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Whether it's Valentine's Day, a birthday, Christmas, a graduation, a retirement party, or any other type of life or social event, chocolate gift baskets are a safe bet for just about anyone. Heck, we'd even love to receive a chocolate gift basket for President's Day if someone out there is generously giving them out. Dare we say it might make the best food gift that money can buy?
If you have a chocolate lover in your life, a gift basket is the perfect idea for them. Sometimes it's nice to receive a present that you can enjoy and then get rid of rather than having something that will sit around and take up space. A chocolate gift basket is a good way to give someone a variety of different flavors and treats that they may not have ever tried before.
Saturday, February 8th
Gourmet Gift Baskets began as a family company in the basement of a flower shop in New Hampshire with the goal to create handmade, high-quality gift baskets. The company was founded in 2002 and is now a multi-million dollar company that has been recognized by Inc. 500, Enterprise Bank, Internet Retailer, and others. You can buy gift baskets here as thank you gifts, for Christmas, birthdays, as a sympathy gift, for employees, and other specific occasions. You can sort all the options here by price, types of baskets and boxes, recipient, shipping speed, and more.
Huge assortment of goodies
Aside from a very Valentines-themed chocolate gift basket and a few specialty holiday collections from Gourmet Gift Baskets, it appears that the assortments here could work for any occasion. There are 21 chocolate gift baskets in total and all of them include quite a different collection of chocolates. Some include things like cookies, sea salt caramels, chocolate graham crackers, wine, double-dipped peanuts, wafers, summer sausages, cocoa-dusted almonds, crackers, pretzel twists, and the list goes on and on.
Something for everyone
The least expensive choice for a chocolate gift basket from Gourmet Gift Baskets includes 12 dipped Oreo cookies for $34.99. Who wouldn't love that? You could also opt for 24 of them for $54.99 if you wanted to. There are a lot of options under $200, so you can easily find something that fits your budget and has a fun selection of chocolate snacks. If you are really looking to impress or thank someone special, you could spend as much as $699.99 on a champagne and truffle set that includes Dom Perignon, chocolate chip cookies, assorted truffles, chocolate caramel grahams, assorted chocolates, and sparkling Prosecco cordials.
Varying shipping rates
When customers find the gift basket they want, there is a date shown on the product page that confirms whether or not the basket is ready to ship and what the earliest possible delivery date would be. The cost of shipping is shown upon checkout, depending on the address you use for delivery. Prices will also vary based on the delivery date you select, which for us ranged from $14.99 for a delivery date a week from our order date to $24.99 for 2-day delivery.
Non-returnable items
Since the chocolates sold by Gourmet Gift Baskets are considered perishable, they are unable to be resold and therefore cannot be returned. However, if there is an issue with an order or a customer is unsatisfied, Gourmet Gift Baskets will sometimes offer 20% off of a replacement order.
High praises
We like that Gourmet Gift Baskets has unfiltered reviews on their website for each product. This is clearly a popular shop, based on how many ratings are on each gift basket. Many of them have over 100 reviews, which is extremely helpful when trying to decide how high-quality and fresh the chocolates are going to be from this company. Across the board, Gourmet Gift Baskets receives high praises for their on-time deliveries, pretty presentation, delicious items, good mix of snacks, and more. The Better Business Bureau gives Gourmet Gift Baskets an "A+” rating, so this is a safe and reliable choice for chocolate gift baskets.
Big fans
We are big fans of Gourmet Gift Baskets for any occasion or items you want to send to celebrate a friend or family member, and their chocolate assortments are no exception. You'll get both classy and unique gift baskets from this company, so you really can't go wrong. Gourmet Gift Baskets has earned the top place on our list with their chocolate gift baskets.
Baskits was established in 1985. Its full "her” story includes a story of two women who decided to start a creative gift basket company that offered more than just pyramids of fruit. Their hope was that if they sent their gift baskets in interesting keepsake containers, people would feel an emotional impact upon receiving them. Over the years, Baskits has changed ownership, added new brands to their collection, acquired additional businesses, opened brick-and-mortar locations, became a certified B Corporation, and made its mark in Canada.
