Which Chocolates Taste The Best?
Consumer Reports Tests Several Popular Brands
POSTED: 12:22 pm CST January 27, 2002
CLEVELAND -- Consumer Reports tested 19 different chocolates, including popular brands like Hershey's, Whitman's, and Russell Stover, to see which ones tasted best. 
Testers looked at boxed assortments, including those from smaller chocolate-makers along with ones from more familiar names. The assortments ranged in price from $8 a pound to 10 times that much. Tasters found that some brands disappointed."There were chocolates that didn't melt easily in the mouth," said Ellen Klosz of Consumer Reports. "Some of the fillings had artificial flavors. Other fillings were just too sweet. And some of the nuts were stale."Eight assortments were considered "very good," including one from Godiva. Three others were considered "excellent," but those also take a bigger bite out of a person's bank account.The excellent brands included the Cofret Maison assortment from La Maison Du Chocolate. The 1.25-pound box costs $72. Martine's assorted with creams also ranked high, and it costs $54 a pound. And Candinas 36-piece box was excellent. It costs $41 a pound. "The boxes were filled with melt-in-your-mouth, chocolaty chocolate," Klosz said. "And the fillings tasted of real cream, butter and real vanilla. And the nuts were fresh and crunchy."One chocolate maker has heard more passionate descriptions."It's sinful, it's heaven, it's paradise and things I wouldn't say on TV," said Martine Leventer Pechenik of Martine's Chocolates.For chocolates at a sweeter price, Consumer Reports named two as best buys: Leonidas pralines general assortment at $24 a pound and See's famous old-time candies assorted chocolates at $12 a pound.Some makers, including Martine's, Leonidas and See's, will even allow consumers to personalize a gift and select their own box, piece by piece. Testers said that the better chocolates do not have preservatives, so they should be eaten within a few days.On average, Americans each eat about 12 pounds of chocolate every year, adding up to $13 billion total.
Testers looked at boxed assortments, including those from smaller chocolate-makers along with ones from more familiar names. The assortments ranged in price from $8 a pound to 10 times that much. Tasters found that some brands disappointed."There were chocolates that didn't melt easily in the mouth," said Ellen Klosz of Consumer Reports. "Some of the fillings had artificial flavors. Other fillings were just too sweet. And some of the nuts were stale."Eight assortments were considered "very good," including one from Godiva. Three others were considered "excellent," but those also take a bigger bite out of a person's bank account.The excellent brands included the Cofret Maison assortment from La Maison Du Chocolate. The 1.25-pound box costs $72. Martine's assorted with creams also ranked high, and it costs $54 a pound. And Candinas 36-piece box was excellent. It costs $41 a pound. "The boxes were filled with melt-in-your-mouth, chocolaty chocolate," Klosz said. "And the fillings tasted of real cream, butter and real vanilla. And the nuts were fresh and crunchy."One chocolate maker has heard more passionate descriptions."It's sinful, it's heaven, it's paradise and things I wouldn't say on TV," said Martine Leventer Pechenik of Martine's Chocolates.For chocolates at a sweeter price, Consumer Reports named two as best buys: Leonidas pralines general assortment at $24 a pound and See's famous old-time candies assorted chocolates at $12 a pound.Some makers, including Martine's, Leonidas and See's, will even allow consumers to personalize a gift and select their own box, piece by piece. Testers said that the better chocolates do not have preservatives, so they should be eaten within a few days.On average, Americans each eat about 12 pounds of chocolate every year, adding up to $13 billion total. Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
