There are many different ways to make hot cocoa. You can go all out and melt dark chocolate into a large pot of boiling milk—which produces amazing results—but that’s for another article. Right now, we’re going to address a common dilemma when it comes to preparing hot cocoa the easier way: with packets. When making with packets, there’s always this conversation regarding whether or not you should use hot water or hot milk. There are benefits to both, but here’s where we stand on this matter.
The Main Dilemma
Let’s get this out of the way: hot milk definitely makes hot cocoa taste better, instead of using hot water. So why is there a dilemma at all? Well, for two reasons.
One, because drinking an entire cup of hot milk isn’t necessarily good for you. Even people who are NOT lactose-intolerant should be weary about it, because it’s something your stomach certainly can’t ignore.
The other reason hot milk is less than ideal is because it’s just not so practical to prepare. Heating up water can be done using a kettle or hot water urn, but most people have no interest in putting milk into their precious kettles. Ultimately, hot water is a lot more accessible than milk. But alas, as mentioned before, hot cocoa is just not as tasty with hot water than it is when you put hot milk.
The Ideal Middle Ground
The answer is not without sacrifice. You go half and half. You heat up half a cup of milk in the microwave, thus making the process not so time-consuming. Since you’re using half a cup of milk, it’s not going to be too taxing on your stomach. And finally, the presence of half a cup of milk should be just enough to make your hot cocoa tasty enough to satisfy you.