A wide variety
There are gift baskets here for babies, animals, adults, couples, and more. You can find everything from flowers to personalized embroidered blankets, to gardening kits to stocking stuffers. For chocolate gift baskets alone, there are 26 options, all of which vary in their contents. Some chocolate baskets include truffles, cookies, popcorn, pretzels, and chocolate bark. Others have fancier additions like soaps, tea, wine, champagne, cheese, or jellies.
Starting at $30
Prices start at $30 for a small "Heavenly Bites” assortment of 15 chocolate truffles that come in different flavors. There are a few other options under $100, but most of the robust baskets are over $100 and go all the way up to $850 for a huge selection of chocolates and other food items like salmon, coffee, cheese, and pancake mix that come in a metal keepsake trunk that's ideal for home decor and storage.
Shipping based on location and date
Shipping costs will be determined at checkout and vary based on your zip code and the date you want your delivery to be. For example, if we wanted "express” shipping where our gift basket was delivered 2, 3, or 4 days from the order date, the cost was going to be $21.70. The other options on the calendar on later dates were going to cost us $17.26 for delivery. Overall, shipping can be pretty expensive at Baskits, so your best bet is to order ahead and not need to pay the few dollars extra for rush shipping.
Satisfaction is promised
All the chocolate gift baskets here are classy, well-organized, and come with a big, pretty bow. Baskits has nailed the presentation, so if you buy a basket here, it will take no work on your end to make it look good upon arrival. You can add a card message at checkout to personalize your gift too. Baskits promises that you and/or the person who gets one of their gift baskets will be 100% satisfied with the order or you'll get your money back. The company doesn't allow returns on food products, so be sure that everything included in the gift basket you choose is exactly what you want.
High reviews on website
There are up to 80 customer reviews on some of the chocolate gift baskets from Baskits. Some products have fewer ratings, but all of them have at least a handful. We read many comments from people who said that the baskets here are always delivered on time, the products are delicious, customer service is phenomenal, and no matter what type of gift basket is purchased, the giftee and customer are always pleased with the results. The company does not have a Better Business Bureau rating, but third-party reviews confirm that Baskits does indeed have beautiful, delectable products that are worth the money.
Beautiful baskets
For a range of chocolate gift baskets that are pretty and fit different budgets, Baskits is a great option. They've got choices for those who just want normal chocolate candies or those who are open to exploring more than just the basics like baking mixes, biscuits, popcorn, and more. Potentially high shipping costs are our biggest hangup with this company, but otherwise they're a phenomenal place to turn when you need a beautiful gift for a friend or family member.
The Gift Basket Store was created to help customers find gifts for every season and occasion. Unlike many other stores that have a variety of individual treats and chocolates with gift baskets just being one of the many things they offer, The Gift Basket Store specializes in beautifully-packaged gift baskets exclusively. From chocolate covered Oreos to roses, The Gift Basket Store has a delightful selection of items you could proudly order for a loved one.
Unbeatable inventory
With a variety of 50 results for chocolate gift baskets from The Gift Basket Store, this company has the most options we've seen yet. It's hard to fully explain just how many different arrangements they've got in their inventory, so we'll list a few of the fun things that stood out to us in each one. First, you can get gift baskets just filled with chocolate-covered strawberries and drizzled in fun colors with fondant prints on them, depending on the occasion. There are baskets filled with chocolate-covered fruit and nuts, with toffee and chocolate bars. We found baskets that included wine, caramelized apples, mini donuts, cheesecake pops, hand-dipped cupcakes, brownie bites, candy bar bouquets, flowers, and so much more. Needless to say, we were very hungry by the time we got done browsing everything from The Gift Basket Store!
Lots of affordable choices
For $48.26, customers will get a set of 12 chocolate-covered Oreos dipped in milk, dark, and white chocolate with an edible chocolate love note. This is the least expensive chocolate gift basket, followed by lots of great choices in the $50 and $60 range. Even the priciest chocolate gift basket is just $234.89, so you have a lot of budget-friendly options when you shop at The Gift Basket Store. The biggest gift basket has a caramel bar, apricot jam, toffee and peanut butter brittle, ginger snaps, raspberry tea, toasted toffee pretzels, pecan granola bites, and a long list of other delicacies.
