The Cincinnati-born brand has been making ice cream the old-fashioned way for more than 150 years, using a French pot process that dates back to the company's earliest days. Unlike the high-volume methods most commercial creameries rely on, the French pot process churns small batches slowly, incorporating less air and producing a denser, creamier result.

The difference is something you notice immediately — it's heavier on the spoon and richer in flavor than most people expect from a scoop of ice cream. That commitment to the process extends to the mix-ins.

Graeter's famous chocolate chips aren't chips in the conventional sense. Liquid chocolate is poured directly into each churning batch, where it hardens and breaks into irregular chunks of varying sizes. The result is what fans often describe as one of the defining features of a Graeter's scoop — pockets of solid chocolate running through every bite.

Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip has long been the brand's signature flavor, and it has a devoted following in Northeast Ohio. But the menu spans well beyond the classics. Seasonal offerings rotate through the year, giving regulars a reason to keep coming back and occasional visitors something new to try each time.

That kind of loyalty isn't built on marketing — it's built on consistency, and on ice cream that holds up to memory.News 5 Cleveland Staff Writer

How Well Do You Know Graeter's?

Five questions. Find out if you're a true Graeter's devotee or a curious newcomer.

How long has Graeter's been making ice cream?

• About 50 years — Not quite — Graeter's has been handcrafting ice cream for more than 150 years. That's a legacy that spans multiple generations of Cleveland families.
• More than 150 years — Exactly right. Graeter's has been using its French pot process since the brand's earliest days — more than 150 years of the same small-batch commitment.
• Around 75 years — Actually, the brand goes back much further — more than 150 years of handcrafted ice cream using the same French pot process.

What makes the French pot process different from commercial ice cream production?

• It uses more sugar — The real difference is in the churning. The French pot process churns small batches slowly, incorporating less air and producing a denser, creamier result than high-volume commercial methods.
• It churns small batches slowly, adding less air — That's it. Slower churning means less air, which means a denser, heavier, creamier scoop — the difference you feel immediately on the spoon.
• It freezes at a lower temperature — The key is actually the churning speed and batch size. The French pot process churns slowly in small batches, creating less air and a denser, richer result.

How does Graeter's create its famous chocolate chunks?

• Pre-made chocolate chips are folded in at the end — Actually, Graeter's doesn't use conventional chips at all. Liquid chocolate is poured directly into each churning batch, where it hardens and breaks into irregular chunks of varying sizes.
• Liquid chocolate is poured into the churning batch — Exactly. The liquid chocolate hardens inside the batch and breaks into irregular, chunky pockets — the signature feature fans describe in every Graeter's scoop.
• Chocolate shavings are layered between scoops — The real method is more inventive: liquid chocolate is poured directly into each churning batch, where it hardens and breaks into those beloved irregular chunks.

What is Graeter's signature flavor — the one with a devoted Northeast Ohio following?

• Mint Chocolate Chip — A great flavor, but not the signature. Graeter's most iconic offering is Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip — the one that's built a devoted following across Northeast Ohio.
• Butter Pecan — Close, but the true Graeter's icon is Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip — a flavor with a devoted Northeast Ohio following and decades of loyal fans.
• Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip — You know your Graeter's. Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip is the brand's signature flavor and the one that keeps Northeast Ohio coming back season after season.

Where can you find Graeter's pints in the Cleveland area when you can't make it to a scoop shop?

• Only at Graeter's scoop shops — Graeter's pints are actually available at local grocery stores — perfect for those moments when a mid-week craving hits and a trip to the scoop shop isn't in the cards.
• Local grocery stores — Right. Graeter's pints are stocked at local grocery stores across the area — though the brand notes there's still something about getting it fresh from the scoop shop that a freezer pint can't quite replicate.
• Online only — You can order Graeter's online for nationwide delivery, but locally, pints are also available at grocery stores — handy for mid-week cravings without the trip to the scoop shop.

For Cleveland families, Graeter's has become the kind of warm-weather ritual that gets passed down. Parents who grew up stopping in after a summer game or a swim meet now bring their own kids. That kind of loyalty isn't built on marketing — it's built on consistency, and on ice cream that holds up to memory.

The brand's presence in the area has grown steadily, with pints available at local grocery stores for those moments when a mid-week craving hits and a trip to the scoop shop isn't in the cards. Still, there's something about getting it fresh that a pint from the freezer aisle can't quite replicate.

Fresh Scoop vs. Grocery Pint — Know the Difference

Grocery Pint

• Anytime Availability Local grocery stores carry Graeter's pints
• Convenient for mid-week cravings
• Same French pot ice cream in freezer form

Fresh Scoop Shop

• Peak Experience Fresh from the French pot — nothing replicated
• Seasonal flavors rotate — always something new
• The ritual that gets passed down generation to generation

With summer in full swing, Graeter's is also a natural fit for the season's social calendar. Ice cream has a way of making gatherings feel a little more special — whether it's a neighborhood cookout, a family reunion, or just a Friday evening that deserves a reward.

Gifting a Graeter's experience is one of those ideas that tends to land well with just about everyone. For anyone looking to share a taste of something genuinely good this summer, Graeter's is currently offering 25 percent off gift cards — a straightforward way to give someone the chance to pick their own favorite flavor.

150+ Years of Graeter's — The Tradition That Reached Cleveland

• 150+ Years Ago — Graeter's founded in Cincinnati
• The Early Days — French pot process established as the brand standard
• Generations Later — Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip becomes the signature Northeast Ohio flavor
• Steady Growth — Graeter's pints arrive in Cleveland-area grocery stores
• Today — Nationwide delivery + local scoop shops + 25% off gift cards this summer

Give the Gift of Graeter's This Summer

• 25% Off Gift Cards — Limited Time: Share the taste of something genuinely good. Graeter's gift cards let the recipient pick their own favorite flavor — fresh scoop or pint delivery, their choice.
• Nationwide Ice Cream Delivery: Can't make it to a scoop shop? Graeter's ships its handcrafted French pot ice cream directly to your door — anywhere in the country.
• Find Pints Near You: Graeter's pints are available at local grocery stores across the Cleveland area — perfect for mid-week cravings when a scoop shop trip isn't in the cards.