Best Ice Cream of the Month Clubs

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Why We Chose It: Goldbelly's ice cream subscription brings you five or six pints a month from the country's best creameries.

Goldbelly is well known in the gourmet mail order space, and the company is all about empowering the country's best small shops and restaurants with nationwide shipping. Goldbelly might just be the best foodie hookup to emerge in modern history with a catalog stuffed with iconic foods from hundreds of the top artisans.

When it comes to ice cream, Goldbelly really delivers. The company's Monthly Ice Cream Subscription brings you an assortment of five or six different pints each month from places like Humphry Slocombe, Nye's, Coolhaus, Lick Honest, and Nancy's Fancy to name just a few.

The two things that make Goldbelly's ice cream service the best are the opportunity to try so many artisanal ice creams from all across the country and the inclusion of ice cream sandwiches. What more could an ice cream lover wish for?

Goldbelly's Monthly Ice Cream Subscription is available in three-, six-, nine-, and 12-month increments, at the cost of about $80 per month. The service is only available to the lower 48 states, and shipping is free.

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Why We Chose It: The quality of the milk and cream in McConnell's ice cream is second to none.

McConnell's has been in the ice cream business since 1949. For much of that time, the company made ice cream from its very own dairy, milked from cows grazed on the Montecito foothills' tender grass. The dairy cows have since moved elsewhere, and that land is now home to celebrities like Tom Cruise and Oprah Winfrey, but McConnell's still sources only the best grass-grazed milk from its dairy partners on California's central coast.

McConnell's starts with raw milk and cream, add real cane sugar and egg yolks, pasteurizes this base, ages it for enhanced body and flavor, and then slowly churn it into the densest, creamiest ice cream available on the market. Most top ice creams contain around 14 percent milkfat and up to 40 percent air, but McConnell's boasts a whopping 18 percent milkfat and a mere 10 percent air. Now that's creamy.

With the company's Pint of the Month Club, you'll get three different flavors of ice cream each month, including limited editions and scoop shop exclusives that you won't find in stores. You can sign up for three, six, or 12 months for a one-time charge of $144, $289, and $528, respectively. Prices include shipping via FedEx to the lower 48 states and Hawaii.

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Why We Chose It: The Pints Club from Salt and Straw comes in three great variations, offering maximum flexibility.

Started by two cousins with big dreams and no ice cream experience, Salt and Straw has made a significant impact on the ice cream world since its founding in 2011, growing from a single cart to multiple brick-and-mortar locations in several cities—not to mention partnering with none other than box office megastar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Salt and Straw's Pints Club is unique because it is available in three different formats: Seasonal Flavors, Vegan Flavors, and Choose Your Flavors. All three clubs get you five pints of frozen goodness every month.

Seasonal Flavors focuses on monthly themes that change throughout the year, with assortments ranging from fruit-forward ice creams in the peak of summer to holiday classics in December and everything in between. Vegan Flavors include popular non-dairy flavors like Lemon Cheesecake Crumble, Freckled Mint TCHO-colate Chip, and Salted Coconut Grapefruit Daiquiri. Choose Your Flavors lets you choose from among 10 of Salt and Straw's most beloved varieties, including Gooey Brownie, Honey Lavender, and Double Fold Vanilla.

All three Pints Clubs are ongoing subscriptions and cost about $65 per month. You can adjust your shipments' frequency, from once a month to once every two or even three months. Shipping costs extra.

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Why We Chose It: Rococo has some of the most unique and interesting flavors we've ever seen.

Located in Kennebunkport, Maine, Rococo Ice Cream was founded by Lauren Guptill in 2012. Shortly after that, her operation was named the sixth-best ice cream shop in the nation by Tripadvisor for its beautiful, creative, and internationally inspired ice cream flavors.

Of all the producers on this list, Rococo has some of the most intriguing and alluring flavors we've encountered. Combinations like Goat Cheese (with Whiskey and Figs Compote), Guava and Maria Cookies, Garam Masala, Blueberry Chipotle, Nutella Cranberry, Rhubarb Sage, Horchata Rum Cake, and Lemon Pink Peppercorn guarantee that you'll experience ice creams unlike any you've ever tried.

Rococo's Pint Club is an ongoing subscription, with quarterly deliveries of either four or six pints depending on which option you select. The themed assortments of limited-edition flavors are sent out in March, June, October, and December. If that's not enough for you (and we don't blame you), you can always order a few extra pints to hold you over in between shipments.

The four-pint subscription is about $60 per shipment, while the six-pint option will cost you around $80. Shipping is extra. Rococo ships anywhere in the continental United States.

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Why We Chose It: With perfectly matched flavors and special toppings, Zingerman's Gelato Sundae Club is one of a kind.

Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, famed old-school gourmet mail-order outlet Zingerman's hasn't lost its sparkle. On the contrary, what started back in 1982 with the Zingerman's deli has now grown into a large family of businesses that includes Zingerman's Mail Order, Zingerman's Coffee, Zingerman's Bakehouse, and Zingerman's Creamery.

The Gelato Sundae Club from Zingerman's Creamery is a rare gem among monthly ice cream clubs. First of all, we're talking about gelato, which many people find even creamier and dreamier than ice cream, despite its lower fat content. Zingerman's makes its gelato with milk and cream from Michigan's Calder Dairy, using equipment imported from Bologna, Italy, for maximum authenticity.

Second, this sundae club delivers more than just gelato. Not only will you receive multiple flavors meant to go well together, but you'll also get toppings to unite it all into an amazing gelato sundae. For instance, the first month's delivery includes vanilla and maple pecan gelatos, Michigan raspberry sorbet, salted caramel sauce, and sour cherries.

The Sundae club is not a subscription and does not renew. You'll receive three different sundaes over three months for about $300, including shipping.