Bialetti Hot Chocolate Maker {Review & Giveaway}

Italians like to cook. At least the ones I know, do. It is an art for some of them. I, personally, love authentic Italian food. I don't know if it is the seasonings they use, or a special cooking technique, but it sure is good. I may not be able to prepare Italian food like they do in Italy, but with Italian cookware from Bialetti, I can sure try.

Bialetti began in Italy, but has become a leading brand around the world because our high-quality products bring simplicity, functionality and beauty to the kitchen. Our advanced technology and distinctive styling combine to create cookware that’s simple to use and simply beautiful. Today, the Bialetti family of products has grown. We bring a multitude of styles and colors to market. But our Italian heritage and passion for cooking live on in every line.

Bialetti offers some great cookware lines available for purchase here in the United States. They revolutionized cooking technology with the Aeternum Collection. The #1 choice in Italy, this nano-ceramic, non-stick eco-friendly cookware cooks food beautifully and cleans easily. The Arte Collection is for the executive chef in all of us with cookware that is safe for metal utensils, and oven safe for up to 450º. If you like to cook with a flair, the Trends Collection is sure to wow you with the bright exterior and non-stick interior.

In addition to this great cookware, Bialetti has also manufactured coffee makers since the early 1950s. You can now enjoy great Italian coffee in your own home with the many different varieties of Bialetti coffee and espresso makers.

The stainless coffee makers are easy to use and give your coffee a smooth taste. The aluminum makers such as the Moka will produce rich, authentic espresso in just minutes. The electric coffee makers and frothers allow you to make delicious lattes and cappuccinos, and even hot chocolate.

I received a Cioccolata & Cappuccino Hot Chocolate Maker & Milk Frother for review. This could not have come at a better time, because my kids are loving hot chocolate these days! Some of you might be wondering why you need a special "hot chocolate maker", and to be honest, I was wondering what was so great about it myself. That is, until I used it. I will never go back to mixing my hot chocolate in a mug again!

Prepare delicious creamy hot or cold chocolate, froth milk for your cappuccino, latte or chai tea and even prepare pudding. And thanks to the versatile blending system and the new “Cool Mixing” function, our “Cioccolata & Cappuccino: - Hot Chocolate & Milk Frother can even prepare refreshing iced coffees or shakes.

The Bialetti Hot Chocolate Maker is so easy to use! The directions were very vague as to what ingredients to use to make the perfect hot chocolate, so since we had some powdered hot chocolate mix, we decided to make our "normal" hot chocolate. We poured in 12 ounces of milk, along with two packages of the mix, set the timer, and watched the maker do it's thing. It heats the milk while it makes creamy hot chocolate.

Our first experience with it was a little messy. Brian set the timer for six minutes, which was a little bit too long. Not only was it too hot to drink, the milk frothed so much that we had a little bit of a hot chocolate explosion. We didn't even have the milk frother on!

It was a little trial and error, but we found that four minutes was the perfect time. It made the hot chocolate warm enough so that it wasn't too hot for the kids to drink, it was super creamy, and we all enjoyed the foam on the top.

I can't wait to experiment a little more with this and make some other drinks! The description on the website does say to use shaved chocolate or cocoa, so I will be experimenting with that to find that perfect flavor. And when the summer months get here, I'm thinking milkshakes!

The Bialetti Hot Chocolate Maker & Milk Frother retails for around $99.95. It can be purchased directly from bialettishop.com, specialty retailers such as Bed, Bath & Beyond and Crate and Barrel, and Amazon. While I do find this price to be a little high for a hot chocolate maker, it has multiple uses so you eliminate the need for other appliances. This, along with the rest of the Bialetti cookware and coffee makers available, would make a great Christmas gift!

~*~Giveaway~*~

~*~Bialetti Hot Chocolate Maker~*~

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received the Bialetti Hot Chocolate Maker at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. A big thank you to Bialetti for providing the giveaway prize!