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The original was posted on /r/icecreamery by /u/markhalliday8 on 2025-05-30 20:11:39+00:00.

TL;DR:

Tested multiple chocolate gelato combos with double-blind taste tests. 5.5% cocoa was the sweet spot, and the winning recipe combined cocoa powder + chocolate for richer flavour. All 5 tasters preferred it. It’s also cheaper if using quality chocolate. Full breakdowns, tests, and recipes below. 🍫🍨

In my quest to create the ultimate gelato, having just conquered white chocolate, I turned my attention to regular chocolate. But I had a flurry of questions bouncing around my brain:

• What’s the best cocoa percentage?
• Which cocoa powder tastes best?
• Is chocolate better than cocoa powder?
• Or is it the combo that wins?

Time to find out.

Test 1: Cocoa Percentage Face-Off

For this trial, I used a 50/50 mix of Cacao Barry Extra Brute and Valrhona cocoa powder, adjusting only the cocoa amount to test different cocoa percentages.

Base recipe (680g total, 9% fat, 21% sugar):

5 percent Cocoa

Total weight:680g

✅ Each variation had:

• Cocoa percentages from 4% to 7%
• Double-blind testing
• Five blindfolded tasters

Results:

Every single person preferred between 5% and 6% cocoa, with the sweet spot appearing to be 5.5%. Texture? No noticeable difference across the board.

Test 2: The Battle of the Cocoa Brands

Using the exact same base (with 5.5% cocoa), I compared:

• Van Houten
• Valrhona
• Cacao Barry Extra Brute
• Valrhona + Cacao Barry (50/50 mix)

Results:

4 out of 5 picked the Valrhona + Cacao Barry Extra Brute mix as their favourite.

1 picked Cacao Barry solo.

The blend had more chocolate depth—less bitter, more “fudgy.” It felt richer and more indulgent.

Test 3: Cocoa Powder vs Chocolate vs Both

Now for the final round. I wanted to test:

• Lindt 70% chocolate only
• vs. Cocoa powder + Lindt chocolate (same total cocoa, fat, and sugar)

🧪 Chocolate-Only Recipe (500g):

8.5% fat • 22% sugar • 5.6% cocoa

🧪 Cocoa + Chocolate Recipe (500g):

8.5% fat • 22% sugar • 5.6% cocoa

Conclusion:

The Cocoa + Chocolate recipe was the clear winner.

• All five blind tasters preferred it.
• It had a deeper, more complex chocolate flavour.
• It was less bitter, more balanced, and surprisingly rich.
• It’s also cheaper if you’re using quality chocolate, since you don’t need as much of it to get depth.

So if you’re after ultimate chocolate gelato: combine cocoa and chocolate—they bring out the best in each other.

Feel free to comment with any ideas, feedback, or general discussion!

I’d love to hear if anyone else is experimenting with gelato too—or if this helps you in your own chocolatey quest. Hopefully this post saves someone a few failed batches (and a few quid too). 🍫🍨

Edit: I bloom the cocoa and milk together at 70 degrees and add the chocolate as it starts to cool before using a sieve to transfer it into a bowl which is cooked in and ice bath and chilled overnight for the maximum flavour.

Edit 2: stabiliser https://amzn.eu/d/e8eX54T It’s a pre made mixture of the following: Locust Bean Gum (E410), Fatty Acids (E471), Guar Gum (E412), Sodium Alginate (E401), Agar Agar (E406)

Edit 3: Adding a vanilla bean also enhances the flavour. Some people are suggesting espresso powder, although I could not buy this to test it.