Dualit Milk Frother | Hot milk, hot & cold frothed milk | Ideal for lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, hot chocolate & milkshakes | 84135

Product Information

Effortlessness: ★★★★☆. It's a doddle to use, and clean-up is breezy as most parts are dishwasher-safe. The Bluetooth-connected app helps make crafting beverages easier too.

Chocolate needed: It can only handle flaked chocolate, and obviously, Hotel Chocolat recommends using their own range. The Velvetiser launches next month and the marketing spiel is eye-roll-inducing – the machine is billed as an “in-home drinking chocolate system” and its name becomes a verb, promising “velvetised drinks” and “perfect velvetising” – but that drink, though. It made me smile, it made me dance, it made me velvetise. Yes, it is an expensive, space-gobbling, single-cup, single-use gadget, but it is a very pretty one – available in eminently millennial colours (copper, matt charcoal, white). And while Hotel Chocolat is keen for you to use its single-serve pouches, I tried other hand-grated chocs, cacaoand even honey. Pourable silken pile, one and all.The classic copper clad Velvetiser is chic, stylish and on-trend, with looks good enough to grace any kitchen countertop. And we even supply a pair of podcups that just fit into the palm of your hand. So you can cradle that chocolate goodness as you savour every sip. Rich, creamy and decadent, why not indulge yourself with the ultimate in hot chocolate?

Although it’s pricey, our expert found it an adaptable piece of kit that can do so much more than hot chocolate (although it’s undoubtedly the headliner here). You can use it for impressive lattes, milkshakes and cold beverages, while the plant-based options mean no family members or guests are left out. It’s also delightfully easy to use and clean. To replicate that same froth for oat milk, and all other plant-based milks, you have to buy the 'barista' version which has added stabilisers to mimic the fats found in cow's milk. From vegan sachets to its compatibility with plant-based milk, there really is something for everyone when it comes to flavour options. This is the only gadget on my list that is solely devoted to the art of making the ultimate hot chocolate. It's not a milk frother, it's an "in-home drinking hot chocolate system". It's also one of the most beautiful machines on my list. Quantity is a big issue for me, and the Gourmet Gadgetry option deserves to be applauded for creating a machine that you could reasonably get two cups of hot chocolate out of in one go.

Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser

All you need in addition to the liquid (water or any type of milk) chocolate of your choice is a means to heat the liquid up (a kettle for water or a saucepan/microwave for the milk). This was my favourite: an old-fashioned aluminium stove-top jug with a plunger lid to pump and froth and a protective silicone mat. The instructions are nicely loose and straight: you fill the pot up to just below the bottom of the handle, preferably with whole milk (semi or skimmed won’t froth so well) and gently heat on the burner (gas or electric) until the milk is bubbling around the edges, then add in your chocolate – the manual suggests a cocoa mix (I use Cadbury’s powdered hot chocolate) or a grated handful of real chocolate – quantities unspecified – and stir.

Overall: ★★★★☆. It's a good value option that can make two cups of hot chocolate at a time. The colour might not be to everyone's taste though. Having recently reviewed Hotel Chocolat's Velvetiser, I thought it was time to investigate the tech available to make creamy and frothy café-style hot chocolates. Rather than focus purely of the gadgets, I've also compared them against the de facto methods of making hot chocolate at home, to get a balanced assessment.

This bold red gadget sits in Gourmet Gadgetry's range of retro diner-themed products. If you've already got red appliances in your home, this will blend in nicely. Otherwise, it might stand out more than others in this list.