F chocolate manufacturers

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Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
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It basically tastes like licking tree bark

I do have a friend who eats 100% but he's crazy lol.
Well, they are bean products.
He is merely a man of health and wellness. Nearly every aspect of chocolate sans the palmitic acid is good stuff for the body.

I got some Endangered Species Chocolate for $0.70 per 3oz bar on clearance. Cranberries and Almonds in a 72% bar. Tastes real good.
 
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sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
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When I was working the temp agencies over 30 years ago I had one assignment that lasted around 2 days. The owner of the small business was a European food importer who had a very small warehouse and needed a few guys to move boxes. At the end he laid a chocolate bar on each of us, a sweet gesture. ;) I asked him to recommend some quality imported chocolate. His reply was one word, uttered like a question:

"Lindt?"

I never forgot that one! Lindt isn't the most expensive or the cheapest but I've found that as a pretty reliable rule it's great bang for the buck! Plus they have tremendous variety, if you're into that.

I've had Lindt in my cupboard consistently for quite a few years.

I drive to a Lindt store and buy what is on sale. Like after Halloween, Easter, Christmans, Valentine's. Stuff that has holiday specific shape get doacounter more.
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
41,067
10,311
136
I drive to a Lindt store and buy what is on sale. Like after Halloween, Easter, Christmans, Valentine's. Stuff that has holiday specific shape get doacounter more.
Never heard of a Lindt store. I used to be subscribed to a Lindt online thing and they'd email me offers. I decided they weren't worth the trouble and unsubscribed.

I have a bunch of heart shaped Dove dark chocolate which I like that I got at a discount online (Ebay) after Valentine's Day. Tastes the same. IMO Dove is quite decent.

I have Lindt Truffles from Costco, the variety bags, 5 flavors. I like to unwrap one without looking at the wrapper and guess the flavor... I'm usually right.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
100,890
18,090
126
Never heard of a Lindt store. I used to be subscribed to a Lindt online thing and they'd email me offers. I decided they weren't worth the trouble and unsubscribed.

I have a bunch of heart shaped Dove dark chocolate which I like that I got at a discount online (Ebay) after Valentine's Day. Tastes the same. IMO Dove is quite decent.

I have Lindt Truffles from Costco, the variety bags, 5 flavors. I like to unwrap one without looking at the wrapper and guess the flavor... I'm usually right.
We have stores here. Example.

Screenshot_20220520-162614.png
 
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Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
12,086
2,774
136
Never heard of a Lindt store. I used to be subscribed to a Lindt online thing and they'd email me offers. I decided they weren't worth the trouble and unsubscribed.

I have a bunch of heart shaped Dove dark chocolate which I like that I got at a discount online (Ebay) after Valentine's Day. Tastes the same. IMO Dove is quite decent.

I have Lindt Truffles from Costco, the variety bags, 5 flavors. I like to unwrap one without looking at the wrapper and guess the flavor... I'm usually right.
If you're the frugal type, you'll probably miss them; I didn't know they existed until just now and peeked on Google Maps. They parked themselves in "premium" locations to let the upper middle class and higher concentrated developments have a shiny new store.

There were a couple in my local area but the money did not flow in to sustain them. Arlington, VA has one. Now that's a suburb that is well past saturation with high-income earners.
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
41,067
10,311
136
If you're the frugal type, you'll probably miss them; I didn't know they existed until just now and peeked on Google Maps. They parked themselves in "premium" locations to let the upper middle class and higher concentrated developments have a shiny new store.

There were a couple in my local area but the money did not flow in to sustain them. Arlington, VA has one. Now that's a suburb that is well past saturation with high-income earners.
There are plenty of well heeled people in my area (S.F. Bay).

Plenty gourmet chocolate providers in San Francisco, but specifically Lindt? Maybe not. Possibly because Lindt is not really top tier chocolate. It's quality, yes, but top tier, not really.


I have investigate this some. Amadei is up there with the best. I bought some, wasn't all that impressed. Still have some in my cupboard.
 
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Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
51,952
7,409
136
There are plenty of well heeled people in my area (S.F. Bay).

Plenty gourmet chocolate providers in San Francisco, but specifically Lindt? Maybe not. Possibly because Lindt is not really top tier chocolate. It's quality, yes, but top tier, not really.


