Where can I buy Dutch Process Cocoa Powder????

[rds246]

I've been looking all over and I'm having trouble finding a place that carries it. I'm in the West Hollywood area, and I'd like to not have to go too far...
any ideas?

thanks!

[Diana]

Gelson's
Whole Foods
Surfas
Ralph's sometimes.
Trader Joes
Cost Plus Imports

I like Valrhona and Green and Black's.

[rds246]

really? I've called about half of those places and they told me they didn't carry it...

[Diana]

*shrug* which half did you call?

[tablefor1]

The person answering the phone in a grocery store does not always know what that store carries. In fact, they almost never know, and are just dying to get off the phone so that they can get back to helping the customers standing right in front of them. I guarantee those places have it; I have bought it at Whole Foods, Surfas, Gelson's and Ralph's myself.

[Das Ubergeek]

Penzey's in Torrance, or order it online.

[David Kahn]

Yep.

[naboli]

There's a Penzeys Spices (www.penzeys.com) in Santa Monica now. They have it.

Hours
Mon.-Sat.: 10:00AM - 6:00PM
Sun.: 11:00AM - 5:00PM

[DanaB]

Bristol Farms should have it, as should Gelson's.

[Frommtron]

I think it's more common than you might think. Check the back of the label. Often times the cocoa is 'dutched' but it isn't mentioned on the front label. That could be why the sales clerks are saying they dont' have it over the phone.

I would bet even a place like Jons has it, although they might not carry the really superb stuff like Valrhona.

Sorry for the placement of my response DanaB. Responding in general not specifically to you.

[pharmnerd]

Same here. Had a hard time until read the back of label which stated it's "Dutch processed". Bought Ghiridelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa from Ralphs here in Cerritos. Front of label does not say anything about "Dutch" but fine print on back does. Have seen the same in other common chain markets too.

[Queequeg]

In addition to the suggestions above, Mayfair Market will have it, Bay Cities in Santa Monica carries it, and often Peet's will carry a few.

[Diana]

Mayfaire IS Gelson's

[DanaB]

There's still one branch of Mayfair left, on Franklin in Hollywood. Although it's owned by Gelson's, it still bears the Mayfair name.

[Diana]

not for much longer. it's going to be totally re done.

[Queequeg]

Sorry, that's what I meant initially. I didn't know Mayfair was Gelsons until, I don't know, a few months ago.

[Burger Boy]

Surfas is your best bet with the best variety. King Arthur/Baker's Catalog has a great selection also.

[Mr Taster]

Exactly... I bought a generous container of Callebaut dutch process cocoa powder there (top rated by Cooks Illustrated) for about $8.00

Mr Taster

[Mr Taster]

Update to my own post... just bought some more of the Callebaut dutch process at Surfas. Price went up to about $10, but it is a very generous amount and is specifically listed as "high fat" cocoa powder. I make the Cook's Country instant hot cocoa mix recipe with it (secret ingredient: pulverized high quality white chocolate) and it's divine.

Mr Taster

[westsidegal]

try going to the specialty foods area of whole foods and ask the specialty foods manager where their valrhona cocoa powder is stocked.

[Ben7643]

I've never seen valrhona at whole foods........... where do they usually keep it not with the other chocolate powders like green and black. I've seen it at surfas, from what they told me at surfas their store brand is simply repackaged valrhona.

[dustchick]

I've seen it in small clear containers with the bulk Valrhona chocolate, not in the aisle with the other cocoa powders.

[westsidegal]

it is ordered and stocked by the specialty foods dept at whole foods while the other brands are ordered and stocked by the grocery dept.

[wyatt3290]

I think Pavilion's has it too.

[smfoodie]

Just bought some the other day at Surfas.

[mbh65]

I agree with Diana. You should find it at the WF in WeHo no problem, you just will need to go in the store and look at the labels.

[Jerome]

the cheapest brand is van houten and it's available. Look on the side of any box of chocolate for cocoa and it should say dutch processed. droste is also fine and relatively inexpensive.

[notmartha]

I had the opposite problem - need to find cocoa that is NOT dutch processed. Looked up in Wiki, and dutch process just means it is processed with alkali. So if you look at the ingredient list and it list cocoa with alkali it's dutch processed, even when it doesn't say so on the cover.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/cocoa.html

[buttermarblepopcorn]

Yeah, that's funny, 'cause I was going to say that in fact most powdered cocoa IS Dutch-processed, partly because it tastes less acidic and leaves a more pleasant aftertaste. But it also results in a slightly less chocolatey flavor.

[Mr Taster]

Re less chocolatey flavor, that's not true.... in the cooks illustrated tasting panel, they evaluated 10 different kinds of cocoa powder (alkalized and natural) in blind tastings, from Valrhona to Nestle, Droste to Scharffen Berger to Hershey's and more.

Their blind tastings were done in several applications-- hot chocolate, shortbread, low-fat chocolate pudding, devil's food cake, and chocolate pudding cake.

