“I love hot chocolate made from melted chocolate rather than powder. Since discovering Velvetiser a couple of years ago, I have been using it about twice-daily. It is wearing out, so I was planning to replace, because I didn’t want to go back to making drinks from sugary powder. When I saw an advert for the hot chocolate shaker I thought it would be interesting to compare them.
Ease of getting liquid to the correct temperature:
I think the Velvetiser is slightly easier to use at first because you just add liquid and sachet of grated chocolate and press the button. The Velvetiser automatically brings the milk to the right temperature.
With the hot chocolate shaker it took me about three sessions to perfect the microwave settings to get milk at a good temperature without boiling over. Now I know what the right setting and time is for my microwave, this part is extremely easy.
Overall time required:
Velvetiser time to heat and mix = 2 m 30 (according to their info – I haven’t timed it)
Shaker time to heat liquid: 1 m 30. During this time I weigh out chocolate into my mug and set up the lid. Then need about 30 secs to tip chocolate into the shaker, put on the lid and shake. I.e. total is about 2 mins.
Ease of pouring hot chocolate into mug:
The Velvetiser pouring lip makes it slightly easier to pour the drink out without spilling when pouring at a slow speed. With the hot chocolate shaker, the rim is more rounded and so the pouring motion has to be quite fast to avoid drips. I have the hang of this now!
Cleaning:
The main part of the Velvetiser cannot be washed up (due to electrics), so I rinse it several times and then wipe off residual chocolate with kitchen roll. The stirrer can be washed, but it is a bit fiddly to thoroughly clean the intricate parts.
Both parts of the hot chocolate shaker can be washed. I rinse quickly and pop in the dishwasher.
Personally, I find cleaning of the hot cholate shaker quicker and more convenient than the Velvetiser.
Choice of compatible chocolate:
During Covid it was not possible to get supplies of my favourite Velvetiser chocolate sachets for some time, so I explored alternatives. I discovered that the Velvetiser can get stuck if the chocolate is not pre-grated – but it is a significant hassle (and time-consuming) to grate chocolate, even using a food processor.
I was really pleased to see that the hot chocolate shaker is designed to work with chocolate drops (i.e. larger lumps of chocolate), because this means it is readily compatible with a wide range of chocolate. I have used the shaker with the drops it came with, and also some bigger chocolate drops from Amazon – and both worked very well.
Texture of hot chocolate:
The shaker makes the hot chocolate slightly more frothy than the Velvetiser, and personally I prefer this.
Overall:
Having tried both, I think that both the Velvetiser and hot chocolate shaker make great hot chocolate, but I prefer the hot chocolate shaker to the Velvetiser, because it is a little faster to use and clean, and is compatible with a wider range of chocolate formats. I also think that being more compact it will be convenient to bring to work etc. So, from now on I will have my hot chocolate “shaken, not stirred”.”
“I bought my son the hot chocolate shaker and accompanying drops as a birthday present. He wasn't terribly impressed when he opened it, but when he had actually tried it he said its was amazing, brilliant, well worth getting and he has been guzzling the stuff ever since! We haven't tried the shaker with other chocolate yet so not sure if it's the drops, the shaker or the two which is fabulous but certainly I've a very happy 17 year old.”
“I bought the hot chocolate shaker (along with some dark chocolate drops) and have used it a couple of times now. It is very quick and easy to use and the resulting hot chocolate is delicious.”
“Amazing. Have used it every day since it arrived. Used the dark hot choc drops and our own usual powder as well as a mix of both. Perfect smooth hot chocolate every time. Have already recommend it to several people.”
“Fantastic. My daughter and I love Hot Chocolate but you always have bits left at the bottom. I brought this and wow it shakes it so well it’s light and fluffy. So Happy with it.”
“First one ordered was defective. The main part of this design is the cap/lid which didn't seal properly which meant the hot chocolate leaked when shaken. Dangerous really.
They sent a replacement..... Same issue.
They sent a replacement again. No issues yet, however not much confidence in its longevity.
So overall £25 is pricey considering it may not last long.”
