To determine the best box of chocolates available at CVS, we kindly gave one to each of these willing tasters. So before you shell out your loose change for this stellar low-budget, last-minute Valentine's Day gift, here are their evaluations.
GHIRARDELLI
In my mind, a heart-shaped box that promises chocolate is as inextricably linked to Valentine's Day as the expectation of finding an assortment of bonbons inside. That being said, I was just a little disappointed when I opened my Ghirardelli heart-shaped box only to be greeted by a selection of their trademark individually-wrapped squares. The deceptively precious-looking box contains five squares of each of three flavors: Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate with White Mint Filling and Milk Chocolate with Caramel Filling. Happily, this is an unusually agreeable collection of three solid flavors, so you won't open this box four days later to find three presumable duds left, all missing an investigative nibble.
-- Cathi Burns
WHITMAN'S
Whitman's drab, rectangular box, chipped chocolate and altogether uninspiring presentation aren't necessarily detractors. If you're not the easiest on the eyes, here's your chance to let that special someone know: I might be ugly, but I still taste good. Aside from one smoky, dark chocolate chew that looked and tasted like it'd been in my grandmother's pocket since before that unfortunate night in the back of Mother's Volvo, the chocolate itself, embracing a largely milk chocolate and caramel palette, goes down easy. Special kudos goes to the almond nougat and raspberry truffle -- but if your girlfriend likes nuts, try to pawn the peanut chew off on her. You'll both end up happier.
-- Gabriel Crane
RUSSELL STOVER
With its quaint heart shaped box with a sparse four pieces of chocolate, Russell Stover seems to just shrug his shoulders and say, "You get what you pay for." The first chocolate's attempt to taste like a Crunch bar fell flat, since the rice crisps' consistency compared to sucking on fine gravel. The second chocolate was more substantial than the first, with a sweet, buttery filling that worked well with the dark chocolate shell. Both the third and fourth pieces' smooth chocolate exterior thankfully gave way to the slightly thicker, yet still smooth texture of caramel. Truth be told, this tiny box was not really even that good, but for $2.99 or however much it cost, probably worth it.
-- Derek Mazique
HERSHEY'S SUGAR FREE
Most boys know the one cardinal rule of dating: never tell a girl she is fat. But, some tend to slip through the cracks sometimes. At least, that's what Hershey's must be banking on with their sugar-free box of chocolates. Not only is it ridiculously insulting, but the chocolates leave you with a strange metallic after-taste. If that weren't enough, the chocolate doubles as a laxative, leaving you incapacitated for the rest of the evening. In fact, all of the candies are individually wrapped in plastic, preventing you from gorging yourself with the whole box in one sitting. If this is love, I would rather eat my own heart out.
-- Kali Backer
