This Hot Chocolate Maker Is the Ultimate Winter Warmer

Few things are cozier than a cup of hot chocolate with (homemade?!) marshmallows or whipped cream. And the fine folks in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab want to get you cuddling up to cocoa faster, so they tested hot chocolate makers to find the best picks for winter.

Our pros evaluate all kinds of beverage appliances like coffee makers, espresso machines, milk frothers and heated mugs. For hot chocolate makers, we consider performance as well as cleanability and noise level. We evaluated using a standard powdered mix to see how well the mix was incorporated, its taste and each device's ease of cleaning afterward. We also value those that are versatile: Does it froth milk? Does it work with powdered mixes as well as chocolate chips? After tallying up the scores from all of these tests, we found the hot chocolate makers we think are worth it.

Our top picks:

There are some models on this list that we did not test, and to choose those, we selected popular options with rave reviews from trusted brands that have performed well in previous Kitchen Lab tests. Read on for more on how we tested hot chocolate makers and what to look for when shopping for one, and for more cozy drink inspo, try these out with a spiked hot chocolate recipe or the best coffee recipes to try at home.