Visiting a chocolate maker’s workshop reveals how much craft goes into creating something most people unwrap without thinking twice. Small-batch chocolate makers source beans carefully, roast them precisely, and control every step of the process in ways industrial producers never could.
The bean-to-bar movement has brought transparency and quality to chocolate production, with artisan makers opening their doors to show exactly how they work. Here is a list of 15 artisan chocolate makers to tour.
Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco
Dandelion operates a factory and café in San Francisco’s Mission District, where visitors can watch the entire chocolate-making process through large windows. The company sources beans from single-origin farms and roasts small batches daily.
Their tasting experiences walk participants through flavor profiles from different regions, making the differences between beans unmistakably clear.
Askinosie Chocolate in Springfield, Missouri
This Springfield-based company travels directly to farmers in Tanzania, Ecuador, and the Philippines to source beans. The factory offers tours showing their vintage equipment and explaining their direct-trade relationships…