Best Chocolate Bars in the World

Best chocolate bars in the world
Best chocolate bars sold in America
Tested May-June 2013, with Dark Choc and Hazlenuts tested Jan  2014 
updated 12 March 2014, 27 March, 30 April 2015
updated 13 June 2018

See our other FOOD RATINGS, including Best Ice Cream in the U.S., at TasteTestersClub.Blogspot.Com

5 categories tested:

1. Milk Chocolate bars
2. Milk Chocolate with Almonds
3. Milk Chocolate with Hazlenuts
4. Dark Chocolate
5. Dark Chocolate with Hazlenuts

Note: Most of these are available in local deli’s or on the internet. We purchased them all in Utah deli's, mostly at Tony Caputos downtown and Liberty Heights Fresh Market, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods Market. Some of these may have a mailorder division. Tony Caputos has the largest variety of chocolates we have ever seen.)

IN ORDER

Best Milk Chocolate

A+

Irapa. 40.5% cacao. Venezuelan Single Bean. Origin: “Rio Caribe”

Melissa. 45%. Patisserie Chocolaterie Pralus, Francois Pralus, master chocolatier

Esmeraldas. 42% Original Beans
Scharffen Berger 41% extra rich milk

Trader Joes Belgian 33% "Product of Belgium"
Weinrich's 32% 1895 Lait

Purugina (rated separately from when the above were tested, but this brand would rate an A+, yet not necessarily at this spot.)

A

Amano. 30%. Ocumare (their specialty is dark chocolate)

Moonstruck. 31%

Amedei. Toscano Brown

A-

E. Guittard. 38% Orinoco

B

TCHO 53% (rates between here and Trader Joes above, probably right here) (note: TCHO has 3 other milk chocolates rating lower, below) Tested separately than others on this list but would rate about here.
Chocolov 33%

Valrona 29% (a great chocolate cooking powder used by chefs worldwide) 
Le Lait 32%,"Finest Milk Chocolate," Weinrich's 18

Madecasse 44 Madagascar chocolate

Feodora 37% Schoolhouse Project

Blanxart 44% Filipinas

Theo 45%

Godiva 31% 

365 (at Whole Foods Markets) 39% Organic

Milka Alpine

Blanxart 34% With Organic Cocoa and Sugar

B -

TCHO MC 53%, lush cacao and fudge notes
Crev (actually B- -) All Natural Truffle Bar

C+

Trader Joes 34% Mini bar, Super Smooth Belgian

Puerto Cabello 43%

Lumi 40% from Artisan Chocolat, Fusion Bar

C

TCHO Classic 39%, caramel notes (no caramel in it however). Tested separately than others on this list but would rate about here.
Green & Blacks 34% Organic

AS OF FEBRUARY 2018, NOT SOLD THERE: Trader Joes 32% Fair Trade Organic – Belgian
TCHO Classic. Tested separately than others on this list but would rate between here and top of C's.

Sees

C-

Cadbury, Dairy Milk, UK version (better than U.S.)

Kara (actually C- -)

Whole Foods 34. Organic, Tanzania (actually C- - -)

D

Whole Foods 32% Madagascar, Premium Belgian

Sacred, 50% Raw, Naturally Dairy Free Coconut (replacing milk)

Buffalo 40% Laverstoke Park Farm, from Artisan du Chocolat

Best Milk Chocolate with Almonds 

A

Trader Joes

A-

Green & Blacks 37%

B+ 

Theo. 45%

Dove

B

Ritter Sport

B-

Artisan du Chocolate Almond Milk (this was not tested with the others. While getting a B- rating, it could be in a different spot, but should rate about here.)

