Kitchen Test: Baking chocolate
Are we wasting money using top notch brands?
On my latest trip to France, while Jean was driving, I played navigator. As I had basically planned out the entire three-week route, I was secretly weaving in a few side trips little known to Jean. When we approached the northern Côte du Rhône area, I set the GPS to the famous town of Tain-l’Hermitage, a commune famous for its Crozes-Hermitage vineyards. Those in the know are also aware it is the headquarters of the famous Valrhona chocolate factory.
As we barreled towards “Tain” as the locals call it, I told Jean our destination was a superb restaurant called Le Mangevins, knowing full well that there were no tables free that day. Then, as we turned onto the main strip of Tain, there it was, the Valrhona headquarters. Jean turned and looked at me with a wry smile and I said, “Well.. would you look at that…the Valrhona factory. I guess we should go inside and eat chocolate samples for lunch because I couldn’t get a table at the Mangevins.”
Now let me be clear. It’s not that Jean didn’t want to go to the Valrhona factory. It’s just that he knew that the minute I walked into that chocolate Mecca, money would immediately start pouring out of my bank account. Valrhona is one of the world’s top chocolate producers and having baked with it for years, it is hands down my favourite brand. The thing is, you practically have to hand over a limb to acquire it because it’s so expensive. And in Montreal it’s difficult to even get anymore. Yes, you’ll find the eating “tablettes” in countless gourmet shops, but if you’re looking to buy Valrhona in bulk, you’ll be paying about $100/kg. Just to compare, the excellent brand Cacao Barry will set you back about $60. Ouch.
How much did I pay at the Valrhona factory in comparison? $4.71 for 100g, which makes $47/kg—less than half what I would have spent here, so yes, absolutely worth the detour if you are in the area but also definitely worth a visit on its own (especially if you book a table at the often-full Le Mangevins).
Yet few of us are traveling to France to buy chocolate or even buying chocolate in bulk at specialty baking shops. In reality, those choosing to make a chocolate dessert are probably buying chocolate at the supermarket. And at the supermarket, not only is the variety of chocolate lacking, the chocolate considered high-end doesn’t come cheap.
Whenever testing recipes for cookbooks, I opt for Lindt (70% cocoa) bars sold in 100g bars for about $6.99. When in need of unsweetened chocolate, I use Baker’s. When making chocolate chip cookies, I often use Chipits brand chips, but when I can find Ghirardelli, I buy them because although more expensive, they taste better. As for cocoa powder, I purchase the amazing Valrhona cocoa powder or the equally excellent Barry-Callebaut cocoas, leaving behind the Hershey and Fry’s cocoa powders of my early baking days.
Now with all of my baking chocolate beliefs well established, I’ve sometimes been thrown for a loop. I recall years ago being at a friend’s house and her mother making chocolate pots de crème. They were excellent! When I asked her what chocolate she used, she laughed and said, “Chipits!” What??? I was shocked.
I also noticed something else. I wasn’t using all of the expensive chocolate I had been hoarding for a special occasion. It became a situation of: “is this recipe Valrhona worthy?” Most often the answer was no and the fancy chocolate got stashed away in favour of a cheaper brand. That’s no big deal when it comes to dark chocolate, which has an indefinite shelf life, but milk chocolate and white chocolate eventually go rancid as I, someone who recently had to toss quite a bit of stashed-away-for-a-worthy-recipe chocolate, know all too well. Also, all of that chocolate I bought at Valrhona two months ago? Not only have I not used it, I told my family that if I caught ANY of them eating it, there would be hell to pay! So not only am I not baking with it, that fancy chocolate is turning me into some kind of chocolate-guarding Cyclops! Not good.
Perhaps it was time for me to re-evaluate my chocolate usage and figure out how much the quality of the chocolate I choose affects a recipe.
Also, the price of chocolate has skyrocketed of late and continues to remain elevated due to a global cocoa shortage caused by factors like climate change, pest outbreaks, and disease in West Africa, where most cocoa is grown. While cocoa prices have dropped slightly from extreme highs in late 2024, they remain eyebrow-raising. With ongoing supply issues and costs being passed on to consumers, it’s time to question whether using the posh brands are worth it in the long run.
Enjoying a chocolate bar on its own is another matter altogether, and for that I am very picky outside of my occasional Snickers or Kit Kat fix. However, when used in a recipe, chocolate is not only often heated but combined with many other ingredients, which dilutes its flavour. That said, sometimes when I’ve used quality chocolate with a high cocoa content in a recipe, I find the result can be too intense so I rarely opt for anything above 70% cocoa solids, and a lot of the cheaper chocolate runs under 60% (or doesn’t list it at all).
And also, I’m often left wondering why I bother using pricey chocolate in recipes like cookies or brownies when everyone in this house will tear through a batch no matter what chocolate I use. All things to consider when questioning whether I’m wasting my money on expensive chocolate in recipes.
They say to use good wine when cooking, but in reality, a decent wine is good enough. But is that the same case with chocolate, where this ingredient is the star of the show? In search of answers, some testing was in order!
The first thing to know is that not all chocolate is meant for baking. For instance, bean-to-bar chocolate bars are not ideal for baking because they contain less cocoa butter, which can result in a less silky texture. I also avoid very cheap chocolate because they often contain vegetable oils and other crappy ingredients that will affect texture and won’t deliver much in the way of flavor.
So I got testing to see whether I could taste the difference between a low-end and a high-end chocolate. And if I could taste a difference, was it enough of a difference to justify the price?
