This treat is so light and moreish that it’s suitable for any time of day - use it to start your day dreamily, to take a moment to relax in the afternoon, or to wind down before heading to bed. Whatever the occasion, this soothing hot chocolate has you covered. And then? Enjoy! Sip, cuddle up and soothe the day away. The rich, nuanced flavours in our real chocolate flakes will transport you to your happy place. The best hot chocolate toppings Take out your favourite mug — we adore using our Ceramic Pod Cups. Inspired by cocoa pods, they’re tactile and comforting to hold. On the topic of pre and post-workout elixirs, we’ve got to mention — you can also use your Velvetiser to make gorgeously chocolatey protein shakes. Use either our hot chocolate sachets or Chocolate Latte Sachets, which will help your shake provide you with that extra boost. The end result will be a half mocha, half protein shake — we’ll never say no to that! Indulge in the creamy, milky goodness you adore but benefit from an added dash of protein.

Choose your favourite protein powder plus a few other nutritional additions and customise your shake to your personal taste. The sky’s the limit, get Velvetising! Forget naff hot chocolate, this gadget will deliver café-quality hot chocolate at home with zero fuss and zero mess every time." – GQ Choc Heaven… If the perfect plant-based hot chocolate is evading you, say hello to 'The Velvetiser'.” – Veggie

How to use chocolate flakes to make luxury hot chocolate

The milk frothers featured in this guide were selected from a longlist of over 20 products. All were tested in controlled conditions using the same criteria for semi-skimmed milk, Oatly Barista oat milk, and Hotel Chocolat hot chocolate flakes. We then scored each product out of five against the following areas:

Tell you what, this hot chocolate is absolutely gorgeous. It's like a chocolate mousse in liquid form. it's delicious. that's really good!” – The Gadget Show We also measured how long each milk frother takes to heat up 180ml of oat milk and semi-skimmed milk, and if it heated to an appropriate temperature for drinking coffee and hot chocolate. The key to perfectly frothed milk is fat. That's why cafés and coffee shops use whole milk to make coffees as standard.The Velvetiser is designed for making hot chocolate with Hotel Chocolat's drinking chocolate. There is a variety of flavours to choose from. Whether you’ve chosen our chic copper, sophisticated charcoal, or sleek white Velvetiser, you’ll be making your hot chocolate in the same way. 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. We frothed oat milk and semi-skimmed milk scoring on how long it took, the volume increase, and how much it depletes after five minutes. At Hotel Chocolat, we believe that whatever the time of day, there is a chocolate to suit. When it comes to the question of the best time to enjoy hot chocolate, there really is no set hour!

And if you’re vegan or dairy-free, don’t fear! We have you covered. Our 45% Nutmilk Hot Chocolat Sachets are completely vegan and just as delicious as our regular hot chocolates.

What about for coffee?

They also each blind-tasted a hot chocolate from those milk frothers that claim to also make hot chocolate.