Competitive shipping costs
At checkout, you'll see your list of delivery options and prices based on your location. For us, express shipping (1-2 days) was $16.08 and next-day shipping was just a couple dollars more at $18.43. If you'd like to choose your own specific delivery date, the cost is $19.99. It's never fun to add the price of shipping to your total order, but the cost of delivery here is really comparable to what most other places charge. All orders are packed with a cold pack inside a cooler bag to ensure that no chocolate melts during transit.
Perfect delivery or they'll refund
If there is an issue with your delivery's product quality, a late arrival, or unsatisfactory presentation, The Gift Basket Store says they will offer a refund upon your request or come to another satisfactory resolution with you. The exception to this is if the company can establish that you did receive your order on time or the issue was your fault in some way (like an incorrectly-entered delivery address).
No customer reviews to be found
There is little to no feedback we were able to find about The Gift Basket Store from customers. They don't have reviews on their website, there is no Better Business Bureau rating for them, and there isn't much anywhere else. We usually like to see a handful of buyer comments about a product before diving into making purchases, but we still like what we see here.
A favorite gift basket shop
The Gift Basket Store has earned one of our top places among their competitors because we're thrilled with their selection. You can be picky about your price point and what's included in a basket because there are so many great choices here. Be sure to check this shop out when considering different chocolate gift baskets, because The Gift Basket Store earns an excellent rating from us.
Simply Chocolate is exactly what their name suggests - a company that specializes in nearly all types of chocolate, whether it be boxed, in a basket, or individually-packaged. This company has gluten-free, sugar-free, and Kosher gifts as well. They're part of the family of brands that includes 1-800-Flowers, Wolferman's Bakery, Cheryl's Cookies, Harry & David, The Popcorn Factory, Shari's Berries, Personalization Mall, and others.
Great chocolate diversity
The gift baskets from Simply Chocolate are very festive and look absolutely delectable. If you're going for a gift with a lot of variety, you'll be happy with how many different types of cookies, fruits, nuts, pretzels, popcorns, and other types of treats are included. The chocolates are drizzled with different colors of icing and include colorful sprinkles to really make the gift baskets pop and feel extra exciting. Some boxes include hot cocoa, caramel apples, and other unique and tasty treats, along with chocolate bars and truffles.
Sort by price
At Simply Chocolate, you can get a gift basket starting at just $36.99, which is one of the best deals we've found. This basket features an array of Ghirardelli chocolates, like their caramel squares, cookies, dark chocolate covered pretzels, hot cocoa mix, and chocolate bars. In total there are 32 baskets to choose from and you can sort by price range to make sure you find something in your budget. The most expensive basket is $275.99, but there are plenty of options under $100 that look phenomenal.
Celebrations Passport
You could purchase Celebrations Passport, a membership that costs $29.99/year (but is typically discounted to $19.99 for the first year) and qualifies you for free shipping on all eligible orders and gives you exclusive discounts. This membership works for Simply Chocolate as well as all their sister companies in the 1-800-Flowers family, so if you order from one or more of these stores multiple times per year, the cost is definitely worth it. Shipping on a single basket of chocolates from Simply Chocolate is around $17.99, so it adds up quickly if you place more than one order throughout the year. The only caveat? Not every single item sold across the retailers in the brand group qualifies for Passport's free shipping, so pay attention to the gift baskets you're considering and make sure they're eligible before you commit to the membership.
High satisfaction
Simply Chocolate does not have a rating from the Better Business Bureau, but 1-800-Flowers, their sister company, has an "A+” rating. Plus, some of the chocolate gift baskets from this site have upwards of hundreds of reviews from customers. Assuming these reviews are unfiltered, they are quite impressive - with people reporting total satisfaction and excitement over everything that arrived in the basket, the quality, and the presentation. Plus, the company has a 100% satisfaction guarantee to ensure that customers are happy with their purchase no matter what or they'll make it right.
A good go-to
We're really happy with what we see from Simply Chocolate. Gift baskets are definitely one of their company specialties, and they've put a lot of effort into giving them plenty of variety across different price points for customers. This is a great go-to option for chocolate gift baskets, earning Simply Chocolate a high rating.
