Looking for a commercial hot chocolate machine? Find the perfect machine for delicious hot cocoa, to boost your sales & customer satisfaction.
The takeaway hot drinks market has grown exponentially in recent years with multinational brand names becoming synonymous with hot drinks. Cafe owners, restaurateurs, and stallholders at food events are spoilt for choice with hot drink machines on the market.
Typically, these machines are designed for serving tea and coffee but can frequently double up for hot chocolate. However, as with any compromise the quality of the hot chocolate may suffer, so there is a lot to be said for purchasing a dedicated commercial hot chocolate machine.
In this article, we’ll help you select a dedicated commercial hot chocolate machine for your business – whether you are running a coffee shop, market stall, hotel or BnB, or any other bespoke food business. We cover the features to look for, and share some affordable and reliable hot chocolate machine models.
How to Choose a Commercial Hot Chocolate Machine
Types of Commercial Hot Chocolate Machines
Traditional Hot Chocolate Machines
Traditional hot chocolate machines often rely on dispensing through a tap, which provides fast and measured service. A traditional hot chocolate machine consists of a see-through tank into which the ingredients are added.
An example is the SEMAK Hot Chocolate Dispenser machine. When switched on the machine heats the chocolate using a thermostatically controlled element, so you can adjust the temperature. A central paddle spins slowly to ensure all the ingredients are constantly mixed. The staff member then dispenses the hot chocolate (hot cocoa) via a tap.
Automatic Hot Chocolate Machines
Automatic hot chocolate machines are designed for customers to help themselves, saving valuable time in busy outlets. The machine mixes the desired ingredients and heats it to the required temperature before dispensing. The complexity of the working parts makes automatic machines such as this one from Katom more expensive.
Other machines
In addition to traditional and automatic machines, modern innovations in hot chocolate production have created several new techniques and advantages that appeal to customers.
Recent innovations in the hot chocolate market include shakers, which also offer an element of theatre for customers. Another is frothers, which use physical action to intensely emulsify the chocolate and milk, creating a smoother product with a more luxurious mouthfeel.Â
These are often designed to be used with higher percentages of cocoa ingredients and extra cream to create a more indulgent product. Creating theatre for customers is a powerful draw as demonstrated with the Hot Chocolate Shaker.
Features to Look For in a Commercial Hot Chocolate Machine
It is vital to make the most of the colder winter months when serving hot chocolate, with a machine that dispenses chocolate efficiently. At the same time, a machine that can be refilled and reheated quickly is important.
When choosing a commercial hot chocolate machine for your business, factors to consider include:
Speed of Service and Refilling
The catering industry is notorious for long periods of calm before a sustained rush during mealtimes. Preparation is always key, enabling staff to iron out the peaks and troughs.
When in the market for a hot chocolate machine try to estimate the number of cups you may sell each day. From this, you can estimate your revenue and the cost of your product. A larger capacity machine might need more outlay but if you can keep serving without refills the labor saving is likely to be a good investment.
Hot Chocolate Vending Machine Capacity
Your chosen hot chocolate machine capacity will be a compromise between a machine that can cope with peak-hour demand without taking up too much space in the servery area. Modern machines have been designed with enough power (often 1000W) to reheat a new batch within 10 minutes, minimizing any waiting time for customers.
Price Points for Different Machines
A hot chocolate commercial machine will be subjected to constant use throughout winter. So, investing in a reliable and durable machine will pay dividends over a cheaper model. Prices vary considerably and a good warranty that offers a replacement machine during any downtime is well worth considering. Typical 5L hot chocolate machines with a tap vary from £250-500 (USD $330-660), while instant hot chocolate machines are more complex and priced at £1600+ (USD $2110+).
Easy to Clean
Ensure any machine you buy is easy to dismantle and can be washed by hand or put through a dishwasher. Any machine that routinely uses milk and cream needs daily cleaning. Similarly, descale the machine regularly to remove deposits that can affect the chocolate taste and the operation of the machine.
