apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Survey: What Is Your Favorite Chocolate?

2008_01_27-ChocolateBars.jpg

All right, we saved this question for last, at the very end of Chocolate Week. What kind of chocolate do you reach for when you want your pure chocolate fix?

 
 

We are partial to Scharffen Berger's fruity flavors and also to their milk chocolate, which has explosions of flavor and sweet creaminess - it's quite unlike cheap milk chocolate. We also adore chocolate with whole hazelnuts and the dark nuttiness of really good gianduia from Torino.

Valhrona, Ghirardelli, Scharffen Berger, single-origin small batch chocolate, Lindt, El Rey, Callebaut - there are many good chocolates that can be easily found these days. Do you prefer yours straight up, or mixed in with other good stuff like nuts or caramel?

Comment away - we are always looking for good suggestions...

Tags

Ingredients - Pantry, Inspiration, Sweets, chocolate, bittersweet

Related Links

Share

Comments (38)

I love
Endangered Species 88% Extreme Dark Chocolate
. I only need 1-2 small squares to satisfy my craving.

posted by wesaturtle on January 27th 2008 at 11:08am
view wesaturtle's profile

hmmmm...I really prefer the plain and simple dark chocolate bars ( Noir 70% usually does the trick)
I rarely eat a bar with something added, but I've always liked Noir Orange for somehow... :-)

posted by centauri on January 27th 2008 at 11:18am
view centauri's profile

Dolfin is my favourite brand. I especially like the dark chocolate with green aniseed and the dark chocolate with pink peppercorn bars.

posted by angorian on January 27th 2008 at 11:57am
view angorian's profile

Something that says "fair-trade" on it.

posted by nupur on January 27th 2008 at 12:06pm
view nupur's profile

I'm partial to the Lindt 70%. It's smooth bodied and is low on sweetness.

posted by Comicgeek on January 27th 2008 at 12:07pm
view Comicgeek's profile

For plain and simple dark, I would choose Noir 70%... but I am so so addicted to Dagoba Organic's lavendar bar - dark chococolate, blueberry, and lavender = heavenly combo.

posted by CDR on January 27th 2008 at 12:09pm
view CDR's profile

I too am a sucker for the Endangered Species Extreme Dark. I also enjoy some of the darker varieties of Green & Black's chocolate as well.

posted by jojippitydrum on January 27th 2008 at 12:09pm
view jojippitydrum's profile

Green and Black's Maya Gold -- it takes chocolate to a whole new level, and it's one of the rare bars that I really like but don't want to hoover down all in one go.

posted by h_vane on January 27th 2008 at 1:28pm
view h_vane's profile

I love Green and Black's 85% Dark Chocolate. It's really rich without being bitter which seems hard to find in chocolate with higher cocoa content.

posted by Lightsomelemon on January 27th 2008 at 1:48pm
view Lightsomelemon's profile

Chocolove Orange is my standby, but recently I was turned on to Vosges Bacon Bar. Mmmmm...bacony chocolate.

posted by catlike on January 27th 2008 at 2:32pm
view catlike's profile

This is a hard question because I like so many! Mostly I go for Dagoba's Eclipse 87% or Dolfin Noir 88%

posted by Sassy in SF on January 27th 2008 at 2:36pm
view Sassy in SF's profile

I love, nay, am in love with the Lake Champlain 5 Star bar. My favorite bars are the Peanut, and the Hazelnut. They're pricey, but so amazing. The peanut one is like a reeses peanut butter cup, but smoother, more sophisticated. And the hazelnut bar has this fudge, mousse like chocolate inside with hazelnut and feuilltine, all wrapped in milk chocolate. Steve Almond featured them in his book Candy Freak, which was how I was introduced to these lovely bars.

http://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/Chocolate/Five-Star-Chocolate-Bar.aspx

posted by snoopystar on January 27th 2008 at 2:41pm
view snoopystar's profile

I'm a Vosges fan, and probably will be for many years to come. Their bars, drinking chocolates, truffles, and caramels are all wonderful and unique.