Design It Yourself Gift Baskets is a place where customers can select a theme, container, and even the products they want included in a chocolate gift basket for a chosen recipient. Or, for those who are more worried about budget than selection, Design It Yourself Gift Baskets also lets you set a price range and theme and they will pick some of their most popular products to create a gift basket and wrap it up nicely for your friend or loved one. The company sells pre-made baskets for anniversaries, birthdays, congratulatory events, retirement, sympathy, births, weddings, and more. Included in a gift basket can be anything from an adult coloring book to a diaper "cake”.
Outdated website design
You may notice as we did that Design It Yourself Gift Baskets doesn't have the most modern or appealing website. The print is very small and the overall design of the pages are many years outdated, but it's still pretty easy to navigate through the 15 pre-made chocolate gift baskets that are available here.
Pre-made or DIY
The cost for a pre-made chocolate gift basket starts at $59.95 for a classic basket of almond roca, fudge brownie bites, chocolate wafers, and dark chocolate almonds. Prices go up to $184.95 for a robust basket with Lindt boxed chocolate, gourmet krispie treats, chocolate pecan caramel clusters, chocolate graham pretzels, Tru Fru chocolate strawberries, chocolate shortbread, brownie cookies, and more delicious treats. Some baskets include specialty items like wine, popcorn, fruit, and coffee if you want to select one of those. Or, you could always go the custom route and make your own basket by selecting the container and chocolates you want included, but the cheapest one will end up being $114.95, so there are less expensive options.
Optional add-ons
After you select the chocolate gift basket you want, you'll have the option to donate between $5 and $15 to either the Houston Food Bank, Houston Pets Alive, Texas Children's Hospital, or Bay Area Turning Point if you choose to. There is also a section for optional upgrades and add-ons of specialty chocolate items, sale items (always changing and includes things like cheese, bruschetta, cupcake mix, kitchen towels, syrup sets, tea, and more), games, balloons, stuffed animals, mugs, and frames. This is a fun option that will make your gift basket feel more personal if you choose to add other items.
Flat-rate shipping
A gift message for you to type out is included with each basket, with the option to upgrade to a fancier card. You will also be asked if you want your order delivered ASAP, or on a specific date between the day of purchase and anytime about 3 weeks after. Shipping on chocolate gift baskets is a flat-rate fee of $17.99 for standard ground shipping, $39.99 for 3-day express, $49.99 for 2-day air, or $73.99 for priority overnight. Orders placed before 3 p.m. (CST) Monday through Friday are shipped same-day, and the typical standard transit time is 1-6 days, depending on the destination.
Love it or your money back
There is an unconditional guarantee with all purchases from Design It Yourself Gift Baskets that says they know you'll be completely satisfied with your purchase, but in the rare event that you aren't, they will either arrange an exchange or a full refund.
No concerns with service
The Better Business Bureau rates Design It Yourself Gift Baskets as an "A+”. Although there are no customer ratings straight from their website, there are other places online that say the service is spectacular, delivery is on time, and everything arrives just as is shown online. We found no concerning reviews from customers about this site, so we are completely confident that they are both legitimate and offer high-quality chocolate gift baskets.
A good choice
If you're able to get past the fact that Design It Yourself Gift Baskets is in need of a website makeover, you'll be pleased with what's in store for you. We like the range of pre-made gift baskets that are available, and it's unique to find a place that also offers to let you custom create your own. Even the pre-made baskets have options to include extra little gifts that make every purchase more bespoke and complete. There's no reason not to use Design It Yourself Gift Baskets to send some chocolatey love.
Sugar Plum Chocolates opened their first store in Northeast Pennsylvania on March 1, 1995. Their mission was to craft a candy business dedicated to spreading joy through delectable bites. The company launched their website in 1996, allowing them to reach far more customers than they ever had before. Sugar Plum Chocolates has earned accolades from media outlets like Women's Day, Bridal Guide, USA Today, PARADE, and The Today Show.
Few gift baskets
You can find chocolate gifts from Sugar Plum Chocolates for celebrations like weddings, Christmas, Hanukkah, birthdays, graduations, and even to show sympathy. They have chocolate bars, chips, crackers, lollipops, cookies, popcorn, and, of course, baskets. There are only officially 4 chocolate gift baskets here that come wrapped with a large ribbon. This is the smallest selection we've found so far, but there are a couple chocolate gift boxes that would also do the job if you're looking to gift a yummy treat.
