Best Reviewed
Hot Chocolate
- Top supermarket hot cocoa mix Swiss Miss *Est. $2
- Mid-range hot cocoa mix Lake Champlain Traditional Hot Chocolate *Est. $8
- Best gourmet hot chocolate Schokinag European Drinking Chocolate *Est. $13
- Decaffeinated cocoa mix Hersheys Goodnight Kisses *Est. $2
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Mid-range hot cocoa mix
- Good quality for the price
- Chocolaty, but not too intense
- Not too sweet
- Not rich enough for some
- Hard to find
We found the best review of Lake Champlain Traditional Hot Chocolate at Cook's Illustrated, which rates eight hot chocolates. The San Francisco Chronicle reviews even more brands, 15 in all, but is less detailed about the results. There are also helpful reviews at SeriousEats.com and About.com.
Lake Champlain Traditional Hot Chocolate is not a hot chocolate but a hot cocoa (because it lacks cocoa butter). Reviewers say Lake Champlain is a good mid-priced hot cocoa since it's chocolaty enough to satisfy most people but not overly sweet. We did find a few complaints about a chalky texture, and one source suggests doubling the amount of powder to add richness. If you want a cheaper hot cocoa, reviewers praise Swiss Miss (*est. $2 for 10 servings), and if you're looking to upgrade, Schokinag (*est. $13 for eight servings) leads the gourmet ratings. Reviews also note that Lake Champlain Traditional Hot Chocolate is hard to find in stores.
| Featured Stores | Store Rating | Notes | Total Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Our Sources
1. Cook's Illustrated MagazineDetails/Subscribe
Editors at Cook's Illustrated taste eight brands of hot cocoas, some of which are prepared with milk and others that are prepared with water. They evaluate the hot cocoas on taste and ingredients.
Review: Tasting Lab: Hot Cocoa, Editors of Cook's Illustrated
This newspaper asks a panel of five food professionals to taste 14 non-organic hot chocolates, plus the winner of a previous organic competition. Lake Champlain Traditional Hot Chocolate places 11th overall.
Review: Taster's Choice: Top-rated Non-organic Cocoa Mixes Produce Stirring Results, Carol Ness, Feb. 13, 2008
Food commentator Ed Levine asks his staff to join him in a blind taste test of five hot chocolates, picking the most expensive brand, Dagoba, as the winner. Tasters say Lake Champlain Traditional Hot Chocolate is thin but "pretty satisfying," and suggest doubling the amount of powder for each serving.
Review: The Serious Eats Hot Chocolate Taste Test, Ed Levine, Dec. 19, 2007
4. About.com
Professional chef Brett Moore is the gourmet food guide for About.com. This is not a formal taste test but a list of Moore's favorites. Lake Champlain Old World Hot Chocolate places sixth. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Review: Top 10 Drinking Chocolates, Brett Moore
Hot Chocolate Runners Up:
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2 picks by top review sites.
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