While I am preferential to dark I will consume milk chocolate on occasion- especially if it's Chuao's earl-gray bar.

Also enjoyable is the dark chocolate absinthe bar from Venchi.

posted by Ether Maiden on January 27th 2008 at 2:59pm
view Ether Maiden's profile

DeBrand Fine Chocolates----any of the dark chocolate creations!

posted by JEP on January 27th 2008 at 3:21pm
view JEP's profile

I got turned on to Santander Chocolate from a brownie taste test published by Gourment a couple of years ago (they'd never heard of it, and it rated 2nd in their test for best chocolate to bake brownies with) and now I keep an eye out for it...it's hard to find!
A shame, really, because it's inexpensive, socially responsible, and delicious. And they make a 70% with columbian coffee nibs that's out of this world.

posted by budino on January 27th 2008 at 3:54pm
view budino's profile

Dagoba and Vosges are my very favorite.

posted by whatwouldruthdo on January 27th 2008 at 4:34pm
view whatwouldruthdo's profile

I also love Dagoba's lavender dark chocolate. Right behind it are Scharffen Berger 70% and Dagoba Conacado 73%.

posted by bubble on January 27th 2008 at 4:43pm
view bubble's profile

mmm man, for xmas my cousin brought me this chocolate from italia - with peperoncino. the kick at the end is neato! :)

posted by kdkaboom on January 27th 2008 at 5:35pm
view kdkaboom's profile

Maybe I don't get out much, but I've always been a Dove milk chocolate fan. It's the creamiest, smoothest chocolate and their shape makes them seem even more smooth.

posted by themonkrat on January 27th 2008 at 7:02pm
view themonkrat's profile

Day-to-day - Green & Black Almond, for gifts - Paul Young http://www.payoung.net/

posted by Lesley - London on January 28th 2008 at 3:52am
view Lesley - London's profile

I'm with you themonkrat! I don't get out much apparently either. Dove is fine with me for snacking or chopping for cookies. I do like Lindt also, but that's about the extent of my experiences. I can see there's more to be tried.

posted by Shell on January 28th 2008 at 4:05am
view Shell's profile

It's all about the Dagoba, most especially the Xocolatl.

posted by moiety on January 28th 2008 at 4:20am
view moiety's profile

I love some Target Choxie! While I agree the quality differs; I think it's great. The molded truffles are a bit of a let down, but you won't be disappointed in any of their bars, or flakey rolled truffles! The coconut almond dark chocolate bar is Heavenly!

posted by Nathan Aaron on January 28th 2008 at 4:57am
view Nathan Aaron's profile

Dagoba is pretty darn awesome, though our day-to-day chocolate is Divine 70% Dark.

posted by Eliza on January 28th 2008 at 5:38am
view Eliza's profile

I tend to try as many different chocolate bars as I can to taste, so there's a steady rotation that runs through my house. It can take between a day to a week to finish a bar ... depending on the day or week! I recently tried the bars from BonBonBars, and they were fantastic! The last candy bar I had was a Theo 3400 Phinney bar, Bread and Chocolate, and it had a smooth, even taste that made the bar especially addictive. Dagoba bars are a constant in my house, and Lake Champlain chocolate, though they're less accessible here. There are three different but fabulous chocolatiers at my local farmers market who I also patronize regularly. But for a quick and totally satisfying fix, I just throw in a few Guittard semisweet chocolate chips with some cashews or toasted almonds, and I'm in heaven! Dangit, I need to leave shorter comments in these posts.

posted by OneWallKitchen on January 28th 2008 at 5:46am
view OneWallKitchen's profile

I'm a dark chocolate fanatic who eats chocolate everyday. My faves are the Lindt excellence dark chocolate (so smooooth!), Ghirandelli Dark Espresso, and Valrhona Le Noir. But for everyday eating, you just can't beat the Trader Joe dark chocolate mini bars, which are repackaged Callebaut. Whole Food's dark chocolate is great too but can't beat the price of TJ's. TJ's chocolate selection in general is great.

posted by timmy jr. on January 28th 2008 at 5:51am
view timmy jr.'s profile

Callebaut.

