TEMPERATURES are still pretty low and a nice cup of hot chocolate is the ideal way to warm up.
Specific machines to help blend your perfect beverage have grown in popularity over the past few years.
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The nifty gadgets melt your choice of chocolate into milk, taking a classic powdered drink up a notch.
But big-brand favourites like Hotel Chocolat’s Velvetiser can cost a pretty penny – as much as £110 for some sets with added extras.
That’s why more and more brands are introducing their own versions, to help customers cut costs.
While some savvy shoppers are using cheaper milk frothers to do the same job.
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I put five of the most popular machines to the test to work out which worked best without breaking the bank.
I cut up a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate into flakes for each, separating it into five 35g portions – resembling the Hotel Chocolat sachets but for less. I also used 240ml of milk for each.
We rated them out of 20, made up of a score for taste and a score for the appliance.
Here’s how they faired.
Salter – The Chocolatier
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The first thing I noticed when I pulled The Chocolatier out of the box was the sleek look of the gadget.
It was straightforward to set up and to use too, I poured my milk into the jug followed by the chocolate flakes, popped on the lid and pressed the relevant button.
Once it started, I did notice a relatively loud whirring noise as it worked its magic.
It took longer than I expected, just under five minutes. I then poured it into my glass, which was the perfect size.
The drink itself tasted sweet and milky, although it could have been hotter and lost its heat a bit too quickly.
There was a lump of chocolate left at the base of the jug, which may be why it tasted a bit more milky than chocolatey.
The jug has a handle and spout for easy pouring.
- Hot chocolate: 7/10
- Price: 7/10
- OVERALL SCORE: 14/20
Asda George – Scandi Milk Frother
- £25 RRP – direct.asda.com
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Asda‘s own-brand milk frother has been declared a great Hotel Chocolat dupe by many online.
It also has a stylish look to it, perfect for a modern kitchen, and I like the wooden panelling along the base and the handle.
It too was easy to use and I just followed the same process as before, using the heat milk feature rather than froth milk.
The gadget is virtually silent as it works, which means I didn’t notice when it had finished, which could mean it would be easily forgotten about in a busy kitchen.
I felt the machine could have benefited from a spout to make it easier to pour.
It didn’t leave any lumps and the drink as a result was more chocolatey than the Salter.
The liquid was silky and smooth, it was the perfect temperature for sipping straight away too.
- Hot chocolate: 7/10
- Price: 9/10
- OVERALL SCORE: 16/20
Gino D’Acampo – Milk Frother
- £27 RRP – direct.asda.com
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Next up was another milk frother which shoppers have also recommended for making hot chocolates in.
This was is part of the Gino D’Acampo range available at Asda.
The first thing I was unsure on was that the machine did not have a handle or a spout, which I thought could cause problems when dispensing the drink – although getting the right angle it worked okay.
It was louder than the others but it was ready in about a minute and a half so was at least speedy.
The jug itself has a modern design and matte, soft touch, plus it has nibs on the base to wrap the cord around so pretty easy to store.
After pouring the liquid into my glass I noticed there were a couple of small lumps of chocolate left and on first taste, it wasn’t as sweet or thick as the others.
This might be due to it not taking very long to finish its cycle.
- Hot chocolate: 6/10
- Price: 8/10
- OVERALL SCORE: 14/20
Lakeland – Milk and Hot Chocolate Frother
- £39.99 RRP – Lakeland.co.uk
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The Lakeland model only came out in January and is a new and improved version of their classic frother.
It’s slightly more chunky than the others but still looks stylish and would blend in without kitchen appliances.
Plus it’s all-in-one and is the only gadget I tried which didn’t have a detachable heating pad – the jug itself plugs into the wall, which means it’s much simpler to store away in a cupboard.
I found the frother easy to use, as with the others, it has four settings – with one specifically for hot chocolate as with the Salter.
Once I’d filled it up I was a bit disappointed to realise you couldn’t see it working because of the solid lid – each of the other’s lids are clear so you can see the gadget whirring around.
As with Salter, it took a little while but it was worth the wait.
The first thing I noticed was the thick frothy top on the drink, which was a bonus with each sip, it tasted like it had come straight from Costa.
Its texture was particularly velvety and smooth, plus the temperature was perfect too.
- Hot chocolate: 10/10
- Price: 7/10
- OVERALL SCORE: 17/20
Dualit – Milk Frother
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Finally, I tried Dualit’s milk frother which Amazon says is ideal for lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, hot chocolate and milkshakes.
The jug itself is quite bulky and not the nicest to look at, I’m not sure it would blend very well in most kitchens.
The deed was done in just over a minute but left lots of large lumps of chocolate at the bottom and the beverage was pale – not inviting at all.
It tasted how it looked, milky but not chocolatey and not especially sweet either.
Overall it wasn’t very impressive and probably could have done with a bit longer.
- Hot chocolate: 4/10
- Price: 5/10
- OVERALL SCORE: 9/20
Meanwhile, we tested heated pillows and the cosiest costs nothing to run.
Plus, we also tested heated airers from Aldi, Asda and Argos to dry laundry without heating.
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