Can No Name brand chocolate compete with the tried-and-true brand names? I'm here to find out.
First things first — I'm a chocolate fan. Give me an option between sweet or salty snacks, and I'm going sweet 95% of the time... especially if there's a chocolate option.
And while I don't discriminate and would eat almost any chocolate available to me, quality does matter. A good chocolate bar is way more enjoyable than one made with low-quality ingredients. But, on the other hand, I can't always afford a $12 bespoke, organic, one-of-a-kind bar.
I'm looking for good taste at a good price, which No Name brand usually hits a good balance of.
So I took off to my local No Frills to get a few No Name options and a few brand-name options to see what holds up. Is it worth spending a bit more? Or will No Name do the trick? Here's my honest take on the age-old dilemma.
No name chocolate
The No Name trifecta
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
I picked up three No Name chocolate bars at No Frills — milk, dark, and white chocolate, each priced at $2.00 for 100 grams (the cheapest option on the shelf). The three bars are virtually the same in their nutritional information, and, notably, "sugar" is the first ingredient listed on each package, unlike the other brands I tried. I guess it makes sense they're so sweet...
Here are my thoughts on the taste:
No Name milk chocolate: Overall, this is a solid milk chocolate bar, though it definitely runs on the sweet side. It's your basic bar, but nothing special.
- Rating: 7.5/10
- Rating: 7.5/10
- Rating: 6/10
Hershey's chocolate
A classic s'mores chocolate bar
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
I can't say I've ever eaten a Hershey's chocolate bar except when making s'mores. And if I'm totally honest, I'll keep it that way. This milk chocolate option was just as sweet as the No Name brand, but had a somewhat artificial flavour. There was a slight aftertaste that I didn't really like; it wasn't a pure, smooth chocolate taste.
- Price: $2.00 for 100 grams (on sale)
- Rating: 5.5/10
Cadbury chocolate
My fav
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
Okay, now THIS is chocolate. Cadbury has always been my favourite chocolate brand, so I've tried almost every option they have. I opted for a mini eggs milk chocolate bar, and it did not disappoint. One reason I love Cadbury is because both their plain milk chocolate bars and their flavour options are good. I'm a big fan of the classic fruit and nut bar!
Compared to both No Name and Hershey's, this milk chocolate is smooth and rich — a deeper chocolate flavour. And while it's sweet, it's not tooth-achingly so.
- Price: $1.50 for 38 grams
- Rating: 10/10
Lindt
Is the quality worth the price?
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
Lindt is another favourite of mine, though I'll only get it when it goes on sale, as it can be pricey. I did grab a full-price bar for this taste test and was shocked to see it was $6.00!
But that price definitely reflects the quality. This bar was 70% cacao, a true "dark" chocolate, with a full, rich taste. It's slightly sweet and a teeny-tiny bit bitter — exactly what you want. The chocolate itself is very smooth and rich. I know dark chocolate is not for everyone, but I love it, and this is way tastier than the No Name brand.
It's made from just four ingredients (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla), so it doesn't have the over-sweet and fake taste as some of the cheaper bars with other filler ingredients.
- Price: $6.00 for 100 grams
- Rating: 9/10
The final ranking
The chocolate haul
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
After trying a piece of all six chocolate bars to write this, the only one I went back for seconds of was the Cadbury bar. It's just the best, in my opinion. It's more expensive than No Name, but not as expensive as Lindt. And taste-wise, it comes out on top. The complete ranking is:
- Cadbury milk chocolate
- Lindt dark chocolate
- No Name milk and dark chocolate: tied
- No Name white chocolate
- Hershey's milk chocolate
Now go forth and choose your chocolate wisely!
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.