‘Tis the season to be baking, yes? And research shows that the most favorite ingredient in all of American bakingdom is chocolate. The average American consumes more than 11 pounds of chocolate a year, and any dessert with chocolate in it is consistently a crowd favorite.


With these facts in mind, and since much of holiday baking involves unsweetened chocolate, I thought it might be helpful to acquaint you with the best-of-the-best of this favorite ingredient, according to the folks at America’s Test Kitchen (ATK).

Twenty ATK staff members and four pastry chefs tasted seven different unsweetened chocolates that you can typically find in gourmet shops or supermarkets. They used two different applications. Because unsweetened chocolate, which does not contain sugar or milk solids and is an ingredient that is not eaten in its raw form, they tested it in brownies and chocolate sauce. Their order of preference was based on the combined scores from these two tests.

Here are their conclusions, listed in order from very very best to absolute worst:

VERY VERY BEST: Scharffen Berger Unsweetened Pure Dark Chocolate (99% cacao, $8.29 for 9.7 ounces, found on www.vitacost.com). It’s made in small batches from high-quality beans from small producers with refurbished vintage equipment from Europe. Tasters described this American chocolate as “fruity” and “nutty,” with a “deep, caramelized flavor.”


VERY BEST: Callebaut Unsweetened Chocolate (from 60% to 76% cacao, around $5.43/pound). Belgian Callebaut is the number one chocolate manufacturer in the world and a favorite of pastry chefs. In both tests, tasters ranked this chocolate second and described it as “nutty,” with hints of “cinnamon and cherry,” “spicy” and with “DEEP chocolate flavor.”


RECOMMENDED: Ghirardelli Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bar (about $2.50 for 4 ounces). Testers regularly used the adjectives “coffee,” “rich,” and “earthy” when describing this sample. One panelist described the Ghirardelli brownie as “normal,” which may explain its top finish in that test—people tend to like what they’re used to.


OK: Valrhona Cacao Pate Extra ($11.36/pound). A French chocolate available in unsweetened and found only in bulk. Common descriptors were “cherry,” “fruity,” “wine,” and “rich.” A couple detractors didn’t like it at all and said it was “dull” and “tasted more like flowers than chocolate.”


OK: Nestle Unsweetened Baking Chocolate Bar (around $4.40/pound). This was the only chocolate in the group that was processed with alkali; the ATK lab found it significantly higher in pH (or lower in acidity). Its fat content was the highest at 58.42%. It’s a basic chocolate that its fans called “earthy” and “nutty,” but its detractors said it was “smoky,” “scorched,” and “dull.”


NOT RECOMMENDED: Baker’s Unsweetened Baking Chocolate Squares (about $2.50 for 8 ounces). This unsweetened chocolate so many of us have in our kitchens was considered “smoky,” “acidic,” and “bitter.” But a few fans thought it was “rich” and “earthy.” One tester described it as “dry and mealy,” while another said it “didn’t have much chocolate flavor.”


ABSOLUTE WORST: Hershey’s Unsweetened Baking Chocolate (around $2.40 for 8 ounces). Hershey’s add cocoa to its unsweetened chocolate, which came in last in both tastings (brownie and chocolate sauce). Tasters found if “acidic,” “muted,” and “chemical-y.” One chocolate pro described its flavor as having a “hint of anchovy,” while another said it was “plain and dull.”


You hear it here first, folks. My guess is price is a big determiner for most of us, meaning that unless you’re a die-hard chocolate gourmet, Scharffen Beger might not make into your shopping cart. It seems that Callebaut and Ghirardelli may be the best choices. But for the budget conscious, Nestle has the vote.

    Alice Osborne
    DVO Newsletter Contributor since 2006
    Email the author! alice@dvo.com