The cold weather is here, which means piping hot cups of hot chocolate are firmly on the menu.
Warm sweet chocolate topped with swirls of whipped cream, mini marshmallows, chocolate shavings and a straw biscuit, gulped down to keep Jack Frost at bay and with a shot of something stronger for the adults; is it any wonder it’s the drink of the season?
While London has plenty of excellent places to buy a cup of cocoa, if you’re a regular sipper it makes sense to invest in a hot chocolate machine in the long run.
These small countertop devices can mix professional-tasting drinks in mere minutes and contain the cleaning up to one vessel.
The current market leader is none other than Hotel Chocolat’s Velvetiser, which makes a perfect single serving of smooth, silky hot chocolate. But at around £100, it is undoubtedly pricey.
The contender to its hot chocolate crown is Salter’s The Chocolatier machine, which not only makes the sweet drink but has additional settings to froth milk for lattes and cappuccinos.
Which one comes out on top? We tried both to find out.
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Hotel Chocolat The Velvetiser
Made by Dualit, Hotel Chocolat’s Velvetiser comes in at just shy of £100 for the machine alone, but you’ll want to add in the variety pack of shaved chocolate sachets, which are also available as vegan versions, and in the exact 35g proportions required by the Velvetiser. It’s not pocket money, but a sound investment if you live on hot chocolate over the winter or plan to make rounds of the stuff for visiting guests. If you’re watching the pounds keep an eye out for it in big sales, where it’s often marked down.
The device comes in four colours; rose gold is the chicest. The machine also comes with a wide whisk, a kettle-like power base and spouted jug with a handle, plus two white ceramic cups in which to pour your chocolatey elixir.
To use, simply plug in the base to a socket and fill with regular milk or plant-based milk to the measurement etched inside the pot. Add in your chocolate shavings and hit go. There’s only one button to press, which makes it foolproof to use. It will illuminate as the milk and chocolate gently heat and whirl to combine your cocoa and is ready to drink in less than three minutes at barely detectable noise levels. To clean, simply rinse the whisk and hand wash the non-stick inner of the jug.
The result is a perfectly blended indulgent hot chocolate that slips out of the jug and into your favourite mug. Add toppings and get ready to toast the most luxurious hot chocolate you can make at home.
Buy now £99.95, Hotel Chocolat
Salter The Chocolatier
Salter’s The Chocolatier retails at around £80 but can often be found on sale around the £35 - £40 mark at retailers like Amazon, Robert Dyas and Salter itself. It comes with the jug, a small detachable whisk and power base that plugs into mains power.
You can use plant-based milk or regular milk, but it doesn’t come with chocolate shavings, so you’ll need to buy a packet if you want to use it right away.
Unlike The Velvetiser, Salter’s machine comes with four settings to froth milk as well as make hot chocolate.
But while it’s nice to have options, the additional features do render it a jack of all trades, but not the king of hot chocolate. The main difference is the size of the whisk; Salter’s is between a 5p and 10p in size, it’s not big enough to whisk though the chocolate shavings effectively, which means you’re left with milk speckled with chocolate instead of seamlessly blended through, and a melted mess at the bottom of the jug.
At least cleaning up is easy; rinse with hot water and wipe completely dry before storing.
£39.99 down from £79.99.
Buy now £39.99, Robert Dyas
Verdict
Hotel Chocolat and Dualit spent 12 months perfecting The Velvetiser and the quality is tangible in every sip. It’s every bit as rich and creamy as the hot chocolate you can buy from the stores. It may be expensive but use it often, and the cost-per-serve means it’ll soon pay for itself. The wide whisk, which completely fills the pot, means the swirl catches every splinter of chocolate shaving and effectively incorporates it into the milk or water. The Chocolatier just doesn’t compare.
