers a more unique experience than many ice cream chains, and many people enjoy employees' enthusiastic greetings and melodious outbursts, although not every location has the same type of energy, which can be a boon for people who prefer a less multisensory dessert experience. Even if your nearest store's ambiance doesn't feel like musical dinner theater, there is still the spectacle of choosing a complimentary mix-in with one of more than a dozen flavors and watching the staff fold it into the frozen dairy to make a just-for-you creation. A 5-ounce cup is $8 here, and it's only a buck more if you select one of the signature creations, which include more toppings and can offer a better deal than adding mix-ins à la carte.

The smallest option at Cold Stone is more than $2 more expensive than at Baskin-Robbins, but you do get an ounce more of ice cream. However, as you move up in size, the price difference gets smaller, and the largest option here — a 12-ounce cup — is actually over a dollar less expensive than at its 31-flavor competitor. Waffle cones are also about 50 cents less expensive here. 

While take-home quarts are almost $6 pricier here, cakes are actually a little more affordable on average per serving by more than a dollar. So, if you're looking for a more unique experience, like to customize a larger dessert, Cold Stone is the more affordable option.

With more than a thousand different flavors in its vault, one could argue that there's never a dull moment at Baskin-Robbins, and the selections are often far from ordinary, including options like Pink Bubblegum. However, some customers may not quite appreciate the chain's approach. You can customize your frozen dessert with toppings, but you can't create your own flavor like you can at Cold Stone Creamery. Smaller servings of ice cream are more affordable here, but as you scale up to larger portions or add specialty cones, the bill climbs quickly compared to its musical competitor.

Comparing prices became complicated when it came to cakes. Cold Stone has a very streamlined selection of celebratory frozen creations that feature the same sizes and shapes and similar, if not identical, price tags. Baskin-Robbins, on the other hand, has a huge variety of cakes that range in size from simple little Swiss rolls to elaborate illusion cakes. On average, Cold Stone offers the better value per serving by more than a dollar.

Finally, the experience may feel just a bit more unique at Cold Stone, while stepping into a Baskin-Robbins may not feel much different from grabbing a treat at Dairy Queen or Carvel. Many Baskin-Robbins stores now share space with Dunkin', which can cheapen the experience for some customers. Overall, Baskin-Robbins is the better value if you like its zany flavors and want a smaller portion, and it's the best option if you need a creative custom cake.