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The best hot chocolate makers, tried and tested
Rich, luxurious hot drinks have never been simpler
Tested by Blossom BoothroydHomes Testing Manager
Nothing perks up a dreary day quite like a cosy cup of hot chocolate, whatever the weather. And while three heaped teaspoons of powder and some boiling water may suit if you’re in a hurry, it’s not really the same as cupping your hands around a mug of cocoa made with real chocolate shavings and velvety milk.
These days, you don’t have to go to your favourite café for this level of indulgence either. The arrival of Hotel Chocolat’s Velvetiser in 2018 transformed at-home hot chocolate making, creating deliciously creamy hot drinks at the press of a button.
If you're not familiar with its work, the Velvetiser is similar to a milk frother, but it also whisks in your chosen flavour of Hotel Chocolat hot chocolate to create the ultimate cosy beverage.
Since the Velvetiser’s inception, more companies have joined the market. And like the original, many of these drinks makers do more than just hot chocolates. They can also be used to make cappuccinos and matcha lattes or cold drinks such as milkshakes and even cocktails. So you can use them all year round.
But how do they measure up? We decided to put the leading models to the test at the Good Housekeeping Institute to find out which ones are genuinely worth the money, and whether they'll satisfy our cocoa cravings.
What is the best hot chocolate maker?
The results are in. Read on to find out everything you need to know about the very best hot chocolate makers available now, but if you're in a hurry, these are our favourites at a glance:
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Best for consistent hot chocolates
Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Hot Chocolate Machine Complete Starter Kit
Read review
How to use a hot chocolate maker
The best hot drinks machines work at the touch of a button, so your favourite beverage is just moments away.
Typically, you pour in a mug of milk and a sachet of hot chocolate flakes or powder, then turn the machine on. Within a few minutes, the handy gadget will froth and blend the mixture into perfectly creamy hot chocolate that’s ready to drink.
And if you’re not a hot chocolate fan – don't fret. Many hot drink machines also froth milk or milk alternatives, to create creamy cappuccinos, lattes and even iced coffees.
How we test hot chocolate makers
Using cow's milk and plant-based milk, our GHI testers start by using each machine to make that all-important hot chocolate. They also prepare warm-frothed milk and cold-frothed milk for coffee drinks.
For every drink they try, our testers time how long it takes to make, record the temperature of the finished drink, and crucially, assess the quality of the final beverage (yes, it's a hard job!).
If the drinks maker has any other features, such as automatic settings for tea, infusions and cold foam, our experts also try these, following the manufacturer's instructions and noting their effectiveness.
Finally, they consider how easy each product is to use, whether it is straightforward to clean, and assess the overall design.
Pros
- Magnetic cleaning brush and dosing cup can be stored on the side
- Compact and easy to store
Cons
- Only makes one drink at a time
Score: 95/100
Just two minutes and 20 seconds stand between you and perfectly frothed hot milk with our winning hot drinks machine. Its foam was thick and velvety and didn’t separate, combining perfectly with our coffee. Plus, it worked just as well with plant milks. The foam also lingered nicely, rather than vanishing before you’ve had a chance to sip.
Hot chocolate took longer to make – five minutes to be precise – but it was worth the wait; the powder dissolved beautifully to make a creamily indulgent drink. However, because of the time taken, some of the cow’s milk burnt to the bottom of the jug.
Luckily, though, the non-stick jug and accompanying cleaning brush meant washing up was fuss-free. And generally, it’s hard to fault this machine, which is the most versatile on our list – teas, coffees and cold drinks were all easy to make and tasted as good as you'd get from any café.
Key specifications
| Functions | Steam, hot foam, cold foam, hot chocolate, tea, coffee, infuse |
|---|---|
| Accessories included | Metal filter, scoop, cleaning brush |
| Wattage | 700W |
| Capacity | 350ml |
| Dishwasher-safe | No |
Pros
- Easy to clean with soapy water and a sponge
- Spout makes pouring fuss-free
Cons
- No troubleshooting advice
Score: 94/100
With its generous 400ml capacity, you can easily make two medium-sized mugs of hot chocolate in this machine's jug – and the process couldn’t be simpler. At the press of just one button, it prepared a silky-smooth hot chocolate with both cow’s and plant-based milk, at an ideal drinking temperature. However, patience is needed as it took an average of five-and-a-half minutes to get there.
