Best luxury hot chocolate

[campanula]

I grate a heap of decent chocolate, mix with hot milk and shove it all into a cafetiere...where I pump it up and down like a maniac for a minute. The resulting froth keeps its structure and does exactly what a 'velvetiser' does without needing extra £££ or kitchen space. Same with hot milk for capuccinos.
Rreally nice for cold milkshakes too. I have found this to be the most efficient way of introducing air into milk.

 

[Epona]

I went to Hotel Chocolat outlet for research this evening. You can buy the velvetiser for £99 but if you join their ViP club you can get it for £69.95. They also sell refurbished ones for £50.95.
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We got a couple of free hotel chocolat sachets of velvetiser hot chocolate and I am happy to report that it worked fine in a pan of milk with a balloon whisk

(Very nice hot chocolate)

 

[Epona]

I grate a heap of decent chocolate, mix with hot milk and shove it all into a cafetiere...where I pump it up and down like a maniac for a minute. The resulting froth keeps its structure and does exactly what a 'velvetiser' does without needing extra £££ or kitchen space. Same with hot milk for capuccinos.
Rreally nice for cold milkshakes too. I have found this to be the most efficient way of introducing air into milk.

That's bloody brilliant, I wonder whether I still have a cafetiere lurking in the back of a cupboard somewhere...

 

[magneze]

digs out cafetiere

 

[Orang Utan]

I have a steel milk cafetière as it happens. Of course I should use it, why haven’t I already, what a damn fool

 

[gentlegreen]

As with my coffee, I like my cocoa with lumps in

 

[telbert]

Ive used Jamie oliver recipe as a basic guide for years and normally change bits when i like. I use the best cocoa i can get, grated quality chocolate and normally temper it with Baileys or brandy. I did 2 big flasks of this on saturday for our Epping to Ongar Santa Special and not a drop was wasted.

 

[pinkmonkey]

I have a tub of Lindt hot chocolate atm, it's pretty good - better than green & blacks or clipper IMO.

It is worth spending on decent hot chocolate, though most of the high end ones are just grated chocolate or similar IME - it's not much more effort to melt some chocolate from a bar in a bain-marie and gradually whisk in some hot milk

I love Lindt, I always put too much in in order to get Lindt sludge in the bottom of the cup, it’s the best bit!

 

[Orang Utan]

As with my coffee, I like my cocoa with lumps in

I have a special mini whisk to employ to get rid of such offensive objects

 

[Epona]

Ive used Jamie oliver recipe as a basic guide for years and normally change bits when i like. I use the best cocoa i can get, grated quality chocolate and normally temper it with Baileys or brandy. I did 2 big flasks of this on saturday for our Epping to Ongar Santa Special and not a drop was wasted.

In terms of alcohol additions, Amaretto is one of my favourites. Brandy or dark rum also excellent, or any sort of chocolate or coffee flavoured liqueur.

 

[geminisnake]

I'm in full agreement with platinumsage here. Hot chocolate powder is just cocoa, sugar and powdered milk.

Do it proper. 3 big spoons of high quality cocoa, plenty of brown sugar. Make a paste with milk. Thin it out with more milk and heat it in microwave. Top up with double cream. Drink a whole sports direct mug full and make yourself sick.

ETA sometimes I put orange zest in, or even a vitamin c tablet if I'm feeling really dirty.

and you can sleep after that much cocoa powder? Wow!! I certainly couldn't!

 

[Orang Utan]

Hot chocolate/milky cocoa has quite a soporific effect on me.

 

[Orang Utan]

Got me some of this early this evening:

 

[jontz01]

and you can sleep after that much cocoa powder? Wow!! I certainly couldn't!

I do a massive bike ride every other night, can quite comfortably eat 200g of chocolate and drift off to sleep no bother. I could drink caffeine and still sleep. Mega fatigue. Not the best.

 

[campanula]

So go on - has anyone tried my cafetiere methods yet? Waits for plaudits and admiration...

 

[magneze]

Yes! In fact I've just had one. Brilliant!

 

[Orang Utan]

So go on - has anyone tried my cafetiere methods yet? Waits for plaudits and admiration...

Aye!

 

[magneze]

It feels like you get more too because it's so frothy. I have to adjust the amount of milk so it still fits in the mug. So good.

 

[Orang Utan]

It feels like you get more too because it's so frothy. I have to adjust the amount of milk so it still fits in the mug. So good.

Or get a bigger mug

 

[Orang Utan]

So go on - has anyone tried my cafetiere methods yet? Waits for plaudits and admiration...

This is the best advice ever given on here. Thank you, thank you, thank you

 

[Orang Utan]

I have since discovered two new brands which are delicious, but also made the amazing discovery that hot chocolate is made even more delicious with the addition of Cornish spiced rum (Dead Man’s Fingers).

 

[Epona]

I have since discovered two new brands which are delicious, but also made the amazing discovery that hot chocolate is made even more delicious with the addition of Cornish spiced rum (Dead Man’s Fingers).

OH's night off and I was collecting some stuff off a Freecycler so were a bit off our usual beaten track, we found ourselves in the King Edward in Stratford (London) where they are currently having a Dead Man's Fingers promotion.
I think they had every flavour.
We didn't try them all. (Expensive also wanted to make it home upright)

 

[Orang Utan]

Have done more extensive testing but keep coming back to Green & Blacks. Most of the others have too much sugar in them.
Have yet to try any Hotel Chocolat products, but don’t trust them, so think it’ll stay that way.

 

[Happy Tree]

Cadbury's cocoa powder is the standard for me. But I luxury it up by adding Swiss Ovomaltine.