B Sellers wrote:
>
> I usually spend USD $3.99 for a 500 gram bar from a discount
> grocery and wine chain. The bar of Guittard I recent reviewed here
> was about the same price for about 60 grams.

Recently, I've switched to Lindt Excellence 85%,
at US$2.29 for 100 gm. Trader Joe's has dark chocolate
for about half that price, but I buy what I like.

I used to buy Valrhona and Chocovic (around 70%)
at Trader Joe's, but I've recently come around
to Alex's view that anything below 80% is too sweet.

I still don't share his preference for over-roasted
chocolates, but I haven't found an 80%+ chocolate
which has the fruity notes of Valrhona and Chocovic.
The Lindt will do until I find better. There is a
Valrhona which is about 85%, but it isn't very good.
It isn't same same as their ~70% chocolate but with
less sugar. If it were, I'd but it.

> I could quote similar disparties between the price of chocolate
> candies like Michel Cluizel and See's but See's is a big statewide
> business and sells from its own stores what is made in its own
> factory-like confectioneries where lots of skilled hand labor
> runs big machines.

I've seen See's production on TV (it was on California's
Gold). Much of the work is still done by hand. They had
big heated mixers for making the peanut brittle, and long
tables for pouring it out, but how else are you going to
make peanut brittle? I'm not sure I even saw an enrober.
They use Guittard, BTW.