Reviews and Recommendations
When you have found a machine that suits your requirements check the brand online to research online reviews. With luck, some reviews will be written by longstanding owners, so you can better gauge the durability and reliability. If you are new to the hot chocolate market, consider a short-term machine lease, which will enable you to gain valuable insights and experience, before taking the plunge with buying your own machine.
Below are some of my recommendations for affordable commercial hot chocolate machines, that you can use as a starting point for your own research.
Popular Commercial Hot Chocolate Machines
AUSTRALIA
WMF Lono Milk & Choc Electric Milk Frother
For smaller outlets, this is a popular stainless-steel milk frother with a capacity for hot milk of 150 – 500 ml to which chocolate pieces are added. The machine works independently when activated and switches off at the completion of the cycle.
Electric Hot Chocolate Machine – 5l & 10l
Offering a capacity of 5 or 10 liters, this machine is ideal for service at busy fairs and outlets. Thermostatically controlled ensures that producing a new batch is simple. Most interior working parts are dishwasher-safe.
USA
Commercial Hot Chocolate Machine 10 litre Black
Designed from stainless steel and food-grade materials, this machine is durable and easy to clean in the dishwasher. A 400 W heating element ensures rapid reheating while the LCD enables you to monitor progress.
Nostalgia Retro Frother and Hot Chocolate Maker
Ideal for servings of gourmet hot chocolate, lattes, mochas, and chai teas. The machine has an easy-pour pitcher which can be simply removed for cleaning. Functions include a 3-way sliding control to froth and heat, froth only, or switch off.
UK
10L Commercial Hot Chocolate Maker
Ideal for busy periods with a 10-litre urn is temperature controlled between 30℃ to 90℃. The slowly rotating paddle ensures the chocolate is constantly mixed with no clumping, while an integrated drip tray ensures clean service.
Invented by the groundbreaking UK chocolate company Hotel Chocolat, the velvetiser does what it says on the tin producing silky smooth hot or iced milk or dark chocolate all year round. Ideal for smaller upmarket outlets.
Press a button to create your favorite cappuccino, coffee, macchiato, latte, or hot chocolate. Whole milk produces a thick milk foam which when mixed with chocolate creates a decadent hot chocolate.
Tips for Commercial Hot Chocolate Machine Operators
Upselling Hot Chocolate Extras
Offering premium hot chocolate options to customers is a lucrative way of increasing margins. Add-ons such as flavored syrups, brandy, rum, spices, marshmallows, sprinkles, and whipped cream are all cost-effective ingredients that customers will be drawn to as an indulgent treat. At the same time, complex hot chocolate machines can be adjusted to improve the richness and taste of a cup automatically, for example with the addition of extra cream.
Hot Chocolate Machine Recipes
Recipes for hot chocolate drinks have also evolved over the years. Before hot chocolate hot cocoa was the drink of choice. This is made from cocoa powder, sugar, and often powdered milk, which all dissolve in hot water.
Hot chocolate became a more luxurious tasting evolution, where either a flaked chocolate bar is melted with sugar, cream, or milk or a hot chocolate instant product is stirred with hot milk or cream. Nowadays hot chocolate is generally made using cocoa powder, chocolate syrup, or chocolate chips as the base.
How Hot does Hot Chocolate need to be?
Sufficient heat and agitation are required for the cocoa solids and cocoa butter to dissolve easily into the milk when preparing hot chocolate. As cocoa butter melts at 93 °F (34 °C), hot chocolate should be served at a minimum of 100 °F (38 °C). At this temperature, the flavor molecules offer the best taste profile. However, hot chocolate vendors frequently serve drinks at higher temperatures. Recognizing that customers often walk a distance from the store, they factor in cooling, ensuring the consumer enjoys a hot beverage at their destination.
Scientific studies looking into the ideal serving temperatures of hot chocolate only established that the ideal temperature for drinking is very subjective. One person’s hot drink is cool to another. When buying a new machine always research the accuracy of the thermometer. This will enable you to make each batch exactly to the required temperature, which will ensure consistency in the flavor and thickness of the chocolate as well. Many modern machines now feature digital displays and programmable settings, which simplify operation and ensure consistency.
