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.

I kind of get it. @AlwaysTheBabysitter wants to be able to sit and ponder, with the hot chocolate warming her hands, allowing her to sip it while she takes a break from life.

I often put my empty mug on my chest or even under my jumper to get a nice warm feeling.

Great suggestions for a preheated mug when using the Velvetiser, guess it might be back on my Christmas list after all.

Burnt milk tastes gross though, its a balance really- I also like piping hot drinks but when its made of milk and not water it can affect the taste, also depends whether they use flakes or powder. I'm sure if you say please make it hotter I don't care if it ruins the taste they might oblige.

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.

Perfect description of my frustrations Brine

My kids have to listen to me moan about all of this, a lot.

(It may be sad but my treat is a hot chocolate. It loses all its value when it's made incorrectly)

I’m with you OP!

Yeah, I'm the same OP. When I get a "hot" chocolate from a cafe I can chug it down like a milkshake. It must be because they often use milk.

When I make my own Options ones at home I just use boiling water. DH and the DCs have to have milk in theirs. DH calls me asbestos gob.

While we're on the subject of hot drinks, I've expanded my tea repertoire to earl grey, mint, and camomile. Matcha is a work in progress. Any tea I'm missing? I don't like lady grey, too flowery.

You are not unreasonable at all.
i’ve also noticed another thing. One person asks what hot drinks you want whereas another serves the rest and takes your money. The money side usually takes much longer so here I’m looking at my hot chocolate (or coffee) waiting for me and cooling down while I’m practically boiling inside from anger. I don’t want very hot drinks but I want them hot, I absolutely hate them lukewarm.
Or at some places they bring you hot drink first and then you wait for ages for your sandwich or your cake which is my pet hate as I always eat first drink last. I nearly cried at our local Heavenly dessert the other day when they brought my coffee first and then cake 10 minutes later.

I've worked in a coffee shop for 10 years. You absolutely can heat milk to a good temperature before it burns. I've never served a lukewarm drink in my life and a regularly drink my own hot chocolates.

I have discovered that if you heat milk and put in fondue chocolate you can make hot chocolate that reminds me of the best hot chocolates served in Paris or Spain. The fondue chocolate is solid chocolate so therefore contains fat which helps with hot chocolate staying hot I think.

In my experience of actually drinking in such shops they are dead right. Literally lukewarm. No-one is asking to burn milk. Hot coffee after 30 minutes is cold.

Or at some places they bring you hot drink first and then you wait for ages for your sandwich or your cake which is my pet hate as I always eat first drink last. I nearly cried at our local Heavenly dessert the other day when they brought my coffee first and then cake 10 minutes later.

Have you tried asking them to bring the drink and food at the same time?

I think its the amount if milk they use that cools it down

The thing is you never know how it will turn out. I do ask when I’m dining at a restaurant. I think the rule should be that the hot drinks is made the last because they should be hot. In reality no one’s bothered much about this.

@AlwaysTheBabysitter aaah yes ok, got it now! Liking your facetious style, and yes the mug has to be big!

@Frostine is making me thirsty, that sounds delicious.

I'm in a very small minority with this one - I drink fennel tea. I adore it. Most people recoil though!

I totally agree, OP. That's why I don't order hot luke warm chocolate in cafes any more.

I bought my brother this last year for the exact reasons you mentioned op. He says it's brilliant makes proper hot hot chocolate.

This one isn't available now but I'm sure you could find elsewhere.

amzn.eu/d/dJp0oid

There was a thread a few months ago about a woman who ordered a hot drink (I’m sure it was hot chocolate) and came on here to complain that it was TOO HOT and she burnt her mouth.

She came on here because she wanted to complain about it to the cafe.

To my absolute horror, the majority of posters AGREED with her!
And said that drinks shouldn’t come out too hot!!!

I still can’t get over that thread.

IMO drinks should come out hot because then you can wait for it to cool down, which doesn’t take long.
If it comes out warm then it’s going to go cold really quickly and not taste very nice.

@EarringsandLipstick I'll try it!

I make my own at home, just using a saucepan & whisking as it boils to a volcanic temperature but I want to be able to get a really good and hot hot chocolate when I'm out.

Honestly when it's made exactly right, I'm euphoric (easily pleased!)

Chai masala the proper stuff, try Chai Guys.

My young adult daughter has had a lifetime of lukewarm hot chocolate disappointment. It’s just never hot.

One of my all time favourite technical explanations that relates to complaints about the temperature of cappuccino. (Relates to the protein content of milk and the impact on foam.)

It is unusual, however, to get more than a few millimetres of foam on a cappuccino in most cafes in Ireland. This has to do with over-heating the milk – I have talked about the importance of milk temperature before, and a general lack of care. In fact, there is often no difference between a latte and a cappuccino except the powdered chocolate.

http://icecreamireland.com/2006/11/15/a-good-cappuccino-is-hard-to-find/

Somewhere on that blog is an explanation of the buffers in dairy milk that soak up acidity or alkalinity to keep the substance at right about neutral acidity. However, this buffers acidity in chocolate which changes its flavour profile above a certain temperature.

@Itsnotchristmasyet I remember that thread! Was an entertaining read during my lunchbreaks.