Swiss Miss

*Est. $2 for 10 servings

Top supermarket hot cocoa mix

Good taste and texture
Inexpensive
Not too sweet

Occasional artificial taste

Where to Buy

for $16.96

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Our Analysis

We found the best reviews of Swiss Miss hot cocoa at Cook's Illustrated and Consumer Reports magazines, which both perform thorough taste tests of multiple brands. We also consulted tastings by the San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, and Good Housekeeping and Cookie magazines.

Swiss Miss is a hot cocoa, meaning it lacks the cocoa butter of more expensive hot chocolates. Still, this supermarket brand fares well in blind taste tests, especially when price is considered. Reviewers don't always try the same Swiss Miss flavor, but most panelists like this brand's taste and texture, and say Swiss Miss isn't overly sweet (although a minority think it has an aftertaste). If you can spend a bit more, Lake Champlain Traditional (*est. $8 for 21 servings) wins more taste tests.

Where To Buy

Featured Stores	Store Rating	Notes	Total Price
	170 store reviews	In Stock. Fantastic prices with ease & comfort of Amazon.com!	$16.96	See It
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Our Sources

1. Cook's Illustrated Magazine Details/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

2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe

In its roundup, Consumer Reports editors taste and rank 10 mainstream hot chocolate brands, including Swiss Miss.

Review: Which Cocoa's a Go?, Editors of Consumer Reports, Dec. 2007

3. San Francisco Chronicle

The San Francisco Chronicle asks a panel of five food professionals to taste 14 non-organic hot chocolates, plus one cocoa that won a previous organic competition. Swiss Miss places 10th.

Review: Taster's Choice: Top-rated Non-organic Cocoa Mixes Produce Stirring Results, Carol Ness, Feb. 13, 2008

4. Good Housekeeping Details/Subscribe

Good Housekeeping discusses only the top three of the 19 hot chocolates tasted. Swiss Miss ties with Godiva Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa at the top of the milk-chocolate ratings, and is described as a "bargain" and "sweet but not too sweet."

Review: Taste Test: Hot Cocoa, Debby Goldsmith, Feb. 2008

5. Cookie Magazine Details/Subscribe

An unspecified number of tasters try "dozens" of hot chocolates, picking winners in three categories. Swiss Miss Chocolate Sensation is among the winners, described as "surprisingly dark, aromatic and chocolaty."

Review: Haute Chocolate, Sajan Kuriakos, Nov. 2006

6. The Boston Globe

Eight Boston Globe staffers taste five hot cocoas, with Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate getting mixed reviews. Some like the taste; to others it's "artificial" or "odd."

Review: Taste Kitchen: Hot Cocoa Mixes, Debra Samuels