# Ice cream: cone or bowl? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 12, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309 "2020-01-12T14:33:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/1 "2020-01-12T14:33:43Z")
Free ice cream! You want it in a cone or a bowl? Any flavor. Free dips and toppings. [del]All things being equal[/del] Nah, they’re not equal. They’re different experiences, and that’s the point. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/2 "2020-01-12T14:36:22Z")
Bowl. Holds more than a cone. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/3 "2020-01-12T14:40:46Z")
I like cones, all types, but the when you have a cone, especially when you’re outside in the sun, you have a deadline; it’s a big sticky mess time bomb. With a bowl, it will just become soup. Also with bowls, you have a lot of extra room for sprinkles and sauces and other toppings. Cones are much more limited on the extras. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/4 "2020-01-12T14:48:25Z")
Cake cone. Waffle/sugar cones are too big and too sweet; I like the crunchiness of a cake coke with the ice cream. And I don’t need/want a giant pile of ice cream, so one scoop on a cake cone is just the ticket. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/5 "2020-01-12T14:54:12Z")
BTW, here’s a helpful visual guide to the difference between cone types (and I’m not necessarily talking about “waffle bowls,” as illustrated in the picture, when I say “bowl”). [![](https://friendfortheride.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/cones_002.jpg) ](https://friendfortheride.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/cones_002.jpg) It’s my understanding that “waffle cones” are generally made fresh in-store, while “sugar cones” are commercially mass produced. “Cake/wafer cones” are those things you get in a box at the supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/6 "2020-01-12T15:10:20Z")
It depends on where I’m eating. At home? Bowl. We don’t eat ice cream at home often enough to keep cones on hand. So if I’m at home and I want ice cream, a bowl it is. Outside, anywhere else? Cone, absolutely. Make mine a waffle cone. Inside, at someone else’s home? Depends on whether they have cones, and whether we’re pretty much staying inside, or if it’s a nice summer day and we’re floating back and forth between inside and outside. If the latter setup and they have cones, then cone. Otherwise, bowl. Inside, at an ice cream parlor? Cone. If I drip, it’s their problem, and I can always step outside with my cone if I want to. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/7 "2020-01-12T15:33:42Z")
When I go with the kids, I almost always get the bowl, whatever the smallest is they have. And that’s usually still too much ice cream for me. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/8 "2020-01-12T15:33:50Z")
Our local creamery has staff whose jobs are only to make waffle cones and bowls. Weekend nights, there are two on, and 4 waffle makers going full out. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/9 "2020-01-12T15:52:15Z")
There’s a time and place for an ice cream cone and there’s a time and place for ice cream in a bowl. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/10 "2020-01-12T16:30:57Z")
Cone. Why did I open this thread? Now I want an icecream cone! ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/11 "2020-01-12T16:56:19Z")
Sugar cones rule! ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/12 "2020-01-12T17:27:03Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > It’s my understanding that “waffle cones” are generally made fresh in-store, while “sugar cones” are commercially mass produced. “Cake/wafer cones” are those things you get in a box at the supermarket. Just last night I was watching a [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs2Eb1YbNQQ) video that showed a factory making all three types of cone, waffle, sugar, and cake, so not _all_ waffle cones are made in the store. I would imagine no sugar or cake cones are made in store. Personally, I prefer sugar cones over cake or waffle but I wouldn’t turn my nose up at either if they were offered. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/13 "2020-01-12T17:29:00Z")
Waffle cone — but as the OP says, all things are not equal. When the family goes out for frozen dairy, 99% of the time it’s to the local custard shop, where the toppings are as important as the custard — so a bowl is required. But for ice cream, if there’s a cone available, I’m getting a cone. Buying cones for the home is a small luxury; it doesn’t happen with every purchase of a carton of ice cream, but when we get them they get used. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/14 "2020-01-12T17:31:49Z")
Bowl. Less drippy mess, and you can put it down. ---
**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:** [January 12, 2020, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/15 "2020-01-12T17:51:59Z")
The ideal setting for ice cream is a lazy summer evening outdoors, and the ideal serving for that setting is a cone, and the ideal cone is a waffle cone. **DCnDC** , one of the local places has a display like that, with four samples helpfully labeled “waffle cone”, “sugar cone”, “cake cone”, and “pine cone”. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/16 "2020-01-12T17:53:00Z")
I have never heard it referred to as a “cake cone”, is it a general Americanism? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/17 "2020-01-12T18:01:01Z")
> [@Teuton](#): > > I have never heard it referred to as a “cake cone”, is it a general Americanism? Honestly, I’d never heard that term either, but I needed to know what to call it and most sites I visited that sounded like they knew what they were talking about referred to them as “cake cones,” and only a few “wafer cones,” but personally I feel like that’s a better, more descriptive name for them. For what it’s worth, “cake cone” more reliably gets Google images of the one I’m referring to more than “wafer cone.” I do love how the inner structure of them gets a little soft and chewy while the outer part stays crispy for that very last bite. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/18 "2020-01-12T18:54:24Z")
> [@Teuton](#): > > I have never heard it referred to as a “cake cone”, is it a general Americanism? I never heard that term but this was the type of ice cream cone my parents would buy for use at home. I suppose the flat bottom makes it easy to stand on the counter to fill. But as to the overall question, my preference is for a bowl. especially when eating ice cream at home. (Although I remember the days when I could buy a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and consume the whole thing in one sitting. Particularly in college this was necessary since the little dorm refrigerators didn’t have enough room to store a pint of ice cream.) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/19 "2020-01-12T19:01:13Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > … (Although I remember the days when I could buy a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and consume the whole thing in one sitting. Particularly in college this was necessary since the little dorm refrigerators didn’t have enough room to store a pint of ice cream.) Something about your comment reminds me of long-gone days in the '50’s when the best deal going was Dairy Queen’s “pint of hard-frozen vanilla.” That became a regular after-school treat for my buddies and me. I don’t remember when that choice was replaced nor by what, but it surely is a strong memory. ---
**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:** [January 12, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309/20 "2020-01-12T21:13:04Z")
None of the above. The only way to eat ice cream is right out of the container. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-cream-cone-or-bowl/846309.md?page=2)