Holiday Gift Guide 18: Cocoa-Latte Hot Drink Maker Review & Giveaway

Winter is officially here in Iowa! A couple of weeks ago we got quite a bit of snow, and as much as we'd like for it all to melt away...it appears it will be sticking around for a while. Although this time of year is pretty, I for one do not like the cold weather. It's this time of year that you'll find me cuddled up on the couch at night, with a blanket and a hot cup of cappuccino or hot chocolate. Yum! That's why I was excited to learn about a great product from Plow & Hearth!

A trusted national catalog, retail and internet company, Plow & Hearth specializes in unique enduring home and lifestyle products that are quality-built and guaranteed to meet customer's expectations. Having grown a lot over the past quarter-century, they still remain dedicated to the same principles that have guided them from the beginning...honest, integrity and commitment to customer service.

From the time I first found Plow & Hearth, I have been impressed with their large selection of products. With everything from their Hearth & Home section to their Yard & Garden section...they have something for everyone! With colder weather upon us, I was searching their site a while back and was instantly drawn to their Cocoa-Latte Hot Drink Maker and couldn't have been happier to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review one!

Features/Benefits:

• Automatically heats, whips & mixes cocoa, coffee, tea, etc into frothy, gourmet drinks
• Easy to use
• Ready in minutes
• Convenient spout pours drink right into mug
• Recipe booklet
• Latte Machine 12"H

As I said, our family loves hot drinks this time of year...especially hot chocolate! That's why I had a feeling this would be a big hit with everyone. I was right! When the Cocoa-Latte Hot Drink Maker arrived, I was excited to check it out.
Out of the box I was already impressed with the nice size. There are so many appliances that are big and bulky, taking up too much room on my counters already. That's why I was happy to see that the Cocoa-Latte hot Drink Maker was just 12" H ... big enough to do what it needs to do, but small enough that it doesn't take up a lot of room. YAY!

The sleek design and black/silver colors really make it modern and attractive as well. I don't mind having it sit out on my counter for people to see because it goes nicely with the other appliances and decor in my kitchen.

Of course, aside from appearance, I was excited to see how well this machine worked. After reading the very user-friendly instructions...we were ready to get started. Once we had all of the pieces washed, rinsed and dried thoroughly...we began getting everything set up. This maker is designed to make delicious, hot and frothy drinks using milk or water combined with instant cocoa, coffee, tea mixes and syrups. We are big fans of Hot Chocolate, so that's what we decided to make first.

To get started, we removed the lid from the mixing container and poured 32 oz of milk in. There's a Maximum Fill line so users know exactly how much to put in. We then added in 8 T of our favorite instant hot chocolate mix and replaced the lid on the mixing container (making sure the lid covers the pour spout).

Once plugged in, there's an on/off switch to make your hot drink. This will cause the machine to begin to mix and heat the ingredients. When the mixture reaches the perfect temperature, the appliance will automatically go idle, although at anytime during the mixing process, you may press the off switch to turn it off.

I wasn't quite sure how long it would take, but a full 32 oz took about 6-8 minutes. It was really quick and in no time we had our yummy hot chocolate ready to sample.

Once the appliance goes idle, you can place a cup underneath the dispensing valve and press the Froth/Dispense switch. This switch will mix the beverage while you dispense so that a rich layer of froth is dispensed into your cup along with the hot drink. This is how we liked it best...so yummy!!

Having used this machine several times, I have been very impressed with how simple it is to use. I love that we're able to make delicious warm winter drinks without having the trouble or mess of boiling water or milk. By simply pouring liquid, flavorings and mixes into the top, closing the lid and blending...we're able to have a full pitcher of delicious drink that's always perfect temperature.

The perfect temperature is another feature that I really appreciate. It's no fun to make a yummy pot of hot chocolate, only to have to let it cool down before drinking it. That's why this drink maker is so great! The Cocoa-Latte Hot Drink Maker is designed to maintain the "perfect temperature". Once the hot beverage reaches that temp, the motor stops running and the mixing paddle stops mixing. The appliance is then on idle but still on. Once the hot beverage cools down if left, the until will automatically reheat and remix back to the perfect temperature. How neat is that?! I love it!

We've been able to try several different combinations, and I am sure over the coming cold months will try several more. There are many different recipe ideas in the booklet provided, so we have some guidance to help us with our testing. So far our favorite is classic hot chocolate with some froth...but I also love cappuccino and can't wait to try out more of those recipes as well.

Overall we've been very happy with the Cocoa-Latte Hot Drink Maker! It's incredibly easy to use, makes delicious hot drinks in just minutes, and is also very easy to clean and care for. It's great for busy families and something both kids and adults will enjoy. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone and think it would make a fantastic gift idea this Christmas.

Of course, this is just one of so many great products offered at Plow & Hearth. Be sure to visit their gift center to check out all of their fantastic items...there's sure to be something for everyone on your list this holiday season.


Buy It: You can purchase the Cocoa-Latte Hot Drink Maker from Plow & Hearth for $39.95, but it's currently on sale for $29.99!

Win It: One very lucky reader is going to get the chance to make delicious hot drinks of their how, because Plow & Hearth has offered someone a Cocoa-Latte hot Drink Maker of their own!!

Mandatory Entry - Visit Plow & Hearth and let me know another product you'd love to have.

Extra Entries: (Only valid after the mandatory entry has been completed. Leave 1 comment for each extra entry)

1. 1 extra entry - Like Plow & Hearth on Facebook

2. 1 extra entry - Follow Plow & Hearth on Twitter

3. 3 extra entries- Blog about this giveaway (linking to this post and Plow & Hearth) and leave THREE comments with the URL to that post.

4. 3 extra entries- Grab my Holiday Gift Guide button and let me know the URL where it can be found.

5. 1 extra entry- Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (You can tweet once a day for one extra entry every day)! You can copy and paste:

Make delicious hot cocoa, lattes, tea and more! #WIN a Cocoa-Latte Hot Drink Maker from Plow & Hearth! http://bit.ly/tKkPCc

6. 2 extra entries- subscribe to A Mom's Balancing Act via e-mail (found along the side column) and leave TWO comments letting me know.

7. 2 extra entries- 'Like' A Mom's Balancing Act on Facebook

8. 2 extra entries- Follow my blog publicly on Google Friend Connect

9. Enter any of my other current giveaways running now. Leave me a comment on which one(s)....ONE entry for EACH giveaway you enter!!

Leave one comment for each entry you complete. Be sure to leave your email address with your comments or make sure it's visible in your profile so that I have a way to contact you if you win!

This giveaway will end December 24th and is open to the US Only

**The products for this review and giveaway were provided for free by Plow & Hearth. All opinions found here are my own and were not influenced in any way. The opinions of others may differ from my own.*