Can the UK’s favourite ice creams survive heatwave temperatures?

The UK’s 2026 summer will be remembered as marked by heatwave after heatwave, with all of the major heat records being toppled throughout the summer. And what do Brits reach for in such circumstances? Ice creams. 

It’s no secret that Brits like ice cream. Whether it’s a kiosk by the beach, a classic ice cream van, or simply a supermarket treat. However, with temperatures regularly topping 30°C this summer and certain areas even reaching nearly 40°C, some ice creams simply don’t hold up. 

So, our researchers here at Buzz Bingo decided to put things to the test. 

Which ice creams survived the heat-chamber melting test?

In collaboration with Dr Andrea Utley at the University of Leeds, researchers at Buzz Bingo put the nation’s top 10 favourite ice creams, according to YouGov, through the ultimate heatwave durability test.

Researchers at the university used a temperature-controlled heat chamber, setting the temperature to replicate the average summer heatwave temperature of 34°C. A second batch of the same ice creams was tested at 20°C, which is the average monthly temperature in July and August in the UK. For both temperatures, the humidity level was maintained at 70% to further recreate the conditions. All ice creams were supported on clamps and stands so that hand temperature did not affect the melt volume.

With results that may surprise many, some of the key findings included:

• The nation’s favourite, Magnum, is a heatwave flop. They melt in under 1 minute, with rapid failure and 100% liquefaction by 5 minutes.

• The humble Fab is our heatwave hero, holding out for 2 full minutes before the first drip. 

• Ice creams made up of chocolate and cream perform the worst and are 67% more expensive than the cheapest in the test.

The full breakdown of Britain’s favourite ice creams and the length they lasted in heatwave temperatures before melting is as follows:  

As pictured, Fab comes out on top, taking a full 2 minutes to see its first drip. Even at 5 minutes, when other ice creams had collapsed completely, Fab had only expended 10 mL of liquid volume at 5 minutes. 

In other interesting findings, three minutes appears to be the sweet spot for eating an ice cream this summer. After that time, all ice creams showed signs of total collapse, and you can expect to have a very soggy arm.

Finally, Magnum, the nation’s favourite, is a complete heatwave disaster. The entire ice cream collapsed in 34°C heat within just 60 seconds. 

But aside from record-breaking heatwave temperatures, how do these favourites survive in the average summer temperature too?

At 20°C, the ice creams did much better. However, it should be noted that Magnum and Feast did not survive transportation and, as a result, are not included in the final study here. The results show that at 20°C, Calippo was the first to drip after 1 minute; Nobbly Bobbly was next at 1.20 minutes.

After 5 minutes, all of the remaining ice creams held their form very well, and it was not until 9 minutes that there was significant melting. Interestingly, Nobbly Bobbly was the ice cream that suffered the most in this heat, with 5 ml of drip recorded at 9 minutes. Whilst Fab won the first study, Cornetto took the top place in these rankings, with very minimal to no melt being recorded.

During the average summer, then, a Cornetto will be your best friend due to its shell-like casing.  

Bang for your buck: Ice creams that deliver on price and performance

As Brits, we all like a bargain. So, which ice creams really deliver bang for your buck during a heatwave?

Researchers based calculations of drip-free eating time on the average single price of each ice cream, measuring this against its heat survival time. This revealed just how many seconds of drip-free joy you get per £1 spent:

• Calippo and Feast are the worst value in a heatwave, delivering just 3.1 seconds of drip-free joy per £1, as their 5-second drip delays mean you get almost nothing for your money under heatwave conditions.

• Magnum costs £2.50 and lasts only 16 seconds before dripping, working out to just 6.4 seconds of drip-free joy per £1, over 13 times worse value than the winner, Fab.

• A Fab delivers 85.7 seconds of drip-free joy per £1, making it over 27 times better value for money in a heatwave than a Feast.

• Despite its sudden implosion at the 3-minute mark, a Cornetto still delivers 15.8 seconds of drip-free joy per £1, nearly 2.5 times better value than a Magnum.

The two cheapest ice creams, Fab and Fruit Pastille, also come out on top for longevity, with the most seconds of drip-free joy you get per £1 spent. This makes one thing clear: price doesn’t equal performance. 

Ingredients make all the difference; plant-based stabilisers are the winner over dairy and chocolate 

When we looked into the ingredients of the ice lollies, there were some standout findings. The reason Fab stood out as the overall winner is due to its dual-gum matrix. When the liquid in the ice lolly begins to melt and internal ice crystals thaw out, the guar gum and alginate absorb the liquid and form a gel shield. 

But not all plant-based ingredients behave the same. Plant gums (such as guar found in a Fab) outperform dairy by trapping the water in a gel shield, which holds its shape 10 times better than milk fats. However, plant fats such as coconut oil, which are found in the Magnum, Feast, Cornetto, Nobbly Bobbly, Solero, Fab and Twister, fail fast. This is because coconut oil melts at 24°C, causing chocolate coatings to collapse before the ice lolly inside thaws. 

Ultimately, Dr Andrea Utley concludes that “Of the ten ice creams tested, Fab coped best with heatwave conditions. At average summer temperatures (20°C), all ice creams should tolerate heat well, and you should not have any issues with melting. In heatwave conditions, ice creams melt very quickly, and after 3 minutes, all ice creams showed significant signs of melting.” 

These findings are not a reflection of the quality or the taste of the product.

If you’re interested in our other studies, why not read about Britain’s most dunkable biscuits or the UK’s biggest garden feuds? 

Methodology 

Researchers from the team at Buzz Bingo collaborated with Dr Andrea Utley, Reader in Motor Control, Learning and Development, at the University of Leeds, to test the durability of the UK’s top 10 favourite ice creams according to YouGov. In a temperature-controlled heat chamber located at the university, set at 34°C and a humidity of 70% to mimic average UK heatwave conditions, the ice creams were placed in clamps above measuring cups. The following measures were recorded: time taken to first drip and amount of melt in mL after 1/2/3/4/5 minutes. A second batch of the same ice creams was tested at 20°C, which is the average monthly temperature in July and August in the UK.

The list of ice creams tested, in order of favourite according to YouGov, was: 

• Magnum

• Fab

• Solero

• Twister

• Feast

• Calippo 

• Orange

• Cornetto

• Fruit Pastille

• Nobbly Bobbly