Is the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser worth the money? I put it head-to-head with a cheaper option to find out
The Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser makes for a great luxury treat or gift, but is it simply too pricey to buy for everyday use?
There’s nothing quite like the warmth of a decadent hot chocolate to cheer you up on a cold, wet day. While powdered options are simple and nostalgic treats, they can’t quite match the silkiness of a hot chocolate prepared in a dedicated hot chocolate maker or milk frother. As well as making hot chocolate, the best milk frothers pair perfectly with a coffee machine, allowing you to turn your daily espresso into a foamy cappuccino or smooth latté.
Among hot chocolate makers, the best known and most well-reviewed option is probably the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser. This home frother whisks together chocolate flakes and milk to create hot chocolates that are super velvety. However, the Velvetiser comes with a pretty significant £100 price tag that is understandably off-putting for some.
There are alternatives out there, however and my favourite budget-friendly option is the Dualit Handheld Milk Frother. This jug frother can make hot chocolates, as well as create textured milk suitable for a wide range of coffee drinks.
I put these two hot drinks whizzes head-to-head, to find out whether the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser is really worth the money or whether the value and features of the Dualit Milk Frother makes it a better buy. Read on for my verdict below.
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Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser vs Dualit Milk Frother: Design
Looking at the Velvetiser first, the hot chocolate maker has a solid metal body and a simple, fluid design with metallic trim and a textured handle. It is available in three colours: a shiny copper, a bright white and a subdued charcoal, each of which will fit elegantly into most kitchens. As well as looking the part, the Velvetiser feels well-designed in use. In testing, the weighty, textured handle was pleasant to grip and I found that the rounded rim with its small spouts on either side made pouring out the hot chocolate simple and mess-free.
The Dualit Milk Frother has a black, hard plastic body. Unlike the previous version, the exterior of the Dualit Handheld is matte-black instead of glossy, which looks a little more modern and sleek. While it doesn’t feel as solid as the Velvetiser, the Dualit Milk Frother doesn’t feel cheap at all and is well-designed for day-to-day use. One criticism I did have in my original review was the lack of a handle or spout, which makes pouring a little more awkward, though it does give the frother a slimmer profile overall.
Winner: Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser
Round one goes to the Velvetiser. In this category, the Velvetiser backs up its expense with its sturdy feel and elegant look. The metal body, subtle metallic trim and textured handy all go together to create an appliance that both looks great in my kitchen and feels luxurious to use.
Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser vs Dualit Milk Frother: Features
In terms of features, the Velvetiser is pretty straightforward: you add milk and chocolate flakes, press its single button and it whisks up a delicious hot chocolate. Giving it some extra utility, the Velvetiser can be set to work without any chocolate flakes in it to create some pretty serviceable latté foam for your morning coffee.
The Dualit Handheld Milk Frother operates similarly, having just the one button, but adds extra utility via its accessories. Set the Dualit Milk Frother to operate with just the whisk attachment in and it will create airy foam suitable for a cappuccino. Add the basket attachment if you want the more balanced texture of a latté – putting in chocolate flakes with this attachment on board will get you your hot chocolate. If you set the frother going with the flat white cap attached it will create finely textured heated milk. The attachments are what really set the Dualit apart for me. As a daily flat white drinker, I often find myself disappointed with the small but overly foamy offerings some coffee shops turn out, so being able to create a half-decent one in my own kitchen is a real treat.
Winner: Dualit Milk Frother
The second round goes to the Dualit Milk Frother. Both these appliances can froth milk and make hot chocolate, but the Dualit’s assortment of attachments allow it to create drinks with a variety of different textures, giving it the edge in terms of functionality. With the ability to turn your espresso into a cappuccino, latté, flat white or mocha, the Dualit Milk Frother is like a whole café on your countertop.
View Dualit Milk Frother at John Lewis
Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser vs Dualit Milk Frother: Performance
We know what these frothers can do, but how well do they do it? In terms of performance, the Velvetiser is hard to fault. It does exactly what it says it does, and it does it well. The Velvetiser’s molinillo-inspired whisk works to whizz up a drink that has the perfect smooth and velvety texture that you would look for in a hot chocolate.
It’s also briefly worth mentioning the Hotel Chocolat’s proprietary chocolate flakes, which the brand suggests you stick to using. These come in a commendable range of flavours and types including peppermint white chocolate, 70% dark and hazelnut latté, and produce a tasty hot chocolate. However, I personally found I got the best results by chopping and grating bars of chocolate myself, with Green and Blacks being my favourite for this purpose.
The Dualit Handheld Milk Frother also deserves praise for its performance, with the frother working well across the board. While perhaps not as texturally magnificent as the Velvetiser, the Dualit turns out a hot chocolate that is leaps and bounds ahead of an instant powdered option. And, as mentioned above, the milk textures produced by its cappuccino whisk, latté basket and flat white cap all perform admirably, allowing you to make a wide range of coffee-based drinks.
Winner: Draw
I’m chalking this round up as a draw. While they may differ slightly in terms of functionality, both the Velvetiser and Dualit Milk Frother perform their available abilities to a very high-standard.
Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser vs Dualit Milk Frother: Value
It can be difficult sometimes to differentiate between value and cost. The Velvetiser is a well-finished product that works to a high-standard and will provide lots of value to lovers of hot chocolate. However, it does cost a lot, especially if you plan on regularly replenishing your supply of Hotel Chocolat’s pricey chocolate flake sachets. Ultimately, while I’m a big fan of the Velvetiser, I think that the £100 price tag for a hot chocolate maker will be a bit above-and-beyond for many.
The Dualit Milk Frother is well-put together and presentable, makes tasty hot chocolate and is a practical and useful option for daily use, in my opinion. On balance, the £65 asking price it carries at time of writing is very fair for what you get.
If, value-for-money aside, you think both options are simply too expensive, the Salter Chocolatier (£40) is a budget alternative worth considering. I didn’t find it as impressive as either the Velvetiser or the Dualit Milk Frother, but it gets the job done pretty well in terms of frothing and hot chocolate making and is much cheaper.
Winner: Dualit Milk Frother
Whether or not a hot chocolate maker should ever cost £100 is a question you’ll have to look deep into your own chocolate-loving heart to answer. That philosophical concern aside, the Velvertiser looks, feels and performs like a premium product. The Dualit Milk Frother, however, goes pretty much blow-for-blow with the Velvetiser, adds some extra functionality and costs £35 less, making it a shoo-in for this round.
View Dualit Milk Frother at John Lewis
Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser vs Dualit Milk Frother: Final thoughts
The Hotel Velvetiser’s sturdy build, elegant look and neat design features help this hot chocolate maker stand out as a premium product. While it’s largely mono-functional, its ambition is to be a top-drawer hot chocolate maker and it definitely achieves that, producing rich, velvety drinks that are sure to satisfy all comers. In my opinion, its £100 price tag is a little steep for what I would call a niche kitchen product that might not see everyday use, but is still reasonable for a luxury treat for oneself or for buying as a gift.
The Dualit Handheld Milk Frother’s matte-black, plastic exterior is neat looking and the device itself has a slim profile which sits unobtrusively on your kitchen countertop. The simple inclusion of a few extra whisk attachments give the Dualit Milk Frother a great range of applications, from hot chocolate that goes toe-to-toe with the Velvetiser’s creations, to silky milk for your cappuccino, latté or flat white. Given that these range of functions all work well, I think the £65 price tag for the Dualit Milk Frother is reasonable and represents great value for money.
