Phantom Gourmet: Hot Chocolate Taste Test

BOSTON (CBS) -- Phantom recently purchased four packages of gourmet hot chocolate from a local supermarket.  The comforting contenders were Dagoba, Ghirardelli, Sillycow Farms, and Swiss Miss.  See if you can guess which brand ended up at the top of the food chain.

Dagoba finished in the last place. Considering its fancy looking packaging and high price point, Phantom was expecting a lot more from this brand. The mix contains bits of pure dark chocolate and cane sugar, but all it really added up to was a disappointingly gritty texture and unpleasantly acidic aftertaste.

A big step up from there is Ghirardelli. This 'double chocolate' blend delivered the classic hot cocoa experience phantom was hoping for. It's smooth and creamy, with a solid balance of sugar and chocolate, and a hint of vanilla in there too. If you need a chocolate fix, this stuff will satisfy, but it's definitely not the most memorable mug.

The runner-up is Sillycow Farms. While their mini glass milk bottle is certainly cute, the narrow opening makes it difficult to actually get a spoonful of the stuff. However, this lesser known brand is worth seeking out if you're looking for a less intense hot chocolate experience. It's sweet, smooth, and creamy, with a milk chocolate flavor that kids will love.  But phantom prefers his gourmet cocoa more on the darker side of the chocolate continuum.

At the top of the food chain is Swiss Miss. This big pouch is packed with a premium mix that goes way beyond the standard version of this brand's usual blend. It's thick, rich, and velvety, delivering a more intense version of the classic hot chocolate experience. Best of all, this gourmet goodness still comes at a pretty pedestrian price. Which is why Swiss Miss Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa is at the top of the food chain.

Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.