Our trained tasters have identified eight of the most delectable gift-boxed confections you'll find. Each is unique, but they share just-made freshness; smooth chocolate; hints of real butter and cream; and fruit fillings and herbal infusions that taste like the real thing.
Sad to say, the best sweets don't come cheap. You'll pay $41 to $89 per box (12 to 21 oz.). Add shipping if you order online or by phone -- which you'll likely have to, since these chocolates are sold in few stores. Many makers require priority or overnight delivery to maintain freshness. That said, a high price doesn't guarantee satisfaction. Les Petits Richart Intense Collection, $62 for a mere 7 ounces, didn't make our cut (many pieces had jarring flavors).
Sad to say, the best sweets don't come cheap. You'll pay $41 to $89 per box (12 to 21 oz.). Add shipping if you order online or by phone -- which you'll likely have to, since these chocolates are sold in few stores. Many makers require priority or overnight delivery to maintain freshness. That said, a high price doesn't guarantee satisfaction. Les Petits Richart Intense Collection, $62 for a mere 7 ounces, didn't make our cut (many pieces had jarring flavors).
You'd pay about $9 a box for Hershey's, Russell Stover or Whitman's, but they're unlikely to elicit a "yum." They were quite sweet, not very chocolaty, and had artificial flavors. Sometimes nuts were stale, caramels and nougats very firm. Despite the knocks, all would probably satisfy an occasional craving for those with non-picky palates. Whitman's, in fact, has actually improved since last year's evaluation, moving up from "Fair" to "Good." The reason: The company eliminated some of the lower-quality pieces and the chocolates tasted a bit fresher.
Also changed was Godiva's classic Gold Ballotin, which has been reformulated. It's Very Good and on a par with Godiva's pricier Platinum Collection, which costs $6 more per box. The New Gold Ballotin and Platinum Collection share some similar pieces, but the Ballotin is a better deal. (Both boxes contain less than 1 pound of candy.)
In general, our experts found few quality changes among the 20 products tested last year and this time around, with a few exceptions besides Whitman's and Godiva. Martine's and Fran's moved up from "Very Good" to "Excellent," while Moonstruck dropped into the "Very Good" category. The changes were often subtle, but because the bar has been set so high even slight differences matter.
Chocolate isn't health food -- a few pieces have 170 to 250 calories -- but the stearic acid (a fat) in chocolate doesn't seem to elevate "bad" cholesterol. And polyphenols in dark chocolate can expand arteries, possibly guarding against cardiovascular disease.
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Copyright © 2002-2007 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
In general, our experts found few quality changes among the 20 products tested last year and this time around, with a few exceptions besides Whitman's and Godiva. Martine's and Fran's moved up from "Very Good" to "Excellent," while Moonstruck dropped into the "Very Good" category. The changes were often subtle, but because the bar has been set so high even slight differences matter.
Chocolate isn't health food -- a few pieces have 170 to 250 calories -- but the stearic acid (a fat) in chocolate doesn't seem to elevate "bad" cholesterol. And polyphenols in dark chocolate can expand arteries, possibly guarding against cardiovascular disease.
For full access to other ratings and recommendations, and much more, subscribe to ConsumerReports.org.
Copyright © 2002-2007 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
