I’m not ashamed to say that I’m a total chocoholic. There’s something incredibly irresistible about the creamy, rich taste of chocolate in all its forms.
That’s why I thought Hotel Chocolat hit it out of the park in 2018 with the velvetiser – a nifty milk frother machine that delivers barista-grade hot chocolate in no time at all. Putting an end to awkwardly boiling milk in a saucepan, the velvetiser made it easy to make delicious hot chocolate. “We always believed there was a better way to enjoy drinking chocolate – at home, as it should be – made with real chocolate, effortlessly," says Angus Thirlwell, founder and president at Hotel Chocolat. “So, we began experimenting, and the velvetiser was born.”
Over the years, the brand has launched a variety of new flavours, from seasonal specials of pumpkin spice and apple pie, to a 70 per cent dark chocolate blend, and my personal favourite, salted caramel and clementine sachets.
But Hotel Chocolat is shaking things up once again with the launch of the all-new velvetiser. If you think it might be a little odd to launch a hot chocolate maker in the middle of a heatwave, it’s no accident at all. The new machine can also make cold cups of silky, chocolate perfection, which I’ve found surprisingly refreshing during the latest heatwave. Whether you like yours chilled, served over a cup of ice, or mixed with ice cream to make a naughty milkshake, there are plenty of ways to play around with the all-new cold function. Although the all-new velvetiser won’t arrive until September, pre-orders are open now.
Thankfully, I got my hands on one of the first samples. As one of the first to test it out, I wanted to find out if it could make cold drinking chocolate taste just as incredible as the hot stuff – and if that could ever be worth £150.
How I tested
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It wasn’t hard to find a band of chocolate lovers to help me test out the all-new velvetiser, which comes with a selection of delicious new flavours. Once my chocoholics were assembled, we tested seven different chocolate sachets in the new machine.
I’ve had a first edition velvetiser for more than five years now, so I’m well acquainted with how the original performs and the quality of drinking chocolate that it produces. Testing the all-new model, I was looking out for a few key factors:
- Design: The overall appearance of the all-new velvetiser is similar to the original model, but there are a few changes, including the available colours. In addition to the velvetiser’s appearance changes, there are also a few internal adaptations in order to create cold drinking chocolate. I paid close attention to how the all-new velevtiser looked on my countertop, how ergonomic it was to use, put together, and how well its new design performed.
- Ease of use: I don’t want to spend more than a few minutes preparing any drink, and if I’m using a tool that makes my hot chocolate for me, I want minimal clean-up. When testing, I kept notes on how easy the all-new velvetiser was to use, clean, and store.
- Flavour: The most important part of my process was the final result – the taste test. The all-new velvetiser comes with new flavours, and the cold options have a slightly different build-up to the hot flakes, so I was keen to find out how they would compare and whether the overall flavour was good enough to justify the price.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Mollie Davies is a product review writer for The Independent’s IndyBest. With a serious sweet tooth, she has tested everything from the best viral Dubai chocolate to the new Ninja swirl ice cream machine. Beyond this, she’s a self-confessed chocoholic who knows a great hot chocolate from a bad one.
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Hotel Chocolat all-new velvetiser
Dimensions: H18cm x D11.5cm x W17cm
Functions: Two – hot and cold
Capacity: Holds 220ml
Time it takes: Two and a half minutes for hot or cold
Why we love it
- Delicious results
- Looks stylish
- Easy to use
- Great new flavours
- Mixes the perfect amount of chocolate each time
Take note
- Pricey
- Not dishwasher safe
Hotel Chocolat all-new velvetiser design
Setting up the all-new velvetiser was easy. The machine itself is already assembled and just needs to be settled onto its base, plugged in, and you’re good to go. Following the instructions, I did a quick wash with some washing up liquid and the hot mode, and got to pouring in my first drink. The dial lights up blue for cold, and red for hot – it couldn’t be simpler.
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The all-new velvetiser is a complete system for hot and cold barista-grade drinking chocolate. The original couldn’t make cold drinks, only hot drinks. As I’ve had many hot chocolates from a velvetiser over the years, I was particularly intrigued as to whether the cold option would produce such velvety goodness. Chocolate flakes melt down and whisk into the milk when it comes to the hot option, but as chocolate flakes won’t totally dissolve in cold milk, the machine had to have a way to combine the chocolate and milk elements and deliver a smooth finish.
But the all-new velvetiser has a new whisk, designed for a vortex effect. This creates the beautiful chocolate creama (the froth that rests on top of the drink). It does this by cutting through the liquid to create ultra-fine passages of air. The whisk has also been beautifully designed to resemble petals of the cacao flower. While the hot option warms the milk, the cold option pulses at the start to meld the chocolate.
