Just in time for the winter months, we review which hot chocolate tastes best.
What brand or type is your favourite?
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How you could add extra sugar to these confections that (with a couple of exceptions) vary from sugary to very sugary escapes me. Eight out of 36 have less than 40% sugar! Save yourself the trouble and just spoon sugar into hot milk.
If you want real hot chocolate and probably save some money too ignore all these and use cocoa powder and sugar to taste. If you want richness add cream or in these days of fresh food shortages an extra spoon of powdered milk.
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I agree entirely. Why would you pay for sugar at the price of cocoa.
I usually buy the type of cocoa powder that’s used in baking, 100% cocoa.
It can be made in an instant drink by adding boiling water or milk.
A really rich hot chocolate can be made by ‘cooking’ it: bring to the boil and simmer for at least 5m. Serve hot and let guests add sugar (or not) and milk or cream to their own taste.
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We buy cocoa powder and never premade ice or hot chocolate drinks which are loaded with extra kilojoules or additives.
Making hot chocolate from cocoa powder is easily, far cheaper and one can make it yo their taste.
The other advantage of using cocoa powder is it is not limited to making hot or iced chocolate drinks…it can be used in baking as well. This makes it more versatile, functional and economical.
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My favourite way to do it!
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I used to drink that when I was young.
I was not even aware that there were all theses premix products apart from Nesquick and Milo.
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In the article it talks about the varied amounts of milk the products advise you add. Is this realistic? Aren’t the manufacturers advising Wouldn’t you just put one or two teaspoons of powder into a glass/cup and fill it with milk regardless of what they advise?
Therefore, could the cost be worked out on this real world basis?
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Where’s the table listing all the results? There are only limited snapshots of various categories. I like to see how our present favoured product comes in the line-up.
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Sure it’s not a which chocolate flavoured sugar is lowest in health value?
Is there any reason not to also consider the internationally accepted liquified chocolate substances? There is another low bar.
At least there is honesty in the marketing. It’s a syrup.
Hershey’s Syrup with ‘Genuine Chocolate Flavour’. 
99% Fat free! 
8% cocoa powder.
What value corn syrup and sugar to the US economy?
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We buy the Jarrah Classic Hot Choc. Its a reasonable compromise between sugar levels and taste and it makes up nice and easy.
I also have a container of cadbury’s hot chocolate in the cupboard as well, but it seems to remain lumpier after being made up.
Quite partial to a McCafe hot choc if we’re out on a colder night too 
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I know, it’s maddening when that happens and difficult to resolve unless you follow what chefs do with a lumpy white sauce: they strain it 
FWIW one way of avoiding lumpy cocoa is to add only a little of the liquid to the cocoa and make a smooth paste. Then fill up with water or milk while you keep stirring 
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Ive started making my hot milk milos by making a paste with the powder and boiling water and adding milk (which I learned from mixing my husband’s Horlicks). Might have to give that a go with the hot choc too!
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Apologies for taking the bait and going off topic but it explains why some things about snack foods (defined very, very broadly) are as they are.
I know it was a figurative question but the answers can be found.
The US corn lobby continues to try to push out sugar, and is also responsible for e10 being mandated in US petrol.
A bit political but the current state of play is
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Can we see a review of the Nespresso etc PODS for hot chocolate?
pH
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I don’t use any of the powders or pre-mix options available. The most affordable and drinkable way to enjoy hot chocolate is to make it from pure cocoa powder and sweeten as much or as little as one wishes. All of the handy ‘drink now’ options are so sweet one cannot enjoy the taste of chocolate anyway!
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I also remember my gran slowly melting high cocoa solid chocolate into warmed milk. I assume there is a secret to getting it just right, but well known to all home cooks who remember the war (1914-18), and some more recent.
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I order direct from Fraus. They have all different mixes and I find them great value for money especially for the rich European style hot chocolate.
They also have a good range of vegan hot chocolate blends with 40% cocoa.
Even our son who is very picky about his hot chocolate (food snob mother and he has ASD and hypersensitive taste and smell) prefers Fraus.
I will say that that review by Choice was rather average to what I am used to with the reports and reviews.
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Van Houtens cocoa, sugar, milk and a dash of Chartreuse. To die for!
Prepack hot chocolate mixes? Pass! Except possibly Josophans Mayan Hot Chocolate.
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As many Choice members use cocoa powder to make chocolate drinks, maybe Choice could add a cocoa powder as a future test, to complement the instant chocolate drink powder test.
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My experience with cocoa powder is you only get what you pay for. There is also the difference between the two types-dutched or not.
I buy Callebaut cocoa because I also use that brand of chocolate varieties for chocolate making. The differences of taste and flavour profiles of various regions of origin let alone %s makes a world of difference.
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