Smoking Hot Chocolate

MaxBrennerThins, originally uploaded by Holy Cheese.

I love cute packaging. I am often tempted to buy things I don’t really need, because the packaging makes it look much more inviting.
The Max Brenner chocolate company has genius designers – from the chocolate pizza to their cool lemonade glasses; their designers make up for very ordinary products, with exquisite packaging and presentation.

Going into one of their cafés/stores for the first time will make you feel just like Charlie Bucket when he first entered the Chocolate Factory – there are pipes running the store length filled with faux chocolate and a huge pot with a mechanism that is constantly stirring dark chocolate. The shelves are lined with jars filled with candy in all shapes and colors. It is a sweet toothed kid’s (and adult’s) dream.

The unique design can be noted both in the way you are served your meal in the chain cafés. For instance, you could be served hot chocolate in a Hug Mug (a mug that has no handle and is specifically designed to cup a warm drink with your palms). And also with their store products, which are usually packed in clever ways – such as chocolate paste in a metallic tube.

One of the latest products I’ve recently tried 100% Pure – Pure Milk Chocolate Thins. The thins came in a small cardboard box that was shaped like a colorful old fashioned cigarette packet.

I was amused by the “health warning” (Pure cocoa is good for your health), but the chocolate thins themselves are quite ordinary, I wouldn’t even call them “great”. They were nice enough to nibble with a cup of tea after dinner, but I would try a different product from their (rather large) selection next time instead.

Read All About It
Candy Blog reviews other Max Brenner products
Off the Broiler was in the first Max Brenner store in Manhattan (and took lots of great photos)