Nothing beats a warming cup of hot chocolate in the colder months, and now the winter staple is even easier to recreate at home. You can, of course, simply combine hot chocolate powder with frothed milk. But if you’re truly dedicated to making the perfect cup of cocoa, there are now dedicated hot chocolate makers that promise barista-perfect drinks from the comfort of your kitchen.
The most famous of these is the viral Hotel Chocolat velvetiser, which launched in 2018 to huge fanfare and was updated this summer to incorporate a cold chocolate function. It’s by far the bestselling hot chocolate maker out there, but it’ll set you back £150. Since its release, similar models have appeared on the market, and one in particular has caught my eye: Salter’s the chocolatier electric hot chocolate maker, which costs a fraction of the price at £35.
Both machines combine chocolate flakes with milk to make hot chocolate, while Salter’s appliance can also froth milk to different consistencies, which you can add to your coffees. There’s a chunky £115 difference in price between the two, so having tested countless kitchen appliances over the years, I was intrigued to see if the budget-friendly alternative was as effective as its premium counterparts. All in the name of a decent cup of cocoa, I got my hands on Hotel Chocolat’s velvetiser and Salter’s chocolatier electric hot chocolate maker to see if it’s worth spending more.
Read more: Best coffee machines for 2025, tried and tested for barista-quality cups
How I tested
I used both machines to make a cup of hot chocolate with milk chocolate flakes and dairy milk. Nowadays, you can get lots of exciting hot chocolate varieties, from orange chocolate to peppermint, but I stuck to a classic flavour for this test. I followed the instructions, assessing key factors including ease of use, taste and ease of cleaning. These appliances are often left out on kitchen countertops, so I made notes on appearance, too. You can read my full testing criteria at the end of the review.
Salter the chocolatier electric hot chocolate maker
Dimensions: H18.6cm x W11.1cm x D16.8cm
Capacity: 240ml
Functions: Hot chocolate, hot milk, thick hot froth, light hot froth, cold milk froth
Why we love it
- Hot chocolate is just the right temperature
- Easy to use
- Quick to clean
- Compact
Take note
- Hot chocolate lacks foam
- Not very speedy
Salter’s hot chocolate maker is fairly compact, so it shouldn’t take up too much space if your kitchen counters are already packed with appliances. Unlike the velvetiser there isn’t a choice of colours, and the matte black exterior isn’t particularly eye-catching. The chrome border around the handle is a nice, minimal design touch, though.
There aren’t any visual diagrams in the instruction manual, so it’s not the easiest to see at a glance how to operate the machine. That being said, once you’ve spent a few minutes with the manual and used it a few times, you’ll quickly get the hang of it. Simply press the function once for thick hot froth (for cappuccinos), twice for light hot froth (lattes), three times for hot milk or hot chocolate, and four times for cold froth. The maximum and minimum fill lines are marked very clearly, so there’s no risk of milk overflowing while the machine’s in use.
Once you add chocolate flakes to your milk and turn on the hot chocolate mode, you’ll have to wait around five-and-a-half minutes for your drink to be ready. This isn’t as speedy as the velvetiser, which takes around two-and-a-half minutes, so a bit more patience is needed.
Hot chocolate made in the chocolatier is neither piping hot nor lukewarm; instead, it’s the perfect, drinkable temperature as soon as it’s ready. The texture was very smooth, and all the chocolate flakes blended well with the milk. But it lacked the froth that you typically get in a barista-made hot chocolate. This is where the velvetiser really stood out, but more on that below.
Cleaning the machine was straightforward – as with most milk frothers, the whisk is removable and can be washed separately. The smooth interior didn’t have any awkward crevices, so it was easy to clean with warm water and washing-up liquid.
Unlike the velvetiser, which comes with two cups and ten sachets of hot and cold drinking chocolate, you just get the machine when you buy the Salter appliance. Given the cheaper price point, however, I wasn’t disappointed by this. It’s also worth keeping in mind that this machine does more than just make hot chocolate – it froths milk to different consistencies, so if you’re a coffee drinker too, you’ll get more use out of the chocolatier than the velvetiser.
Buy now £34.99, Salter.com
Hotel Chocolat velvetiser
Dimensions: H 21.5cm x L 24.5cm x D 19.1cm
Capacity: 220ml
Functions: Hot and cold chocolate
Hotel Chocolat’s velvetiser really looks the part with a modern choice of colours (I went for pebble), chrome accents and a solid ash handle. It feels weighty, well-made and thoughtful features like the magnetic whisk to ensure that it lives up to its premium price point. It’s not as compact as Salter’s £35 appliance, so you might need a bit more countertop space if you plan to leave it out.
The instructions are very clear, with helpful diagrams to refer to. As it’s a machine purely for making hot chocolate, there isn’t a lot to get to grips with. You simply add your sachet of chocolate flakes to 220ml of milk, pop the lid on, turn the dial to hot or cold and press go. The maximum fill line isn’t as clear as it is on the chocolatier, but it didn’t take too long to spot.
I was really impressed by its speed – after two-and-a-half minutes, my hot chocolate was ready, just the right temperature and perfectly foamy. It tasted like the kind of hot chocolate you’d buy in a café. Hotel Chocolat says the unique design of the velvetiser, such as the ridges inside the machine and custom-designed whisk, creates a vortex effect that produces a smooth, foamy hot chocolate, and after trying it for myself, I can certainly attest to this.
Owing to the ridges on the velvetiser, it is a little harder to clean than Salter’s chocolatier.
There’s no denying it's pricey, but the quality of hot chocolate made in the velvetiser is hard to match. While you’re limited in its use – it won’t froth milk for your cappuccinos, for example – if you’re a real hot chocolate fiend, I’ve no doubt you’ll keep going back to it.
Read more: How do cold drinks taste in the Hotel Chocolat velvetiser?
Buy now £150, Amazon.co.uk
The verdict: Hotel Chocolat velvetiser vs Salter the chocolatier electric hot chocolate maker
If you’re a regular hot chocolate drinker and want barista-quality drinks at home, I’d say the Hotel Chocolat velvetiser is a worthy investment. Hot chocolates made in the machine were frothy, silky smooth and made at a ready-to-drink temperature. It looks like the part too, with a striking, modern design not often found with kitchen appliances.
If you regularly switch between hot chocolate and coffee, then I’d go for the Salter’s the chocolatier electric hot chocolate maker. Although its hot chocolates didn’t quite have the foamy texture of a barista-made drink, they were still tasty enough to enjoy as a treat. For me, its standout feature is that it’s simply much more versatile than the velvetiser, with options to make frothed milk at different consistencies for cappuccinos, lattes and more.
How the hot chocolate makers were tested
I can’t resist a hot chocolate in the winter, so I was excited to put these hot chocolate makers to the test. I made a classic hot chocolate with both appliances using milk chocolate flakes and dairy milk, and assessed the following:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Sabrina Sahota is IndyBest’s deputy editor and has more than five years of experience testing kitchen gadgets, from stand mixers and soup makers to air fryers and juicers, so she knows when premium appliances are truly worth their price tag. Whether it’s a hot chocolate, coffee or cup of tea, she’s always got a hot drink on the go, so is well placed to tell you if Salter’s budget-friendly appliance stacks up to the £150 velvetiser. The wider IndyBest team has also tested a huge range of appliances from the best coffee machines to the best coffee grinders, so we are experts in finding the best accessories for your kitchen.
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