Best Overall
Secura Detachable Hot Chocolate Maker
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Ready to elevate your hot cocoa game? You need a hot chocolate maker! A hot chocolate maker is your ticket to crafting velvety, decadent drinks at home, bringing the cozy cafe experience right to your kitchen. In this guide, we’ve reviewed some of the best hot chocolate makers of 2024. We’ve evaluated each according to its convenience factor, durability, and ease of use to help you find the perfect maker for your needs. The Secura Detachable Hot Chocolate Maker tops our list due to its easy-pour spout, large capacity, and versatility. Let's sip, swirl, and discover the perfect brew together!
A Buyer’s Guide To Finding the Best Hot Chocolate Maker
Hot chocolate, lattes, cappuccinos and other drinks made from a blend of milk and flavors are some of the best morning beverages to kick-start your day. Not long ago, the only place to have access to such frothy drinks was your local coffee shop, but not anymore. You can enjoy a hot cup of cocoa in the comfort of your home, at the press of a single button. There are a huge variety of features that help you achieve different textures, intensities, and flavors. To help you navigate through all the available options on the market, we’ve put together this buying guide to help you find the best hot chocolate maker for your needs.
Reasons To Buy a Hot Chocolate Maker
If you’re still wondering if it’d be a worthy investment to get a dedicated hot chocolate maker, read through some of the benefits of getting one below:
No more labor
The best part of getting a hot chocolate maker is the ease it adds to your life. Rather than making hot chocolate by hand, you simply have to gather the ingredients, dump them in the jug, and press a button for a rich and frothy drink.
Make large quantities
If you have a large family or are just simply obsessed with hot chocolate, you need a machine to make large quantities in little to no time. Making hot chocolate for a family of four takes ages, whereas a machine can make you four or five mugs together at the press of a button.
Easy to clean
Another advantage of getting a hot chocolate maker is whipping up mess-free creations. We all know how stubborn chocolate can get and how incredibly hard it is to clean up after. Hot chocolate makers are designed with a material that is easy to clean and won’t rust or corrode. They’re coated with protective layers, so all you have to do is rinse them with soapy water and let them dry, even for dried-up chocolate marks.
Variety of use
Hot chocolate machines give you the freedom to experiment and get creative with flavors, textures, and combinations. You can play with syrups and additions to make a custom homemade hot beverage of your liking.
What Can You Make With a Hot Chocolate Maker?
Did you know your hot chocolate maker can do a lot more than just make hot chocolate for you? These machines can be used as frothers, tea makers, and coffee makers and can even stir up some cold brews as well. Let’s take a detailed look:
Coffee maker
You can use your hot chocolate maker as a coffee maker, allowing you to make strong drinks, cappuccinos, chocolate shakes, lattes, and much more. Pair it up with a frothing machine or use the frothing option if any and you have a great combination ready. This can save you money because you can make the beverage you desire in a single machine, at home.
Frother
Hot chocolate makers have a frothing option to create fluffy, light foam that spreads over the top of your beverage. For the longest time, frothy drinks were considered a café luxury that you couldn’t imagine enjoying at home. Some machines come with different intensity options as well, so you can enjoy thin, thick, creamier, or softer froth options.
Cold stir
Some hot chocolate maker models have a cold stir option that opens up the door for more opportunities. This feature allows you to create cold as well as hot drinks, making it a product for year-round use. You can unwind with a fresh cold cappuccino in the summer and get your hot cocoa drink in the winter from the same machine.
What Kind of Chocolate Makes the Tastiest Hot Chocolate?
When it comes to owning a hot chocolate maker, you start wondering about your options and limitations. With one, you can perfectly create your desired taste or even discover a new one. Some machines allow you to put complete chocolate bars inside the machine for a strong taste, while others allow only syrups or powders. Hot chocolate machines that only use powdered or syrup will have you put flavors, sugar, and additional taste by yourself which can get tedious. You can also get a machine that works with pods. In this case, the ingredients and flavors are packed in the pod and your machine will brew it into the milk or water to make the perfect beverage. As for flavor, you can start with semisweet or bittersweet and expand your palette gradually. Semisweet usually has 35 to 40% cacao content and more sugar added to it than bittersweet, which has 75% cacao. Unsweetened chocolate is rarely ever used for making hot chocolate since the flavor is too strong.
How To Clean a Hot Chocolate Maker
Here are a few tips and steps to follow when cleaning your hot chocolate maker:
- Make sure that the machine is unplugged and wait for it to completely cool down before you clean.
- Don’t use strong detergents, solvents, or gasoline to clean the machine.
- Clean all the components thoroughly with a damp cloth and wash the cup/jug in soapy water.
- Avoid using metal sponges or abrasive equipment to clean the machine.
- Read carefully through the cleaning and maintenance instructions in the manual from the manufacturer.
- Don’t wash the components of the machine in the dishwasher. You can clean the jug if it’s marked safe for dishwasher use.
- Don’t immerse the machine in water.
- Assemble and store the hot chocolate maker only when it’s completely dry
Top Picks
- Best Overall: Secura Detachable Hot Chocolate Maker
- Great Value: Nostalgia Retro Hot Chocolate Maker
- Best Classic Option: Ratrso Hot Chocolate Maker
- Easiest To Use: Zulay Kitchen Hot Chocolate Maker
- Most Portable: Newoer Hot Chocolate Maker
Reviews
Great Value
Nostalgia Retro Hot Chocolate Maker
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Best Classic Option
Ratrso Hot Chocolate Maker
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Easiest to Use
Zulay Kitchen Hot Chocolate Maker
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Most Portable
Newoer Hot Chocolate Maker
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FAQs
Can you make hot chocolate with only a milk frother?
Yes, you can, although it may be less convenient and more time-consuming than with a hot chocolate maker. You'd need to heat milk on the stove or microwave, then froth it with a milk frother until creamy. You would then add cocoa powder and sweetener to taste.
What temperature is ideal for hot chocolate?
The ideal temperature for hot chocolate is typically around 160-180°F (70-82°C), ensuring it's warm enough to enjoy without being too hot to sip comfortably.
What should you use to make the best hot chocolate? Milk, soy, or water?
Milk gives your drink richness and creaminess while soy milk, or any other non-dairy milk, is great if you’re lactose intolerant. If you wish to get the complete flavor of chocolate, make your hot chocolate with water, but be aware that this method won’t have a creamy flavor or texture.