Over the past year or so, I have been experimenting heavily with different brands of chocolate, trying to find the ultimate chocolate. I was just curious if anyone else has made this attempt, and what their results have been? Let me start with mine. Just FYI though, I always judge the flavor of chocolate by eating, never in the actual baking, as I find it is easier to discern flavor when you eat the chocolate pure. Also, I cannot stand to eat solid bittersweet chocolate, so all my testing on dark chocolate was done with it melted.
Dark Chocolate (Semisweet/Bittersweet, 50%-85%)
I have tried the following brands: Valrhona, Callebaut, El Ray, Sharffen Berger, Bakers.
My favorite in this category is Valrhona. Their Guanaja 70% has a beautiful balanced flavor, and melts into liquid silk. However, the Scharffen Berger 70% is about 20% cheaper, and is just about the same. I'd say it's like Coke versus Pepsi; while I can tell the difference in a direct taste test, and I nominally prefer the Valrhona to the SB, the difference does not justify the cost. Consequently, SB is the chocolate I now use for all of my baking.
The Callebaut was my next-favorite, although to be fair, this was a 54%, which is not really the same as the others. Still, it had a very good flavor, and was unbelievably cheap. (If you buy the 11 lbs. block, it is less than half the cost of SB or Valrhona!) My only complaint was that it had a less smooth consistency when it melted, and the block was as big as a 2/4! For all the other brands, their blocks come in smaller pieces, with grooves for easier breaking. Not the Callebaut. You could club someone to death with this monster, and God help you trying to find a drawer or cupboard to accommodate it. Also, it is inconvenient that you practically need a chainsaw to cut through it!
The El Ray Gran Saman (70%) was next on my list. It wasn't as smooth as SB or Valrhona, and I hated the fruitiness.
Last and definitely least was Bakers. It has a downright UNPLEASANT flavor, the only chocolate that is actually nasty to eat, melted or solid. Also, when you melt it, it's got this grainy texture, like sand. Yuck.
Milk Chocolate
In this category, I have tried the following brands: Valrhona, Dolphin, Cote D'Or, and Lindt. I did not try Bakers, if such a thing even exists. Although I have some in my cupboard for future testing, I have not had a chance to sample SB's product in this category.
Here, it was a toss up between Lindt extra fine, and Valrhona. Honestly, I can't tell which is better. I think I might prefer the Valrhona a bit more, but if so, it's only by a hair. The Cote D'Or was very good, though not as tasty as the others.
By far, the worst was the Dolphin. I HATED this milk chocolate. It had the weirdest flavor. YUCK.
White Chocolate
I have only tried Valrhona and Lindt. It is no contest. Valrhona is king. It pulverizes Lindt and sends him crying like a sissy back to Switzerland.
Dark Chocolate (Semisweet/Bittersweet, 50%-85%)
I have tried the following brands: Valrhona, Callebaut, El Ray, Sharffen Berger, Bakers.
My favorite in this category is Valrhona. Their Guanaja 70% has a beautiful balanced flavor, and melts into liquid silk. However, the Scharffen Berger 70% is about 20% cheaper, and is just about the same. I'd say it's like Coke versus Pepsi; while I can tell the difference in a direct taste test, and I nominally prefer the Valrhona to the SB, the difference does not justify the cost. Consequently, SB is the chocolate I now use for all of my baking.
The Callebaut was my next-favorite, although to be fair, this was a 54%, which is not really the same as the others. Still, it had a very good flavor, and was unbelievably cheap. (If you buy the 11 lbs. block, it is less than half the cost of SB or Valrhona!) My only complaint was that it had a less smooth consistency when it melted, and the block was as big as a 2/4! For all the other brands, their blocks come in smaller pieces, with grooves for easier breaking. Not the Callebaut. You could club someone to death with this monster, and God help you trying to find a drawer or cupboard to accommodate it. Also, it is inconvenient that you practically need a chainsaw to cut through it!
The El Ray Gran Saman (70%) was next on my list. It wasn't as smooth as SB or Valrhona, and I hated the fruitiness.
Last and definitely least was Bakers. It has a downright UNPLEASANT flavor, the only chocolate that is actually nasty to eat, melted or solid. Also, when you melt it, it's got this grainy texture, like sand. Yuck.
Milk Chocolate
In this category, I have tried the following brands: Valrhona, Dolphin, Cote D'Or, and Lindt. I did not try Bakers, if such a thing even exists. Although I have some in my cupboard for future testing, I have not had a chance to sample SB's product in this category.
Here, it was a toss up between Lindt extra fine, and Valrhona. Honestly, I can't tell which is better. I think I might prefer the Valrhona a bit more, but if so, it's only by a hair. The Cote D'Or was very good, though not as tasty as the others.
By far, the worst was the Dolphin. I HATED this milk chocolate. It had the weirdest flavor. YUCK.
White Chocolate
I have only tried Valrhona and Lindt. It is no contest. Valrhona is king. It pulverizes Lindt and sends him crying like a sissy back to Switzerland.
Barbara
