Dualit Cocoatiser Hot Chocolate Maker review: Good, but not better than its rivals

Homemade hot chocolate making has undergone something of a revolution in recent years; the Dualit Cocoatiser is part of the trend. Gone are dusty, flavourless powders and stovetop-heated milk, replaced by a selection of worktop appliances: hot chocolate makers, milk frothers and even some coffee machines. These devices allow you to make smooth, rich hot chocolate with real pieces or flakes and can even whip up some frothy milk to turn your morning espresso into latté or cappuccino.

The Dualit Cocoatiser is one such device and a very capable one at that. This shiny jug-style hot chocolate maker impressed me with the silky, smooth hot chocolates it produced and even proved capable of whipping some commendable barista-style milk. However, while it has no great flaws of its own, the Cocoatiser is similarly priced to one of its more functional rivals. No, not the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser (£110), but its sibling product, the Dualit Handheld Milk Frother (£65).

Dualit Cocoatiser Hot Chocolate Maker review: What do you get for the money?

The Cocoatiser, which costs £68, has a svelte plastic body and is available in silvery Chrome or Copper colourways. Inside, the Cocoatiser has handy milk level markings ranging from 120ml to 325ml. The Cocoatiser also comes with a removable frothing whisk accessory and a basket attachment for making hot chocolates. The appliance operates using a single button, which is pressed after adding milk and chocolate pieces to produce your hot chocolate.

Looking at the other options out there, the aforementioned Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser (£110) is a solid option for anyone looking for a more premium product. The Velvetiser has a sturdy metal body and a weighty, texturised handle that makes pouring simple. It produces hot chocolates that are pretty hard to beat in terms of their silky – oh fine, go on then, velvety texture. While I don’t think any of that quite justifies its lofty price, I’ve consistently recommended it as a great option for gifting or for anyone looking to get themselves a luxurious treat.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Salter Chocolatier (£40) is a hot chocolate maker that can be picked up for a song, comparatively. A hot chocolate maker with a full range of frothing features, the Chocolatier can prepare excellent cappuccino foam, decent latté milk, cold foam (a somewhat rare feature) and, of course, hot chocolate. While it effectively melted down and whisked up the chocolate and milk I added to it in testing, the Chocolatier’s hot chocolate wasn’t as good as either the Cocoatiser or Velvetiser. But it also doesn’t cost three figures, so a slight gap in performance is forgivable.

Finally, like Goldilocks’s porridge, we come to the alternative that may be just right. The Dualit Handheld Milk Frother (£65) costs the same as the Cocoatiser and is, as far as I can see, nigh-identical. The only obvious difference is that the Dualit Milk Frother comes with an extra accessory for making flat whites, which performed impressively in testing.

Dualit Cocoatiser Hot Chocolate Maker review: What’s good about it?

Before I make more comparisons, let’s take a look at the Cocoatiser on its own. To test its hot chocolate-making chops, I began by grating up 35g of Green and Black’s 37% milk chocolate, which I use for all of my hot chocolate testing to maintain consistency. I then added my chocolate to 225ml of milk in the Cocoastiser and hit the button. A speedy 2mins 37secs later my hot chocolate was done. And so, to answer the most important question of this review: the hot chocolate produced by the Cocoatiser was fantastic. Smooth, thick and rich, I’m confident that the Cocoatiser’s hot chocolate would be deemed excellent by any who tried it.

Testing the hot chocolate produced by the Cocoatiser side-by-side with the Dualit Handheld Milk Frother, I can’t say I noticed any real difference between the two. However, I roped in my partner to do a blind taste test, and she noted that the texture of the hot chocolate produced by the Cocoatiser was slightly thicker, tastier and more enjoyable.

Another important part of the hot chocolate-making process comes after it’s made. Cleanup with the Cocoatiser is simple, with the device’s non-stick surfaces just needing a rinse and a wipe-down with a warm, soapy sponge before being ready for action again. Impressively, unlike other similar devices I’ve tested, the Cocoatiser didn’t leave behind any half-melted chocolate or have any get stuck in its mechanisms, which ensured cleanup remained a doddle.

To assess its versatility, I tried using the Cocoatiser without any chocolate added, to create latté-textured milk and cappuccino foam for my morning coffee. Both turned out well, with the whisk alone producing voluminous frothed milk and the whisk and basket attachment together turning out milk that was nearly divided into heated milk and textured foam i.e. the makings of a perfect latté.

Dualit Cocoatiser Hot Chocolate Maker review: What could be better?

As noted above, there isn’t really anything wrong with the Cocoatiser. It does what it sets out to do and does it well. My only bugbear is that it’s the same price as the Dualit Handheld Milk Frother (£65), which includes an extra accessory for making flat whites. The idea of paying the same price for the Cocoatiser to get one less accessory simply wrinkles my nose.

Of course, the Dualit Cocoatiser does have a shiny, mirrored exterior, aiming to compete with the Velvetiser, so if that makes the difference for you, then you may prefer it to the plain-black, matte-textured Dualit Milk Frother. There’s also the aforementioned blind taste test, in which the Cocoatiser emerged triumphant, albeit only by a narrow margin.

Dualit Cocoatiser Hot Chocolate Maker review: Should you buy it?

If you’re looking for a handsome hot chocolate maker that goes toe-to-toe with the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser (£110) and undercuts it on price, then the Dualit Cocoatiser is easy to recommend. It makes superb hot chocolates quickly and easily, leaving little to do in the way of cleaning up, all while costing a good deal less than its premium rival.

While hot chocolate making might not be an everyday activity, the Cocoatiser’s milk frothing performance – making great cappuccino foam and heated milk for lattés – gives it some extra utility to help justify its spot on your countertop. On that topic, its slim build and shiny exterior go a long way to making it a positive addition to your kitchen.

The only reason I’m docking a star off the Cocoatiser is that it performs very similarly to the Dualit Handheld Milk Frother (£65), which includes an accessory that allows you to make excellent flat whites from the comfort of your kitchen. However, if you prefer the look of the Cocoatiser and aren’t fussed about flat whites, then the Cocoatiser gets a hearty recommendation.