Hotel Chocolat’s Velvetiser receives major new revamp
A key innovation from Hotel Chocolat has emerged with the latest version of its flagship Velvetiser system for delivering hot or cold premium drinking chocolate, reports Neill Barston.
Significantly, as the company noted, having spent a considerable period building up a following for the equipment line, its latest iteration has promised to further enhance flavour capabilities of its products.
The new Velevetiser features thermodynamic programming that calibrates hot and cold drinking chocolate, and the InnerPod ridges and custom-designed whisk create a vortex effect for high-density chocolate crema, to forge its smooth texture.
“We always believed there was a better way to enjoy drinking chocolate – at home, as it should be – made with real chocolate, effortlessly,” says Angus Thirlwell, Founder and President at Hotel Chocolat, which is now part of the Mars group after the confectionery giant recently completed its acquisition.
“So, we began experimenting – and the Velvetiser was born. We didn’t set out to make just another hot chocolate; we set out to transform the drinking chocolate moment entirely. From one chocolate lover to another, this is your cue to sit back, sip, and succumb to the velvet-smooth texture only the Velvetiser can deliver. Our mission has always been to reinvent how the world experiences chocolate. Uniting ethical cacao and innovative design. Welcome to the drinking chocolate revolution,” he added.
The Velvetiser’s main innovation comes with its thermodynamic programming and vortex-effect. Its custom-designed whisk, shaped with petal-like edges inspired by the cacao flower, spins to generate a vortex while cutting through the liquid to create ultra-fine passages of air. Consequently, the InnerPod ridges condense those air passages and stabilise the vortex driven by
the whisk, delivering its smooth texture and chocolate creama.
The new system’s functionality uses a specially developed range of 6 cold recipes made from finely milled real chocolate crafted with ingredients that shine when served cold, melding with pre-chilled milk.
Among the list of cold recipes are flavours including Cherry, Creme Brulee, Banana, Mandarin and Orange, mint and classic. On the hot chocolate side, its portfolio includes salted caramel, hazelnut praline, orange, mint and Black Forest Gateau.
Furthermore, the Velvetiser’s fluted design was modelled after the shape of a cacao pod. Rounded and never quite symmetrical, these irregularities reflect proportions and balance found in the natural world.
Finished with a solid ash handle for effortless left and right pouring at any angle, and an intuitive dial interface with colour-coded light sequencing. The Velvetiser and its bespoke Podcup and Podglass, are designed in collaboration with Royal College of Arts ceramicist Andrew Wicks, and have been made available in three colours.
