The lingering cold weather has ushered in prime hot chocolate season, and for anyone with a weakness for all things chocolate, it’s the perfect reason to cosy up at home. With the rise of dedicated hot chocolate machines, creating a luxuriously smooth, coffee-shop quality drink is easier than ever, and there’s no need to venture out into the chill. At the forefront of the trend is the gadget that started it all: the Hotel Chocolat velvetiser, a favourite among serious chocolate lovers.
Launched in 2018, the velvetiser has only grown more impressive, with newer models even offering a cold chocolate setting. That said, at £150, it’s a hefty investment for a daily cocoa fix. Thankfully, a wave of more affordable alternatives has arrived – and one in particular has caught my eye: Salter’s chocolatier electric hot chocolate maker, priced at a far more palatable £35.
Each machine works by blending chocolate flakes with milk to produce a rich, silky drink, but the Salter version has the added bonus of functioning as a milk frother for everyday coffee too, so it’s multifunctional. Given the £115 price difference, I wanted to see whether the more affordable model could genuinely hold its own against the premium alternative. With both gadgets in hand, I set about testing them side by side to discover which could deliver the ultimate mug of hot chocolate.
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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.
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