A box of chocolates may not be the most novel way to play Cupid this Valentine’s Day, but it probably won’t hurt your chances for romance.

Melt-in-your-mouth goodness is what counts, and we turned to two “sensory experts” to tell us which boxed selections had it and in what configurations.

The best products, our tasters said, were as different as night and day, although all had a “wow” factor – just-made freshness; smooth, even-melting chocolate; hints of real cream, butter and vanilla; and pieces that contained genuine fruit or herbal flavors.

We split our ratings into two groups: assortments that are more traditional, and those that are more unusual. The highest-rated chocolates in each group are handmade, and cost from $40 to $83 a box.

The findings:

Riverfront Chocolates, 1 Riverfront Plaza, offers handmade confections such as truffles and dipped-to-order, chocolate-covered champagne bottles. According to taste tests from Consumer Reports magazine, boutique chocolates can be a worthwhile step up from mass-produced ones.

¢ For traditionalists. Pieces in these selections are mostly truffle-style, meaning they have chocolate inside and out. They also may include caramel, nuts, liqueurs and other familiar ingredients. Our top pick here was Candinas (at $41 for a 16-ounce box, it’s a CR Best Buy), an assortment of ultrasmooth dark and milk chocolates. Order it at www.candinas.com or by calling (800) 845-1554. Other excellent traditional selections were John & Kira’s Jubilee Wood Gift Box ($69 for a 20-ounce box) and La Maison du Chocolat Coffret Maison with assorted chocolates ($83 for a 21-ounce box).

¢ For adventurous tastes. Chocolates in these assortments have a larger proportion of unexpected fillings such as herbs, spices and fruit purees. Leading this pack was Norman Love Confections ($40 for an 8-ounce box; www.normanloveconfections.com or (239) 561-7215.) These are hand-painted, mostly white chocolates whose fillings include apple pie, pineapple upside-down cake and passion fruit. At just $45 for a 16-ounce box, Jacques Torres’ Jacques’s Choice assortment is a CR Best Buy. Order it online at www.mrchocolate.com or by calling (718) 875-9772.

¢ The mass-produced chocolates our testers tasted – Hershey’s, Whitman’s, Fannie May and Russell Stover – can cost one-fourth as much as the handmade confections, but none of them had nearly the quality. Flaws in some of those included cloying sweetness, artificial flavors, gritty or chalky texture and staleness. Even fancy offerings from traditionalists Godiva, Leonidas and See’s didn’t measure up.