Individually-wrapped chocolates
The smallest and least expensive chocolate gift basket from Sugar Plum Chocolates is $48. This basket has 2 bags of chocolate-covered popcorn, 1 bag of chocolate-covered potato chips with candied chocolate gems, 2 nonpareil pretzel rounds, and 1 milk chocolate-covered beer pretzel. On the other end of the price scale, a chocolate Kilimanjaro gift basket with 40 unique gourmet pieces is $199.95. Each piece of chocolate comes individually-wrapped and you'll get extra things like chocolate covered marshmallows, hand-dipped biscotti, chocolate-covered peanut butter cookies, hand-dipped sandwich cookies, and more.
Long shelf life
All chocolates from Sugar Plum have a 12-month shelf life, so if you're able to hold off on eating them all, you could make them last quite a long time. The most favorable conditions for storage are temperatures between 60 and 68 degrees.
Free shipping over $75
If you spend at least $75 at Sugar Plum Chocolates, your order will ship for free. Anything less than this only incurs a $10 shipping charge, which really isn't bad considering the steep shipping costs we've seen some other places.
Final sale chocolates
Due to the nature of the food products sold by Sugar Plum Chocolates, all sales are final. This company hasn't posted a satisfaction guarantee of any sort, but they do have an address and phone number listed in case you need to reach out to them for any reason.
Helpful, honest reviews
The unfiltered reviews on each chocolate gift basket from Sugar Plum Chocolates include comments from buyers and sometimes even photos. This helps us see what the gift baskets look like upon delivery and shows us that these reviews are genuine. None of the gift baskets have less than a 4.9 out of 5-star rating from customers. There is no rating from the Better Business Bureau for Sugar Plum Chocolates, but a quick search of third-party sites tells us that this is a good company, even with a bit of criticism here or there over the taste or quality.
Lacking diversity
Undoubtedly, Sugar Plum Chocolates is an above average retailer overall, but the reason they haven't earned a higher rating from us is due to their lack of options specifically for chocolate gift baskets. We like what's included with the baskets and everything looks perfectly delicious, but you'll get more diversity from another company.
With a name like Ethel M, you know this company has some deep-rooted family history. Over 40 years ago, Forrest Mars Sr. (the man behind M&Ms and the Milky Way bar) decided to make a company that was pure in its intentions and expression to create a new type of chocolates. He named his new endeavor after his mother, Ethel M, and committed to making chocolates in small batches with the finest and most unique ingredients.
5 available baskets
Chocolates can be purchased individually from Ethel M or in gift boxes/baskets. The company carries 7 chocolate gift baskets in total, but when we were shopping, 2 of them were out of stock (and limited editions), leaving us with only 5 choices. Although the selection we had looked tasty, there were far fewer options here than what we were able to get from other chocolate gift basket retailers.
An assortment of favorite flavors
You're not getting cheap Mars bars when you shop from Ethel M. The least expensive gift basket in their collection is $95, with 8 classic chocolate bars (lemon satin creme, peanut butter, caramel, dark chocolate, dark chocolate mint, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and sugar-free dark chocolate), a bag of dark chocolate almonds, and a classic collection of chocolate truffles. The other 4 gift baskets have a similar, but slightly different assortment of chocolates and prices go up to $130. All baskets come in a pebbled, brownish-gold tin basket that could easily be used for storage or as a decoration.
Free shipping on orders over $99
We were pleased to see that all Ethel M orders over $99 ship for free. Lots of chocolate gift basket companies charge nearly $20 or so for shipping, so it's really nice to find somewhere that doesn't. All gift baskets except for one will qualify for free shipping here, which is a plus.
Promised satisfaction
Ethel M does not accept returns on chocolates since they are a food item, but they do guarantee quality or they'll make it right. Gifts are sent in an insulated mini-cooler with ice packs to protect against heat damage and preserve the quality of the chocolates. If you run into an issue with your gift basket, Ethel M provides a phone number on their website for you to reach out.
