What Is The Best Baking Chocolate?

There are many brands of baking chocolates out there, but most grocery stores only carry one or two options. While most of us admittedly use whichever brand is most convenient or readily available, it begs the question: Does the brand of baking chocolate really make a difference in recipes?

Click here for the Best Baking Chocolate (Slideshow)

To find out, a simple brownie recipe was tested several times with different baking chocolates. Making multiple batches of these brownies, each with a different brand of chocolate, was the perfect way to find out if the brand of baking chocolate really makes a difference in the finished product.

The seven brands of baking chocolates tested were found in different grocery and specialty stores: Baker's, Ghirardelli, Lindt 99%, Nestlé (pre-melted), Scharffen Berger, Valrhona, and Callebaut. Each brownie was compared based on taste, texture, and appearance.

Turns out, the brand of baking chocolate does make a significant difference in the results. After conducting this test, the findings show that it's worth searching (and splurging) for the best brand of baking chocolate. Check out the slideshow to see which brand is the best.

Allison Stone is a trained pastry chef, caterer, and writer. Follow her at @bakingstoneny, and check out her Facebook page.