Can You Make Hot Chocolate in a Coffee Maker?
If you’re a coffee-lover and are used to making yourself a nice cup of joe each morning to start your day, you’re in for a cool surprise. It turns out, most coffee makers can also produce delicious hot chocolate! Mostly, you’ll be utilizing your machine for its ability to heat water. However, depending on the type of appliance you own, you may get to experience additional perks for your hot-choco making.
For example, drip machines will keep your cup warm while espresso machines can support you in making frothy deliciousness. Below, we’re going to give you all the details you need to know about making hot chocolate in a coffee maker, so let’s get into it!
Drip Coffee Makers
Among all the java appliances out there, drip coffee makers are one of the most popular and common in household kitchens. This can probably be attributed to the fact that they are budget-friendly and easy to use. Although these machines generally require users to purchase paper filters for coffee-making, you won’t need any to make hot chocolate.
How Does a Drip Coffee Maker Work?
To utilize a drip appliance, you simply need to add water to its tank and then add your coffee grounds into the filter portion. Once the machine heats up the water, your coffee is brewed into a carafe, ready for you to enjoy. A great feature of drip machines is they usually have their carafes sitting atop hot plates, which keep your coffee warm until you’re ready to drink it.
Making Hot Chocolate in Your Drip Coffee Maker
To make hot chocolate using your drip coffee maker, you only have to follow a few steps. We’ve listed these for you below, so read on, friend!
- First, fill your machine’s tank with water.
- Next, add your favorite chocolate powder straight into the glass carafe. If you’re using single-serve packets for your hot chocolate, use about 4 packs per five cups of water.
- Add your sweetener into the glass carafe as well, where you just added your chocolate powder.
- Once the appliance is done brewing your delicious chocolate, take a long spoon and stir the hot choco to make sure all the powder has properly dissolved.
- Finally, you can serve and enjoy! Top with big or little marshmallows for a fun treat!
Espresso Coffee Makers
When it comes to java, if you’re the type of coffee-lover that prefers freshly grinding your beans before your brew, it’s likely you probably have an espresso or bean-to-cup machine in your kitchen. Now, an espresso appliance is more pricey than a drip one, but it does allow users to create fantastic quality batches of brew.
How Do Espresso Coffee Makers Work?
When using an espresso machine, rather than producing a batch of java, you make a “shot” of coffee. After placing water and grounds into the appliance and the water has heated up, it’s forced through the ground beans at a high pressure, ultimately creating a beautiful shot of espresso. This shot can be enjoyed on its own, mixed with frothy milk to make a latte, or combined with water to produce a lovely Americano. How you enjoy your espresso is all up to you!
Making Hot Chocolate in Your Drip Coffee Maker
The way you’ll be able to make hot chocolate with your espresso machine will depend on the type of appliance you have. Below are two ways to make the chocolate beverage using an espresso maker:
Using a Milk Frother
Does your espresso appliance have milk frothing capabilities? If so, you’re in for a special treat. With this feature, you have what you need to make a beautiful, creamy hot chocolate that wouldn’t otherwise be possible without a milk frother.
To make a nice, aerated cup of hot cocoa, simply take a mug of milk, steam it halfway and add the hot chocolate powder of your choosing. Stir to dissolve it, top it off with some hot water and then add marshmallows if you like!
Using Hot Water
If you don’t have a milk frother, another way you could produce hot cocoa with your espresso machine would be to use it simply to heat up water. Grab a mug, add your powder, then dispense the hot water into the mug before stirring. Voila, hot chocolate!
Final Thoughts
All in all, we hope we’ve helped answer the big question: can you make hot chocolate in a coffee maker?
Because the answer is a resounding yes! The reason it’s so simple to use a drip or espresso maker to produce hot chocolate is because you’re using them for their ability to heat and dispense water safely. It’s a great alternative to stovetop hot cocoa, which takes longer to make and can end up in accidents, since you’re dealing with an open pot of boiling water.
And with all that said, we hope you enjoy your delicious, homemade hot chocolate, friend!
