By no means am I a professional baker or cookie rater, but I have baked dozens upon dozens of cookies over my 20 years of life, so — not to toot my own horn — but I’d say I’m a pretty good baker. Honestly, I’d say I make the best chocolate chip cookies ever, according to everyone who has tried them. With all my cookie expertise, I believe I am qualified to judge a good cookie.
I personally think chocolate chip cookies are the best dessert ever and I just had to know where I could get the best ones on Binghamton University’s campus. So, I took it upon myself to try every chocolate chip cookie on campus, or at least every cookie I could find. Since this ranking is for public knowledge, I figured I should gather some friends’ opinions to create a list representative of the average Binghamton University student.
The following ranking is based on the average ratings given by my three fellow cookie reviewers and me, rounded to the nearest 10th. We rated these cookies primarily based on taste, while also accounting for quality, texture and chocolatey-ness. The price of each cookie is also noted based on what was charged to my account.
9. Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh: 1.3/10, $2.09
To say I was disappointed is an understatement. This cookie was incredibly burnt and must’ve been baking for quite a while. I have had the Garbanzo cookie before, and it is usually very flavorful and has a great texture. Had it been cooked properly, I think it could have taken the number one spot.
However, every cookie gets only one chance and this one did not live up to its full potential. “That’s just how the cookie crumbled,” stated fellow rater Brynn Connolly, a junior majoring in economics.
8. Appalachian Collegiate Center: 3.0/10, $0.79
The first cookie we tried was this classic Sodexo chocolate chip cookie. This cookie was lackluster, described as stale and “not very good” by my fellow raters. The one we sampled was from Appalachian Dining Hall, but the cookies found throughout the four dining halls are the same.
This cookie was the cheapest, so this may be a good choice if you’re balling on a budget or you can opt for the higher-rated Subway cookie for only an additional 10 cents.
7. CopperTop Pizzeria 3.8/10, $1.99
The CopperTop cookie we tasted was slightly burnt, but it was buttery and, in my opinion, tasted like a homemade chocolate chip cookie made by someone who might not be the most skilled baker. I thought this cookie was okay, but my friends disagreed — maybe I just got a better bite. Like Garbanzo, this cookie might’ve benefited from a little less oven time.
6. Starbucks: 3.9/10, $3.19
This cookie came broken, but was served warm, unlike most of the others we had. The cookie was soft, but the flavor was not there. We agreed there were not nearly enough chocolate chips and I thought the dough had more of a sugar-cookie flavor than the classic chocolate-chip brown sugar taste, similar to artificial butter. The Starbucks cookie was also the most expensive we had and was not money well spent.
5. Tully’s University: 5.1/10, $1.99
The Tully’s cookie was the closest to average among the ones we tried, based on our ratings. We thought the cookie’s taste was okay, but there weren’t enough chocolate chips. It tasted a bit old, like it had not been made that day. However, the cookie was soft and sweet and it is by no means a bad cookie to accompany some chicken fingers and fries.
4. Subway: 5.4/10, $0.89
My fellow raters and I agreed that the Subway cookie was a very average cookie — good, but not show-stopping. It was thin, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The chips weren’t spread evenly, so some of us got more chip-heavy bites than others, but it had a pleasant chocolatey taste if you got a good piece. This cookie was satisfactory and cheaper than most.
3. John Arthur Café Presents: Einstein Bros. Bagels: 6.8/10, $3.09
Einstein’s chocolate chip cookie was solid in terms of taste and density. Though we didn’t have a scale on hand, this was probably our heaviest cookie. It was chocolatey, soft, chewy and thick. This was an above-average cookie, but it didn’t taste the freshest. I’d bet that it would score much higher fresh out of the oven.
2. Library Tower Café: 7.8/10, $2.09
The chocolate chip cookie from the Library Tower Café took our second-place spot. While I was not expecting much, it certainly earned its ranking. It had the perfect amount of chocolate chips — they were present but not overpowering and melty inside the cookie.
I thought this cookie was slightly too sweet, but my opinion was unpopular among the other raters. It had the best visual appearance as our most symmetrical cookie. It was also one of the largest we had and was perfectly golden brown.
1. College-in-the-Woods Dining Center: 8.5/10, $2.27
This was my first experience with the famous College-in-the-Woods chocolate chip cookie, and wow. I had doubts about this cookie and was sure it was overhyped, but it was definitely the best cookie we tried. It was buttery, served warm and had a crunchy exterior and soft center. The chocolate was rich and I never would’ve guessed that the best cookie would come from a dining hall.
This cookie is worth the inconvenience of going to College-in-the-Woods, and though it was my first time ever in this dining hall, it will not be my last. Every Binghamton chocolate chip cookie lover should try the College-in-the-Woods cookie.
While some cookies on campus can satisfy your craving, none compare to a homemade cookie baked with love and intention. Still, the cookies we share with friends during late-night study sessions, dining hall debriefs and debates about what the best cookie on campus is certainly come close.
Riley Lavrovsky is a junior majoring in psychology.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.