As the winter chill sets in, the quest for the perfect homemade hot chocolate intensifies. While a simple mug of powder and hot milk suffices for many, dedicated appliances now promise barista-quality drinks from your kitchen. The most famous is the viral Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser, launched in 2018 and updated in summer 2025 with a cold chocolate function. However, with a price tag of £150, it's a significant investment.
Enter the budget-friendly challenger: Salter's The Chocolatier Electric Hot Chocolate Maker, which costs just £35. With a staggering £115 price difference, IndyBest's Deputy Editor, Sabrina Sahota, put both machines through their paces on Saturday 20 December 2025 to see if the premium option is truly worth it.
Head-to-Head: Testing Methodology
Sabrina Sahota, with over five years of experience testing kitchen gadgets, conducted a rigorous comparison. Using dairy milk and classic milk chocolate flakes, she assessed each machine on ease of use, taste, texture, cleaning, and appearance. Speed was also timed, as a slow machine can test your patience when a cocoa craving strikes.
"I was intrigued to see if the budget-friendly alternative was as effective as its premium counterpart," said Sahota. "All in the name of a decent cup of cocoa."
The Budget Contender: Salter's The Chocolatier
The Salter appliance is compact (H18.6cm x W11.1cm x D16.8cm), making it suitable for crowded countertops. Its matte black design is functional rather than flashy. Operation requires consulting the manual, as there are no visual diagrams, but it becomes intuitive after a few uses.
Its key advantage is versatility. Beyond hot chocolate, it can create thick hot froth for cappuccinos, light hot froth for lattes, hot milk, and cold froth. The maximum and minimum fill lines are clearly marked.
However, it took around five-and-a-half minutes to produce a drink. The resulting hot chocolate was smooth and at a perfect, drinkable temperature, but it lacked a foamy head. Cleaning was straightforward thanks to a removable whisk and smooth interior.
At £35, it comes as just the machine, without the cups or chocolate sachets included with the Velvetiser.
The Premium Experience: Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser
The Velvetiser (H 21.5cm x L 24.5cm x D 19.1cm) immediately feels like a premium product. It's weighty, well-made, and comes in modern colours like 'pebble' with chrome accents and a solid ash handle. The instructions are clear with helpful diagrams.
As a dedicated hot and cold chocolate maker, it's simple: add a sachet to 220ml of milk, select hot or cold, and press go. It was impressively fast, delivering a drink in just two-and-a-half minutes.
The result was a barista-quality hot chocolate: rich, silky smooth, and with a luxurious, foamy top. Hotel Chocolat attributes this to a unique vortex effect created by internal ridges and a custom whisk. The downside is that it's less versatile and slightly trickier to clean due to those ridges.
The Final Verdict: Which Hot Chocolate Maker Wins?
The test revealed a clear split, dependent on your habits and budget.
For the dedicated hot chocolate enthusiast who prioritises café-quality foam and a sleek design, the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser is a worthy, if pricey, investment. It delivers on its promise of a luxurious, velvety drink with minimal fuss.
For the versatile drinker who enjoys both cocoa and coffee, Salter's The Chocolatier offers exceptional value at £35. While its hot chocolate lacks the signature foam, it makes a very good, smooth drink and its milk frothing functions for coffees add significant utility.
Ultimately, the £115 price gap reflects a trade-off between specialised luxury and multi-purpose practicality. Your perfect winter warmer depends on which you value more.
