The Velvetiser
had 2020 travel plans that included sipping hot chocolate at Rivoire, a café in Florence, Italy. Alas, that didn’t happen. I love chocolate, and Rivoire has been making artisanal chocolates since 1872, so when I dream of Italian food, it’s not just about ravioli but also about hot chocolate. Luckily, 2020 wasn’t a complete bust on the hot chocolate front. A high-tech hot chocolate machine—a holiday gift from my wife—has gotten me surprisingly close to re-creating this experience from my home kitchen. The Velvetiser, which comes from the British company Hotel Chocolat, is basically an electric kettle that froths and warms one cup of decadent
