Which are the nicest ices? IT is a tough job -- but somebody has to do it...

This week's hot spell turns people's thoughts to ice creams to tempt the tastebuds once again.

But which ices are the nicest? Feature writer Irma Heger got together a panel of BEN experts to test five of the best -- and found two surprising joint winners. JOINT

WINNERS: ROWNTREE'S FRUIT

PASTIL LOLLY

(No fat, 57kcal) Price: 60p.

Presentation: Nice and colourful and easy to unwrap.

Taste: Really refreshing, lovely and fruity.

Texture: A bit hard on the old teeth.

Easy to eat: Did not run but it was not eaten on a hot day. Easy to eat as it did not fall of the stick.

Refreshing: Definitely.

Buy one again: Certainly.

Value for money: Yes

Marks out of 10: 10 -- for a refreshing drink on a stick.

What your ice cream says about you -- panel's comment: "If you like the Fruit Pastil-Lolly, you are probably a fruity person." SMARTIES POP UP

(5g fat, 130 kcal) Price: 80p.

Presentation: Excellent, simple to unwrap and ice-cream pops up from container.

Taste: Very sweet, creamy ice cream with crunchy bits of Smarties in the handle.

Texture: Crunchy.

Easy to eat: Simple to eat, hold it by a plastic stick, so no mess and clean hands thanks to the clever design.

Refreshing: Yes.

Buy one again: Definitely.

Value for money: Yes.

Marks out of 10: 10

What your ice cream says about you -- panel's comment: "If you like Smarties Pop Up, you are probably a big kid at heart." THE LOSER: MAXIBON

(20.1g fat, 359 kcal) Price: 80p.

Presentation : Looks strange -- like two different ice creams bars stuck together.

Taste: Ice cream is very good but the biscuit is tasteless. The candy and nuts are very good.

Texture: Biscuit outer is soggy.

Easy to eat: Yes

Refreshing: Yes

Buy one again: No

Value for money: No

Marks out of 10: 4.

What your ice cream says about you -- panel's comment: "If you like Maxibon, you are probably a mixed-up person." Runners up KITKAT CHUNKY

(15g fat, 260 kcal) Price: 65p.

Presentation: Easy to unwrap and looks inviting to the chocoholic. It is straightforward, like the chocolate bar.

Taste: Scrumptious!

Texture: Quite hard and crunchy.

Easy to eat: It does not run but the chocolate tends to crumble.

Refreshing: Because it is chocolate, not so refreshing, but ice cream does cool you down.

Buy one again: Yes, definitely.

Value for money: Yes.

Marks out of 10: 8

What your ice cream says about you -- panel's comment: "If you like KitKat Chunky you are probably a chocoholic!" FAB

(2.8g fat, 83 kcal) Price: 45p.

Presentation: Old-fashioned wrapper that is fairly easy to open. It is a pretty three-colours ice cream with 100s-and-1000s on top.

Taste: A slightly uneventful fruit lolly -- the strawberry at the bottom is nicest.

Texture: Crisp.

Easy to eat: It hardly runs (when eaten in Bolton rather than Barbados) and is small enough to eat without problems.

Refreshing: Definitely.

Buy one again: Yes, especially for the kids.

Value for money: Yes.

Marks out of 10: 7.

What your ice cream says about you -- panel's comment: "If you like Fab, you probably yearn for your lost childhood."