Can You Actually Make Hot Chocolate With A Nespresso Machine?

Despite the fact that there are more than 38 million coffee shops in the U.S. (per Statista), it's always cheaper and faster to just make coffee at home, especially when you've got a pod-based machine like a Nespresso. Sometimes you don't really want a second (or third) shot of caffeine in the same day, however, so it's good to know that you can also make hot chocolate with a Nespresso machine. The catch is, the machine you need is not the one that makes the coffee itself — you'll need a companion device called the Nespresso Digital Barista Milk Frother, (also known as the Barista Recipe Maker).

Unlike Keurig pod machines, which make coffee that's similar to drip or pour over brews, classic Nespresso machines make concentrated, espresso-like coffee (yes, they're not the same) that can be used for making coffee drinks like cappuccinos and lattes (which are distinctly different). The catch is, unlike a standard espresso machine with an attached steaming wand, a Nespresso machine only makes the coffee, not the milk. The Barista Milk Frother is a bluetooth-connected milk frother that is designed to make batches of steamed milk depending on the size of your Nespresso pod. But as a bonus, the Nespresso Barista Milk Frother can make hot chocolate all within one device, while a regular pod-based Nespresso cannot.

If you're in the mood for a batch of Nespresso hot chocolate using the Barista Milk Frother, the process is pretty easy. All you need is milk, a couple of Nespresso dark chocolate squares, and whatever milk you'd prefer. On the official Nespresso website, the process technically takes four steps, but basically just combine 100 mL of milk with the chocolate in the canister, and then let the machine do the rest. Nespresso Barista devices work by using pre-programmed recipes that are beamed in from your smartphone, so make sure that you have the hot chocolate recipe downloaded from the Nespresso app.

If you can't find any Nespresso chocolate squares for sale, you can also use any dark or semisweet chocolate or baking chips you have on hand. Each Nespresso square weighs 5 grams, so you'll need 15 grams of chocolate for one hot chocolate. Of course if you are all about the one-and-done aspect of using a Nespresso, you can always buy hot chocolate pods for the coffee machine. While Nespresso doesn't officially make their own hot chocolate pods, there are capsules out there like these that will work with your machine — all you need to do is add hot milk.