All products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase something, we may earn a commission.
For true hot-chocolate devotees, the mecca is Angelina in Paris. Queues have been forming along the pavement here, opposite the Jardin des Tuileries, since 1903, with Marcel Proust, Coco Chanel and Audrey Hepburn among customers waiting patiently to step inside. The reward remains unchanged – a rich and unctuous hot chocolate that arrives in a pitcher, with chantilly cream and a silver spoon to one side. The ritual is all part of the pleasure; just as tea tastes different when it’s brewed in a teapot and poured into a cup and saucer, so hot chocolate deserves proper ceremony. This winter, channel Angelina with these specialist hot-chocolate pots, jugs, frothers and chocolatières.
For writer Jo Rodgers, the hot chocolate at the Ritz in Paris is the top du top. It comes served in a tall blue-and-white pot with a lid, made by Haviland in Limoges, in a pattern called ‘Marthe’ that’s freckled with gold leaf, she says. ‘The chocolate itself is thick in the usual Parisian style, but darker than most places – they’ll bring out extra milk and sugar for those who prefer it lighter.’ Antique pieces by Haviland can be easily found on Ebay in various patterns.
Across the Channel in the UK, hot chocolate had its heyday in the early 18th century when chocolate houses sprung up on street corners. The Georgians might serve it in porcelain pots with a long handles sticking out to one side, with a swizzle stick known as a molinet sliding through the domed cover to mix the chocolate tablet with water or milk. Otherwise, they might use elegant tall silver vessels resembling coffee pots with tapered sides, often with a removable finial to allow for stirring. An original George II Newcastle-silver pot might cost upwards of £7,000. AC Silver recommends looking out for Georg Jensen, Paul Storr and Paul de Lamarie, while Vinterior has more recent (and pocket-friendlier) versions.
Many European Georgian hot-chocolate pots were influenced by Chinese porcelain. For the prettiest teatime tray, seek out the original Chinese Qing-era designs with their painted vignettes and floral blue-and-white patterns. The signature domed lids invite you to lift and stir, releasing the delicious chocolate scent.
More everyday enamel chocolatières are made for cold mornings. Keep chocolat chaud warm until it’s ready to be poured into bowls and dipped into with fresh baguette or the torn corner of a croissant. Look out for the Dutch, French or Austrian painted versions from the turn of the century, with wooden handles and long, thin spouts, and those that come with wooden stirrers that sit inside the lid.
Having opened in Rye in East Sussex in 2013, Knoops hot-chocolate cafés have now sprung up around the UK, with the tubes of delectable chocolate flakes available to buy at Selfridges, Harrods and Wholefoods. At home, the trick is to marry these with Dualit’s new milk frother and hot-chocolate maker. These are designed to hold exactly the right amount of chocolate flakes – Knoops recommends a hearty eight teaspoons – and have a special cap designed to prevent the chocolate getting stuck in the frother.
