I have yet to decide what type of chocolate is best for my cupcakes and frosting. I have used Scharffen Berger, Ghiardelli and Hershey's. I have yet to try Valrhona mostly for lack of knowing where to get it without mail ordering it.
What kind of results has anyone had with different chocolate brands and what are your favorites?
I would love to do a side by side taste test but that would be a super time consuming challenge!!

I really don't have just one favorite, but if you want to try Valrhona, I buy mine at Whole Foods.

Is there such a thing as bad chocolate?!? That said, I tend to prefer Ghirardelli. Seems less sweet than Hershey's, but more cost-effective than some of the other alternatives. I've also purchased bulk-type chocolate, where it's just chunks cut off what must be a HUGE brick of chocolate. The most recent I got at Whole Foods and it was very tasty. Whole Foods is the place, huh?

I buy Valhrona on-line or at a local import shop by the kilo -- 2.2 pound blocks. I use Guanaja, which is dark and bittersweet, most often, but I also use Valhrona's milk (Lactee) and white. I love the complex taste and texture of the Guanaja and use it for baking, ganache, and just about anything that calls for chocolate. But the main reason I use it is because I also make molded and filled chocolates using a tempering machine. Valhrona just works better for tempering than anything else I've tried.

I've tried hershey, valhrona, ghiridelli, callebaut, and lindt.

I like valhrona a lot but i can't seem to beat the quality of lindt. Lindt is a swiss chocolate while pricey has a creaminess and intense chocolate flavor. Everytime i use it people go crazy and say they have never tasted anything like it. I personally do not like Callebaut. I just do not like the flavor - I think it has a caramel taste to it but that is just me - others really like it. I like ghiridelli for cookies.

I just discovered yesterday at our Wegmans grocery store that they have a huge, new chocolate section. They have Valrhona, Callebaut, Lindt and numerous others. I was shocked. I guess I'll have to try them all! I did make cupcakes yesterday and used all Ghiradelli bittersweet and unsweetened cocoa and they were DELICIOUS! So I know I can't go wrong there!

This is such an interesting topic. I have always wanted to do a chocolate test too.
I once bought three different cocoa powders to see what the difference was. I bought Hershey, Ghirardelli and Green and Black's cocoa powders. There was a huge difference in color. Hershey's was very light brown and the other two were almost the same color (much darker than Hershey). I think the Green and Black cocoa powder was a little bit darker.
And just like the look of it. The taste was more intense with the two darker colored ones than Hershey's. I did a blind test with my DH and he could not tell the difference between Ghirardelli and Green and Black. So I went with the Ghirardelli for cocoa powder since I could not justify the price of the Green and Black.
But I'm not an expert on chocolate so I don't know if my palete can give a fair result.
I'm so excited to hear about Wegman's carrying finer chocolate. I'm going to our nearest, hoping it will carry it too. Getting rid of shipping costs makes a big difference.
Oh, one chocolate that I like is the Terra Nostra. Maybe not very well known. I have ordered it online. It's a fine chocolate that is both organic and fair trade. I wish they would sell that at Whole Foods!

Actually Linda, I used to shop at Wegman's in NY but now I am in Pa. I believe the chocolate was in the candy aisle, possibly right next to the baking aisle. Wegman's all seem to be fairly consistent from store to store so I imagine they should have it at yours too.

Oh the new one in Mechanicsburg? My son lives about an hour north of their. Next time we visit, I am going to have to make a visit to the store.

I wish they were all consistent. Unfortunately they aren't. I often find products in one Weggies that is not stocked at my local store. Luckily there are about 3 of them within a 15 minute drive, including the mother ship Weggies in Pittsford. Danny lives there and that one is just gorgeous. You often see him at the store when you are there.

And now Godiva has bittersweet chocolate in stores. I bought some to try but have not used them yet.

Nope, not Mechanicsburg, our Wegmans is outside Phila. in Downingtown. Hopefully you will have the yummy chocolate aisle in your Wegmans!