What is the BEST hot chocolate? Consumer experts put popular brands to the test – and the winner is a $3 supermarket buy
- Consumer experts put 19 hot chocolate varieties to the test to find the best
- CHOICE rated hot chocolate products based on taste and value for money
- Supermarket-owned label Coles Hot Chocolate ($3) was crowned the winner
- It beat out stiff competition from popular brands including Lindt and Cadbury
Australian consumer experts from CHOICE have put 19 hot chocolate varieties to the test to find which one tastes best.
In a blind taste test, the judges rated the supermarket hot chocolate products based on overall taste, value for money, sugar and cocoa content.
Of the products tested, supermarket-owned label Coles Hot Chocolate ($3) beat out stiff competition from popular brands including Lindt, Cadbury, Nestlé, Jarrah and Avalanche to take out the top spot.
Consumer experts have put 19 hot chocolate varieties to the test to find which one tastes best
The budget buy was given the highest rating, with a score of 78 per cent.
The taste testers said the hot chocolate had a ‘lovely luxurious mouthfeel’ and was ‘sweet’, ‘indulgent’ and ‘satisfying’.
In second place, Nestlé Aero Hot Choc ($6.30) scored a creditable 74 per cent.
‘Best of the lot so far – easy to mix, lovely flavour, not too sweet. Froth is rich,’ one judge said, while others insisted the drink was ‘enjoyable’.
Cadbury Instant Hot Choc Blend ($5) received 73 per cent.
‘Nice smooth texture/mouthfeel, almost silky. Tastes nice, not too sweet, good cocoa taste with no funny aftertaste. All in all an enjoyable hot chocolate,’ one judge said.
If you’re on a tight budget, Aldi Dairy Fine Drinking Chocolate ($2.99) was one of the cheapest hot chocolates on the market, costing just 75 cents per 100g.
For those who are after indulgence, the experts recommended Lindt Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate Flakes ($7.50), which are decadent flakes that melt into hot milk.
‘It’s the most calorific hot chocolate we looked at. One cup, prepared according to pack instructions, contains 1221kJ – that’s 14 per cent of the daily kilojoule intake recommended for the average adult,’ the experts said.
At $1.39 per serve, it’s also the most expensive hot chocolate.
Rounding out the top 10 is Avalanche Sugar Free Drinking Chocolate ($4.80) and Coles Hot Chocolate ($3.25 sachets)
If you’re trying to cut down on added sugar in your diet but still want to treat yourself to a guilt-free hot chocolate, the experts recommended Avalanche Sugar Free Drinking Chocolate ($4.80).
Of the products tested, the brand contained the lowest sugar of just 0.1g per 100g.
It contains non-nutritive sweeteners – erythritol and Stevia – which add a sweet taste without the kilojoules associated with added sugars.
Nestlé Milo ($7), Woolworths Classic Hot Chocolate ($3.25), Coles Hot Chocolate ($3.25 sachets) and Nestle Nesquik Chocolate ($5.50) rounded out the top 10.