Best chocolates for special occasions

The chocolates in our Ratings are expensive—they cost $26 to $90 per box. And that doesn't include shipping, which can almost double the price of some. (Shipping is often required because you might not find these in stores.) But in many cases you do get something for your money—several of these chocolates are exceptional.

Top-rated Woodhouse, tasters said, had appealing shapes and amazing flavors such as cinnamon toast and buttery pecan pie; Christopher Elbow had bold, unusual fillings; a mint-infused candy from John and Kira's tasted as if the mint leaves were just picked.

No doubt, paying about $3 to $7 per ounce of candy can bust a budget. But there are a few ways to save:

• Sign up for a company's newsletter or mailing list. Savings might be 20 percent off your next order (an offer we saw from John and Kira's) or 10 percent off if you sign up for a mailing list (from Vosges).
• Check for free shipping. It might apply on orders of more than $99, for instance.
• Look for specials. Our shopper got an e-mail announcing one company's weeklong sale of chocolates for $23 per pound.
• Buy at a walk-in store if possible. Norman Love sells at least some of its products in more than 25 stores in 11 states. Vosges has six boutiques in four states and sells at Neiman Marcus, Whole Foods, and gourmet stores. Christopher Elbow has two boutiques and sells in 13 other stores in eight states.
• Try less-pricey alternatives in our Ratings.

You can save money with other big-name chocolates we tried, but you probably won't earn brownie points. Fannie May Fine Chocolates Assorted were low in milk-chocolate flavor, and many fillings were more sweet than flavorful. Russell Stover Assorted Fine Chocolates' sweet fillings had mostly artificial flavors. Hershey's Pot of Gold had slightly gritty chocolate and some chalky centers. The quality of Whitman's Sampler varied, and some nuts were stale. Lowest rated of all, just fair, were the candies in Maggie Lyon Assorted Everyday Collection. Tasters called them chalky, gritty, and hard.

Bottom line. For a splurge, choose from among our top-rated chocolates. All are excellent overall but have different styles and flavors, so read the comments for each product.

And keep in mind that friends don't let friends eat these chocolates alone, especially because most have a fairly short shelf life—often 10 days to two weeks, though Jacques Torres chocolates last three to four weeks.