Once upon a time, Russell Stover has no plastic tray and more candy...
I have been buying and eating Russell Stover chocolates for about 40 years if not longer. In fact, when my husband and I were dating, I already had a strong preference for Russell Stover candy for quite a few years. So when he bought me Whitman’s chocolates for Valentine‘s Day, I made it clear that I only eat Russell Stover. The next time Valentine’s day rolled around and he forgot and bought Whitman’s chocolate again. I told him to give them to his mother because I only eat Russell Stover. Eventually he caught on.
A couple of years ago Russell Stover joined the incredibly shrinking products era. They shrunk their one pound box of chocolates to 12 ounces, but the price remained the same. You would be surprised at how a loss of 3 ounces affected the number of chocolates in the box and the variety. It was a big difference! I was annoyed and complained and vented about the change. I would rather they had kept the size the same and raised the price. The size of the box actually remained the same, even with less chocolate because they devised a plastic tray to fit inside for the 12 ounces of candy so that the missing space was filled by the tray. I felt like they were making a fool out of me.
Why am I complaining about this now? Well this Thanksgiving, as my brother does for every holiday, he bought me a box of Russell Stover. My brother knows how much I love their chocolate. So after dinner and doing the dishes, I sat down and picked out my favorite pieces. There were two maple filled chocolates in the box. I ate the first one and thought, something is not quite right. I ate the second one and thought something is definitely not right with the taste. It was inferior to what I remembered the last 40 years. I decided to have one last piece, a coconut candy, how could they ruin coconut? Well they did. The have done something to the recipes. The quality is noticeably inferior to what it has always been. I commented out loud about my feelings. My brothers responds that he thought the taste wasn’t quite right either. Again, the price did not go down, just the quality.
I just got done writing to Russell Stover voicing my complaints about the size of the box and the inferior taste. Now I will add them to my pet peeves and I can say that I will not buy or eat any more Russell Stover. If I want a piece of chocolate, I will have an Almond Joy, a Hershey with almonds, Raisinettes, or some peanut M&Ms. They still have the same taste and quality and satisfy my craving for chocolate quite well.
This is very disappointing to me. Nothing changes for the better, only the worse. Companies are only interested in profits and the hell with customer satisfaction and product quality. Oh well, it was good while it lasted. Good bye Russell Stover!
I too used to love Russell Stover because it was the candy my mom ate & gave me. Now it tastes like plastic or box flavor. It is really hard to find a piece unless it is individually wrapped and not in a box that tastes like candy. I haven't complained to the company but, I am extremely picky and I keep getting a box here and there praying it was just "bad" but the flavor of the product is compromised. I don't like the candy in the box anymore :(
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for confirming my opinion. I have also had several more boxes (I can't stop my brother from buying them for me) and the taste has been permanently compromised. I'm am sure they are using inferior ingredients as well as shrinking the weight of the box to maximize profits!
ReplyDeleteI am glad I found this post.
ReplyDeleteI just bought 3 boxes of assorted creams.
I opened a box and picked out a few favorites.
I immediately got a bitter taste.
it was so strong it over powered any filling flavor.
It was just a mixed muddy bitter taste.
what a shame.
I thought it was just me.
I tried a piece the next day and it was the same bitter waxy taste.
how can you mess up chocolates?
I will be avoiding R.S chocolates in the future.
Bummer!!!!!!!
RUSSELL STOVER CHOCOLATES ARE HORRIBLE!!! We got a box for Christmas and MAN are they gross. The cream fillings are all sugar and the chocolate is of disgustingly low quality. The overall candy is one huge bomb of overpowering, artificial saccharine sweetness that makes you want to gulp down a gallon of water. NEVER getting this brand; it's a good thing we got it as a gift.
ReplyDeleteWe used to always celebrate with a Whitman's sampler. Russell Stover bought Whitman's in 1993 and slowly phased out the distinction. Now, the yellow sampler box if full of those new, terrible Russell Stover replacement chocolates. You can't buy RS, Whitman's, or Pangburn's without getting a box full of chemical taste.
ReplyDeleteI received a box for Valentine's day. Held off eating a piece until a night who and choked on a piece of plastic. It was about half the size of my fingernail. I just sent a email to them to let them know I am extremely unhappy. I should not choke on something that I thought would bring me joy.
ReplyDeleteyes they are bad and now smaller too! Fanny Mae has done the same thing !! Where are all the good chocolates of yesterday ??????
ReplyDeletegone with everything else I guess��
I used to work at RSC & I quit eating their candy within 6 months of working there. Oh, the stories I could tell you about why their candies taste different.
