What to avoid

Definitely do not store dark chocolate in a freezer. And a refrigerator should only be used as a last resort—for example, if you live in a hot place and don’t have air conditioning.

Options for hot climate

If you live in a hot place and don’t have air conditioning, you can store your chocolate in a refrigerator or a wine cooler; in this case, we advise you to first put the package of chocolate inside a ziplock bag, to protect it from moisture.

General advice

If you live in a home where the indoor temperature doesn’t exceed 24° C (75° F), the best thing to do is simply store your chocolate at room temperature, in a dry place that is protected from sunlight and other strong odors. For example, in a cupboard.

Dark chocolate likes to be stored within the temperature range of 12-22° C (53-72° F), and temperatures as high as 25° C (77° F) are usually fine. The official melting point of dark chocolate is around 30° C (86° F).

We have also had success storing our bars in a wine cooler that has an option to reduce humidity/moisture. Generally speaking, most solutions that are suitable for storage of a fine wine will also be suitable for fine chocolate.

Perhaps the question is how long you can wait?

Officially, the shelf life of dark chocolate is two years. Unofficially, it should last much longer than that - there are documented reports of dark chocolate still being edible after 100 years of storage. We have chocolate bars that have been stored in our office for us to six years, that are still in excellent condition. But we don’t recommend waiting that long to eat your chocolate.

Read about our storage recommendations.

You don't have too much to worry about but chocolate is best enjoyed in the present

From a health and safety perspective, it will still be viable to eat for several years. From a flavor and aroma perspective, it’s best to eat it within a week or so of opening the bar. After several weeks (even months), the chocolate will still retain a surprising amount of its original flavor and aroma, but it won’t be as strong. The best way to prolong the flavor and aroma after opening a bar is to store it in a ziplock bag at room temperature. This can help maintain flavors and aromas for months.

For the record, there are documented reports of dark chocolate still being edible after 100 years. As part of our own experiment, we have chocolate bars that have been stored in our office for up to six years, and they are still in excellent condition.

View our more detailed storage instructions.

How should I store my chocolate?

Does your chocolate have an expiration date?

Once I open a bar of To'ak how long will it keep?