• To find the best store-bought hot cocoa, I tried prepackaged powders from five different brands.
• I bought standard mixes from Ghirardelli, Hershey's, Land O'Lakes, Publix, and Swiss Miss.
• Ghirardelli's hot cocoa was the best — it was rich and chocolaty.

There are a lot of hot-cocoa mixes at the grocery store, but which is the best?

To find out, I reviewed standard mixes from Ghirardelli, Hershey's, Land O'Lakes, Publix, and Swiss Miss. To keep things consistent, I made each with warm water instead of milk.

Here's a breakdown of how they compared, plus which store-bought hot cocoa I liked the best. 

I first tried Publix's original hot-cocoa mix.

This store-brand hot-cocoa mix had the simplest packaging, from the brown-and-white box to the plain single-serve bags.

The package featured instructions for preparing the hot cocoa using hot water and a microwave.

I had a small microwave mishap, but it didn't affect the hot cocoa's flavor.

Per the package instructions, I mixed the contents of a singular pouch with 3/4 cup (6 ounces) of water in a mug and heated the drink in the microwave for a minute and a half.

I wasn't watching the mug closely, and the hot cocoa overflowed a few seconds before it was done warming up.

I waited for the hot cocoa to cool enough before trying it, but I thought it tasted very sweet and watery and lacked a strong chocolate flavor.

I tried Hershey's milk-chocolate-flavored mix, which has "real milk" as an ingredient.

I imagined this hot cocoa would taste like a melted Hershey's chocolate bar, and I was looking forward to trying it. 

Each single-serve packet had foil edges to resemble the iconic Hershey's bar wrapper, which I thought was a nice touch. 

Although the hot cocoa didn't spill this time, its flavor was disappointing.

I followed the package instructions and microwaved 3/4 cup of water for a minute. Then, I added the cocoa mix and stirred until it was fully dissolved. The water must not have been hot enough, though, because some powder pooled at the top.

Although Hershey's hot cocoa had a richer feel and smoother texture compared to Publix's, the flavor was unusual and hard to place.

It tasted slightly bitter and very artificial — definitely not like chocolate, Hershey's or otherwise. 

I'm most familiar with Swiss Miss hot cocoa.

I drank Swiss Miss growing up, so it's the brand I most associate with hot cocoa.

Although I'd usually go for the marshmallow variety, I picked up the milk-chocolate flavor for the sake of consistency in this taste test.

Swiss Miss' hot cocoa was frothy and made the largest cup.

The other hot-cocoa mixes called for 3/4 cup water, but Swiss Miss' required a full cup, so I got felt like I got more bang for my buck. All of the powder quickly dissolved in the hot water without hassle.

Although the chocolate flavor wasn't strong, the taste was balanced — not too sweet or too milky. Despite not tasting the sweetest, it had the most added sugar of any brand I tried at 28 grams per serving. 

This Ghirardelli's hot-cocoa mix is made with semisweet chocolate chips.

The Ghirardelli hot-cocoa mix had the most polished packaging, which was a nice touch that suggested a more premium product and experience.

The instructions on the box included options for cooktop and microwave preparation but also offered a third recipe for "decadent hot chocolate," in which a square of Ghirardelli chocolate is added to the drink.

My first sip of the Ghirardelli hot cocoa was rich and chocolaty.

I added the package contents to a mug with 3/4 cup of water and microwaved it for a minute.

The Ghirardelli hot cocoa definitely had the most intense chocolate flavor, which I appreciated. The drink's rich taste and texture felt gourmet, but it wasn't heavy enough that I couldn't finish the whole cup.

There was a depth of flavor and body to this hot cocoa that stood out above the others — it almost reminded me of drinking a bar of chocolate.

The last hot cocoa I tried was from Land O'Lakes.

This hot-cocoa mix was the only one I found sold as a single-serve packet, which is nice if you want to sample different flavors.

I also liked that Land O'Lakes had a range of fun flavors, like mint, raspberry, caramel, hazelnut, and Irish creme.

The packet offered instructions for preparing the cocoa as a hot or cold drink.

Land O'Lakes' hot cocoa had a creamy texture, but the strongest flavor didn't seem to be chocolate.