The surprising results were that the Dutch process actually imparts a deeper chocolate flavor because the Dutching process eliminates only the fundamentally acidic components--sour, bitter, astringent, fruity, while leaving the chocolately flavor elements intact, allowing them to shine through.

http://cooksillustrated.com/tastetest...

Mr Taster

[Debbie W]

Isn't regular old Hershey's Cocoa Powder not dutched? You know, the stuff we used in the old days when recipes called for unsweetened cocoa powder. I have some and the ingredients just say "cocoa" so is that a help? I have both kinds from Penzey's but in the past when I've used Hershey's I've always assumed it's "regular" not dutched.

[Frommtron]

That's right. I think Hershey's has (recently?) started selling a dutched cocoa under the 'Special Dark' label.

Either way, both should be very easily obtained but the shopper must read the label to determine what kind of cocoa they are buying.

Incidentally, Scharfenberger is NOT dutched (not surprising since they are owned by Hershey,s which is also not dutched) and Valrhona IS dutched. Those are proabbly the most common high-end brands a shopper will encounter in a good store.

[Jerome]

I believe that the alkali processing of the cocoa makes the powder more soluble. But i leave it to someone else here to find out and post it on another board.

[Frommtron]

*Science Geek Warning*

Totally possible. It changes the pH of the cocoa so that you can't really use baking soda as a levener if you use the dutched stuff since soda needs an acid to react with to produce CO2. Cocoa is naturally acidic but after being dutched it is alkaline. Baking powder can be substituted though since that is self-levening.

[Mr Taster]

Yes indeed.... baking powder is just baking soda with an acidic element or two mixed in (like cream of tartar).

The upshot of this is that if you add water to baking soda, nothing happens... but if you add water to baking powder, thus combining the base element and the acidic element, it fizzes like a junior high school volcano science project.

(That's a slight exaggeration.... you do get a much more violent reaction from adding an acid like vinegar to baking soda than you do from adding water to baking powder... but the concept is the same)

Mr Taster

[Burger Boy]

Baking powder also reacts twice, once from the liquid and once from the heat.

[alkapal]

hershey's regular cocoa powder is not dutched. the new "special dark" is dutched.

[sharons]

It may be dutched, but it's disgusting. They had a dutch processed cocoa powder they sold for a few years that was fabulous. The "Special Dark" is definitely dark, it turns your cookies and cakes BLACK

[katydid13]

If you think you might need more than a small amount, I recommend going to Surfa's and getting the Valrhona. I can't remember the exact amount it contains, but it looks like at least 2 cups. I've had wonderful results with it, too.

[westsidegal]

surfas sells the valrhona in 1lb. plastic jars

[hmm2]

Whole Foods on Fairfax and Santa Monica carrries Valrhona, but back with the cheeses, not with the baking ingredients.

[Kate is always hungry]

Have you found it yet? I was looking a while back and read online that Hershey's made and it was carried by Gelson's. Gelson's said they discontinued it but may have some left on clearance. No luck. I found a one pound box of Baker's Choice Premium Dutch Cocoa from Holland at Little Jerusalem on Pico Blvd., near Robertson. It was about $3 or $4.

[Diana]

Gelson' s carries Green and Blacks, far superior to Hersey's, in all stores.

[coffeebrownies]

For those of you who, like the op have still been trying to find reasonably priced unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder l(which has inexplicably vanished from the usual stores), I finally found some Van Houten's brand at Bangkok Market. While the Valhrona at Surfas etc is indubitably better quality, it is sometimes just a lot less inhibiting to bake with the cheap stuff...

[BEN92555]

This is so strange..Please forgive me, but I saw this in Ross(yes dress 4 less) in the home section (in Sierra Madre where the gold line ends) I was looking for a sauce pan and I saw this and thought to myself, "what is this, can I make icing with it". Yes, it was the first time I had seen this and now less than a week later I find someone looking for it. I love the internet!!!

[a213b]

Just a head's up that I was having a heck of a time finding this (checked Ralphs, Gelsons, TJ, Pavillions, Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table ... etc etc).

I was able to find SOME at Williams-Sonoma, but it was Dutch Processed and also had a bit of Vanilla in it, which may be fine for some, but not a baking control freak like me. I FINALLY found some that was purely Cocoa processed with Alkali after literally going from store to store at the Gelsons in Encino (despite checking already at the one in Studio City). It's Valhrona, and they also had another alternative that was actually made in Holland.

Again, just FYI.

[katydid13]

Surfas carries Valrhona's.

[westsidegal]

as does whole foods, albeit at a higher price.

[Mr Taster]

Hm, so many people here seem stuck on Valrhona.

In 2005, Cooks Illustrated did a blind taste test of natural and dutched cocoa powders. Scharffen Berger, Hershey's, Ghiradelli, Nestle, Schokinag and, yes, Valrhona were all "NOT RECOMMENDED". In hot cocoa and shortbread,

With Valrhona cocoa specifically, tasters detected overtones of “hot dog” as well as “burnt, woody, smoky” flavors. As one taster put it, “Ham is good, but not in cocoa."

