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by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
Cook's Illustrated staffers sample 12 dark chocolate bars, each of which contain about 60 percent cacao. Although the chocolate with the lowest amount of fat wins and the chocolate with the highest amount… of fat comes in dead last, editors conclude that the best chocolates offer a balance of fat, cocoa solids and sugar. Editors strongly prefer chocolate with around 60 percent cacao to higher-cacao chocolate.
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
by Editors of Cook's Country
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
by Editors of Consumer Reports
by Betty Hallock
Six panelists sample 23 chocolate bars with 70 to 75 percent cacao content. Michel Cluizel Noir de Cacao 72-percent is the overall winner, followed closely by Valrhona Le Noir Amer 71 percent. The Cluizel… bar is said to have a "pure dark chocolate flavor" with an espresso note, while the Valrhona bar has a strong "raisiny-chocolate" aroma. Rounding out the top five are Chocovic Unique Origin Varietal Chocolates Ocumare, El Rey Apamate Carnero Superior Dark Chocolate, and Green & Black's Organic Dark 70-percent cacao. In a surprise upset, the Ivory Coast 75-percent bar from boutique brand Theo finishes last: it's said to taste of "straw mats" and have a chalky texture.
by Carol Ness
by Dorie Greenspan
by Ratha Tep
by Jane Daniels Lear
Jane Daniels Lear, a longtime food editor, discusses the Gourmet test kitchen's favorite chocolate in this brief primer on making chocolate soufflé. She enlists the help of chocolate expert Maricel… Presilla, who explains that Valrhona (the chocolate editors prefer for this recipe) has a high cacao content (60 to 70 percent) and is a blend of the best beans. Callebaut's chocolate is less assertive. Baker's Chocolate worked surprisingly well because it is overroasted to mask flaws. It had robust flavor but lacked Valrhona's nuances.
by Melody Joy Kramer
Melody Joy Kramer and a panel of NPR employees blind-tested 30 brands of chocolate and select ten favorites, which range from bars to bonbons. Testers' opinions diverge sharply on the subject of dark… chocolate. Its complexity appeals to some, while others deem it bitter and unpleasant. Consequently, it's difficult to tell how various bars stack up against each other. Amano chocolate is deemed "almost perfect" by one tester and "weirdly sour" by another. Chocolove's Chili and Cherries bar is deemed bitter, with a "zesty kick." The darkest, bitterest chocolate tasters sampled came from DeVries. Some testers liked it, while others found it overpowering. Scharffen Berger chocolate bars, however, are universally liked, although testers couldn't decide whether to eat them or bake with them.
by Denise Foley and Tanya Beers
Testers sample 45 chocolate bars from around the world, judging them on taste, richness, "mouth feel" and flavor. They select and briefly describe nine chocolate bars, many of which contain flavorings such… as mint, cranberries and coconut. Among plain chocolate bars, Scharffen Berger's 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Bar, Vere Chocolate Bar, Small World Select Origin Dark Chocolate Squares from Lake Champlain, and Dove Rich Dark Chocolate all earn raves. Testers found Vere somewhat bitter, but lovers of dark chocolate "savored the intensity." Editors do not explain their testing methodology.
by David Rosengarten
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
by Emily Stone
by Contributors to Seventypercent.com
Seventypercent.com is an enthusiast website for those who enjoy their chocolate pure, with high cacao content and free of flavorings and additives. There are lots of detailed reviews of individual,… unflavored chocolate bars from pastry professionals and chocolate lovers, as well as a forum where users can interactively share their opinions. This is a particularly good place to find chocolate for nibbling, but it's less helpful where baking chocolate is concerned.
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Ghirardelli - Chocolate Baking Bar - Bittersweet, 12 Units / 4 oz
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