Value for money: St Valentine's Day chocolates

Thornton's Continental selection €15.50 for 300g, €51.66 per kg

HIGHS:These chocolates are the cheapest of the bunch but don't look it. There are 17 varieties in the box, the quality of chocolate on offer is perfectly fine – if not stunning – and the presentation manages to be romantic without being tacky

LOWS: People – including Price Watch– who aren't keen on white chocolate should be warned that there's a lot of it in this box

VERDICTCheap and cheerful

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Ladurée Coeur Dentelle Chocolat Noir

€23 for 95g, €240.10 per kilo

HIGHS: The smallest box of chocolates we tried and by far the classiest and most romantic. The latticed heart-shaped chocolate in the tastefully pink box looks cute and when the heart is broken, six or seven gorgeous chocolates spill out

LOWS: The price is not as nice – although maybe St Valentine's Day is one day when pushing the boat out on price is a good idea

VERDICT: Ridiculously expensive but lovely

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Lindt Lindor

€7.95 for 150g, €53 per kg

HIGHS: This small box of chocolates should be easy to track down as it is widely available. It is filled with 12 wrapped milk chocolate truffles which taste okay and it is quite cheap

LOWS: Looks a little on the cheap side. The box and the chocolates do not scream romance and we thought the chocolate was bland and a bit sweet

VERDICT: A bit dull

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Butler's Chocolates

€30 for 435g, €68.96 per kg

HIGHS:If your loved one likes chocolate in a heart-shaped velvet box then you won't go far wrong with this. There are loads of chocolates covering all the bases from dark, to white to truffle

LOWS: Dangerously close to being tacky and unless you're very keen on chocolates, there might be too many in the box – although the company also has more modestly-sized options

VERDICT: Dear and tacky

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