06:10 PM CDT on Thursday, June 8, 2006

We here at Break Room are always looking for ways to save a dollar (note: we don't get paid much to do this stuff). So to protect our own bank accounts and to help readers on shoestring budgets everywhere, we're exploring the undiscovered world of generic, or store-brand, products.

From foods, drinks and condiments to cleaning products, cosmetics and household items, we're putting science (in the form of blind tests) to work for us. Each month, we ask four volunteer testers to put a featured product through its paces, rating it on effectiveness, appearance and similarity to its name-brand counterpart. The testers also try to identify the "real" product from among the imitators.

This month we tested Nestle Toll House chocolate chips and store-brand counterparts.

The testers: Linda Leavell, Christy Robinson, Shannon Sutlief, Holly Warren

The tests: The semi-sweet chocolate morsels were rated on looks, smell, taste and texture. All chips were also microwaved for 25 seconds to test meltability.

The products:

• Sam's Choice Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Available at Wal-Mart)
$1.58 for a 12 oz. bag
Looks: No one was outright offended by these "unremarkable" chips, but they elicited comments such as "slightly misshapen" and "a wee bit chalky looking."
Smell: "These smell like Palmer's holiday chocolate — the Yugo of chocolate," wrote one tester.
Taste: One tester was unmoved, calling the taste just "there." But other comments ranged from "very rich, a little bitter" to "a wee bit chalky tasting."
Texture: All testers agreed — this chip was both "hard" and "gritty." One tester wrote, "Why the crunch? That's just wrong."
Meltability: This chip didn't melt much during its stint in the microwave. "More squishy than melty" was the verdict.
Other: This wasn't the worst chip tested, but it wasn't anyone's favorite, and no one thought it might be the brand-name product.

• Great Value Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Available at Wal-Mart)
$1.12 for a 12 oz. bag
Looks: Testers noticed a definite "pasty" and "powdery" coating to these chips. One sharp-eyed tester pointed out an incriminating "seam" that ran over the top of each chip — clear evidence these chips weren't "hand-poured."
Smell: One tester identified a weird combo odor of "chocolate + coffee + perfume."
Taste: Comments ranged from "just okay" to "gross!" to "smoky, like salsa."
Texture: "Dry," brittle" and "waxy" were adjectives used.
Meltability: This was another not-so-melty chip.
Other: This brand ominously omits the word "real" (as in "real chocolate") in its name, and the ingredients panel lists "chocolate liquor" rather than chocolate. It was the cheapest brand, but ... there's probably a reason for that.

• Kroger Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
$1.59 for a 12 oz. bag
Looks: Things began to look up with this chip, which one tester called "powdery, but in a cocoa-covered yummy way." Of course, others just thought it looked "chalky."
Smell: "Pungent," wrote one, while another thought it was just "neutrally chocolatey."
Taste: "Surprisingly good" and "less bitter than some" were the typical comments.
Texture: The Kroger chips surprised with an "unexpectedly creamy" consistency.
Meltability: These chips melted well in the microwave, converting from chip shape to chocolate blob shape.
Other: Nobody picked these for a favorite, but they were generally regarded as acceptable.

• Albertson's Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
$2.99 for a 24 oz. bag
Looks: Testers liked the look of this "dark and not powdery and well-shaped" brand.
Smell: Some testers noted a "slightly richer" aroma to this chip.
Taste: "Very rich," testers agreed, although some detected a slightly "metallic" aftertaste.
Texture: "Creamy goodness."
Meltability: "Meltalicious." These chips melted into a "quite lovely" shape.
Other: Two testers chose this as their favorite chip, although no one thought it was the brand.

• Essensia Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Available at Albertson's)
$2.50 for a 12 oz. bag
Looks: Yikes. We're not sure if these chips were supposed to look like this or if we got a bad bag, but the appearance here was frighteningly gray-white. "Are these Sno-Caps?" asked one tester, while another asked, "Are they mutants?"
Smell: "Chocolatey, but with a plastic undertone."
Taste: "There isn't one, thank goodness."
Texture: "Crunchy... why??" wrote on tester, and the adjectives "hard," "chalky" and "crumbly" were common.
Meltability: These chips barely changed form at all during the microwaving process. The gray coating did disappear from the very bottom edge of each chip, but it left behind a "slightly sweaty" ring of plain chocolate.
Other: One tester summed it up: "I didn't even pay for these, and I want my money back."

• Nestle Toll House Real Semi-Sweet Morsels
$1.79 for a 6 oz. bag
Looks: Testers could see a difference here right away, as these chips were the darkest, the least powdery, and the most perfectly shaped. "Definitely the most scrumptious-looking."
Smell: "Very rich and chocolatey."
Taste: Testers didn't love the taste as much as the look. "Tastes about right," wrote one, while others noted "a very odd taste" that they couldn't quite place.
Texture: "Really creamy and silky."
Meltability: These chips melted very well, coming out with a soft, blobby texture.
Other: Three testers picked this as the brand, although one said she identified it only because like most brands, it "looked good, tasted bleh." But two testers also picked it as a favorite.

• Safeway Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Available at Tom Thumb)
$1.49 for a 12 oz. bag
Looks: Testers approved of the "nice color and uniform shape," but our seam-spotting tester noticed the tell-tale artificial line here.
Smell: "A little bitter," wrote one, while another said it smelled "like dirt, but in a good way."
Taste: Most testers remarked on an "overly sweet" taste here.
Texture: "Nice and smooth," but perhaps "a little waxy."
Meltability: These chips melted well.
Other: One tester picked this as the brand, and most found it generally acceptable, if a bit too sweet.

The conclusion: Albertson's chips were a popular low-cost choice, and they come in a large bag with a handy resealable opening. Baked in a cookie, they would be difficult to distinguish from Nestle's vaunted Toll House chips.

Brand aid puts generic products to the test each month. Questions? Comments? E-mail BreakRoom@dallasnews.com.