I followed the instructions for the warm alternative, pouring the mix into a mug and stirring in 3/4 cup of hot water. 

Like the Hershey's hot cocoa, the Land O'Lakes mix didn't taste much like chocolate — it was sweet, with hints of caramel and vanilla. Despite not having the expected flavor, this hot cocoa was more enjoyable than some others because of its creamy texture that wasn't too watery.

Although these hot-cocoa mixes were inexpensive and easily accessible, they lacked the deep, chocolaty flavor I craved.

As I conducted this taste test, it became clear that prepackaged hot cocoa wasn't the best option for a drink with a rich texture and deep chocolate flavor.

For these qualities, I'd recommend making hot chocolate, which is made with melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder.

Even so, Ghirardelli's hot cocoa was the clear winner of this taste test.

Ghirardelli's hot cocoa satisfied my desire for a rich, chocolaty drink, and its thicker texture made it taste more gourmet than the others.

My runner-up is Swiss Miss because of the nostalgia factor and the balanced flavor — it wasn't too sweet nor so milky that the chocolate flavor disappeared.

• This story was originally published on November 16, 2020, and most recently updated on December 17, 2024.

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• I've been a server at a winery for years, so I've seen guests make their fair share of mistakes.
• A tasting is an opportunity to expand your horizons, so try a wine you don't think you'll like.
• Customers should tip the staff in a tasting room just like they would at a restaurant.

As a server, I've always thought of a wine tasting as an opportunity to share my love for the alcoholic beverage with others. However, tastings are pretty important for the wineries, too — Silicon Valley Bank found that in 2023, tasting rooms made up 31% of total sales at premium wineries.

Needless to say, I always aim to ensure my guests have the best tasting-room experience possible. I started out at David Hill Vineyards and Winery in Forest Grove, Oregon, as a dishwasher and worked my way up to tasting-room associate — a fancy title for a server — over seven years.

Throughout my time at the company, I've seen almost everything, from the wannabe wine sommelier to the guests who think a tasting is an excuse to get drunk with a view.

Here are some of the biggest mistakes I've seen customers make at a tasting.

I recommend expanding your horizons during a wine tasting

One of the most common mistakes I've noticed is that people assume they know exactly what a wine will taste like based on its name or varietal.

For example, I've had guests turn their noses up when I say "riesling" and immediately declare that they don't like sweet wines. In reality, though, not all rieslings are sweet — some are incredibly dry, with crisp acidity and minerality.

That's why I encourage guests to taste like it's their first time trying wine. You might think you know what you'll like, but sometimes, the name of the wine doesn't tell the whole story.

The best part of a wine tasting is discovering something unexpected that surprises your taste buds.

Make sure you're educated on proper tipping etiquette

Many guests forget — or don't realize — that tipping is customary in a winery's tasting room. The setting is a bit more relaxed than at a restaurant, so it seems some people often don't associate the tasting-room experience with the idea of tipping.

However, the tasting-room staff work hard to make your experience enjoyable, and many of us rely on tips.

We're offering you our world of wine knowledge and making recommendations based on your preferences. It's a personalized service that goes beyond simply pouring a glass.

So, it's very discouraging when guests finish their tasting and leave without tipping — or tip like they just got a coffee at Starbucks.

Tipping might not be required, but it's a small gesture that goes a long way in acknowledging a server's effort to make each tasting special.

Don't be unruly just because you're in a large group

One challenging aspect of working in a winery's tasting room is managing the expectations of large groups who come in for bachelorette parties, birthdays, or other celebrations.

Based on what I've seen, the tasting-room staff has good reason to run and hide in the kitchen if someone walks in wearing a "Bride" sash. Don't get me wrong — I love a good chance to day-drink, but sometimes, guests arrive expecting to do what they see in the movies.

They envision wine tastings as an opportunity to slam rosé and run through the vines, but an intimate tasting room isn't the space for that. It's a refined experience, focusing on savoring the wine and enjoying the setting.

I always recommend reserving a private tasting room for larger parties or calling ahead to establish proper expectations so everyone can enjoy the experience without stepping on any toes.