Reviews are likely filtered
There are customer reviews posted on Ethel M's website that rave about the company and the chocolate gift baskets. However, every single rating gives the baskets 5 out of 5 stars regardless of which product we click on, which always leaves us a bit skeptical. As much as we hope that the gift baskets here have perfect satisfaction, this isn't always reality, so we aren't sure that the reviews here are unfiltered. Ethel M has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, though, which is a good sign. Ratings from customers other places online tell us that the flavors of chocolate here aren't quite Belgian quality, but still absolutely delicious and worth a try.
Lack of variety
We have no doubt that the chocolate baskets from Ethel M would be enjoyable, but there are so few options here that we aren't overly impressed. You could always buy a bunch of individual chocolates from Ethel M to create your own gift basket at home, but that really takes away the convenience that other companies offer. Because of this lack of diversity, Ethel M has earned an average rating.
Harry & David has a long history that dates back to 1934. Their company started with Samuel Rosenberg, a successful hotel owner in Seattle, Washington who traded his hotel for 240 acres of pears in Southern Oregon. These orchards were later taken over by his sons, Harry and David, who pitched their famous pears on sales trips to San Francisco and New York as an ideal business gift. Since then, the company has grown to include all sorts of fruits and food gifts in their inventory, and they're proud to be one of the nation's earliest catalog mail order companies.
19 chocolate gift baskets
Chocolate gift baskets are just one of the many products offered by Harry & David. You can filter them by price range, occasion, and the type of gift container that they come in. However, since there are just 19 options in this particular category, it's just as easy to browse them all yourself and see which one catches your eye. Some are seasonal and best suited as a Christmas gift, with red, white, and green chocolates, gummies, and sprinkles. Others are more neutral and could be used for any event.
Plenty to enjoy
Some of the delicious chocolate items included in Harry & David gift baskets are chocolate-covered apples, chocolate-covered pretzel rods, chocolate nut clusters, caramel sandwich cookies, caramel bits bark, chocolate-covered cherries, milk chocolate malt balls, and more than we can even list here. Like some other chocolate gift basket companies, the more deluxe baskets at Harry & David come with upgrades like wine, hot chocolate, and other more decadent goodies.
Most baskets under $100
Chocolate gift baskets range from $59.99 to $159.99 here. Even the least expensive one is full of 9 different types of chocolate, so it seems well worth the cost. Most of the gifts are under $100, so it's a budget-friendly place to look for a chocolate basket. Shipping is not included in the pricing and can vary based on your location, but it will likely be around $17.99 for standard shipping, which we've seen from quite a few other places as well.
Members get free shipping
If you want to avoid paying shipping and like what you see from Harry & David or one of their sister stores (1-800-Flowers, Personalization Mall, Shari's Berries, Simply Chocolate, 1-800-Baskets, The Popcorn Factory, Wolferman's Bakery), it would be worth subscribing to their Celebrations Passport, a membership that costs $29.99 yearly and includes free shipping on all eligible items, eliminates service charges on 2-day orders, and unlocks exclusive rewards for you. If you make at least 2 purchases from Harry & David or another store in their family of brands, it would pay itself off to join the Celebrations Passport. Just be aware that not every single item qualifies for the Passport program, so double-check the chocolate gift basket you're thinking of sending before you sign up.
Satisfaction or they'll make it right
The refund/replacement policy from Harry & David is straightforward. If you or the recipient of your chocolate gift basket is unhappy for some reason, they'll make it right with either an appropriate replacement or a refund. All you have to do is contact them through their online chat system.
Positive reviews on their own site
There are up to hundreds of customer reviews on the different chocolate gift baskets from Harry & David on their website. Most of them are 5-star reviews with a few 4- and even 3-star ratings, but the overwhelming majority of people highly recommend Harry & David from what we saw. Be sure to read through the ratings on the gift basket you're about to buy, just to give you more insight about how it has gone over with gift recipients. The company has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, which is always what we like to see.
Downhill service
Unfortunately, when we looked at third-party sites for references to Harry & David's service and products, we found a much wider range of customer feedback. It seems that, most recently, people who have been buying here for years have become dissatisfied - with orders that never arrived, damaged products, and a hard time reaching customer service through their chat box. Orders that people paid extra to arrive on or before a certain date did not show up, and sometimes fruit or other items included in baskets had gone bad by the time they arrived. Although some people have no problems with ordering here, the general consensus is much more mixed when we look outside of Harry & David's website for feedback.
