Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert
The end of the year is upon us, and with it comes the cool winter months, which means it's time to ditch my regular order of iced coffee in favor of a warmer drink. For those of us trying desperately to cut back on caffeine, the humble classic hot chocolate is a top-tier choice.
If you're not looking to make it yourself at home with the best store-bought hot cocoa — in which case the runaway winner, in my opinion, is Nestlé's oft-overlooked Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate — or boldly starting from scratch using a celebrity chef's recipe, it's quick and easy to visit a national coffee chain for a sip of the iconic cold-weather drink.
I like my hot chocolate rich, but not overly sweet, with a creamy milk base. It should be topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or, even better, a marshmallow. So I tried five national coffee chains in search of the cup that felt the most like a warm hug, hitting all the luxurious chocolate notes one craves without being a one-note sugar bomb.
What I found may reveal my status as a basic coffeehouse lurker, but I stand by my assessment. You'll have to try for yourself, but here are the five cups of hot chocolate from each coffee chain, ranked from worst to best:
Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert
In defense of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, they have plenty of drinks and snacks on their menu that taste good. Their Black Forest blended drink beats out Starbucks' menu of Frappucinos any way of the week. But their cocoa isn't one I'd revisit — though other members of my household disagree, so, as always, your mileage may vary.
A barista at a local branch told me that The Coffee Bean's $4.25 cup of hot chocolate defaults to using nonfat milk, mixed with chocolate powder, and topped with simple whipped cream.
But somehow, this hot cocoa had a much thicker consistency than the others, coating my mouth with a cloyingly sweet chocolate flavor that tasted like a glass of melted Cadbury milk chocolate.
While I could see someone with a sweeter tooth than mine — which is admittedly hard to come by — enjoying the taste, I couldn't take more than a sip or two.
Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert
I had hoped for more from Peet's Coffee, expecting a velvety, diner-style cup of cocoa from the smaller chain, but what I got was just fine. Average. Plain.
I watched as my barista emptied a nondescript brown pouch of chocolate powder into a cup, adding warm 2% milk, and stirring the mixture with a spoon before topping it with canned whipped cream and handing it to me.
Tied with Starbucks as the most expensive offering at $4.45, the hot chocolate I got from Peet's Coffee offered less flourish than I would have made myself at home.
While slightly sweeter than the cocoa at Starbucks and Krispy Kreme, Peet's Coffee's hot chocolate had a simple, inoffensive flavor — but there was nothing special about it.
Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert
Notably, the Dunkin' I visited had the friendliest staff, but that didn't impact the flavor of its hot chocolate, and let's be honest — the cocoa was mid (because Dunkin' stays average.)
The barista at the doughnut empire said the ubiquitous East Coast chain defaulted to using hot water instead of milk in its $3.69 cup of cocoa. And while Dunkin' was the only chain to offer a much-appreciated topping to accompany the whipped cream — mocha-syrup drizzle — I could tell the drink's base was made without milk.
It also nearly burned my tongue and was far and away the hottest cup of chocolate of the day.
Without the dairy, Dunkin' hot chocolate was noticeably less creamy, though it had an intense chocolate flavor — a likely benefit of the mocha syrup on top.
Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert
As a chain I rarely visit, Krispy Kreme surprised me by coming in second place for its overall flavor.
At $3.55, the doughnut chain's midsize cocoa was less expensive than the other major hot chocolate movers, but it rose above almost all of them by using a Ghirardelli powder base with steamed 2% milk.
It was served warm, not hot, and included whipped cream but not sprinkles or drizzle.
Krispy Kreme's cocoa had no frills, but offered more nuanced flavor than Peet's, Dunkin', and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf without having quite the complexity that Starbucks does.
Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert
I didn't want Starbucks to win — and I say that as a gold-level rewards-card member who believes in, and even evangelizes about, the value of the omnipresent coffee chain. But I wanted a dark horse contender to rise through the ranks to cinch the top spot; I wanted to be proven wrong.
I suppose I didn't want the answer to be that basic, but, alas, Starbucks made me the best cup of hot cocoa of all five I tried.
While pricey at $4.45 for a 16oz drink after tax, I guess the offering coming from the biggest US coffee chain should be the best.
Starbucks' cocoa is made, by default, with steamed whole milk mixed with house-made mocha syrup, then topped with whipped cream. Though notably missing any unique toppings such as a chocolate syrup swirl or marshmallow, which would undoubtedly heighten the experience, this hot chocolate was rich and creamy without being too sweet.
The drink had some back-end bitter notes that I could see making my opinion controversial, but having a more complex flavor made Starbucks' hot cocoa more enjoyable than the others.