Valrhona 40%

Cadbury, UK (actually B--)

C+

Chocolov (actually with almonds AND toffee)

C

Lindt

C-

Vosages 45

Hersheys (actually C- -)

Estonia brand (actually C---)

D-

Moonstruck, Mayan, 31%, has diced almonds

Divine 26% (unfair rating – this bar we tested was sold past due from the retail shop – it was rancid)

Best Milk Chocolate with Hazlenuts
A
Amedei 32%

B
Perugia - carmelized hazlenuts
Ritter Sport 50%, Equador chocolate
NOT TESTED WITH MANY ON THIS LIST: TCHO 53% 
Trader Joe's 33%,  Swiss Milk Chocolate with  30% whole hazlenuts
Milka 30%

Best Dark Chocolate
A
Purgina Italian
NOT TESTED WITH OTHERS ON THIS LIST, ONLY TRADER JOES BELOW: Purgina 56%, with almonds
Chocolove Cherries and Almonds in Dark Chocolate 55%, Belgian Choc (Boulder,          Colorado, USA)
Trader Joes 54% Belgian Dark Plain
Trader Joes Small 56%
Trader Joes 73% super dark chocolate (with almonds)
Trader Joe's "Dark Chocolate Bar"
Lindt - 49% (France)
Alter Eco 60% ortanic (San Francisco)
Trader Joes's Dark Chocolate 56% (too dark in taste)
Lily's Almond 55% no surar, with stevia, (Santa Barbara, California, USA)
Blanxart 62%
Note: not tested with the above, but fitting somewhere here in the A's, are the following two:
Scharfenberger semi-sweet
Scharfenberger dark chocolate 

B+
THESE 2 NOT TESTED WITH OTHERS ON THIS LIST:
TCHO Ghana 70%
Ghiradelli 60%

B
Godiva 72% (Germany, via New York)
Godiva "Solid Dark Chocolate"
Dove (New Jersey, USA)
THESE TWO NOT TESTED WITH MANY ON THIS LIST:

B-
NOT TESTED WITH OTHERS:
Hageland 53% Belgian
Ratraic signature dark milk

C
NOT TESTED WITH OTHERS ON THIS LIST: Williams Sonoma 72% cacao, "Devils Food"
365 Organic 56% (Italy, via Texas)
Theo 70% (with sea salt)
Moonstruck 68% (with sea salt)
Chocolov 55% (with sea salt)
Sees (San Francisco, California USA): "Sees Classic Dark Chocolate with almonds"
Sees 62% Premium Extra Dark
Hershey's Special Dark 45% (Pennsylvania, USA)
DC Dream (100% Dairy Free)
Kara

C-
El Rey "Bucare 58.5% 
Food of the Godes "Jamaican" C-
Trader Joe's 72% Belgian


Dark Chocolate and Hazelnuts
B+ 
Weinrich's 1895, 45% cacao, with whole hazlenuts

B
Ritter Sport (whole nuts)
Trader Joes Swiss Dark with 30% whole hazel nuts. Cacao is 50% minimum cocoa mass (better than their milk chocolate version, and better than TCHO's 54% milk chocolate version)

B-
Poco Dolce (not nuts, but flavored with hazelnut butter) (San Francisco)
Alpine (actuall grades B- -)
Lindt (too milky flavored, actually grades B- - -)

TRIED BUT UNGRADED:
Salazon 
Chocolat Bonnat 55% Voiron, France
Ghiradelli Intense Dark, Evening Dream 605
Valrhona LeNoir 56%
Cadbury Bournville "Classic Dark Chocolate" 36%
Amedi Toscano Black 63%
IN ORDER, LAST 3:
Ghiradelli 72%
Ratraic
Davao 62% Dark Milk Chocolate

A SMALLER TEST
13 Aug 2008
1. Scharfenberger Milk, 41% cacao
2. Cacao Reserve, Java 37%
3. Cacao Reserve, Arribas 50%
4. Milka
5. Ghiradelli
6. Russel Stover, Triple Choc Mousse
7. Russel Stover, French Cafe Vanilla Creme

Individual company brands. 
(Note: This list is still being built)
TCHO company
MILK
53% bar, Classic. B++
39% bar, Lush and fudgy B
MILK HAZLENUT
53% bar B-/B
DARK
Ghana 70% - chocolaty B+
Equador 65% - nutty B/B+
Peru 68% - fruity B
Madagascar 67% - bright B