Hotel Chocolat TSV 17/10/20

[stratobuddy]

Seabrook prawn crinkle for me.
You sound to have a too hot and spicy taste for me

Yes, 1/2 a crisp was too much for OH

 

[merryone]

Everyone!! What are you doing??? What an absolute and utter faff to make a cup of hot chocolate If I may make a suggestion. Whisky bottle, uncork, pour, drink. Ahhhh. 10 seconds maximum. Cheers

A 12 year old Glenlivet is only about £40 as well. A complete steal compared to HC

CC

I'm loving that idea CC, a lot easier and a lot more "warming", and you forgot to say...washing up's a breeze in comparison! The velvetiser's less of a faff if you're prepared to fork out silly money for their ready prepared sachets which work out at £1.30 a cup! Seriously (I know it's real chocolate as opposed to powdered stuff) but who would honestly be happy to pay £13 in a supermarket for a box of hot chocolate sachets?...you just wouldn't! You'd spot them on the shelf and possibly utter the words "F**K OFF!
Strato's said that the whisk looks worryingly flimsy, which on such a pricey item is unacceptable really -Seriously, Strats have you considered the MBG?!!!

 

[Toril]

I couldn’t be bothered with the faff of a velvetiser and the cost mounts up when you have to buy extra sachets. On the rare occasion that I have hot chocolate, I’ll stick to the Tassimo pods that I’ve got.

 

[stratobuddy]

It worked OK with my normal coffee to make it "velvety". Even easier than the microwave as you don't even have to stir it

I haven't tried my cocoa yet.

 

[spartacus]

Tried the Caffe Latte today, not to my liking at all, far too sweet.

 

[stratobuddy]

I've just been to Lidl and looked at their milk frother.

It was only £19-99 and looked about the same size.

But the frother springy thing was on the bottom of the jug, and looked non-removable, so the HC is better as you can remove it, as it is driven magnetically. leaving a smooth and easy to clean bottom.

The instructions said that if you wanted it really frothy, you could only use 150ml milk, about half of the HC.

 

[stratobuddy]

Just tried common or garden unsweetened cocoa.

I only needed 10g (not the 35g HC dose, which is probably mainly sugar).

It was delicious, better than any of the HC sachets I've tried so far, and should be a fraction of the price AND a fraction of the calories. I've always had problems mixing cocoa, so this alone justifies my purchase.

 

[lynnonthelake]

Just tried common or garden unsweetened cocoa.

I only needed 10g (not the 35g HC dose, which is probably mainly sugar).

It was delicious, better than any of the HC sachets I've tried so far, and should be a fraction of the price AND a fraction of the calories. I've always had problems mixing cocoa, so this alone justifies my purchase.

Thank you yes I’m going to try this as a lot of the flavours are too sweet for me.

 

[merryone]

A random thought on this and other expensive goods....Might be well worth holding out to see what sort of deals Black Friday brings (not long now)...I'm not talking necessarily talking QVC here as I'm sure they've already chosen what delights they want to bestow upon us - but maybe worth making a list of the things you fancy, and brands you'd like to give a try and see what comes up. I reckon in the light of this shitty year that everybody's having, companies are gonna be tripping over themselves offering deals and reductions. Qvc will probably go their own sweet way as per!

 

[alter ego]

I've just been to Lidl and looked at their milk frother.

It was only £19-99 and looked about the same size.

But the frother springy thing was on the bottom of the jug, and looked non-removable, so the HC is better as you can remove it, as it is driven magnetically. leaving a smooth and easy to clean bottom.

The instructions said that if you wanted it really frothy, you could only use 150ml milk, about half of the HC.

I paid £14.99 for mine. It came with two stirrer/springy things. I use the non-springy one as I don't like too much froth. I make HC in there then heat it further in the microwave.

For coffee, I do the same but let it cool then get it really hot in the micro, then let it cool again. I do this a few times so instead of froth I get a really smooth coffee with a lovely thick skin. My OH calls it the coffee condom!

I will also fight to the death for custard skin and guard rice pudding skin with my life!

 

[alter ego]

I've looked at the Lidl one in the past but wasn't tempted as there was no demo to show what it did, unlike the one on QVC.

But if it does the same as the HC then it would be a fraction of the price, although the HC one did give lots of samples, plus 2 ceramic cups, reportedly worth £20, but I'll probably never use them.

OH might like them, but when I'm on my own, I DO DRINK directly from the machine, as it is already hot on the inside, and well insulated, so it keeps the drink hot. If I poured it into a mug, I would then need to microwave it, so I don't see the point as the machine is very comfortable to drink from. And I would have 2 things to wash up!

I could NOT do that. I like bone china mugs and very fine gauge glass to drink from. The vessel can ruin the drink for me.

 

[Twilight]

I could NOT do that. I like bone china mugs and very fine gauge glass to drink from. The vessel can ruin the drink for me.

