At Savinly, we’re no strangers to the effort of price comparison.
We hustle between grocery stores to ensure we always find the best bargains. (And once we discover a strategy that helps our grocery budget, we’ll often swing by two or more stores each week.)
We’ve done the on-the-ground research to determine the most valuable warehouse club membership, and the legwork — pun intended — to uncover the best inexpensive leggings.
It isn’t always simple, and it can eat up time, but tracking down the best deal is generally worth the effort.
So when confronted with this particularly important question, we knew we were ready for the task, no matter how demanding.
To tackle this ambitious question, I spent an entire morning handing chocolate to blindfolded coworkers and asking for their impressions. For science.
(Yes, I genuinely enjoy my work.)
We selected five varieties of milk chocolate at different levels of pomp and price, all widely available at grocery stores nationwide.
Full disclosure: I personally lean more toward dark chocolate.
And of course, you could always find pricier, more elaborate chocolate behind glass at a specialty chocolatier — or splurge on a high-end, single-origin dark chocolate bar.
But we aimed to compare the candies you’d pick between when you stop at the corner store to tame a late-night sugar craving. (No judgment needed… we’ve been there too!)
Here’s what we learned.
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate: 54 Cents per Ounce
Even though it’s budget-friendly, we had to include this enduring staple. It’s so beloved and nostalgia-laden that many tasters correctly identified it, even blindfolded!
While our mid-sized bar broke down to 54 cents per ounce, you can sometimes find it for even less.
At the CVS near our office — not exactly a deep-discount shop — we spotted a 7-ounce Hershey’s bar that came to just 46 cents per ounce.
Yet despite tasters recognizing Hershey’s, none named it their top pick after the entire sampling.
When tasted next to pricier, higher-quality bars, participants labeled it “basic” and “overly sweet.” A few noted a chalky mouthfeel after sampling smoother competitors, and one observed that Hershey’s melted on her fingers faster than others.
Senior editor Heather van der Hoop summed it up: “It just… tastes like the thing that lands in your Halloween bag every year.”
Verdict:This inexpensive classic is reliable (especially around holidays), but it might be worth splurging occasionally.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate: 71 Cents per Ounce
The British counterpart to American classics like Hershey’s, plain Cadbury dairy milk is also fairly affordable.
Although the 3.5-ounce bar I bought for $2.49 at CVS equated to 71 cents per ounce, I later saw the same size at Publix for $1.89, which would match the Hershey’s price of 54 cents per ounce.
Tasters’ feedback roughly matched the price point — familiar, yet a touch more refined.
Many remarked that Cadbury felt “creamier” than the Hershey’s sampled earlier, which had seemed a bit “chalky” by comparison. A few staffers noted Cadbury tended to cling to their teeth rather than melting as smoothly as other bars.
Some remained unconvinced: “I’m not sure if I’m a fan,” admitted editorial intern Jacquelyn Pica.
Director of photography Sharon Steinmann didn’t mince words, calling Cadbury “really boring.” (She has a high bar — her husband grew up in Venezuela, so she knows her chocolate.)
I’ll lay my cards on the table: Cadbury was my personal favorite of the group, although I didn’t taste it blind. Still, I was unique in my affection.
Verdict: A slightly different take than Hershey’s, but similar in quality (and price).
If you’re hunting for a bargain, either will do — it just depends whether you prefer U.S. or U.K. flavor profiles.
Dove Milk Chocolate: 75 Cents per Ounce
Yes, you can buy a bar of the same Dove chocolate you often find bagged (those individually wrapped squares with little foil “promises” that are sweeter than any chocolate could be).
This pricier bar was the first to reveal some complexity, according to staffers.
Executive editor Alexis Grant described it as “slightly more bitter” than other picks, but in a favorable way. “It’s less flat,” she said. “I’d guess it’s pricier.”
Junior writer Carson Kohler found the flavor “more pronounced and layered,” and less saccharine than Hershey’s or Cadbury. She also observed Dove’s texture as richer and a touch firmer than the others. (Kohler was one of two tasters who named Dove their favorite.)
Staff writer Dana Sitar immediately sensed the bar “[felt] fancier” by its form before even tasting it. Dove’s little domed segments add intrigue that flat rectangles lack.
In any event, it’s not as blatantly sweet as several alternatives, regardless of price. It’s “not overpowering,” said editor and marketing strategist Kathleen Garvin… which might explain why account manager Hadley Seprish admitted she could “finish a whole bag.”
Verdict:Still wallet-friendly, this is a solid pick if you want a flavorful treat that’s a bit less predictable. Two of our nine tasters listed Dove as their top choice.
Lindt Classic Recipe Milk Chocolate: 84 Cents per Ounce
This bar marked our first foray into a more “serious” category, given Lindt’s Swiss background and classy packaging.
But possibly because we kicked off the tasting with sweeter bars — or because some tasters favor classic American candy — Lindt produced mixed reactions.
Garvin put it succinctly: “I’m having complicated feelings about this one.”
Seprish dismissed it as “bland”; senior writer Susan Shain even remarked it “tastes like nothing” and amounted to “wasted calories.”
Again, staffers called out the chocolate’s shape, which is flat and plain despite its premium reputation. “Uncreative,” said Shain. “No bonus points for the mold.”
But those who liked Lindt really liked it, ranking it well above the other selections. For them, Lindt provided a refreshing — or at least less cloyingly sweet — alternative.
“This one is awesome,” said van der Hoop. “It tastes like a higher-quality chocolate.” She added that it melted nicely in her mouth.
It was Grant’s favorite too — she praised its “right amount of sweetness.”
Verdict: If you want a modest upgrade and your sweet tooth is a bit more restrained, Lindt is an affordable Swiss option — and it was the favorite of two Savinly staffers.
But if you just need to satisfy a simple sugar craving, you can probably get by spending less.
Godiva Milk Chocolate: 99 Cents per Ounce
At nearly a dollar per ounce, this was by far the most expensive chocolate we tested.
And it turns out, you often get what you pay for.
This bar was the top pick for five of our nine participants — more than half!
Based on their descriptions, the strong preference for Godiva is understandable. This bar seemed to take the familiar sweetness and creaminess of bargain milk chocolate like Hershey’s and elevate it with greater flavor depth.
Everyone praised its mouthfeel, calling it creamy, melty and smooth.
It even won over our resident chocolate snob, Steinmann, who said Godiva “tastes like European chocolate: Sweet and pleasant, but with some body and character.”
Verdict:Though pricey, this bar is worth the price. It wasn’t a unanimous favorite, but it dominated the group’s votes. If you want to splurge, consider paying up for this one.
After all, what better excuse to hoard pennies than to spend them on outstanding chocolate?
Your turn: What’s your go-to milk chocolate brand? Jamie Cattanach is a staff writer at Savinly. Her work has also appeared at The Write Life, Word Riot, Nashville Review and other publications. Find @JamieCattanach on Twitter to say hello. Ready to stop worrying about money? Get the Savinly Daily. For more about balancing quality and cost when shopping for pet food, see is expensive dog food worth it.
