Chocolate for the Professionals: Where to buy it to step up your home baked goodies

Although I am now a 'professional' baker and chocolatier, I was once an avid amateur baker who loved to try new chocolaty cakes and recipes at home.  And at some point, I started taking chocolate classes and eventually went off to chocolate 'school' to start creating more professional confections.  And that is when I decided that using 100 gram Lindt bars and chocolate from the bulk food store was no longer cost effective, nor was it going to produce the shine and texture that 'couverture' chocolate (chocolate used by professionals) could.

So I decided to step up my creations.  But my problem was where to buy better quality couverture chocolate?  I had moved to an Island in Northern Ontario, without even a shopping centre or bulk food store, let alone chocolate wholesale supplies.  So I had to look online.

Now, after six years of research and five years in business, I made a list of my top five online retailers who sell 'couverture' chocolate.  I shared this list with Kitchen Daily Canada (an AOL-Huffington Post site) and wrote an article to help home bakers get access to professional-level chocolate. Click here to read the article, and see the list and slideshow.

For American bakers, try www.worldwidechocolate.com or simply Google the chocolate brands on my list to find online retailers in the U.S., including these brands: Callebaut and Cacao Barry chocolate couverture, Belcolade, Valrhona and Michel Cluizel.