ReplyDeleteThis really bothers me, RSC use to be the absoloute best, but now its full of the nastiest unhealthy ingredients I would love to hear the stories of why they stop producing quality chocolate. ,
ReplyDeleteI just got a small box for Christmas. It had 4 little chocolates in them. I picked out the coconut one as that is my favorite ingredient and as I was chewing I noticed a strange taste, plastic type, chemical, not rancid to me but the taste was definitely off. I spit it out in a tissue. I looked at the bottom of the other chocolates and it was white like when chocolate gets very old. There was no expiry dated on the box. I would love to know why these chocolates taste like plastic and chemicals. Now I have stomach pain and I know it's related.
ReplyDeleteRussell Stover, Whitman's, Elmer's, Hershey's pot o gold-- crap, bad, horrible, worse.
ReplyDeleteStay away from these good awful, stale drug store "candies" and get yourselves (and especially the people you love) a box of Godiva chocolates. They are the only brand that still has flavor and actually tastes like chocolate because they actually use real cocoa and lots of it.
Just got a box for Christmas and the chocolate has a chemical taste almost. It's gross! Blech!
ReplyDeleteI just tasted a piece in Whitman's chocolate samplers. Very chemically taste to it, like frieken windex! I looked it up to complain and found that Russell Stover owns them, figures. Disgusting taste, the whole box is a waste. We got it for Christmas too. This sucks. I will never buy Russell Stover's or their brands.
ReplyDeleteAll of this is good to know. I was going to buy some valentine chocolates for the grandkids but now, I'm going to the local candy maker and buy them there. I know I'll pay more but I'm sure the taste will be worth it!
ReplyDeleteI recommend See's candy. Just go to www.sees.com. It's not cheap but man is it good.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with everything here. My Grandma and Mother used to buy nothing but Russell Stover. The downsizing and nasty aftertaste (The person that called it Windex is close.) have stopped me from buying their "candies." I think See's the the best now, and I am fortunate to live within 7 miles of a See's store.
ReplyDeleteOh, something I don't see mentioned is how they downsized the candy Easter eggs. I remember how they changed the way they wrap them to disguise how much they had been downsized. I feel deceived and refuse to support such sleazy tactics. I would have preferred the same size and quality for a higher price. Also, they did away with the green coconut and pink strawberry Easter eggs. Those were really good and I liked how they came in clear wrappers. Interesting how none of their Easter eggs can be seen in the packages now.
I was just poking around the interwebs to see if anyone else had noticed that Russell Stover, which used to be delicious, is completely inedible now. Too much sugar, too little flavor. The sugar and the chemicals irritate my throat so bad I just end up so thirsty. It is a shame because they used to be my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI am a former RSC employee who was poisoned by them. Once they robbed me of my health, they fired me claiming "We know you're not happy here". Of course I wasn't happy - they literally destroyed my health.
ReplyDeleteIf you Google OSHA fines Russell Stover Candies, you will find the reason their candy has a chemical taste. The 2 main plants that made candy for RSC, (Corsicana, Tx. & Iola, KS) were both fined by OSHA for exposing employees to toxic chemicals & destroying sewer pipes because they were washing the toxic crap down the drains. Any chemical that can literally destroy sewer pipes & affect employees health can also affect the candy that you eat. I would also like to remind those who buy RSC candies, is that they not only make RSC, but also Whitmans' & Pangburn's.
Phew glad it's not me.. I always buy pot of gold but got Russell for Christmas.. Tastes plastic and smokey? Wtf these are gross
ReplyDeleteI received a giant box of Russell Stover Chocolates for Christmas. They used to be so good, but I just threw away the box more than half-full. I agree with the chemical taste, it actually tasted like sewer water. Disgusting!
ReplyDeleteI got a box as a gift and threw the box out. I thought they were stale. Will never eat them again.
ReplyDeleteActually I googled Whitman Sampler shrunk way down to 12 pieces, also the same big box with plastic inlayed & lots of room around them. Can't find weight on box only says 12 pieces. RIP OFF.
ReplyDeleteYes RS used to be good, but now See's is best.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's just that I preferred Hershey's (and other brands) of chocolate over Russell Stover's, but I haven't liked them for quite a few years now. I used to like them back in the 80s and I'm not sure exactly when I started disliking them... Maybe around the late 80s/early 90s? I always thought the milk chocolate tasted weird, like with a strange fruity/chemical taste. This became more noticeable as the years went on, and definitely in the past 10-15 years. Every time I'd get RS as a gift from family or friends, I'd literally groan. I liked the dark chocolate pieces better, but still found them to be low quality. I won't touch them anymore. I actually like Whitman's better (though I agree their quality has declined too), so it was a bit of a surprise to learn RS makes them as well. A friend from Arizona sent me a box of See's candy once and I loved it. We don't have any of their shops around here, they're just sold in some of my local dept stores. But I'd rather get them or Godiva. Shame what's happened to RS.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago I got a craving for an exotic box of chocolates. Bought a box of Russel Stover. Bah, disgusting gross taste in every piece. Figured I bought the wrong brand and bought another box, this time Whitman's. GAH! Same gross taste what is going on? I inspect the package carefully and low and behold they are made by the same company! Sold side by side as if competing but they are identical in grossness!
