Velvetiser questions.

[Phyllidakettle]

I’m thinking about buying one as a gift. I’ve read the drink isn’t particularly hot and they are a pain to clean out? Do you agree if you own one? They are quite expensive I know.

We got one last year & we love it. The drinks are a fine temperature for drinking, I wouldn't want scalding hot chocolate as it changes the flavour.
It's v v easy to clean out imo
I thought it might be a gimmick but we love ours & use it loads
We all prefer the real hotel chocolat sachets having tried out a few others over the year

I do need to microwave my drink for 15 seconds or so to make it hot enough. Whilst this is happening, I rinse the pot out under the tap. I do think cleaning it is a bit of a pain just because you have to hold a electrical item under tap (I found that the "cleaning cycle" left smears on the bottom). The lid and whisk can go in the dishwasher.

I totally agree with NalPolishRemover.
For a hotter drink you can rinse out the cup with hot water before putting the hot chocolate in it, but I find it hot enough already. Cleaning it is very easy!

Basically, it's impossible to know whether the drink will be hot enough for someone if you don't know their preferences.

There's a recent review thread under the Product Test topic.

I sent back our Velvetiser after trying the Lavazza one. So much cheaper and I find it mixes everything better.

If I was buying one, I'd get the Dualit version as it does cold drinks without all the faff of the Velvetiser. It also looks bigger.

Very very easy to clean out.

Drinks aren’t scaldingly hot, but I am very happy with the temperature and haven’t once felt the need to preheat the cup to “boost” the temperature.

As other said, I was given it as a gift and was worried it would be a gimmick that seemed cool but I never used, but I love mine so much as use it all the time. I highly recommend if you like a hot chocolate.

I got one last year, after much deliberation.. I was worried it would be a gimmick and wouldn't get used. However it's used most days here and we love it. Sooo easy to clean and I've never had a problem with it not being hot enough for my tastes and I like coffee boiling hot.

Definitely recommend, there's usually discounts around Black Friday so it's worth keeping a look out. The Dualit available from John Lewis etc looks exactly the same for half the price though, and it's the same company that make the velvetiser..

I love mine, but the drinks are too cool. I put kettle boiling water in my mug to pre warm it, which seems ridiculous!

I use any flaked or powdered hot chocolate in it too, all have worked perfectly.

I also have a duelit milk frother which I use interchangeably and it’s about the same, but better in that it can froth cold so great for milkshakes. The velvetiser is much prettier though!

We got one for Christmas last year. I do like it but not sure I would spend £99 on another one if ours broke. But then again it's nicer than Costa so I probably would, it's saved me spending £3.50 on a hot chocolate a pop!

Cleaning wise, I hand wash it straightaway after using and put the whisk bit and lid in the dishwasher every now and again. If you don't clean it straight away and carry on using it (like my boyfriend does sometimes ) then chocolate can get stuck to the bottom.

I mostly use it with one teaspoon of m&s hot chocolate powder, rather than the hotel chocolat sachets.

Thanks all for your responses. One more question, I noticed M&S are selling fine chocolate bits to make hot chocolate drinks. Would they work in the velvetiser? I think the Hotel Chocolat drink mixes seem expensive.

I bought one recently on their subscription deal model , I rinse the cup in hot water and the drink temperature is fine. Cleaning is easy. When my subscription deal runs out ( it’s for a 12 month period) I will move on to Charbonnel and Walker. I am treating it as a little self indulgence for myself because I am worth it, I wouldn’t use it if I was making HC for more than one person as it would be too slow , and expensive.

Oh, and it’s really easy to clean!

We literally grate choc bars and use that.

Also the kids will put sometimes make a Nutella one by adding a spoon of that to the milk.

@Phyllidakettle

Thanks all for your responses. One more question, I noticed M&S are selling fine chocolate bits to make hot chocolate drinks. Would they work in the velvetiser? I think the Hotel Chocolat drink mixes seem expensive.

Lots of things work in the Velvetiser. I've used cheap hot chocolate powder, Horlicks, ovaltine, Biscoff spread, Nutella, vanilla bean paste....

You can (I'm told) grate your own chocolate too.

During lock down we couldn't get Hotel Chocolat sachets & we used to grate our favourite chocolate in the food processor & store in a kilner jar to spoon out. It worked perfectly but we perfect the HC choc overall so tend to stock up on them

@SoupDragon I never thought of some of those options!

One more question, I noticed M&S are selling fine chocolate bits to make hot chocolate drinks. Would they work in the velvetiser? I think the Hotel Chocolat drink mixes seem expensive.

Yes. My favourite way to make a hot chocolate with it is with one teaspoon of m&s hot chocolate powder, which is £2 a tub. Clippers hot chocolate powder is also nice in it. My boyfriends favourite is white hote chocolate powder by whittard. You can put whatever you want in it.

I wish I hadn't thought of some of them!

The vanilla one is nice as it's not sweet.

@SoupDragon do you just add vanilla bean paste to hot milk? Or do you add chocolate too?

Dd loved the HC white chocolate with vanilla. I love any of the milk chocolates & dh loves the weird ones in the multi pack- ginger, chilli, mint etc

DS put a drop of washing up liquid and some hot water in his, then gives it a whizz. Clean

@WalkingOnSonshine

I sent back our Velvetiser after trying the Lavazza one. So much cheaper and I find it mixes everything better.

Is the lavazza one hotter?

@SoupDragon

If I was buying one, I'd get the Dualit version as it does cold drinks without all the faff of the Velvetiser. It also looks bigger.

John Lewis have two Dualit models in stock? Not sure which is best?

We find ours very easy to cleam and the temperature is fine if you drink it right away, of you are like me and in the habit of leaving tea to cool for 5 mims before drinking you can get caught out though. Very easy to clean. We use all sorts of hot chocolate mixes in ours, I like Green and Blacks but we've never bought any more HC ones, worked through the pack that came with it and none of them were all that special.

I use grated milk chocolate flakes and also a measure of Courvoisier is helping the Autumn evenings fly by