I have investigate this some. Amadei is up there with the best. I bought some, wasn't all that impressed. Still have some in my cupboard.

I got into bean-to-bar chocolate-making a few years ago, and really moreso over the COVID lockdown. I discovered that my juicer could crack beans & make cocoa mass, then I got my fancy toaster oven, which lets me easily roast the beans at the different required temperatures, then I invested in a melanger a year or two ago. The process is a bit lengthy & particular (really specific temperatures to go through the chocolate crystallization stages), but it's not really that complicated once you understand it:


Like learning how to cook, bake, and grill, it's given me a lot of insight into the world of chocolate because you start with raw beans & turn it in whatever finished product you want, whether it's milk chocolate or dark chocolate or if it has mix-ins or what, which means you get a lot more control of the quality & quantity of ingredients. I'm nowhere near where I want my finished products to be, but it's sure fun eating all of the experiments!! hahaha
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
41,067
10,311
136
I got into bean-to-bar chocolate-making a few years ago, and really moreso over the COVID lockdown. I discovered that my juicer could crack beans & make cocoa mass, then I got my fancy toaster oven, which lets me easily roast the beans at the different required temperatures, then I invested in a melanger a year or two ago. The process is a bit lengthy & particular (really specific temperatures to go through the chocolate crystallization stages), but it's not really that complicated once you understand it:
The guy I mentioned above in the thread, the owner of a small European food import company whose very small warehouse was in Oakland, CA told me that the sign of a quality chocolate bar was how it breaks. If it breaks cleanly leaving a very smooth surface at the break that signifies quality. Cheaper chocolate will not break cleanly and smoothly like that.

I have never considered trying to make chocolate from cocoa beans. What I have done is make some pretty fine English toffee, for which you need some good chocolate, have also made some very nice chocolate mousse. I have bought quite a variety of quality cocoa powders, principally to make hot cocoa. My favorite remains Droste.
 
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dlerious

Platinum Member
Mar 4, 2004
2,181
977
136
I don't mind dark chocolate and kind of prefer it over milk chocolate. I don't find it too bitter, it's about like drinking my coffee black (dark roast) or an espresso. The only one I don't care for is white chocolate. I don't remember seeing too much white other than those chocolate bunnies at Easter.
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,738
126
Never heard of a Lindt store. I used to be subscribed to a Lindt online thing and they'd email me offers. I decided they weren't worth the trouble and unsubscribed.

I have a bunch of heart shaped Dove dark chocolate which I like that I got at a discount online (Ebay) after Valentine's Day. Tastes the same. IMO Dove is quite decent.

I have Lindt Truffles from Costco, the variety bags, 5 flavors. I like to unwrap one without looking at the wrapper and guess the flavor... I'm usually right.
is ebay after holidays chocolate cheaper than walmart 50% off after holiday candy?
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,738
126
I don't mind dark chocolate and kind of prefer it over milk chocolate. I don't find it too bitter, it's about like drinking my coffee black (dark roast) or an espresso. The only one I don't care for is white chocolate. I don't remember seeing too much white other than those chocolate bunnies at Easter.
i love white chocolate but only in small quantities.
tooooo sweet
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
41,067
10,311
136
is ebay after holidays chocolate cheaper than walmart 50% off after holiday candy?
I have no idea. Didn't know they had that. I got a substantial discount off ebay over what I'd pay at, say, Walgreens or Target (it was obviously holiday chocolate) but probably not as good as a 50% discount.

Chocolate is like most edibles given expiration dates, in my experience. But I don't recall eating chocolate that tastes off because of long storage. It will sometimes develop an off appearance, a whitish patina. But I don't associate that with bad flavor. I have chocolate on hand that is years old and don't figure to throw it away.
 
Jul 27, 2020
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Chocolate is like most edibles given expiration dates, in my experience. But I don't recall eating chocolate that tastes off because of long storage. It will sometimes develop an off appearance, a whitish patina. But I don't associate that with bad flavor. I have chocolate on hand that is years old and don't figure to throw it away.
I have eaten a full 100g bar of 3 year beyond expiry 85-90% Lindt dark chocolate. Didn't taste bad at all. Why did I risk it? Because my research suggested that it doesn't go bad if not exposed to air and also because throwing it away seemed like a really damn waste of good chocolate.
 