But my favourite thing is to melt it in hot milk and make hot chocolate. (the hot chocolate here in Europe is out of this world... so far, the very best hot chocolate -- and pot of tea! -- has been at Café Louvre in Prague, of all places. Einstein and Kafka used to hang out there...).

I am a Belgian chocolate lover, and would prefer to have a couple of Manons -- which make me swoon -- instead of squares from a chocolate bar. Just not that big on bars. My husband introduced me to Manons, which are shockingly covered in white chocolate in most of their variations. Now, whenever we go anywhere near Belgium, we cannot leave with a few kilos of them...

Speaking of shocking, at 4 pm kids here usually eat bread and chocolate -- usually a bar with hazelnuts in one hand, and a slice of bread in the other. It's the only thing they seem to snack on, and only at 4 pm.

posted by mschatelaine on January 28th 2008 at 6:05am
view mschatelaine's profile

Green & Black's dark chocolate. I always have a bar of it in the house, which I eat very slowly (just a couple of squares at a time).

posted by Nougat on January 28th 2008 at 6:25am
view Nougat's profile

The Whole Foods house brand is amazing and delicious, and super affordable. Also, sadly, currently off the shelves because of a mislabeling recall. I can't wait for it to be back!!

posted by surplusj on January 28th 2008 at 7:58am
view surplusj's profile

I must say that I don't understand the fuss people make over Vosges chocolate. In my opinion, the flavour isn't any better or noticeably different from other high quality chocolate and the price is ridiculous!

I'm just afraid that other bars will move from the $4.50 range to the $9.50 range because Vosges seems to be popular, at least in the online foodie world. Starbucks certainly had that effect on coffee prices.

posted by angorian on January 28th 2008 at 9:05am
view angorian's profile

monika1 you should introduce your kids to nutella sandwiches, a favortie snack of mine.

posted by vertigo on January 28th 2008 at 11:49am
view vertigo's profile

Hi Monika1 - there are a lot of countries in Europe - your unspecified "here" is clearly not Greece, Wales or France... better known for other beverages and diets. Prague then are we talking about?

posted by Lesley - London on January 28th 2008 at 12:08pm
view Lesley - London's profile

Hershey's!!!

posted by Keisha Kornbread on January 28th 2008 at 12:24pm
view Keisha Kornbread's profile

Lesley- London:

Switzerland...Geneva.

Vertigo, alas my daughter is allergic to nuts, so when they bring out the nutella at Montessori, she gets a piece of bread with jam :-(

posted by mschatelaine on January 28th 2008 at 12:37pm
view mschatelaine's profile

I absolutely love Vosges Mo's Bacon Bar, combining two of my favourite tastes in the world.

But for the pure taste and joy of chocolate, I'd have to say Bernachon chocolate was the best I've ever tasted. Too bad getting it requires a trip to Paris, to the sweet tooth's heaven known as A l'Etoile d'Or (not that I need a reason to go back to Paris).

posted by gregory on January 28th 2008 at 2:21pm
view gregory's profile

Gregory -- thank you so much for the head's up on Bernachon! We are always looking for things to do and discover in Lyon, and they are a real Lyon specialty!

posted by mschatelaine on January 29th 2008 at 3:24am
view mschatelaine's profile

Maison du Chocolat esp. the rocher type.

For a plain everyday chocolate bar, any dark chocolate from Valhrona or Lindt.

posted by jbris on January 29th 2008 at 12:20pm
view jbris's profile

If I needed a quick fix from the drugstore, Ferrer Rocher or even the Dove dark, otherwise for eating straight: Green & Black anything (especially Maya Gold!), El Ray, Scharffen Berger, and for baking: Dark Valhrona, Ghiradelli, and TJ's pound . I'm curious to try the Callebut for baking though.

a little square will do ya!

posted by edava72 on October 8th 2009 at 9:27am
view edava72's profile