I went to 5 different chains to find the best cup of hot chocolate and the one from McDonald's was basically warm milk
5. McDONALD'S: I'm going to be honest — I didn't have high hopes for McDonald's hot chocolate.
My assumptions were correct. I thought the hot chocolate was terrible.
In my opinion, it didn't taste of chocolate at all, but rather warm milk and water. Even for the low price of $2.89 for a medium hot chocolate, I was immeasurably disappointed.
4. DUNKIN': As a New Englander, I have a special loyalty to Dunkin' coffee.
Dunkin' definitely didn't produce a terrible hot chocolate, but it wasn't great either.
Though the drink was undeniably creamy and had a good amount of sweetness, there was a slightly artificial taste to the hot chocolate.
A medium hot chocolate cost $3.04 at the location I went to in New York City, which seemed expensive for what I thought it was — a fake-tasting, scalding hot cup of chocolate milk.
3. PRET: Pret's medium hot chocolate, which came to $3.80, tasted distinctly different.
The drink tasted like dark chocolate, while the others tasted more similar to standard milk chocolate. As a lover of slightly bitter chocolate, I was a fan.
The frothy milk and rich, creamy cocoa flavor earned Pret's hot chocolate recipe high marks.
It tasted like real chocolate, unlike the previous two. I would definitely order hot chocolate from Pret again.
2. PANERA BREAD: Panera Bread's signature hot chocolate was the most unique of the cocoa beverages I tried.
It cost $3.39 for a medium and was the sweetest hot cocoa I tried. The price was extremely reasonable for the decadent flavor I experienced.
Floating on top of a bed of foamy whipped cream were three chocolate chip marshmallows and a swirl of salted caramel syrup.
Despite being more over-the-top than the other hot chocolates, the flavors weren't overpowering. This was certainly a treat on a cold winter's day.
1. STARBUCKS: Starbucks' hot chocolate, which is arguably an underdog on a menu filled with coffee beverages, came out on top.
A grande hot chocolate with whipped cream from Starbucks came to $4.30 at the location I went to, but the creamy goodness inside was simply priceless on a rainy winter's day.
The hot chocolate was perfectly rich and tasted like thick, melted chocolate.
It didn't taste artificial or like it came from a powder. I was very impressed.
If I could only choose one hot chocolate, it would have to be Starbucks' cup of creamy chocolate goodness.
Though it didn't have the exciting bells and whistles of the Panera cocoa, sometimes simple, seemingly high-quality ingredients come out on top.
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