We're well and truly into autumn now, which means embracing all things cosy to get us through the longer evenings. And if you've got a sweet tooth, one of those essentials for a snug night in will be hot chocolate.
Salter has a new gadget to make sprucing up an evening spent at home a little more enticing – its new Chocolatier to Share 4-in-1 Hot Chocolate Maker (£39.99 at Amazon).
I've previously tried Salter's first hot chocolate maker, the original Chocolatier and found it to be great value for its price. The only real kicker with it was that the capacity wasn't great compared to leading rival hot chocolate makers, which is the one big change with this new 'to Share' version. Here's a first look at this decadent new product.
The new and improved Chocolatier features a digital LED display, temperature control dial and a larger 500ml heating capacity.
With half the capacity (240ml), the cheaper original Chocolatier is still a great buy for those on a budget.
Both of these hot chocolate makers have 4 different settings to make use of: hot froth with added foam (for cappuccinos, for example), hot froth with less foam (for lattes), hot chocolate mode and cold froth mode (for iced coffes, say).
When I tried out the original Chocolatier I found that it did a great job at whisking and heating up hot chocs, even when using vegan hot chocolate as opposed to milk.
The big USP of both of the Chocolatiers by Salter is the considerably lower price tags compared to competitors, like the recently released all-new Velvetiser from Hotel Chocolat (£149.95) which we recently tried out.
For under £40, the LED screen on the new Chocolatier to Share is a big draw, as well as the sleeker new look. As well as fulfilling all your hot chocolate needs, this product has appeal if you're simply looking for a standalone milk frother with a jug design, especially with the hot and cold settings on offer. It's the perfect companion to the one of the best coffee machines without a built in milk frother.
So if you're looking for a hot chocolate maker for hosting season or if you're already on the hunt for Christmas gifts, the Chocolatier to Share certainly looks like it'll be a crowd pleaser, especially for its price tag.