It excelled at frothing plant-based milk for our cappuccinos, too, earning a perfect score on this test. It took just two minutes in the machine, and the silky froth kept its texture for over five minutes – something that's notably rare with alternative milks.
This drinks maker doesn’t make coffee or tea and we’d have liked the cold foam to be slightly smoother, but if you’re all about the hot chocolate, it’s a real crowd-pleaser.
Key specifications
| Functions | Four pre-programmed settings, hot milk and cold milk |
|---|---|
| Accessories included | Removable stainless-steel cup |
| Wattage | 550W |
| Capacity | 400ml |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes (stainless-steel cup only) |
Pros
- Instructions include detailed recipes for different drinks
- Accessories are dishwasher-safe for easy clean up
Cons
- No handle and difficult-to-grip base
- Only suitable for hot chocolates
Score: 92/100
If speed is of the essence, the Dualit Cocoatiser that can deliver delicious hot chocolates in just two minutes and 11 seconds – the quickest we’ve tested so far.
With the press of a button, it turns chocolate powders, flakes or buttons into indulgent treats – and there’s no need to buy specially branded sachets here – you can use all your favourites. Everything combined well with cow’s milk, but it struggled with our plant-based option, leaving bits of chocolate stuck to the bottom of the jug.
A few more drinks options, such as tea, coffee and cold foam would have been nice, and it only makes one drink at a time, but for impatient chocoholics, it’s still a stellar buy.
Key specifications
| Functions | Hot chocolate and cold milk drinks |
|---|---|
| Accessories included | Magnetic whisk |
| Wattage | 500W |
| Capacity | 250ml hot chocolate capacity, 225ml max fill volume |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes - accessories only, on top shelf only |
Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Hot Chocolate Machine Complete Starter Kit
Pros
- Comes with two ceramic cups
- Very quiet and stable while in use
Cons
- Cups don’t have a handle and can be hot to hold when full
Score: 92/100
The Velvetiser’s name isn’t an overstatement; it genuinely delivers chocolatey, velvety hot drinks. Testers found the creamy beverages luxurious, noting how well the chocolate shavings combined with both cow’s and plant milks. It was speedy too. Making a hot chocolate only took two and a half minutes – only slightly longer than the Dualit.
However, you can only use Hotel Chocolat’s own chocolate sachets in this machine, and they're expensive to buy. Using a box of the 50% milk chocolate sachets, each drink costs £1.35, which would add up quickly if you’re a bit of a hot chocolate fiend.
There’s no cold foam setting either, and it can only make one drink at a time. But for consistently delicious and quick hot chocolates, it ticks the box. And it also does coffees, milkshakes and cocktails if you fancy.
Key specifications
| Functions | Hot chocolate and frothing |
|---|---|
| Accessories included | Two pod cups (+ 10 sachets with the starter kit) |
| Wattage | 500W |
| Capacity | 200ml |
| Dishwasher-safe | No |
The verdict on hot chocolate makers
Our pick of the best hot chocolate makers is Haier’s Multi-Beverage Hot Drinks Machine & Frother due to its versatility. It makes teas, coffees, cold drinks, and, of course, incredible hot chocolate.
If it’s just hot chocolate you’re after though, ProCook’s Milk Frother is a smart buy, boasting a 400ml capacity and easy one touch operation.
Why you should trust the Good Housekeeping Institute
After testing products for 100 years, we know what makes a great buy at the Good Housekeeping Institute. While hot chocolate makers are relatively new to the market, we’ve used all our experience and expertise to create rigorous testing protocols that measure each model against its claims.
All our testing feedback is then handed to our homes writer, Megan Geall, who has written hundreds of product reviews and is passionate about finding the best gadgets that can make a difference to your day-to-day life. And a great hot chocolate is certainly that…
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s senior homes and lifestyle writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market and has written hundreds of product reviews on everything from the best vacuum cleaners and coffee machines to the best ice cream makers and robot window cleaners.
When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her running every distance from 5km to 100km or relaxing at home with her cat – there really is no in between.
Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, Women's Health, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall.
Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers. As head of the homes testing team, she has led reviews across multiple categories, from pizza ovens, and smart plugs to portable fans and hobs. She enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols to ensure we’re testing them against their claims. Her aim is to find the top-performing products on the market, to help take the hard work out of housework. Blossom’s most notable accomplishment in the lab has been toasting 528 slices of bread in her quest to find the best toasters money can buy. In her free time, she openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
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