If you want a hot chocolate with a pronounced cocoa flavour without putting together the whole recipe, compare the cocoa percentages listed on sweetened powders: Poulain states 70% for Grand Arôme Intense, while the Intense powder reviewed at Auchan contains 32%. If you’d rather control the sugar and cocoa yourself to go with dessert, choose an unsweetened 100% cocoa powder instead, and plan to add milk and prepare the drink separately.
You want to share a cup with a pronounced cocoa character, without relying on the word “intense” alone. The cocoa percentage listed in the ingredients gives you a useful benchmark, which you can check against the recipe and preparation instructions.
You’d rather tailor your drink to the dessert and milk you’ve chosen. Unsweetened 100% cocoa lets you add sugar separately, but you’ll need to prepare the drink rather than simply measure out a sweetened powder.
You’re looking for a ready-sweetened powder that’s easy to measure. Even so, check the ingredients and sugars per 100 g: a claim such as “extra choco” doesn’t tell you the full story about what’s in it.
Choose this if: you want to make two cups without measuring the cocoa and sugar separately.
Bear in mind: the cocoa content and sweetness depend on the recipe you buy, even if it’s labelled “intense”.
Choose this if: you want to control the milk, cocoa and any sugar you add.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to mix and heat the drink; this isn’t a ready-sweetened mix.
| Criterion | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa flavour | Check the cocoa percentage and ingredient list rather than assuming “intense” tells you what’s in the product. | To finish dinner with a cup that has a bold cocoa flavour, I want to know what’s in it before choosing. Around 42% of consumers would put this cocoa flavour at the top of their list. |
| Controlling the sugar | Compare the sugars per 100 g of dry powder and look for added sugar in the ingredients. | If dessert is already sweet, I’d rather decide how sweet my drink should be. Around 33% of consumers would make this control their priority. |
| Sweetness and preparation | Check whether the powder is already sweetened or is pure cocoa, and look at the recommended amount to use with milk. | I want to serve a sweet cup easily, without preparing each ingredient separately. Around 25% of consumers would prioritise this simplicity and sweetness. |
These claims can describe very different recipes: Poulain states that Grand Arôme Intense contains 70% cocoa, Auchan’s Intense powder contains 32%, and Banania Original contains 19%. For Nesquik Extra-Choco, the product details viewed at Auchan state 32%, while the ingredient list gives 23%.
Check the product name and ingredient list on the pack you’re buying, especially when the information in the product description doesn’t match.
Auchan Intense powder, with 32% cocoa, contains 68 g of sugars per 100 g of product. Auchan’s unsweetened 100% cocoa contains 1.9 g of sugars per 100 g, but you’ll need to make the drink yourself.
Compare the figures per 100 g and decide whether you’d prefer a ready-sweetened recipe or cocoa to which you can add sugar if you wish.
Nutrition figures for a prepared drink include the added ingredients. For Poulain Grand Arôme Intense, Carambar & Co gives a preparation using 15 g of powder and 200 ml of semi-skimmed milk.
To compare two powders, start with their figures per 100 g of dry product. Then check the figures per cup if the preparation recipes are comparable.
Depending on the product, the Auchan powders and cocoa featured may carry a warning that they could contain traces of allergens. A recipe that suits your preferred taste won’t necessarily meet everyone’s dietary requirements.
If this applies to either of you, check the ingredients and any precautionary allergen warnings on the pack you choose.
Poulain states that Grand Arôme Intense cocoa powder contains 70% cocoa and should be prepared with milk.
The products featured by Auchan include both a ready-sweetened Intense powder with 32% cocoa and unsweetened 100% cocoa.
Equador Unsweetened Pure Cocoa is a good choice if you want to choose the milk and any sugar separately.
Its cocoa-based mixes are another option if you want a ready-sweetened recipe rather than pure cocoa.
Original is a chocolate drink powder made with ingredients including cocoa and cereals, rather than pure cocoa to measure out yourself.
These chocolate drink powders could be prepared with milk for dinner for two. Compare the recipe for each size with the information on the pack: the Poulain products below are two distinct versions, and the percentage in the name of Van Houten VH2 needs careful checking.
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This powder contains sugar, so it could suit you if you want to make a cocoa drink without adding sugar separately. Before serving, check the pack for the cocoa percentage, sugars per 100 g, recommended serving amount and allergen information.
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This powder contains sugar and is an option if you prefer a ready-sweetened mix. Don’t assume it has the same recipe as the 400 g pack just because of its name: compare the ingredients, sugars per 100 g and recommended serving amount on each pack.
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This powder is designed for making a drink with hot milk. The “34%” in its name refers to one component of the recipe, not an established cocoa content for the product as a whole, so don’t compare it directly with the percentages on other powders. The recipe contains milk and may contain nuts; check the pack’s allergen information if this matters to anyone you’re serving.
No. In France, displaying the Nutri-Score is voluntary, according to Santé publique France. Whether or not it appears on the pack, check the ingredients, sugars and nutrition information when comparing two recipes.
Compare their sugar figures per 100 g of dry powder. A figure given for a cup made with milk also includes the contribution from the other ingredients, so it isn’t directly comparable with 100 g of powder.
No. You’ll need to make the drink with milk and add sugar separately if you want to. For its 100% cocoa, Auchan recommends mixing the powder with milk, then heating gently while stirring. Check the allergen information for the product you choose, too.