I'm Not a Chocoate Connoisseur but....

[Hisgirl]

I do love a box of assorted chocolates!

Grew up eating Russell Stover and whitman's and didn't know there were excellent choices out there besides until...I ate See's candy. It was better than Godiva by yards and now I'm curious...what other companies have an excellent, all-around box of assorted chocolates?

I don't want colored artsy squares. I want different shapes and flavors and high quality....but not the highest end.

What would you recommend?

 

[dizneegirl]

Esther Price from Dayton, OH. Soooo good.

 

[_19disnA]

Russell Stover & Whitman's always reminded me of 'grocery store' quality candy. Low quality, mass produced and the candy tasted like wax. I think since they probably make it months in advance and ship it all around the country, the quality suffers. Most large cities have good local candy stores, that is where I would start. Never really been a fan of Godiva since it seems like the fancy packaging matters more than how the candy tastes. The chocolate is just average to me.

See's & Ethel M's are both good, but more focused on the western part of the US, so it partly depends on where you live. Sometimes you can find a kiosk for See's at a local mall. Shipping candy gets pricey and adds significantly to the cost.

 

[Hisgirl]

I first tasted See's when my husband brought me a box back from San Fran. It was sooo superior to Godiva!

 

[Travel60]

Agree with local. I never knew the difference until I worked in Europe - so much better. Mass manufactured chocolate has wax mixed in to hold shape during shipment and because it's cheaper. Find a local chocolatier. In Baltimore area Rhebs is worth standing in line for an hour.

 

[AlohaKeke]

Kind of along those lines are Fannie May and Rocky Mountain Chocolate (those are chains around me, at least). But I prefer to find a local place and either pick out an assortment myself or give them an idea of what I like and have them create an assortment based on that.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I also buy local. I’m in New England and my local chocolate of choice is Munsons

 

[Hisgirl]

Fannie May is good!

 

[mmouse37]

Hammond's Candy out of Denver.....very good and they ship!! We always go visit the actual store when in Denver. They can also be found in many big retailers.

https://hammondscandies.com/

 

[Gracedis1]

Do you have Aldi near you? They have great quality European chocolate with interesting flavors, especially for the price. It's fun to try all their seasonal flavors.

 

[Hisgirl]

I DO have an aldis!

 

[tvguy]

Guittard or Sees are best. Probably because Sees buys their chocolate from Guittard.

 

[lucas]

I like See's. And, I do like Russell Stover's nut and chews. Publix regularly puts Russell Stover on sale BOGO.

Also, Trader Joe's dark chocolate peanut butter cups are excellent. I had heard about them for awhile and just bought some. Oh, my - they are fantastic.

 

[Marrila]

We enjoy Sees.
We also like Milka TUC or LU bars. A few squares make a nice treat.

 

[PVTim]

Well there are three that I order from:

Malley's from cleveland- the Malley Oh's (milk chocolate covered oreo's) are the most addictive thing I ever had. Got them once as a work gift and have had them delivered multiple times a year for the past 9 years! The rest of their chocolates are pretty tasty as well!

Jacques Torres - Yeah that guy from the Food Network and a number of baking shows- I know you said you don't need the artistic ones but the Chocolate Bark or the Bon Bons are delicious. Living in NJ I have gone to his NYC shops to get them and his cookies (to die for) and have had his stuff delivered as well. It is pricy and the per piece size is small, but the taste is amazing.

Bissinger's- Pretty good chocolates and if you can ever get their Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake- it is a winner!

I also echo the sentiment to look around you- there are lots of great small shops around that have different choices that can blow you away.

 

[Christine]

Has anyone tried the Royce chocolate (from Japan). They aren't like a box of chocolates, but oh my--this stuff is delicious. Most of what they sell must be refrigerated and it just melts in your mouth like silk. There are a few U.S. storefronts--Las Vegas for one and I got some in a small store in San Diego. I think there's a few other locations. My coworker buys them in the duty-free shop when she goes to Japan and they pack them up nicely for travel.

 

[MillauFr]

Agree with local. I never knew the difference until I worked in Europe - so much better. Mass manufactured chocolate has wax mixed in to hold shape during shipment and because it's cheaper. Find a local chocolatier. In Baltimore area Rhebs is worth standing in line for an hour.

Stand in line? They don't have online ordering or a lightening lane?

 

[Gary M]

Esther Price from Dayton, OH. Soooo good.

I agree with Esther Price as being really good.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

My family always bought two boxes of See's every Christmas - One pound of Assorted Chocolates and one pound of Nuts and Chews. All these years later, my mom still buys them and we wait to open them on Christmas Day. I still consider it to be the gold standard in chocoate. A trip to the mall always has to including a visit to the See's store to to browse around...and get a free sample!

 

[Meriweather]

Love See's!! Grew up eating it. We lived in the Bay area and my dad had a customer that worked there and would bring his bags of "seconds" often.
Glad we have See's stores here, but it is a holiday treat.

I like Ghirardelli also.