Customer Reviews

Ghirardelli Chocolate Cocoa Powder - Unsweetened

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Over the years, I have tried various brands of unsweetened cocoa powder to use in baking and for mixing in my morning coffee. Ghirardelli's "Natural Unsweetened Cocoa" has become my number one cocoa of choice. It has a very rich flavor and is finely ground so it mixes readily.

I purchase approximately one cannister each month from my local Whole Foods market, where the price has been $4.99 per 10-ounce/283-gram container for some time now. The price for the very same item on Amazon's website (actually one of their resellers) is currently way too much for the product. Hopefully Amazon (or their reseller) will price the product more reasonably, as have other grocery retailers.

Nonetheless, Ghirardelli's "Natural Unsweetened Cocoa" is an excellent product.

Once I used Ghirardelli's unsweetened baking cocoa I have never gone back to any other brand. The flavor is rich, pure and really captures the essence of what chocolate is SUPPOSED to taste like. Compared to other brands like Hershey's and Nestle, Ghirardelli's cocoa is much, much darker which surprised me a little. I have tried to use other brands since, but their flavors don't even come close to comparing. Maybe I'm a chocolate snob, but I can't use any other cocoa (not to mention chocolate chips) now besides this one.
The only downside is that the unsweetened cocoa is very difficult to find. Ghirardelli does sell it through their website however. ([...]) I highly recommend this product. But be warned - you might not be able to go back to the other cheap stuff!

Ever since my curiosity was piqued at the tender age of two, when I, while pretending to nap, witnessed my (very pregnant) mother wolfing down milk chocolate Hershey Bars, I have been obsessed with chocolate. By the time I started school, I knew that every single member of my family --- siblings, parents, grandparents, and cousins --- was afflicted with chocoholicism. As an adult, I realized that this trait must be genetically dominant, since all of my children, and each of my nieces and nephews, has no willpower when confronted by the presence of "C". Thank heavens that modern medicine has made us aware that this is not a disease, but merely an ultra-healthy yearning to keep antioxidants flowing into our bodies at a rate adequate to maintain our physical well-being, psychological balance, and generally off-beat sense of humor!
Since I am the premier baker of this extended family (Look, I see no reason to affect false modesty here! Each of my closest relatives will readily admit to having been born with serious kitchen-utensil-and-cookbook-direction-reading impairment.), my kitchen must be stocked at all times with multiple cans of Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa and several bags of Ghiradelli chocolate chips, both semi-sweet and double-chocolate. These items provide the essence of my chocolate cakes; frostings, fillings, ganaches, glazes, and fudge; brownies; cookies; puddings; and Mexican "mole" sauces. No other brand of chocolate, at any price, comes close to the taste and finish of Ghiradelli.
Hint: for cakes, brownies, and buttercreams, instead of just baking chocolate or just cocoa, try using equivalent parts cocoa (dissolved in hot coffee, milk, or cream) and melted double-chocolate chips. I consider 1/4 cup packed and then sifted cocoa to provide taste equivalent to about 2/3 cup double-chocolate chips.
ENJOY! ------ Beth Baker

Hi. First, Ghiradelli Chocolate, while difficult to spell, and argumentative to say ;-) - is THE greatest brand of Chocolate that I've ever tried. Of course, Godiva is good, but not Ghiradelli Good! I purchase the Unsweetened Cocoa Powder for my mom who is Diabetic and addicted to Bottled Starbucks Frap drinks. Even with the Splenda version, I would rather her try making her own "Mochas" with the powder. I worked at Starbucks for 5 years, so I know how to make Mocha :-). Now my question is aftertaste. Of course, I couldn't buy just one can of a product that practically has zero calories per serving, no sugar, etc...and send it to my Mom, so I bought one for me as well. However, recently - I wake up every morning with the saltiest taste in my mouth (I know South park fans will immediately snicker and think of Chef." My doctor doesn't even know what it is. We've tried stopping medications, etc...but I think I've narrowed it down to this product. Can completely natural cocoa (with only 3% of your sodium intake) have any other ingredient or be made with a process that would create such a salty (I went to bed eating salt packets) taste? I usually do make a decaf mocha just before bed. To all of you cocoa experts - thanks for any advice you can give!

While preparing for a friend's birthday party recently I decided to make a chocolate cake from scratch but had no recipe. What I did have was a can of this unsweetened Ghirardelli cocoa powder. Together with items found in any pantry, I was able to make & frost a 2 layer chocolate cake that was both moist and delicious. As a bonus I only used under 2 cups total so there is plenty more for other cocoa explorations AND I got all the left over cake. Give this product a try.