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Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
41,067
10,311
136
I have eaten a full 100g bar of 3 year beyond expiry 85-90% Lindt dark chocolate. Didn't taste bad at all. Why did I risk it? Because my research suggested that it doesn't go bad if not exposed to air and also because throwing it away seemed like a really damn waste of good chocolate.
I have some Lindt in my cupboard that is that old. My experiences with old chocolate have not been disappointing. In fact, I'm not sure that exposure to air is all that bad. But it can get nasty looking. Then again that's with some inferior chocolate I have. It's well regarded chocolate but I don't like it nearly as well as, say, Lindt and mostly I ignore it. :) I bought some giant hunks of Guittard Gourmet Bittersweet some years ago and have a lot left. Might work in a mousse, I suppose.
 

Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
12,086
2,774
136
There are plenty of well heeled people in my area (S.F. Bay).

Plenty gourmet chocolate providers in San Francisco, but specifically Lindt? Maybe not. Possibly because Lindt is not really top tier chocolate. It's quality, yes, but top tier, not really.


I have investigate this some. Amadei is up there with the best. I bought some, wasn't all that impressed. Still have some in my cupboard.
Certain city centers in Cali are so flush with money that plain store brands like Lindt are not that "high class". Kinda like owning a Benz in L.A is not that special. Although Ghiardelli does have a store there.

Lindt hasn't updated their directory. The Clarksburg Premium outlets closed out a year or so back. That particular location is basically new suburbia fresh from sold farms; the residents are good income earners looking for cheaper new housing on the "outskirts" of the "development cake". Any further and it's farmland and "rural suburbia".

Lindt is more like Craftsman in terms of branding. It's old school, it's in common stores everywhere, and the product will be good enough that people respect the name.

I mean, Billie Eilish could frequent a specialty soda store in L.A.
 

Torn Mind

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
12,086
2,774
136
I have no idea. Didn't know they had that. I got a substantial discount off ebay over what I'd pay at, say, Walgreens or Target (it was obviously holiday chocolate) but probably not as good as a 50% discount.

Chocolate is like most edibles given expiration dates, in my experience. But I don't recall eating chocolate that tastes off because of long storage. It will sometimes develop an off appearance, a whitish patina. But I don't associate that with bad flavor. I have chocolate on hand that is years old and don't figure to throw it away.
I have eaten a full 100g bar of 3 year beyond expiry 85-90% Lindt dark chocolate. Didn't taste bad at all. Why did I risk it? Because my research suggested that it doesn't go bad if not exposed to air and also because throwing it away seemed like a really damn waste of good chocolate.
Being a dry and "stable" fatty food(saturated and monounsaturated oleic acid), chocolate is not going to expire like foods with water or vegetable oil based products. I have three year old expired icing and it smells like bad vegetable oil.

Just like I've used weeks old bacon fat sometimes. Still tastes good. Vegetable oil is evil on pans long term. The longer it sits, the more it becomes a gummy , irremovable layer that needs baking soda to break the compounds forms from oxidation.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,354
10,880
136
HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP CHOCOLATE?

CHOCOLATE - DARK, BAKING, BITTERSWEET, SEMI-SWEET
(courtesy of: StillTasty.com)

  • How long does chocolate last at room temperature? Properly stored, dark, baking, bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate will generally stay at best quality for about 2 years at normal room temperature.
  • How long does milk chocolate last? Properly stored, milk chocolate will generally stay at best quality for about 1 year at normal room temperature.
  • Dark chocolate will keep well for about 5 years if it is constantly stored at temperatures ranging between 60°F - 65°F.
 
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Jul 27, 2020
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Vegetable oil is evil on pans long term.
I've read somewhere that vegetable oil is worse than the animal fat they used before to cook food because vegetable oil does not exist naturally. It's an artificial human "mistake" full of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids.
 
Jul 27, 2020
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Nearly every aspect of chocolate sans the palmitic acid is good stuff for the body.
Two bars of 65g 45% dark chocolate with one cup of coffee is enough to give me an immense sense of well-being for the day. I can't do this every day coz the effect doesn't last if I keep doing it. Have to wait a day or two before I can trigger the good feeling again.
 
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