# Ben & Jerry's 'still a pint' **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 23, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011 "2012-06-23T02:12:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/1 "2012-06-23T02:12:56Z")
I bought ice cream for the first time this year while grocery shopping. A little while ago when I took the pint of Ben & jerry’s out of the freezer I noticed around the lid it says ‘still a pint’ multiple times. I had no idea why they felt the need to state that and was going to ask here on the dope. Before getting to asking I decided to google for myself. My findings were it’s Ben & Jerry’s advertising/objection to Haagan Daz changing their pints to 14 ounces. Hagen Daz still calls their 14 OZ size a pint. Apparently this happened some time ago but I’m not one to stay updated on ice cream news. I’m not likely to be buying any Haagan Daz in the future out of objection to their decision to deceive people. They claim it was so they didn’t need to increase cost. So haagan Daz that’s 2 less pints of stawberry you’ll sell a year! Good job on advertizing B&J. I agree with you a pint should be a pint. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/2 "2012-06-23T02:16:00Z")
Because everything else is .9 or .8 of what it used to be. It wouldn’t have surprised me if instead of being a pint they quietly changed it to 14.5oz. My Edy’s ice cream is 1.5 quarts. Wasn’t it a half gallon at some point in the past? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/3 "2012-06-23T02:28:25Z")
All ice cream brands (except, apparent, Ben & Jerry’s) have been shrinking. What makes it even worse is that at the same time, they’ve been switching from rectangular cartons to odd-shaped tubs that, because of their shape, manage to take up more freezer space despite containing less ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/4 "2012-06-23T02:32:44Z")
“A pint’s a pound, the world around”. Justification? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/5 "2012-06-23T02:34:38Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Hagen Daz still calls their 14 OZ size a pint. Are you sure about that? ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/6 "2012-06-23T02:39:31Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Are you sure about that? So far I only have the journalistic integrity of [yumsugar.com](http://yumsugar.com) as my source, so I’m not all that sure. If you find a better cite let me know and correct my ignorance. [http://www.yumsugar.com/Haagen-Dazs-Shrinks-Package-Ben-Jerrys-Outraged-2906900](http://www.yumsugar.com/Haagen-Dazs-Shrinks-Package-Ben-Jerrys-Outraged-2906900) [QUOTE=yumsugar] Despite the decrease in packaging, Haagen-Dazs still calls its container a “pint.” [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/7 "2012-06-23T02:49:51Z")
Even more confusing on the Hagaan daz web site it doesn’t say the container size but the nutrition info for each reads like this Amount Per Serving Serving Size: 1/2 Cup (112g) Servings Per Container: 4 Calories: 280 Calories from Fat: 140 Quick someone run to the grocery store and figure this out. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/8 "2012-06-23T02:51:18Z")
It’s probably a pint by volume and 14oz by weight (ice cream is less dense then water). The nutritional facts are based on volume. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/9 "2012-06-23T03:12:09Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > It’s probably a pint by volume and 14oz by weight (ice cream is less dense then water). The nutritional facts are based on volume. That might explain the discrepan,cy except that the haggan daz container is physically small then the B&J container. Both are filled the same. B&J’s nutrition info is also 4 cups in a container. I think Haagendaz might not have updated their nutrition info on the website. Further research on the haagan daz website is they do in multiple places refer to their 14 oz size as pints. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/10 "2012-06-23T14:33:09Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Because everything else is .9 or .8 of what it used to be. It wouldn’t have surprised me if instead of being a pint they quietly changed it to 14.5oz. > > My Edy’s ice cream is 1.5 quarts. Wasn’t it a half gallon at some point in the past? Ice cream went from 1.75 quarts down to 1.5 (except for Tillamook), but the price is the same or more. I mentioned this to the person stocking Dreyers the other day. She said she heard that they’re going back to 1.75, even though all the markets have now reconfigured their shelves for the new size. I don’t think there’s been a half-gallon size for a very long time. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/11 "2012-06-23T15:41:00Z")
Blue Bell ice cream proudly proclaims that [it still offers a full half-gallon](http://bluebell.com/the_little_creamery/still_a_half_gallon.html) in its containers. Plus, of course, it’s Blue Bell. Which means delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/12 "2012-06-23T16:20:58Z")
Reducing the size is smart marketing, as you need to buy two containers in order to provide desert for five, rather than one container. Also, you have to return to the store more often if you’re big on ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/13 "2012-06-23T17:11:46Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Ice cream went from 1.75 quarts down to 1.5 (except for Tillamook), but the price is the same or more. I mentioned this to the person stocking Dreyers the other day. She said she heard that they’re going back to 1.75, even though all the markets have now reconfigured their shelves for the new size. I don’t think there’s been a half-gallon size for a very long time. I picked up some ice cream the other day and saw a new 1.75 quart package. I forget what brand it was, but the new container is much wider lengthwise, and much shallower depthwise. So instead of the cross section being a chunky, almost rectangular oval, it’s more like a narrow ellipse. But it looked MUCH bigger on the shelf. Bastards. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/14 "2012-06-23T17:40:09Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Serving Size: 1/2 Cup (112g) Servings Per Container: 4 Who the hell eats only 1/2 cup of ice cream? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/15 "2012-06-23T17:44:42Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Because everything else is .9 or .8 of what it used to be. It wouldn’t have surprised me if instead of being a pint they quietly changed it to 14.5oz. > > My Edy’s ice cream is 1.5 quarts. Wasn’t it a half gallon at some point in the past? I’ve been trying to gather a lynch mob over the 3-pint half-gallon of ice cream for a few years now, without much success. In fact, _negative_ success, if the 30-ounce quart of mayonnaise and the 12-ounce pound of bacon that have been proliferating lately are any indication. :mad: OH! and coming soon to a supermarket near you, the EIGHT-pound ten-pound sack of potatoes. And the FOUR-pound five-pound bag of granulated sugar. :mad: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![oreally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ab992/32.png) [@oreally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oreally)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/16 "2012-06-23T19:01:16Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Because everything else is .9 or .8 of what it used to be. It wouldn’t have surprised me if instead of being a pint they quietly changed it to 14.5oz. > > My Edy’s ice cream is 1.5 quarts. Wasn’t it a half gallon at some point in the past? Yep. They almost all do that now. In the case of B&Js I don’t care because I think their ice cream is overrated and hideously overpriced anyway. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/17 "2012-06-23T20:41:43Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Who the hell eats only 1/2 cup of ice cream? they do have these very cute wee things of ice cream, i think that they are .5 cup of ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/18 "2012-06-23T20:50:22Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Who the hell eats only 1/2 cup of ice cream? Fat chicks. Sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/19 "2012-06-23T20:55:58Z")
> [@oreally](#): > > Yep. They almost all do that now. > > In the case of B&Js I don’t care because I think their ice cream is overrated and hideously overpriced anyway. Overpriced? Yes. Overrated? No. You buy a pint of B&J for a different reason than you buy a gallon of ice cream. There’s enough ice cream in a gallon for a month. There’s enough ice cream in a pint for a week (or, more than likely, a day). B&J is measured in sittings. Gallon ice cream is measured in servings. I just got a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough. I still have enough for one more “sitting”. (People are suprised that I can eat so much ice cream; however, the way I function and how I rarely get ice cream…) I remember eating B&J in my college apartment.. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011/20 "2012-06-23T21:16:17Z")
I’m still pissed that even microwave popcorn has shrunk as well from 3.5 oz to 3.2! I swear some of these products are going to become extinct due to rapid shrinkage. You will have a huge puffed up container or bag with a high price and no contents. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ben-jerrys-still-a-pint/626011.md?page=2)