TASTING CHOCOLATE CHIPS
For our blind taste test we selected seven brands of semisweet chocolate
chips that are available nationwide in stores or by mail order. The chips were
tasted plain and in a traditional Toll House cookie (cooled to room temperature). Tasters rated the chips for flavor (degree of chocolatiness, sweetness, off flavors, and overall flavor), mouthfeel (gritty or smooth), and overR E CO M M E N D E D
Tropical Source Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips H O BO KE N , N E W J ER SE Y
( 10-ounce bag for $2.99
This natural food store brand ranked well above
all the chips for its “velvety” smooth mouthfeel
and its complex, slightly bitter chocolate flavor.
Some tasters described it as “s m o k y.” “Best
mouthfeel yet, combined with deep, complex flavor makes for a good chip,”
one taster commented. A slight percentage of tofu is used in this chip to lend
creaminess, according to the manufacturer. And the use of unrefined cane juice
crystals (instead of refined white sugar) seems to have contributed an agreeably
mellow sweetness. Available in natural food stores and by mail order from
Natural Resources catalog (6680 Harvard Drive, Sebastopol, CA 95472; 800747-0390).
Guittard Semi-Sweet Chocolate Super Cookie Chips B UR L I N G A M E , C A L I FO R N IA
( 10-ounce bag for $1.85
This chip shared some of the winning chip’s
strengths. Tasters described Guittard chips as
creamy with noticeable coffee subtleties, a “good
bitter quality in front,” “slightly fruity” notes, and an
overall assertive chocolate flavor. A technician at Guittard attributed these qualities to a refined manufacturing process that is similar to that of a coating chocolate. The consequence of this, however, is that the chocolate is too fluid to stand
upright in the shape of most commercial chips. Instead, these chips look more like
a deflated chip about the size of a nickel. Super Chips are sold in supermarkets
nationwide, though they can be hard to find. Call 800-468-2462 for further information on availability.
Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips SA N LE A ND RO , C AL I F O R NI A
( 12-ounce bag for $2.89
This semisweet chip was more reminiscent of a bittersweet chip. “Strong chocolate flavor without
killer sweetness.” Tasters found the chips to be
grainy when plain, yet they melted more rapidly in
the mouth than many of the chips. The gritty, chalky character also smoothed out
significantly when the chips were baked in a cookie. Some tasters noted a fruity
essence. Sold in most supermarkets.
all liking. The panel of 22 tasters consisted of professional pastry chefs (listed below) and Cook’s Illustrated staff members. The chips are listed in
order of preference based on each brand’s combined scores from the two
tastings. Prices were for purchases made from supermarkets in the Boston
area.
Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels G L E N DA L E, C A L IF O RN IA
( 12-ounce bag for $2.75
The nation’s first and best-selling chocolate chip carried a straightforward, “decent” chocolate flavor
along with a relatively smooth mouthfeel. Some
tasters did find it more sweet than they preferred.
“Got milk?” commented one taster. Many tasters described the chip’s flavor as “perfumey” or fruity. A reassuring solid finish for the brand of chocolate chips most likely
to be found in cupboards across the country. Available at supermarkets nationwide.
N OT RE CO M MEN D E D
Merckens Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips MA N SF I E L D , MA S S A CH U S E T TS
( 16-ounce bag for $3.25
There was little consensus as to this chip’s flavor.
Many found it full-flavored and pleasant, while others found the flavor lacking. The primary demise of
this chip, however, was a strong aftertaste that one
taster described as “celery-like.” The plain chip was also grainy, “like melting sandpaper” in the mouth. In the cookie it melted smoothly, almost to the point of losing its
shape. Available in gourmet stores.
Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips H E R S H E Y, P E N N SY LVA N I A
( 12-ounce bag for $2.19
This famous candy bar brand was “ok but...” it tasted
artificial, “acidic,” “sacchariney,” “a little like sweet
cough syrup,” “flat,” and “of cardboard box.” Even
more to its disadvantage was a “waxy” and “chalky”
mouthfeel. It held up possibly too well under heat. Many tasters expressed the wish
for more melting in the cookie. Available in supermarkets nationwide.
Baker’s Semi-Sweet Real Chocolate Chips W H I T E PL A I NS , N E W YO R K
( 12-ounce bag for $1.99
The bottom of the bags. “Hideously sweet” and
“extremely waxy” were the major complaints. “It was
like a sugar cube, with a chalky shortening quality to
it,” wrote one taster. Another likened it to the taste
of cola. Like Hershey’s, it proved too firm and waxy in a cookie. Available at supermarkets nationwide.