Could be risky
Overall, we like the variety from Harry & David's, but it's not worth the risk if you might pay for a chocolate gift basket that never shows up, is missing items, or comes with poor presentation. Since there are so many other fantastic places to buy chocolate gift baskets, this store has earned an average rating from us and nothing more.
Li-Lac Chocolates is proud to claim that they're Manhattan's oldest chocolate house. They recently celebrated 100 years in business and describe themselves as a long-established artisan chocolate company that specializes in small-batch, handmade chocolates and gifts. Their selection includes over 120 items, each made by hand in New York City. Whether you're looking for gift baskets, towers, or boxes, individual chocolate bars, chocolates made with specialty molds, or holiday gifts, Li-Lac Chocolates is where you'll find a little bit of everything.
Themed baskets
For pre-wrapped gift baskets that are ready to ship, Li-Lac Chocolates has a selection of 15 items. All of them are wrapped in some sort of purple packaging with a large purple bow, which is Li-Lac's signature look. The gift baskets come in themes for thank you gifts, birthday presents, new baby, Christmas, moving into a new home, and even one for those who love fashion that comes with a giant chocolate high heel shoe, purse, and lipstick set.
Signature and personalized chocolates
There are a couple of gift baskets that would work for any occasion that don't come wrapped up for an obvious theme. These signature baskets include treats like a box of french mints, a 7” champagne bottle made of chocolate, salted caramel squares, a boxed chocolate bar, chocolate espresso beans, chocolate tulips, and a chocolate butterfly. Some baskets include oversized chocolate almond bark (1 lb.) that can be personalized with the gift receiver's name on it, plus a chocolate champagne bottle and chocolate champagne glass.
Starting at $75
Chocolate gift baskets from Li-Lac Chocolates start at $75 for a new baby gift basket and go up to as much as $395 for the "Colossal Chocolate Basket” that includes 7 lbs. of chocolate made up of over 13 gifts. Li-Lac Chocolates offers some "bundle and save” discounts where you can add other products or gift baskets to your overall purchase and they'll be slightly discounted. For example, adding chocolate almond bark would be $41.40 instead of $46, or butter crunch would be $20.70 instead of $23. So, if you want to buy gifts for a few people, you might as well do a large order of multiple baskets and items and save a bit this way.
Protect your purchase
Flat-rate ground shipping for customers is $8 and express shipping is $16.95, which is really not too bad. To keep chocolates from melting during shipping, Li-Lac Chocolates says they suggest adding a cold pack to your order if you live in an area that will be above 75 degrees. For destinations outside of the New York tri-state area, it's recommended that you choose express shipping, since cold packs only provide 48 hours of chilling.
Happiness guarantee
Each order from Li-Lac is guaranteed to arrive at its destination in perfect condition. If you're not completely satisfied with the quality or freshness, the company requests that you contact them within 5 days of receiving your order and they'll replace it free of charge.
Few unfiltered customer reviews
Li-Lac Chocolates lets you leave unfiltered reviews on their website about their products. While we love this, it isn't super helpful as far as chocolate baskets go yet since there are only between 1 and 4 reviews on any given one. Some criticisms we saw were of large pieces of chocolate being broken into multiple pieces upon arrival, baskets that came looking somewhat different from what was shown online, or people feeling like there was a small quantity of chocolates for the price. Outside of this, people said the baskets were fun and they were pleased with them. However, we didn't find much as far as people mentioning freshness or taste. It's worth noting that the Better Business Bureau gives Li-Lac an "A+” rating, which is reassuring.
There are better options
There are some fun chocolate gift baskets to discover from Li-Lac, but we can't say we're really blown away by their selection. Few gift baskets come without a theme, so if you need something somewhat generic, there aren't a ton of choices here. Plus, reviews are mixed, so if we wanted to get the most value and have a reliable experience, we'd definitely turn to one of our highest-rated companies for a chocolate gift basket before ordering from Li-Lac Chocolates.
Lindt is a highly recognizable brand of chocolates that you might see when browsing your local grocery store and is included with many gift baskets online, even from other companies. The company's LINDOR recipe originated in 1949 and has been described as liquid gold. The name LINDOR combines the French word for gold ("or”) with Lindt. They're most well-known for their truffle balls that are surrounded by smooth, hard chocolate on the outside and filled with a specialty cream. Lindt makes chocolate bars, pralines, caramels, and other types of chocolates as well.
