Steamy, Creamy, Chocolatey Fun (Kenwood Frothie CL428)

Member Name: topsyturvy

Product:	Kenwood Frothie CL428
Date:	04/05/06 (2143 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great drinks, good price

Disadvantages: noisey

I have always been a fan of drinks machines but usually the only kind I ever saw were ones in hotels or restaurants which would cost hundreds of pounds and were not affordable at all. However, I had then heard of the Tassimo drinks machine but to me it just didn't seem to be what I wanted so I waited patiently, patiently, and more patiently until Kenwood brought out a machine and at an affordable price to.

I bought the machine and lke a 5 year old at Christmas ripped open the box. Inside was the machine. Appearance-wise is has a stand and on top of that there is the jug. It just looks like a normal blender but jug shaped. With the machine you are given a recipe book. At first I was confused because I assumed you got sachet's to put into the machine but this one is a case of the machine is cheap so you buy your own ingredients.

I started flicking through the recipe book thinking I had been conned before even putting the plug in. However, the recipes didn't seem all that difficult, most consisting of the same kind of ingredients so that it wasn't a case of buying a hundred different things that would never be used. Inside the book it says these recipes can then be made advanced when you get more confident but to be honest I really don't know what they expect you to make different because every recipe I want is in here.

HOT DRINKS
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Cafe au Lait
Cafe Mocha
Vanill and Cream Coffee
Cappuccino
Irish Coffee
Gourmet Hot Chocolate
Chocolate Mint
Irish Chocolate
White Hot Chocolate
Italian Hot Chocolate
Chilli Chcolate
Vermont Steamer
Ginger Vanilla Milk Steamer
Dreamer Steamer
Hot Wassail
Apple Lemon Punch
Spiced Fruit Punch
Easy Peasy Mulled Wine
West Country Apple
Snow Bomb
Hot Toddy
Hot Buttered Rum
Spiced Cha Latte
Vanilla Chai Latte
Pineapple Spiced Tea
Cooked Eggnon
Affogato Al Caffe
Panna Cotta with Strawberry Coulis

CHILLED DRINKS
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Chocolate Milkshake
Peach Iced Tea

As said above really that's enough drinks to last you for a looooong time and having had this machine for about just over half a year I still haven't tried them all yet. My regular tried and tested favourites have to be Vanilla and Cream Coffee, Gourmet Hot Chocolate and I don't mind the White Chocolate. I have not found it at all difficult when it comes to following instructions. For example the Hot Chocolate, it says it serves 4 but obviously if like me you only want it yourself the recipe can easily be adapted just quarter everything or half a bigger mug full. The ingredients are all simple such as milk which is used in most of the drinks, vanilla essence, real chocolate and sugar.

The ingredients all get measured and thrown or poured into the jug part of the machine which comes off to save you stretching to the plug. I buy Elmlea Single Cream and it lasts for a long time so you can get your money's worth where as some creams go off really quick so if you don't make a lot before the best before date it's wasted.

I was a bit weary at first about making it but once the ingredients were in I pressed the Heat & Mix button as indicated and out came this chugging noise. It is very loud just think of the noise a usual food processor makes, a grinding sound. It does take a while to finish, normally I leave it for 5 minutes and during this time you see the white milk turning brown into chocolate and the temperature rises. As soon as it is finished the machine stops.

It is recommend if you want an even frothier drink you press the Frothy Mix button. This is an ok-ish option but I tend to find not much of a difference. If you have had enough of the Frothy Mix button just press Off and it will stop.

On the side of the jug there is a little tap. You pull it up and place a mug under and out comes the drink. This comes out quite slow but the good thing is if it doesn't all come out just take the jug lid off and pour what is left in. You should get a lot of froth on the top of your drink this way.

So the real thing we want to know, is it any good? Well when I first tried my drink it was love at first sip. The drink tastes just like a hot chocolate from Starbucks, no seriously. It is so creamy and the recipe is perfect. Obviously depending on how much of every ingredient you put in every result might change but I have perfected it now. I always use milk chocolate though, the dark chocolate is too much.

The only annoying thing about this machine is once you have your drink and then turn around the machine is sitting there waiting to be cleaned. The jug comes off the base I usually rinse it out then dry it but I never feel it gets a thorough clean because it's so narrow especially where the tap section is.

I find with this machine most of the drinks so far I have had have tasted very nice and all very coffee shop like. They are great recipes and if you want to add your own sprinkles etc to the top it will still be nice. I have shared my drinks with many friends who have quizzed me on where I learned how to make such a good drink. No one has complained so far so it can't be that bad.

I definitely feel for the price this machine is good value for money. The competitor, the Tassimo machine is more expensive and also you have to keep buying the sachets to keep it working which works out equally as expensive. The thing with the Frothie is the recipes are all creamy. You get the best of both worlds with it because for colder months you get your hot drinks and for the summer monhs I finally get to try out the cold drinks which I am excited about.

I find the noise of this machine annoying if I make a drink when trying to watch the TV. It grinds loudly but once it has broken up the chocolate and all other solid ingredients it does churn smoothly.

The price fo this machine is £39.99 normally and can be bought in places like John Lewis, Tesco or even Amazon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000ACD5 UA/202-3196986-9103035

It doesn't havea cheap appearance though. The base is silver and fits in probably with most kitchens. The base also has suction pads so that it stays put.

It's definitely a puchase I could not live without and has enouraged me to stop wasting money in the mornings on hot drinks.

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