I can only drink tea from a bone china mug, it has to be made in a teapot, skimmed milk in first & always the second pouring, not that I'm high maintenance. We buy Aldi teabags because they're good quality & compostable. I have my favourite glasses, can't stand it when one gets sticky or smeary & would never drink water from a cup or mug, even if it's just to wash down a pain killer.

 

[May]

Had 4 now, it is not doing my diet much good, very calorific.

PS I am not trying to lose weight, just keeping it constant, but it has started creeping up since I bought it

If you can walk or something Stratobuddy .. my choc addiction has me walking when I can and it’s helped ... can release happy hormones and helps me chill more.. speeds metabolism up too
Gawd I’ll stop now lol sound like a QVC presenter

 

[candycane]

I will also fight to the death for custard skin and guard rice pudding skin with my life!

At my hideous primary school I used to be made to sit in a corner with my cold rice pudding with skin on it until I ate it. The other kids would all be doing PE with the ropes and hula hoops and I'd be there at a little table with that dreaded vile stuff. I'd still be there at hometime lol. To this day I cannot stand the sight of rice pudding or custard and I have to run from the room at the mere mention of tapioca

CC

 

[Bigbean]

At my hideous primary school I used to be made to sit in a corner with my cold rice pudding with skin on it until I ate it. The other kids would all be doing PE with the ropes and hula hoops and I'd be there at a little table with that dreaded vile stuff. I'd still be there at hometime lol. To this day I cannot stand the sight of rice pudding or custard and I have to run from the room at the mere mention of tapioca

CC

I can relate to your recollections - all dreadful stuff. Put me off puddings for life. Remember the pink custard effort which was the accompaniment of rhubarb tart with that awful thick latticed short crust pastry. I feel sick even remembering it!

 

[Twilight]

I remember school milk, put by the radiator to 'take the chill off'. I detested it & was sink monitor so that I could tip mine away asap.

At my hideous primary school I used to be made to sit in a corner with my cold rice pudding with skin on it until I ate it. The other kids would all be doing PE with the ropes and hula hoops and I'd be there at a little table with that dreaded vile stuff. I'd still be there at hometime lol. To this day I cannot stand the sight of rice pudding or custard and I have to run from the room at the mere mention of tapioca

CC

What an awful thing to do to a child. I believe that everyone should be taught to respect food & consequently be grateful for having enough, however, nobody should be bullied into eating something they don't like. I'm glad that things like that no longer happen.

 

[merryone]

At my hideous primary school I used to be made to sit in a corner with my cold rice pudding with skin on it until I ate it. The other kids would all be doing PE with the ropes and hula hoops and I'd be there at a little table with that dreaded vile stuff. I'd still be there at hometime lol. To this day I cannot stand the sight of rice pudding or custard and I have to run from the room at the mere mention of tapioca

CC

Oh God me too...skin on anything makes me gag just thinking about it..even on hot chocolate made with milk...heaving now! My mum told me once that her primary school wouldn't let kids leave the table until their plates were clear and one occassion, this rather boisterous girl in her class was told to sit in the corner and finish a plate of cold stew whilst the other kids played with hoops etc..However, the young girl got up and poured the stew into the teacher's coat pocket that was hanging on a stand...hilarious!

 

[Vienna]

When I was at Primary school my meal times were made worse because one of my Aunts was a dinner lady. Each day 2 or 3 dinner ladies would stand behind the counter and put each item of food on our plates as we moved along the line. I didn`t mind when Aunty Lil was serving something I liked but if she was serving something I hated then her heavy handed deliberate slip of putting twice as much on my plate was a nightmare. Yep a larger portion of sponge and custard I could face but a larger portion of watery cabbage or grey mince were torture especially as each dinner table had a teacher sitting at it who watched eagle eyed for anybody "wasting good food" as they called it.

 

[HYPE in a JAR]

Charbonnel et Walker do a lovely drinking chocolate which is in flaked form and not too sweet. It would work well in the velvitizer I should imagine.

I like mine extra hot and m not happy unless I’m blowing in the mug like Dame Thora Hird in her Alan Bennet penned Talking Head so I’m not sure how I would get on with the HC velvitizer.

 

[alter ego]

Just tried common or garden unsweetened cocoa.

I only needed 10g (not the 35g HC dose, which is probably mainly sugar).

It was delicious, better than any of the HC sachets I've tried so far, and should be a fraction of the price AND a fraction of the calories. I've always had problems mixing cocoa, so this alone justifies my purchase.

Ah. Before I bought the frother I'd put the cocoa powder in the mug and mix it with a small amount of milk until smooth. Pre-micro days I'd pour hot water on to make it up but using a micro I do the same then top up with milk and heat.

I can dump the powder onto the milk in the frother and it mixes it no problem. Does the HC do a good job if you just do this?