Few choices
There are 10 chocolate gift baskets you could choose from when shopping online from Lindt. But unfortunately for us, 4 of them were sold out at the time of our most recent visit, leaving us with just 6 choices. A few of them are seasonal, depending on the time of year you're shopping, but the rest would work for any occasion. They each have a different variety of treats, so you'll have to scan through what's included with each basket to see what would most appeal to the person you're sending the gift to. An example of what you might see includes different varieties of chocolate bars (Swiss bittersweet, milk chocolate hazelnut, white chocolate classic, caramel with sea salt, 70% cocoa), assorted LINDOR caramels, luxury boxed chocolates, and more.
Free shipping on orders over $65
Since Lindt will ship orders for free if you spend over $65, quite a few of the chocolate gift baskets will qualify. Prices range from $41.99 (for a holiday set that was out of stock when we were shopping) to $129.46 for the Chocolate Lover's Gift Basket that luckily was in stock. There are a few choices under $65, so why not throw in a few additional chocolates for yourself or someone else to hit that free shipping mark?
All orders are final sale
There is a hard line drawn on returns and exchanges from Lindt. The company simply states that everything is final sale and there are no returns or exchanges accepted whatsoever. Depending on the destination, orders might include cold packs to ensure that the chocolate does not melt during transit. Otherwise, the company confidently states that they carefully package all orders, so you shouldn't have any issues with breakage or spoilage. (Which naturally leaves us asking "but what if we do?”)
Heavy criticisms
Lindt receives an "A+” score from the Better Business Bureau. It appears that customers can leave reviews for the gift baskets they purchase online, but all of the product listings say that none have been submitted. When we turned to third-party sites, we found some frightening reviews about lawsuits rolling in from a few states over the high levels of cadmium and lead found in Lindt's chocolates. Others said that orders were often delayed, customer service was difficult to work with, and other similar stories. We realize this is not a full reflection of the company as a whole, but we found more issues from customers during their dealings with Lindt than we did with other competing chocolate companies, and we've weighed that heavily in our rating of Lindt.
Choose another company
One good thing about this company is that since most of us have tried Lindt chocolates before, it's a good way to gauge if this is the type of chocolate you want to send. You likely know the quality, texture, and some of the flavors, so it makes it a little easier to select a chocolate gift basket here than from what you'd find somewhere else. Unfortunately, there are few chocolate gift basket choices to select from at Lindt, and customer reviews nearly have us running for the hills. We'd definitely choose another company over Lindt when buying a chocolate gift basket online.
We've seen chocolate gift baskets that include chocolate drizzled popcorn, chocolate crisped rice bars, biscuits, chocolate bars and truffles, chocolate wafers, brownie bites, chocolate covered pretzels, cookies, chocolate-covered fruit, and so much more. Not only can you get a delectable variety of chocolate treats from gourmet shops online in a gift basket, but the great thing about it is that it's also pre-wrapped beautifully for you.
There's no worrying about arranging the assortment of chocolates in a pretty container, finding cellophane wrap or ribbons, or having one more present to wrap around the holidays. Chocolate gift baskets come perfectly arranged without any hassle on your end. You could have it delivered to your home so you can give it to a loved one in person or arrange for the company to mail the gift basket straight to your chosen recipient.
You can definitely spend quite a bit of money on a chocolate gift basket if you want to go all out, but you don't have to. Depending on the size of the basket and what's included, you could spend as little as $30 for an assortment of truffles or nearly $200 for a robust gift with chocolate covered almonds, truffles, caramels, chocolate clusters, wine, champagne, and other high-end treats. There is a good variety of gift baskets available, so whatever your budget is, you should be able to find something delicious.
When deciding which company you should buy a chocolate gift basket from, take the following things into consideration:
The experts at Top Consumer Reviews have researched the best places to purchase a chocolate gift basket online. We've gone above and beyond to give you a comprehensive overview of all your options. We're confident that these insights will help you choose a company that provides the exact type of chocolate gift basket you would be excited to give to a family member or friend.
Select any 2 Chocolate Gift Baskets to compare them head to head