You’ll see from the photos that the creama is magically created on both the hot and cold drinking chocolates, and there’s not a speck of that horrible gunky foam that you get with some drinking chocolates in sight.
In terms of the external appearance, it’s totally gorgeous. Its fluted design was modelled after the shape of a cacao pod, and finished with a solid ash handle, which is incredibly ergonomic and easy to handle. The all-new velvetiser comes with one podcup, one podglass, and a selection box of drinking chocolates. There are three new colourways – white, taupe and silver.
Packing it down was just as simple as setup. I did the same washing up liquid clean that I did before its first use, and then gave it a little wipe out, and it looked as though it had never been touched. However, it’s not dishwasher safe, which is a little inconvenient.
It’s also worth noting that it’s one of the quietest kitchen appliances that I’ve ever used. I had to check it was actually working the first time I used it, because it made virtually no noise. And, it took less than two minutes to whip up a ready-to-go drinking chocolate.
Hotel Chocolat all-new velvetiser flavour
The standout feature of Hotel Chocolat velvetiser drinks is the texture. It’s the only justification for such an expensive appliance, making for a thick, smooth drink that you simply cannot match in a microwave or on a hob.
I had no idea that hot chocolate could even have crema before I began this testing process, but now I can’t drink a hot chocolate without looking out for that velvety layer of foam. It’s a perfect, silky first sip. The rest of the drinking chocolate is just as smooth, whether you’re opting for hot or cold velvetiser drinking chocolate, although the hot feels a little thicker.
Another thing I love about Hotel Chocolat’s velvetiser hot chocolates is that you can play around until you find your perfect flavour. Even when it comes to a plain chocolate blend, you can choose from milky, classic dark, 100 per cent dark, and white chocolate options. With the option to buy selection boxes, like the everything hot chocolate sachet selection (£15.95, Hotelchocolat.com), you can flick through and mix things up.
While I’d usually associate drinking chocolate with colder weather and the lead up to a cosy Christmas, my Hotel Chocolat all-new velvetiser has come at the perfect time. In the peak of summer, amidst heatwaves that keep popping up, an ice cold glass of chocolate milk hits the spot. When the weather has gotten particularly hot, like the unbearable temps of 30C this week, I’ve prepared my cold drinking chocolate and poured it over a glass of crushed ice, before topping with a small scoop of ice cream for a chocolatey float-type glass of heaven.
The all-new velvetiser brings six new cold drinking chocolate flavours:
Crème brûlée: I didn’t expect to like this flavour; before tasting it, I thought that it would be too sickly. However, it came out on top as my favourite pick of the new cold flavours. Its notes of burnt caramel work well with the creamy vanilla and make it incredibly moreish. Though I thought it would be too rich or heavy, it’s anything but – it was perfect with a few chocolate batons on the side.
Cherry: Tart and creamy at the same time, this was a huge hit in my house. It has a tartness that’s noticeable enough to cut through the richness of the chocolate, but it is still sweet. When mixed with the creaminess of the milk, it tastes like a drinkable Christmas dessert that can be enjoyed all year round.
Mandarin and orange: There will never be a day when I don’t love something that mixes chocolate and orange flavours – it’s an elite combo. With the addition of mandarin, it mellows it out slightly and makes it a little less sweet, but never bitter. It’s just a shame you can’t buy it in the hot option.
Mint: Peppermint and chocolate heaven – another that’s reminiscent of delicious Christmas flavours. In its colder form, the mint drinking chocolate is more potent and intense, and is a very refreshing way to drink chocolate, especially in summer.
Banana: While banana isn’t a flavour I’d pick in any form, my partner chose this as his favourite because of its nostalgic flavour. The blend mixes banana and chocolate with a slightly bitter molasses, which reminded me of a banana split – I recommend adding some whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry on top.
Classic: The classic cold version of the ever-popular hot drinking chocolate. You can’t go wrong with this option, it’s creamy, rich and super indulgent without being too overpowering. I’m definitely more inclined to go for a milky 50 per cent option, as it’s slightly less rich, so I added a dash of cream when I poured my drinking chocolate into the glass.
The selection box also comes with a variety of hot chocolate options, which have been selected from Hotel Chocolat’s velvetiser library – Classic 70 per cent, milky 50 per cent, salted caramel, vanilla-white, which is insanely delicious, and black forest gateau (which is a lot like the cherry, but slightly more creamy).
Buy now £149.95, Hotelchocolat.com
The verdict: Hotel Chocolat’s all-new velvetiser
This is an expensive bit of kit, but hot chocolate obsessives won’t regret it. Without fail, each time I’ve used the all-new velvetiser, it’s delivered perfect drinking chocolate that proves there’s no need to faff around with microwaves or stoves.
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