I like hot chocolate as much as the next person, which is to say: on occasion. I’m not necessarily ordering one if I stop into La Colombe, but I’ll happily partake if it’s offered during a camping trip or holiday market, especially if it comes garnished with a flotilla of mini-marshmallows. As for making it at home, though, the idea of heating the milk and standing at the stove stirring — not to mention scrubbing the saucepan afterward — is enough to prompt me to pour a glass of wine instead.
So you can see why I was initially skeptical of Hotel Chocolat’s Velvetiser, a device that’s uniquely devoted to making hot chocolate. Could I ever enjoy hot chocolate enough to dedicate valuable cabinet real estate to a $150 gadget that does nothing else? But with a couple visits from out-of-town friends and some holiday gatherings on my calendar, I figured it’d at least be a fun party trick, so I called in a sample.
I must now report that, since receiving the Velvetiser, my hot-chocolate consumption has increased from a few times a year to nearly nightly, which I credit entirely to how easy the machine is to use and the delicious hot chocolate it produces. It has three parts: a base that plugs in, a metal pitcher, and a whisk that snaps magnetically to the interior so it doesn’t tumble out when you tip the pitcher upside-down. There’s etching on the inside of the pitcher to mark the level you pour to: eight ounces, enough to make exactly one cup. My Velvetiser also came with a stash of Hotel Chocolat’s hot-chocolate sachets, which contain flakes of chocolate in a variety of outré flavors, from salted caramel to ginger to black-forest gateau (they also offer regular milk chocolate and dark chocolate, for the less adventurous). I pour the milk, dump in the contents of a hot-chocolate packet, put on the lid, press a button; the device makes a faint, whirring hum for two minutes and then it’s done.
The hot chocolate is precisely as promised: smooth and velvety with a just-right sweetness and a delightful foam on top. There are no lumps or clumps because the mixture has been so thoroughly frothed and whisked. The Velvetiser also heats the hot chocolate to an ideal temperature, around 158 degrees Fahrenheit: not scalding, but toasty enough that you can feel it warming your insides as it goes down. And it turns out that eight ounces of hot chocolate is the perfect serving size, just enough to satiate. Cleanup couldn’t be simpler: You fill the pitcher with water and a drop of dish soap, run the machine again, and give it a quick wipe-down.
I’ve now used the Velvetiser to make hot chocolate with multiple types of milk, including whole, almond, and oat, and every cup turned out delicious. I’ve even tried it with a powdered hot-chocolate mix I had lying around — admittedly against Hotel Chocolat’s advice — and while the result wasn’t quite as nice as what the brand’s own grated chocolate produces, it was still perfectly decent. Once I run out of the packets, I’ll experiment with chopping my own chocolate as well.
The single-serving aspect may be slightly annoying if you’re trying to make hot chocolate for a large group, but I haven’t found it to be a problem because it takes literally two minutes to make another cup. The machine is always done before I’ve lit a candle and selected a cheesy Christmas movie to watch.
The biggest drawback is the price: At $150, the Velvetiser is unquestionably a splurge (plus the flakes, which come out to approximately $2.50 per cup). Considering my current hot-chocolate consumption, the eventual cost per use will easily justify the price tag. But because of its expense and its singular purpose, it might feel a bit indulgent — thus making it a consummate holiday gift. (In fact, when I mentioned the Velvetiser in conversation recently, Strategist newsletter editor Ashley Wolfgang reported that her mom had been eyeing it for her Christmas wish list just the night before.) There’s a certain Luddite charm to the gadget’s commitment to doing one thing, at the touch of one button, and doing it gloriously well. Whenever I’m considering a potential present, I like to ask myself: Is it luxe, frivolous, and/or delightful? The Velvetiser is all three.
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