To want a HOT chocolate?

[AlwaysTheBabysitter]

I know it's me and that I'm an uncultured swine with an asbestos mouth, but I'm starting to feel disappointed whenever I try out a lovely, independent shop which prides themselves on doing a spectacular hot chocolate, only to be given a cup of (admittedly delicious) lukewarm chocolate instead. Which is no good when I want to sit and savour it, and do the whole 'two hands around the mug, jumper sleeves dangling to my fingers' thing. Instead I end up having to gulp it down before it actually goes cold.

I did mention it at my local coffee shop when they started doing the same with their coffees, only to be told that it's the optimum temperature for the beans, and I've heard that the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser produces lukewarm chocolate too. So I suppose the experts have spoken!

Looks like I'll have to stick to tea.

Sorry, need to go to Bruges :)

I always ask for an extra hot one but not everywhere does it as I feel the same

Having worked in a coffee shop, you can only get milk so hot before it burns.

In my experience people who refer to things like this as lukewarm are being a bit dramatic it's just not boiling hot. Iuke warm is a hot cup of teas after 30 min or so I'd be surprised if it's actually this cold.

Now that's an idea! Travelling around Europe sampling their hot chocolate offerings. That's my December sorted 😊☕

What about mocha coffee? To me that tastes like ‘grown up hot chocolate’, a bit less sweet and more bitter, like dark chocolate. But I guess not to everyone’s taste.

I preheat my mug for velvetised hot chocolate, perhaps they’d do that for you? Boiling water in the mug while the chocolate is being made, it makes all the difference.

I agree OP, it has to be hot!

But...what on earth is this twee shite:

'Which is no good when I want to sit and savour it, and do the whole 'two hands around the mug, jumper sleeves dangling to my fingers' thing.'

I don't get it, I feel old!

Have you ever made your own ?
Real hot chocolate , buy a good quality dark chocolate . Fill your largest mug with milk, pour into a saucepan and heat , break up some chocolate , add to milk to melt ( the more the better!)
Carry on heating to melt chocolate to your preferred temp . If feeling naughty add cream. Pour and enjoy !

I've never experienced a hot drink I've ordered not being too hot for at least 5 minutes, so from my perspective YABU. Must be the asbestos tongue!

It's definitely lukewarm in my coffee shop. I have a choice of a warm chocolate which I can drink down in one, or an earl grey tea, which I slightly resent because I know I could make one at home for 15p.

@Burnoutwhat I generally find hot drinks too cool to drink even after just 10 mins of it being made (even ones without milk) and would probably say that as close to boiling as possible is my ideal! I get enough raised eyebrows at work to know it's a bit odd though. Good point about about the milk, but interestingly the same cafes do a lovely latte which they serve at a perfect (for me) drinking temperature.

I quite often get lukewarm drinks, it's not being dramatic, if I order a hot drink I expect it to be hot, not something I have to neck straight down before it's actually cold. If I go to a coffee chain I ask for it at 80 degrees as that's what a barista in Starbucks told me was the hottest temp, perfect for me, still a good temp when you get to the end. If I go to an independent coffee shop I ask for it as hot as they can do it, sometimes works out OK

Ah, you mean “vulnerable sleeves” OP?

I have the opposite problem which is that most coffee shops burn the shit out of the milk and I can never drink my coffee right away, but once it’s cooled down it still tastes scalded.

I don't drink coffee, and can not think of a single cafe hot chocolate that was ever more than or often even close to being lukewarm. They can make the milk hot enough for a latte, but don't seem to bother for a "hot" chocolate. Served in a mug the size of a thimble, while they're at it. Tea is just as disappointing - it's either ten teaspoons of leaf in a tiny pot, or a single teabag on the side of a saucer with a leaky metal teapot that dribbles, so the tea is either stewed to the max and undrinkable or too long past its point of heat (aka boiling) where the teabag will produce a nice hot cup of tea. A glass of tap water is a more exciting drink in most cafes.

I do agree that the velvetiser is a little lukewarm - they are designed so you can drink the hot chocolate immediately, so it's ideal for my 7yo but I personally prefer it a little hotter.

Good tip about using boiling water to pre-warm the mug, I'll definitely try that!

Frostine but difficult to do this when you're out and about.

I'm with you, OP. I went out for a few pumpkin spice lattes over half term and the only one that was hot enough (despite me asking for them to be extra hot) was from Greggs in a takeaway cup. Oh and Coffee No. 1 was hot too, but again in a takeaway cup. So takeaway cups are the way to go!

@Scalottia That was a joke about the trope of TV programmes or films or even magazine adverts having a woman wearing a too-big-for-her jumper, sitting with both hands around a giant mug of tea/coffee/hot chocolate (I guess so she looks small and fragile?) I do like a big mug though!

@AlwaysTheBabysitter

Let's go for a hot chocolate together! You are me.

I don't drink tea or coffee (herbal tea at home). I love my HCs. They need to be scalding hot. The coffee shop I frequent has accepted this & most input 'extra hot' into the till about 5 times to ensure the desired temperature!

Yes, I've heard about scalding the milk too. I don't care. If it's not roasting hot, I can barely tolerate it - and it's so expensive, it's a waste.

I also like to savour it, so hate if it's not warm enough for me to walk around sipping it for a while.

I have been known to ask them to remake it if not hot enough - I know, a PITA, but it's €4.20 & I will have been specific.

I sometimes hear people ahead of me say, 'not too hot please' & I'm in disbelief 😀

@ShirleyPhallus YES vulnerable sleeves!! That's exactly it! I didn't know it had a word! Bonus points for my pensive expression as I look out onto a rainy street, of course. There might even be a cat.

I'm with you OP.
I can drink a mug of tea or coffee immediately from the kettle.
One reason I never order cappuccino is because the milk it's never hot enough.
I don't like hot chocolate though 🤐

There seems to be a trend for serving coffee cooler as well. I prefer my coffee hot - not scalding, but not lukewarm either.
DS and DD have form for this, I ask for 15 sec in the microwave to warm it up for me.

@AlwaysTheBabysitter the jumper should usually be a sort of burnt orange colour

If a drink is made that’s hot but already verging on warm and then it’s poured into a cold mug, by the time it gets to the table it will be only warm. Which is useless for relaxed sipping since by the time you’re half way down it will actually be lukewarm. So you have to chug it all quickly and then it’s gone.
As someone else said, asking them to heat up the mug first with boiling water is probably the way forward.

@Justleaveitblankthen

That's funny - when I have herbal tea (so no milk) I make it obviously with boiling water, but have to let it sit a few minutes. (I hate adding cold water for some reason).

But I think because of the chocolate I can drink an extra hot hot chocolate immediately.

(Imagine not liking hot chocolate though 😉)

I agree, we do this too - it's too hot for me to drink if we do this