Professor Douglas Goff on Ice Cream Science and the Evolution of Frozen Desserts

Mar 15, 2025

Douglas Goff, Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph, is a leading ice cream scientist and author of the seminal textbook on frozen desserts. He dives into the intricacies of ice cream making, discussing how to achieve that coveted smooth texture and what happens inside fast-food soft serve machines. Goff elaborates on the mysteries of lactose and sandiness, as well as the difference between low and high overrun soft serve. He also addresses why static freezing leads to undesirable textures, revealing the science behind delicious, scoopable ice cream.

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ANECDOTE

Goff's Ice Cream Origin Story

Professor Douglas Goff grew up in the ice cream business through his father's involvement.
His mentor encouraged him to pursue graduate studies, leading to his career at University of Guelph.

INSIGHT

Guelph’s Long Ice Cream Legacy

University of Guelph has a 110-year history teaching ice cream courses.
Douglas Goff continues teaching short courses internationally, including Melbourne and Ireland.

INSIGHT

Soft Serve Needs Air Content

Soft serve benefits from moderate air content for light, fluffy texture.
Low overrun soft serve tends to be denser but less preferred.

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This week on Cooking Issues, Dave Arnold welcomes Professor Douglas Goff, one of the world’s leading ice cream scientists and Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph. They discuss the science behind smooth texture, how to recreate Haagen-Dazs vanilla at home, and the hidden factors that determine how ice cream melts.

Other key topics:

• The Ice Cream Book That Defines the Industry – Goff discusses the upcoming 8th edition of the seminal Ice Cream textbook, a publication that’s shaped the frozen dessert world since 1966.

• Soft Serve Machines and Their Dirty Secret – Why cleaning is the Achilles’ heel of soft serve, and what really happens inside fast-food soft serve machines.

• Lactose and the Mystery of Sandiness – Quinn loves adding extra lactose to his gelatos, but why doesn’t it crystallize? Goff explains why large manufacturers have to fight against sandy textures.

• Low Overrun vs. High Overrun Soft Serve – Does less air make for better ice cream? Goff weighs in on why dense ice creams like Haagen-Dazs work—but soft serve benefits from a little extra air.

• The Problem with Freezing Ice Cream Without Churning – Is there a way to create smooth, scoopable ice cream without a machine? Goff breaks down why static freezing results in unpleasant ice crystal growth and why nucleating agents are the missing piece.

• Breyer’s Old Formula vs. New Formula – Once known for its pure ingredients, Breyer’s ice cream had a unique dryness when left in the freezer too long. Goff explains why, and what changed when they started stabilizing their mix.

• Trends in Ice Cream for 2025 – From international flavors (think ube and kulfi) to local, small-batch innovations, Goff talks about where the frozen dessert industry is heading.

Plus, Dave builds a DIY 220V countertop fryer, experiments with a homemade ducted ventilation hood, and unveils a wheat bran granola that might just be the next great ice cream topping.

All that and more, this week on Cooking Issues!

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