Serving ice cream to a crowd
Plain hosting and buying math for parties, schools, weddings, offices and small shops.
This section is for anyone serving ice cream to a group: parents, teachers, church, school and office organizers, party and wedding planners, and small shop or truck operators. It helps you buy the right amount, keep it cold and store what is left.
Start with the scoop sizes chart or the guide to keeping ice cream cold at a party. The Scoop Planner shows how much to buy for your group, and storage and safety advice comes from FoodSafety.gov, the FDA and university extension services.
Charts
-
Scoop size chart
Ice cream scoop sizes and the disher number chart
The number stamped on an ice cream scoop tells you how many level scoopfuls fill one quart, so a #8 holds 4 fluid ounces (1/2 cup) and a #16 holds 2.
-
Container size chart
Ice cream container sizes, from pint to 3 gallon tub
Ice cream container sizes used to be simple. Today the tub that looks like a half gallon often holds less.
Guides
-
How long ice cream lasts
How long ice cream lasts in the freezer
Ice cream kept at 0 F stays safe for as long as it stays frozen, but it keeps its good texture for only a couple of months.
-
Keeping ice cream cold
How to keep ice cream cold at a party
To keep ice cream cold at a party, pack it in a well-insulated cooler with dry ice on top, or with salted ice if the event is short.
-
Calories and nutrition
Ice cream calories and nutrition facts
A 2/3 cup serving of plain vanilla ice cream comes to about 182 calories by our arithmetic from USDA data, and the same serving of rich vanilla comes to about 355.
-
Cone sizes
Ice cream cone sizes: cake, sugar and waffle cones
Cone makers measure cones in inches, not ounces, so buying the right size takes a little translating.
-
Party and sundae bar planning
Planning an ice cream party or sundae bar
This guide shows you how much ice cream and how many toppings to buy per guest, how many scoops come out of a gallon, and how to keep everything cold and safe on the table.
-
Toppings list
Ice cream toppings list
This is a full ice cream toppings list, sorted by type, with survey numbers on what people pick most.
-
Ice cream truck or trailer
Hiring an ice cream truck or trailer for a party
Booking an ice cream truck for a party comes down to four things: the price per person, the vendor’s minimum, the local permit rules, and a short list of questions you ask before you sign.
Other sections
-
Tools
Ice cream calculators
Calculators that turn a few numbers into amounts you can shop or cook with.
-
Make
Making ice cream at home
Base formulas and fixes for CREAMi, bowl, compressor and no-churn ice cream.
-
Flavors
Ice cream flavors
Meet 66 ice cream flavors in nine groups, each with a moon badge showing how easy it is to find.
-
Types
Types of frozen desserts
See what sets gelato, sorbet, frozen custard and other frozen desserts apart, from milkfat and air to how each is made.
-
Prices
Ice cream prices
A monthly tracker of U.S. ice cream prices, based on federal labor statistics.
-
Days
Ice cream days
A calendar of ice cream days, from National Ice Cream Day to flavor days.
-
Facts
Ice cream facts and history
Ice cream facts and history with cited sources, plus a glossary in plain words.