Droste and Merckens were all "Recommended With Reservations".

Callebaut came "Highly Recommended" because it won consistent raves for balance and rich chocolate flavor. Several tasters were impressed with the absence of bitterness and off-flavors compared with other samples.

Mr Taster

[westsidegal]

i use my cocoa powder in iced blended mochas every single day.
i've done my own cocoa powder blind taste testing for this purpose.

for my money, in iced blended mochas, the very best flavor can be obtained by mixing valrhona and cacao barry extra brute (both of which can be obtained at surfas) in a 50/50 mix.

the scharffenberger tasted too much like cinnamon.

the very worst was the black onyx cocoa powder sold at surfas.

[Mr Taster]

What's the flavor profile of cacao barry extra brute? Do you agree with CI description of Valrhona's "smoky" description? I would imagine that in a good blended coffee drink it wouldn't matter since I personally like dark, smoky roasts. But I can see how in a "purer" chocolate application such as hot cocoa, this would be an off-putting flavor.

Mr Taster

[westsidegal]

Mr. Taster,
i'm sorry, my flavor-describer capabilities are not up to the task.
all i can say is that i've gone through most of the cocoa powders at surfas for my taste tests and this combo is, to my palate, the best for my iced-blended mochas. (i also determined that, for me, at least 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of cocoa powder is necessary to achieve adequate chocolate flavor no matter which cocoa powder is used)

since i don't drink hot chocolate, i can't comment on what would taste better to me in hot cocoa.

[westsidegal]

cocoa processed with alkali, IS dutch processed.

[taurus64]

I am also looking for Hersheys dutch processed cocoa powder. forgive my ignorance but the last time i used this brand was 8 yrs. ago. Can anyone help me? My recipe calls for valrhona and hersheys.

[westsidegal]

i can't imagine a recipe that wouldn't be improved by using more of the better-quality cocoa powder to substitute for the lesser-quality powder.

[taurus64]

actually the cake will be valrhona and the fudge will be hersheys . both dutch processed.
if it's true that there is no hersheys dutch anymore.. i will be using the valrhona for both
thanks westsidegal!

[mangefromage]

I get it at Surfas

[taurus64]

Are you referring to Hersheys dutch processed cocoa powder or the valrhona?

[Mr Taster]

mangrfromage replied to the original post, which was not brand specific.

But really, the only answer worth anything is that Surfas sells Callebaut brand Dutch process cocoa powder.

Mr Taster

[taurus64]

I have never used callebaut brand dutch processed cocoa powder..how will you compare this to valrhona or hersheys?

[Mr Taster]

Hershey's: The most common supermarket cocoa for generations conjured up nostalgic comments. “Am I in a ski lodge sitting by the fire?” But there were complaints about astringency, bitterness, and off-flavors “like molasses.”

Valrhona was covered above.

Mr Taster

[taurus64]

Can I buy Callebaut dutch processed cocoa in Whole Foods? we dont have surfas here.
Also..is there anyone has a great and tested fudge frosting (using a dutch processed cocoa powder)
that will not melt to a chocolate cake...my recipe for fudge frosting was taking forever..

[Mr Taster]

If you don't have a specialty goods store near you, your best bet is to but it mail order from a place like this:

http://chocolatesource.com/products/d...

Mr Taster

[westsidegal]

also, surfas sells their stuff online.

[Das Ubergeek]

Let's put it this way: Callebaut is a beautiful, fragrant, well-cared for Banon cheese that has been lovingly bathed in eau-de-vie and wrapped only in organically-grown chestnut leaves.

Hersheys is an expired tin of Day-Glo E-Z Cheez.

[taurus64]

I will try that brand !

[Burger Boy]

Waxing poetic! Sweet!

[coffeebrownies]

Another dutch processed chocolate sighting! Droste at Joan's on Third (but $12.00--ouch).

[coffeebrownies]

Reopening this thread because dutch processed has disappeared from the shelves of my go-to bargain source--Bangkok Market. I know I can get Valhrona at Surfas, or per my previous posting, Droste at Joan's on Third--but given that other bakers in my family use the stuff pretty indiscriminately, I would love to find another budget source. (It used to be so reasonable at TJs and Cost Plus). Any recent sightings?

[Burger Boy]

I think Gelson's has Droste and I think you are right about Trader Joe's. I would also check some of the big Asian Markets in San Gabriel, if you are out that way. I buy my Cafe Du Monde coffee with Chickory there for $5.95 and it is $8 to $11 at Gelson's and Surfas. Those Asian markets have some great bargains. The even have great bread for sliders, dirt cheap!

[Das Ubergeek]

I just buy mine at Penzeys. You can get it in large bags and, if you call them, they will also send you larger sizes than they have online.

[JackonCrack]

i second Penzeys. You can pick up a normal 8oz of Cocoa for around $5 IIRC.

The Santa Monica Penzyes is as good as the Torrance one.