The Good: Not unhealthy, Comparatively inexpensive
The Bad: Environmentally irresponsible packaging, Terrible taste, Aftertaste
The Basics: Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets No Sugar Added cocoa is arguably the worst cocoa in their product line.
Every now and then, I find myself doing something that I would classify (benignly) as “uncharacteristically ridiculous.” Stocking up on Swiss Miss No Sugar Added hot cocoa when it was on clearance would easily be one of those events. And yet, recently, when the local grocery store was putting all sorts of hot chocolate on clearance, I picked up two boxes of No Sugar Added and a canister as well (I recall it quite clearly, I said to myself, “I’m always panning products that are not environmentally responsible; if I use the canister, I can eliminate that argument.”).
Creating the Swiss Miss No Sugar Added cocoa from the canister does not improve it in any way. I have not had a cocoa this bad since Forelli’s (reviewed here!). All that saved this cocoa from a similarly dismal rating was the fact that this, while unpalatable, did not make me feel ill to drink.
Basics
Swiss Miss No Sugar Added mix is a hot chocolate mix put out by Swiss Miss as part of their Sensible Sweets line. The box of hot cocoa packets is a pretty standard 4.4 oz. box, containing eight .55 ounce packets of hot cocoa. Swiss Miss created a disturbingly sour hot drink with the No Sugar Added flavor. When hot water or milk is combined with the powder, it makes a lackluster drink that does not become more flavorful as it cools.
Ease Of Preparation
Swiss Miss No Sugar Added mix is very easy to prepare, as most hot cocoa products are. Because each packet in the box is a single serving, one need only have a mug large enough to accommodate the powdered mix and some water with a little room for mixing it around. Because the powder has some mass to it before it is dissolved, I recommend using an 8 oz. mug.
Preparation is simple; empty the contents of a single packet from the box of eight into an eight ounce mug. Bring a pot of water to a near-boil - the No Sugar Added does not require boiling water, just very hot water. Boiling the water does not cook the powder, so if one does boil the water, there is no adverse consequence to the beverage. Once the water is hot, simply pour six fluid ounces of water over the powder and stir it up. It is simple to transform the powder into a beverage.
Taste
Swiss Miss No Sugar Added smells like little more than hot water with a somewhat heady steam. This hot cocoa does not smell particularly like anything even remotely chocolate-flavored, instead bearing the aroma of warm milk. This is hardly a warming or inviting scent and it prepares the consumer for a thoroughly underwhelming taste experience.
On that, the Sensible Sweets No Sugar Added hot cocoa does not disappoint! The No Sugar Added cocoa roles over the tongue with an initially dry, chocolate flavor . . .that quickly turns sour. In fact, the type of sour is a very particular one; this tastes like a sugar substitute’s sourness and that is utterly unpleasant. This beverage has all of the charm of curdled milk, despite the potential health benefits.
The No Sugar Added hot cocoa leaves the mouth dry and craving something better to drink. The only way I have found to salvage this beverage is by adding a flavor shot.
Nutrition
Swiss Miss No Sugar Added is a not-really-chocolate flavored drink that might seek to improve your health by encouraging consumers to avoid drinking it! One serving - a single packet - has only 60 calories, ten of which are from fat. Despite being a No Sugar Added drink, this not carb free; it has 11 carbohydrates. This No Sugar Added hot cocoa has no cholesterol or any vitamin or mineral nutrients, outside calcium (30% of the RDA!) and Iron (a mere 6% RDA), and it has 160 mg of sodium. This is not a food to try to live off of.
It is hardly a surprise that Swiss Miss No Sugar Added is not a nutritious food product considering that the primary ingredients are modified whey, nonfat milk, and cocoa. For those with allergies, it is noted on the package that the powder contains milk and there is no notation that this is gluten-free or kosher. It is not Vegan-compliant, obviously.
Storage/Clean-up
Swiss Miss No Sugar Added mix is ridiculously easy to store and clean up. Because the packets are individual servings and self-contained, as long as one does not store the packets in a wet environment, they will last. My box of cocoa, purchased in late March 2012, has an expiration date of December 23 2013, but it is hard to imagine this would not last past the expiration date so long as the packets inside are kept cool and dry. Outside them tasting gross, I’m not sure why these were on clearance!
Cleaning up Swiss Miss No Sugar Added mix is easy, as it is a powder which may be easily brushed up. If one spills it after it is mixed with water, it is highly likely to stain lighter fabrics and one ought to consult one's fabric guide for cleaning if that happens. Mugs, though, clean right out with hot water as this fluid does not stain ceramics.
Overall
Swiss Miss No Sugar Added is not worth trying, not worth consuming and certainly not worth stocking up on.
For other Swiss Miss hot chocolate reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Sensible Sweets Fat Free
Indulgent Collection Mocha Cappuccino
Indulgent Collection French Vanilla
1/10
For other food reviews, please visit my index page!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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