Suppliers and pricing

Hi everyone! Are any of you willing to post which couverture a you use and approximate pricing you get? I'm currently going through chocosphere and am very happy with their service but am wondering if better pricing on some of the brands can be obtained (perhaps once I can purchase large quantities) and where. I'm wondering if it's competitive to what you are all paying. Also just curious which couvertures you picked to work with. Thanks
updated by @krista2: 06/29/23 06:49:02PM

Hi! I really like the brand CasaLuker. I went to the Chicago chocolate show and tried a LOT of chocolate, I thought they were the best, and I like their business practices. I really like their Noche milk chocolate, it's a little darker than typical milk ch and had a really good flavor. They have a variety of dark single origin as well, I like the Acura it's 70% and has an herbal/fruity taste.They sell 22lb cases for around $100 depending on the type of couverture.Not sure where you are located you might use a different supplier. I'm in Michigan US, my supplier is IFI Gourmet. They are really great to work with, and ship via FedEx. They also carry a line of colored cocoa butters that are all natural. And they will send you samples of corse

I am not in business but am a hobbyist, so my quantities are not huge. I also use Chocosphere. No one else (that I have found) has their broad selection. I am always looking for a chocolate I like better than the current one, but at the moment, I use:

For dark: Felchlin Maracaibo (previous choice was Valrhona Caraibe, before that, various Callebaut varieties)

For milk: E. Guittard Orinoco (previous choice was Valrhona Jivara). I am always looking for a milk that is darker than most are.

For white: I have been alternating between Valrhona's Opalys and their Ivoire. I did a little blind taste test recently with the two, and in two tests, Opalys won the first, and Ivoire the second. I have had problems with ganache made with Opalys separating more than with other chocolates, so I am now going back to Ivoire (it has slightly less fat than Opalys). I tried El Rey Icoa, but really disliked it. I also tried Cacao Barry's Zephyr, but it was very thin and did not coat molds well.

Thanks for the info guys/gals I too tried the icoa and while I actually liked the taste, it wasn't the flavor I was looking for for my truffles.

Hello

I have been using Orchid - via Albert Uster Imports. Dark or Milk, White or Bittersweet all come in 11lb boxes - the cost is between $43-60 per box. Des Alpes between $74-90 in 11lb boxes. Albert Uster Imports require 2-day shipping and my cost has been $25.00 for shipping. The chocolate works wonderfully in my Rev 2 tempering machine as well. Melts easily when the chocolate is in a double boiler. Have you tried chocolateman.com? If you wished to buy in smaller quantities, he has Des Alpes bittersweet in a 5 lb bag for $40.90. When I first started, he often talked with on the phone regarding the various chocolates that he had -He has several product lines of chocolate if you wish to check his website. --good luck in your search.

Btw I am new to this forum so if I am breaking any rules or doing anything wrong, please let me know. Thank you. Sue

Thanks sue! I'll have to check it out