Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser

Depends on how much you like hot chocolate.

My friend has one and he adores it - uses it multiple times a week during autumn and winter. He doesn't drink alcohol - hot chocolate is his one vice. He keeps trying to persuade everyone else to get one as he loves his so much.

While I love hot chocolate I don't drink it very often and so I'd personally not want one.

We use ours a lot , we don’t use the hotel Chocolat sachets as we aren’t keen on many of them . I accept that you can do the same job cheaper but we got given ours as a gift and it is quite a neat machine .

I love mine. But then we had a cheaper hot chocolate maker/milk frother before. The Velvetiser knocks the cheaper ones out the park. I don't use the hotel Chocolat sacheys though - I just prefer the Whittards ones. I've also used just a normal Cadburys hot chocolate in it before, and it still turned out decent.

I use mine most days for my afternoon oat matcha latte (and pretend I'm an influencer while actually updating spreadsheets). My kids use it to make hot chocolate when they gets back from rugby/netball/football/swimming - super easy and safe. I think it's a great addition to the kitchen. We did have a nespresso milk frother but I just think this one is easier to clean and more easy for the kids to use. I do agree though that it could be bigger - when there are lots of kids at my house I still just make a pan of hot chocolate on the stove

I can't see how its any different to a decent milk frother. I make hot chocolate in my areochinno and its great.

People seem to love them though.

I am normally very cynical for these things and I have enough gadgets cluttering up my kitchen (thanks husband!) But the velvetiser is amazing. I love it, the hot chocolate tastes like nothing else.

I've got one

I occasionally use it for hot chocolate, but use it most days with just milk to make a cappuccino/ latte type coffee

I'm glad we have one but not sure I would recommend it for the price it is. Mine was a birthday present

The LavaZa one is better. Much better.

Worth it if you like hot chocolate, you don't have to use the special chocolate, I have made with cocoa, and powdered hot chocolate, and half and half water/milk. It's easy to clean and less hassle than heating up milk in a saucepan or microwave.

Mine is used. Dd uses it for coffee, neither dc are that interested in the hotel chocolate flavours so don’t bother with them and just use whatever they fancy/is in the house instead. has been a good buy.

We have one and love it use it most nights in the winter

Got one for my birthday last year and it’s absolutely brilliant!
DC love it (age 13 and 9). We use it every evening for them to have warm
milk before bed (just don’t add any chocolate so not regular sweet drinks). It’s milky, warm, frothy and so much better than regular hot milk or hot chocolate. The sachets are expensive (to us), so we only use half or 1/3 of the packet each time. Couldn’t live without ours now.

Mine gets used daily, Year round (on hot days I make iced chocolate). I do throw Aldi chocolate in the food processor sometimes, but the hotel chocolat pouches are best.

It takes cold milk and real chocolate (flakes) and turns it into a very lovely smooth hot chocolate.

DS (skinny pre teen) has whole milk with heaps of salted caramel. I usually have 70% dark chocolate with oat milk.

It didn’t get hot enough for me, I prefer the results when using a saucepan and a whisk.

Yes, an issue with it is the size. You can only make one small cup at a time. It takes around 2 minutes per drink.

I have a Starbucks mug which must be oversized, as the standard velvetiser capacity doesn’t fill it! So it’s a bit awkward sometimes, I may need to make a 2nd round for the same cup and definitely if multiple people want one. I know this doesn’t seem like a big deal and it’s not…but it can be a bit finicky. If it had the capacity for 2 drinks, it would be perfect.

Also to add - seeing that you’re considering it as a joint gift for DCs - it only holds enough milk to make one drink at a time.

You may not have this issue but I know me and my sister would have endlessly squabbled about who got the first one 😆

You dont have to use the Hotel Chocolat hot chocolate! We use bog standard Cadburys often and it still makes a really nice smooth hot chocolate.

I’ve got one, don’t bother with the HC pouches I just chop up my own chocolate. I do use it probably once a week and find it to be worth it.

I have one, but don't use it a lot. I find it doesn't heat the milk enough for me.

I've got one at it is really good! However I also have the smeg milk frother which has a hot chocolate setting and the Nespresso one - out of the three I think the smeg is the best.

The velvetiser kept getting stuck and doesn't make as much, whereas the smeg can make a double portion which is so much easier.

I got one. To be honest I don't get the hype either. It does work well to make a single small cup of chocolate and is easy to clean.

But I've tried various of the HC flavours and the only one I like is the classic 70% dark. To me, the rest are over sweet and taste mostly of sugar rather than chocolate.

However, I bought two boxes of the 70% dark earlier this year, and even they didn't taste great. They had a sort of tobacco like flavour.

I don't know if the quality has declined or if there is something wrong with my velvetiser (overheating the chocolate perhaps). So it's rarely used.

I need to try a different brand of quality chocolate I think to see if it's any better.

@Cliffwheat00 we cross posted…don’t try the latte selection! It was really disappointing.

Could you explain more about it being a joint gift for the children? How old are they, do you all live together etc?

I think it’s a good item for the household in general. If I was gifting it to someone, I’m thinking of someone who has just moved in and needs bits for the house? Otherwise it wouldn’t be my go-to gift for someone I live with.

I have had mine for almost 3 years and the novelty has worn off. Sometimes it doesn’t work and I have to faff around with reinserting the whisk etc so it’s sort of lost its charm as a “gift” and is more just a general household appliance like a kettle.

The white chocolate is lovely. However the refills can be expensive. Some of the flavours are just not nice - I tried the latte box which is vile - waste of money. Also the coconut caramel wasn’t particularly pleasant.

I don’t regret owning it. I have a limited edition one which looks nice and it’s fun to set up a hot chocolate station with syrups, marshmallows etc. but ultimately I don’t use it much anymore!

My 10 year old got one for his birthday this year at his request. We did have a cheaper version first and personally there is a difference. For me I like the fact that he can do it himself. There is no boiling milk over the hob etc. He enjoys doing it and going to pick out flavours. I see they have latte selection out now also which I’d probably give a go!

I’ve had one for a couple of years. I do use it fairly regularly but I wouldn’t buy it again.

I don’t find the drink hot enough unless I pre-heat the cup by filling it with boiling water.

I stopped buying the official HC sachets and use Whittard’s hot choc tubs now. I know it says not to use other brands but I’ve yet to damage my Velvetiser!

On the plus side it’s really easy to clean by running it with water and a bit of washing up liquid.