I/t’s not uncommon to possess a coffee maker in your home, and many people put it to good use daily.
However, you might be surprised to know that your coffee maker can be used for more than just coffee.
There’s nothing quite like a hot chocolate before bed, and as morning turns into evening, you may be wondering, “can you make hot chocolate in a coffee maker?”.
While it may not be possible in all types of coffee makers, you can make hot chocolate in both drip and espresso-style coffee makers.
Keep reading for our easy step-by-step guide.
Can You Make Hot Chocolate in a Coffee Maker?
If you’ve just been using your coffee maker for brewing your morning coffee, it turns out that you could have been missing out.
It’s effortless to make hot chocolate in many types of coffee makers. However, in all honesty, you’ll mostly be using them for their water heating abilities.
Depending on the type of coffee maker you own, whether its a drip coffee machine or an espresso machine, it can also provide some other benefits than just heating water.
Drip coffee makers, for example, will keep your hot chocolate warm. On the other hand, espresso machines can make the ultimate frothy choco drink.
Drip Coffee Makers
Drip coffee makers are very popular across the states as they’re affordable and straightforward to use.
They do require that you buy paper filters when you’re brewing coffee, but you won’t need any for hot chocolate.
How Does a Drip Coffee Maker Work?
You add water to the top of the machine (the tank is usually located at the back), which is also where you put your coffee grounds inside of a paper filter.
The machine heats the water, and the coffee is brewed via steam rising through the coffee grounds and then dripping out into a glass carafe.
Once the drip process is complete, your coffee is ready to serve.
The great thing about drip coffee makers is that there is also a hot plate underneath the carafe, which will keep your coffee warm all morning.
Making Hot Chocolate in Your Drip Coffee Maker
The way you make hot chocolate in a drip coffee maker is by utilizing its water heating system. Here’s a step-by-step guide you can follow:
Step 1
Firstly, you need to fill your coffee maker with water. Fill up the same water tank that you normally use when making coffee.
Step 2
Add your chocolate powder directly into the glass carafe and place it underneath the drip spout on the hot plate.
If you have single-serve packets of hot chocolate mix, you’ll need to use around four packs with every five cups of water.
At this point, you can also add in your sugar or sweetener.
If you’re making hot chocolate for other people, though, you can let them add their own to match their personal taste.
Step 3
Now, all you have to do is turn your coffee maker on and let it work its magic!
The coffee maker will heat and dispense the hot water into the carafe, which you have waiting below the spout.
Step 4
Take a spoon and stir the contents of the glass carafe to ensure that all the hot chocolate powder has dissolved properly.
Make sure it is a long spoon so that you don’t burn your fingers or hand from the steam.
Step 5
Find yourself a cup, pour, and enjoy!
We love to serve our hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and chocolate drops for an extra sweet and tasty treat.
Espresso Coffee Makers
If you prefer having your coffee as fresh as possible, grinding the beans just before you brew them, you probably have a bean-to-cup or espresso coffee maker.
They’re a lot pricier than drip coffee makers, but they allow you to enjoy high quality, barista-style coffee from the comfort of your own home.
How Do Espresso Coffee Makers Work?
An espresso coffee maker works quite differently from a drip coffee maker, and the process allows you to brew a small “shot” of coffee.
Once you’ve added your water and grounds to the machine, it heats up the water and forces it through the coffee grounds at very high pressure (usually 15 to 19 bars).
The espresso shot created is then either enjoyed as espresso, mixed with more hot water for an Americano, or with warm, frothy milk for a latte, depending on your preference.
Making Hot Chocolate in an Espresso Coffee Maker
Depending on the type of espresso machine you have, you may have one or two different options available to you to make hot chocolate.
With a Milk Frother
If your espresso machine has a milk frother, you’re in for a treat! With this, you’re able to make the creamiest hot chocolate in town.
Without a milk frother, though, the closest you could get to this creamy hot chocolate heaven would be on the stovetop. Sadly, it wouldn’t be aerated and frothy.
Take a cup or mug of milk and steam it to about halfway before adding your favorite hot chocolate powder.
Stir the powder until it’s dissolved and then top it up with hot water.
With Hot Water
The second method you could follow to make hot chocolate with your espresso machine is to just use it for its water heating abilities.
Add your hot chocolate powder to a mug, and then dispense your hot water and stir.
Conclusion
So, did we answer whether or not can you make hot chocolate in a coffee maker?
Although you’re mainly employing your coffee maker as a safer way to heat up water, you can definitely use it to make more than just coffee.
Unless you have an electric kettle in your kitchen, the only way to make hot chocolate without your coffee maker is on the stovetop.
Whether you use a kettle for boiling water or a pan for boiling water or milk, it will take at least several minutes to heat the liquid up.
Using your stovetop requires supervision, too, especially if you have kids around, as a small knock or spill could send boiling liquid everywhere.
If you leave the stove unattended, there is also a danger that you could forget about it.
Heating water in a coffee maker is much safer, which means you can use it for all your hot drinks from coffee to hot chocolate to tea!
