Valentine's Day: Tips on buying chocolates, flowers and more

Still can't decide what to get for that special someone? With Valentine's Day just around the corner, time is quickly running out. Fortunately, there are plenty of options available, from premium chocolates, to flowers, to tiny electronic baubles. Some of our top picks: 

Chocolates
Our expert taste-testers checked out a range of chocolates, from Target's Choxie brand to French import La Maison du Chocolat. The results? While we can't divulge our full Ratings here (though you can look them up if you're a subscriber to ConsumerReports.org), we can tell you that our Quick Recommendations include sweets from Candinas, La Maison du Chocolat, Jacques Torre and Norman Love Confections (all rated Excellent). Looking for a bargain? Stay away from supermarket mainstays Hershey's, Russell Stover and Whitman's. Our tasters found offerings from these brands to be "quite sweet, not very chocolaty, [with] artificial flavors." One budget brand did make the cut, though: See's, the West Coast company known for its retro stores (not to mention its famous sugar daddy, Warren Buffet), got a Very Good rating, on par with more upscale mass-market brands such as Godiva and Leonidas. See's was also ranked a Best Buy, thanks to its price of about $14 for a one-pound assortment. As for Target's offering, our tasters ranked them as Good, on par with the supermarket brands. 

More from ConsumerReports.org: 

• Dandy candy (free) 
• Quick Recommendations (subscribers only) 
• Ratings (subscribers only)

Flowers
We've reviewed a number of online florists over the past several years, and have come across some good deals — along with some reliability problems. In our latest report, for example, we placed several orders with Jungle Roses. In one case, we ordered pink roses, and received a box with red ones. In another, we ordered red roses, and received yellow ones. ProFlowers, on the other hand, was more reliable, had better quality flowers, and, at $40 a dozen, vs. $128 at Jungle Roses, was significantly cheaper as well. In an earlier report by Consumer Reports Money Adviser newsletter, Hallmark.com got high marks for both value and for delivering flowers that actually looked like those that were pictured online. However, FTD.com delivered the nicest bouquet. Our recommendation: Since many of the online florists — including FTD.com, 1800Flowers.com and Teleflora.com — fulfill their orders through local stores, you may be better off working directly with a reliable local florist. That way, you'll know exactly what you're getting. However, if you're ordering for a long-distance lover, the services that use a central packager (Hallmark.com and ProFlowers.com) may provide a more predictable — if less creatively arranged — result.

More from ConsumerReports.org:

• Mail-order flowers (free) 
• Keeping flowers fresh (subscribers only)

Other

If you want to give a gift that goes beyond the traditional chocolates and flowers, here are some ideas from recent reports:

• Wine - We reviewed 14 zinfandels and 22 chardonnays last December. You can find some of our top picks here. 
• iPods - Apple's latest iPod shuffle now comes in hot colors, and can be engraved with a short love note. We liked the shuffle's diminutive size, handy clip and simple controls. 
• Food Baskets - We liked the offerings from several mail-order food companies, many of which include fruits, cheeses and sweets. Order one, and invite your paramour to a private Valentine's Day picnic.

— Marc Perton