ReplyDeleteFast forward to this Christmas, someone gives me a box. I'm three pieces in and I just cant go on, each piece is worse than the last. I wish I could find a quality variety chocolate sold commercially. I honestly don't know how they are still in business selling that garbage all these years. I'd rather eat burnt toast than Russel Stover chocolates.
Like many others my parents ate Whitmans for years and now they inflate the tray so theres only one instead of two with the same exact prices? Never, ever, will I purchase any Whitman product of any kind.
ReplyDeleteThere's a reason I found this blog... googled Whitman's chocolate taste. Both my hubby and I have noticed a tongue-tingling acidic taste the last few years, and again this year. Hubby doesn't want me to "test" any other pieces for fear I'll get sick!
ReplyDeleteJust tried a Russell Stover chocolate and couldn't believe how "off" it tasted. Googled "Bad Tasting Russell Stover Chocolates" and came across this blog post. Absolutely agree with everyone commenting on the weird, chemical flavour of these chocolates. It's like a mix of chlorine and dirt...quite gross.
ReplyDeleteJust threw away a whole box of Whitmans - they were soooo gross. Tasted like chemicals and plastic. Never again. Same with Russel Stover. YUK!
ReplyDeleteRS definitely have downsized their package of individual chocolates. Package now only has 5 pieces of chocolate for the same price and it used to fill my candy dish - now it only half fills it. :(
ReplyDeleteThese taste awful. Spit it out and I will throw out the whole box. YUKKK!
ReplyDeleteWrote a letter to the company, also spoke to them on the phone and they denied changing recipe. WHAT LIERS. Just read ingredients Artifical sweeteners and who knows what isn't listed. It might take some time but their profits will show them were not as stupid as they think. I don't know what's worse their ignorance or arrogance.
ReplyDeletewhen I was a kid we always got the strawberry hearts and it was a real treat. They hearts used to have 140 calories and now they only have 120 calories so yes they have downsized. I agree that the taste is not as good as it used to be.
ReplyDeleteThe last day I got sick from eating them. I ate 2 today just to see and I'm sick again. I don't know why this candy is making me ill. But it was a mother's day gift and it ruined my day, I was in the bathroom. Ug.
ReplyDeleteJust got some for christmass and taste like chemicals. What the heck how can they be in business.
ReplyDeleteThere has to be someone that will test these . This can't be good.
Anyone remember the pink chocolates in the chocolate assortment box? I never had one since it was reserved by my mom. Wish they'd bring it back along with the green coconut nests.
ReplyDeleteI find it humorous that you turned your nose up st Whitman's because it's frothe same company as Russell stover. They are one in the same. Also I find that Russell stover is like the advent calendar chocolate when it comes to taste. There is much better quality than cheap chocolate.
ReplyDeleteI just got a box of Russell Stover from my husband for Valentine's Day. I haven't had them for at least a decade, so I was interested to see how they were. I was very disappointed in the small assortment. The good news is that with the internet, we all have access to little candy shops all over the world. I got my hubby a sampler from a shop in LA called Sixth Course. A little more expensive overall, but you get what you pay for. He absolutely loved them and was in heaven. Don't be drawn in to this cheap, hyper sweet chemical chocolate just because the boxes are cute and festive. Life is too short to settle for bad chocolate.
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember the pink, green and yellow chocolates in the assortment box.
ReplyDeleteI used to LOVE Russell Stover candies--always looked forward to the Easter Candies--oh they were the best! but for the past few years--they are horrible! no one buys them. maybe the company is a tax write off
ReplyDeleteI think we that know better need to quit buying this stuff. The days of quality are gone. Money grubbers. Inferior, smaller, and same price. It's awful to remember these days and see what's happening today.
ReplyDeleteIf you go to the Russell Stover website, you can get a box of whatever mix of chocolates you want. I think what you get will be fresher. Personally I do not like chocolate covered caramels, maples, etc. I just like chocolate. Occasionally I will buy chocolate covered almonds or peanuts. But mainly I buy plain chocolate. I think Russell Stover's chocolate tastes quite good if fresh. I will never again eat Hershey's, which always tastes stale to me. I think Godiva is way overrated, but then again, I like only chocolate and not truffles, etc.
