Hot chocolate

The best hot chocolate is full, rich, thick, and, well, chocolatey, with a big dairy flavor.

Whole-bean Colombian coffee

Caribou is sold mostly online at www.cariboucoffee.com and at the company's coffee shops. Tasters describe it as complex and fragrant, with well-balanced floral, fruity, and earthy notes. Eight O'Clock is available at many supermarkets and sells for about half the price of Caribou.

Wine



The only excellent merlot we tested last year, it was also one of the least expensive, at $11.



These are all from New Zealand and cost $17 or less.



Edna Valley, at $14, is the bargain among these top chardonnays.



Both are complex and well balanced, but at $10, Cellar No. 8 sells for half the price of Seghesio.

Note: Tested vintages might not be available, but wines in this price range often aim for—and achieve—consistent quality over time. So try a newer one.

Juices for kids

Our kid testers gave these juices, which contain no added sugar, top scores for flavor; many said they would willingly drink them again.

Iced tea

Honest Tea has less sugar, fewer calories, and more antioxidants. The rest have less caffeine and a lower price.

Light beer

Americans now drink more light beer than any other kind, and our tasters ranked these as very good. They're moderately complex in flavor (that's a good thing), and most have hints of floral, fruity, and boiled-hops flavor.