Is the Velvetiser still worth it? One year on, and this is my helpful review

At this time of year, you can’t go wrong with a delicious hot chocolate. But if the shop-bought stuff isn’t quite cutting it anymore, you might be wondering whether it’s time to use those savings on the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser.

Since its original launch back in 2018, it’s clear that the Velvetiser has quickly become a household name, promising the ultimate hot chocolate with an unbeatably smooth and silky drinking experience.

As a lover of hot chocolates, I took the plunge and bought one. It’s now been over a year, so let’s see if it was really worth it.

How does a Velvetiser work?

In simple terms, the Velvetiser heats milk and chocolate flakes together while frothing, making a deliciously smooth and rich hot chocolate.

According to Hotel Chocolat, the Velvetiser is ‘engineered by chocolatiers to make barista-grace drinking chocolate at the touch of a button.’ And if you’re wondering exactly how: ‘through the InnerPod ridges and custom-designed whisk, the vortex-effect melds real chocolate and your choice of milk in a unique folding motion.’

Is the Velvetiser the same as a milk frother?

While a milk frother is a great way to level up your hot chocolate game at home, it’s certainly not the same. A Velvetiser is specifically designed to whisk, froth, heat, and melt, all in one, while a milk frother simply froths.

What’s included?

When you purchase a Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser for £149.95, you’ll receive a Velvetiser appliance, a Podcup and a Podglass, and 10 sachets of their drinking chocolate.

With the All-New Velvetiser, you’ll be able to enjoy these hot or cold - if this sounds like something you might be interested in, don’t miss my piece on everything you need to know about the All-New Velvetiser upgrade before you buy.

How to use the Velvetiser

It’s simple really. All you have to do is fill with your preferred choice of milk to the max line. Add your chosen Velvetiser drinking chocolate sachet. Pop the lid on, and hit the go button. Within a few minutes, you’ll have a luxury hot chocolate at the perfect drinking temperature.

The Velvetiser sachets

Hotel Chocolat has an abundance of drinking chocolate flavours available for you to choose from. With everything from your classic 70% chocolate and milky 50% chocolate, to black forest gateau, salted caramel, mint, vanilla-white, peppermint, hazelnut, and more – honestly, the list goes on.

These are available to buy in packs of 10 for £14.95 on the Hotel Chocolat site. Alternatively, you can buy handy selection boxes if you’re interested in trying multiple flavours.

Around Christmas, Hotel Chocolat also launch their drinking chocolate advent calendar which is a hot chocolate lover’s dream.

Can you put any hot chocolate in the Velvetiser?

Hotel Chocolat does not advise that you do. However, the reality is yes, you can put other hot chocolates in the Velvetiser. While I haven’t tried this myself, you can use alternative hot chocolate flakes, like the Tesco hot chocolate flakes I spotted, or powders too.

Just be mindful that the Velvetiser has been designed for the Hotel Chocolat drinking chocolate flakes specifically, so you might not get the best results if using other options.

Using the Velvetiser for coffee

A less widely known fact is that the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser can actually be used to make coffees too. This is actually one way I got more use out of mine. On their site, you can purchase a variety of mocha sachets – including caramel mocha, hazelnut mocha, and a selection box.

Using the Hotel Chocolat coffee sachets, the Velvetiser made fantastic coffees which were equally as delicious and smooth as the hot chocolates.

How to clean the Velvetiser

The Velvetiser is super easy to clean. In fact, the ease of cleaning the Velvetiser is by far one of the best pros of this appliance.

Once you’ve made your drink, simply fill with water and a bit of washing up liquid. Then pop the lid back on and press the button as if you’re making a drink. Once done, simply rinse out the remainder of the soap and you’re ready to go again.

The Velvetiser: my honest review

I’ve had the Velvetiser for over a year now so I’ve had my fair share of Hotel Chocolat hot chocolate experiences. Here’s what I really think.

How often did I use it?

I only really got it out of the cupboard in Winter. I found the drink quite rich which meant I only drank it occasionally, as a treat, rather than every day.

How easy is it to use?

It’s very easy and hassle-free for sure. It’s also very quiet which was a big thumbs up from me.

Did it actually make luxury hot chocolates?

Yes, the quality of hot chocolate is certainly barista grade. It’s everything they promise it to be - smooth, silky, and rich.

What are my favourite flavours?

My top flavours are the Milky 50% (great for a classic hot chocolate) and the Vanilla-white (super sweet, ideal for lovers of white chocolate).

Is it easy to clean?

Yes, it is exceptionally easy to clean. Every now and then, I’d find bits of chocolate that were stuck at the bottom, but it was nothing that a second rinse out didn’t fix.

Did the novelty wear off?

Yes, eventually the novelty did wear off. I thought I’d get it out when hosting to make guests a barista-grade hot chocolate, but in reality I didn’t. Though that’s not to say that the drinks were anything but delicious.

Is it a gimmick?

No, I don’t think it is. While I don’t use it as much as I’d like, it definitely does what it says on the tin.

Is it worth the money?

For me, I’m not sure it is entirely worth the money. It’s clearly a high-quality, well designed appliance, but I think considering I don’t get a huge amount of use out of it, I probably wouldn't repurchase.

The Velvetiser: would I recommend it?

To all of my fellow hot-chocolate fanatics, yes, I would recommend the Velvetiser. However, if you’ve got a limited budget, or a track history of other appliances gathering dust in the cupboard, I’d say give it a miss.

Your best bet is to try a more affordable dupe instead, like the Salter Chocolatier Hot Chocolate Maker for £37.99 or the Lakeland Milk and Hot Chocolate Frother for £49.99.

Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser verdict: should you still buy it in 2025?

Reasons to buy: If you’ve got a bit of disposable income to treat yourself, go for it. It’ll certainly level up your hot-chocolate game.

Reasons to give it a miss: People with a limited budget - try a more affordable dupe first. If you’re lacking counter space or cupboard space, potentially give it a miss.

Who would love it: People who are hot-chocolate lovers - if a luxury hot chocolate is your go-to order, then this is definitely for you. Set up your hot chocolate station in your kitchen, and you’re ready to go.

Who should probably skip it: People who drink hot chocolates every now and then. Like me, you might not get the most use out of it.

Here at MyVoucherCodes, we have an entire page dedicated to only the best Hotel Chocolat discount codes. These are updated regularly to ensure that you’re getting the best possible deals.

If you’ve decided to go ahead and purchase the Velvetiser, be sure to add one of our verified discount codes to the checkout to help you save.