ReplyDeleteJust bought a small box of 4 Russell Stover candies...took 2 bites if coconit chocolate...and It literally tasted like a toxic chemical. My body rejected it...whatever this company is doing...you are gearing up for a class action rebellion. Your declining sales should give you a call to action to do the right thing....make real quality chocolate. Not toxic candy.
ReplyDeleteI have had a similar experience with Russell stover chocolates, the candy used to be so delicious for a drug store brand. Unfortunately, now it's overwhelming obscured by a taste of the packaging material. I wrote the company a couple of years ago and they sent me a coupon for more chocolate! Why would I want more weird tasting, inedible candy? I wanted them to change the packaging material, duh!
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. Windex flavor. Yup, that covers it. I remember having these when I was younger and they were good, now my wife got some on sale and each one has had an off chemical taste. Now I have a way to describe it. I feel sorry for all the EMTs who will be having these as their desert for their monthly meeting (my wife volunteers for the service and we cook for the meetings so they have a good meal - its a great way to get people to show up).
ReplyDeleteI purchased a small box & they were inedible--very dry and have no flavor. Russell Stovers has a guarantee on their website, but when I contacted them, they said it was a storage problem at the retail end. No effort to offer a refund or a coupon. What exactly does "guarantee" mean these days? Goodbye Russell Stovers!
ReplyDeleteI just bought a large box of Russell Stover candy, and my husband and I immediately noticed an off flavor, a rather chemical taste in the chocolate. We have had this brand for years without a problem, but I must say that is no longer the case. Sad to say, we won't be buying this brand in the future.
ReplyDeletePoor quality, there are many complaints from (probably ex)employees on the companys website. Nuts have no taste just like the chocolate.
ReplyDeleteI guarantee I'm not a former employee. It should be illegal to RUIN something so good They should just close the doorsbecause they're out of business!
DeleteThey’re always buy one get one free at HyVee ☺️Grocery store. That’s probably the only way to sell them.
ReplyDeleteWhen did they stop making Butter Mints?
ReplyDeleteI wish I would have seen this earlier .Just bought 20 boxes of Whitman’s for my Aunt to give out for Christmas where she lives & we opened 1 box to have at Thanksgiving & the taste was awful! Chemical aftertaste ! I thought it was just me so I went on line to see if there were any other reviews . Apparently it is not just me !
ReplyDeleteI solemnly swear I will never buy Russell Stover or Whitman's candy ever again. I googled that the chocolate tastes like chlorine and found this page. So, it isnt just me. I live in Frankfort, KY . . .we have Rebecca Ruth candy right here. Every piece I have ever tasted is perfection, made in small batches with great care and pride. I should have known better. Russell Stover is no longer the "grandma's house" chocolate I remember.
ReplyDeleteRussell Stover candies have gone from "top of the list" to "third-rate" over the past year. The weight of the package has decreased but the price has not. The packaging no longer has a key to what is where in the box, the assortment of candies have gone from "I like that and that and that" to "what are these?" and the taste is very bland at best. I guess the good news about the fewer candies now is that a person does not have to eat as many yucky pieces to finish the box. I will not buy it again.
ReplyDeleteYou can't even find Whitmans in Canada anymore and they were my favourite, along with RSC....have found some on Amazon but the prices are obscene. I've done some Googling (which is how I found this blog) & discovered that RSC & Whitmans has been sold to the Swiss company that makes Lindt chocolate. Maybe now the quality will improve. All I know is that if I find them here in Canada I will certainly check to see who made them. While I don't mind paying more for RS & Whitman's if the quality is there, from what I've seen here, unless I see the Lindt name somewhere on the package, I'll leave them on the shelf...Such a shame, these chocolates were SO good, not a dud in the box!
ReplyDeleteMy family has been celebrating holidays and birthdays for decades with RSC, but no more. They've cheapened their candy and have now come up with their new Copper box assortment which doesn't contain any of our favorites. I called their customer service line and expressed my displeasure and told them neither my family nor my friends would be buying their candy in the future.
ReplyDeleteI have bought and received Russell Stover candy boxes for years. The new packaging is a ghastly orange and the box of chocolates is inferior. The redesign of what should be an iconic brand is a flop. I have bought my last box of Russell Stovers.
ReplyDeleteThe texture of Russell Stover candy is like cardboard now. I miss the boxes from when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not the same... Use to be my favorite box of chocolates... But will not be purchasing... Not happy....
ReplyDeleteI just finished a box of Russell Stover chocolates. The have been my favorite for 40 years. I have noticed quality and taste was different in past years but thought it was me. Just researched company and saw they own Whitman too. That is what I'm eating, not my Russell Stover. So, no more for me.
ReplyDeleteTaste like plastic..so disappointed again
ReplyDelete