Anyone up for some Hot Cocoa? Believe it or not, in Georgia, it does get cold, and accordingly students begin to take out their jeans and sweatshirts to brave the cold 40-degree weather. Also seen with most students is a cup of some type of warm drink in hand. Therefore, I conducted a poll of which hot beverage students prefer more: coffee or cocoa, and determined that 17 out of 20 students preferred coffee to hot cocoa. Now, being a fan of Hot Cocoa myself, I decided to analyze the minority’s choice of hot beverage and to find the best hot cocoa available on campus. I decided that I would visit four different areas that offered hot cocoa and analyze the shop and hot cocoa as a whole to discover which location serves the beverage best. The places I visited in order to compare hot cocoa were: The Architecture Café, the Library Café, Starbucks, and the Coffee machine located next to the Post Office in the Student Center.
From Left to Right: Jazzman's, Coffee Machine, Starbucks, and Architecture Cafe
My first stop was The Architecture Cafe in the West Architecture Building. It is a little café that offers numerous delights from panini’s, to cupcakes, to soups. The prices are not exceedingly high, though I wouldn’t recommend eating there everyday. Looking at the hot cocoa the prices were: Small: $1.80 Medium: $2.10 Large: $2.45. As I went up to order my Cocoa, the wait was somewhat tedious for the line had 4 people in it, and I had to wait 13 minutes. However, the service was very friendly and personal. I started my timer as soon as I placed my order and to my surprise it took only 0.56.09 seconds. Whip Cream is offered for each hot cocoa, and once the drink is served there are holders and tops for the cup available. Now, it was time to evaluate the taste of the drink. Luckily, on the first sip the drink went smoothly down my throat, for it was not hot enough to burn my tongue. However, the taste was not as appealing. It tasted mostly like milk with just a hint of bitter chocolate. The color was a pale cream, which leads me to believe that the drink did not have enough chocolate mixed in with the milk. Therefore, due to the pleasant host and friendly environment, I still award the Architecture Café 2 stars.
My next visit on my search for the best Hot Cocoa was Starbucks. Walking up to the little counter next to Einstein Brothers, located in the Student Center, I encountered a very friendly lady who immediately created a friendly atmosphere by addressing me as ‘Little Lady.’ However, she lost customers quickly when she mentioned there was no espresso or tea left, just coffee and hot cocoa. I then ordered my tall hot cocoa for $2.60, while the other prices were: $2.85 Grande and $3.10 Venti. The hot cocoa was done after just 1.42.67 minutes, which was quite short in comparison to what I was expecting. I was offered whip cream with my purchase, which was piled on thick to my pleasure. However, there was too much applied, which led to no top for my cup. But, I still expected a satisfying experience until I took a sip and realized my tongue had been scalded and my throat was burning. After waiting approximately 15 minutes, I was able to take another sip without risking my tongue being burned again. The taste of the drink was slightly bitter, though the sweetness from the whipped cream helped to counterbalance it, which I was quite fond of. The color was a creamy brown, with a rich chocolate smell that appealed to my olfactory sense. Overall, I would give Starbucks 2 stars due to its over-priced, scalding hot cocoa, that took over fifteen minutes to cool down to a drinkable state.
My third stop was at the Library at Jazzman’s Café & Bakery, which offers sandwiches, smoothies (which I’m quite fond of), as well as all of the selections offered at Starbucks. I ordered my small hot cocoa and waited 3.58.61 minutes for my beverage to be finished; the longest out of all four locations. What pleased me was that the cup came with a holder and top already applied. The sole disappointment was that the barista, although very friendly and polite, didn’t offer me any whip cream. However, once the hot cocoa arrived, on the first sip it went smoothly down my throat without any pain. Unlike the Architecture café, this hot cocoa had plenty of chocolate, actually, maybe just a little too much, for once I finished there was a thin layer of chocolate residue on the bottom of the cup. The hot cocoa was a purple brown color, which seemed slightly odd, but still the cocoa was quite tasty. Additionally, the price of a small, which was $2.50, was not that bad, along with the grande selling for $2.75 and a supreme at $2.95. My rating for this Café would be 3 ½ stars, for I finally got enough chocolate in my hot cocoa. But, the wait was the longest, which is not beneficial when in a rush, and the fact that I had been offered no whip cream only added to the negative factors.
My final stop was the coffee machine located next to the Post Office within the Student Center. I selected the Whipped Hot Cocoa, then selected the strength of it (how much chocolate would be added), which was shown as : / // ///. After this step I proceeded to choose the size of the beverage, which was either small for $0.65 or a large for $0.75. Then I swiped my card, the machine slid out a cup, which it immediately filled with my Hot Cocoa, and I had my completed cocoa after 20 seconds. The negative side was that there was no holder, top, or whip cream available. Another negative factor was that it was too hot to drink immediately, though it cooled quicker than the Starbucks hot cocoa. Once it had cooled, the taste was the best I had yet encountered on my Hot Cocoa Hunt. It was sweet, yet had that perfect chocolate flavor that one looks for in their Hot Cocoa. I had finally found my favorite Hot Cocoa and also for quite a cheap price. However, due to the lack of condiments I would rate the Coffee Machine with 4 stars.
In conclusion, the best Hot Cocoa that I found on campus was the coffee machine within the Student Center. Though there is a lack of human connection, it is cheap, quick, and tastes better than all the other hot cocoas. The other hot cocoas I sampled didn’t have the sweetness quality that I crave. Although, I’m sure other students prefer their hot cocoa in different ways. If you want cheap easily acceptable hot cocoa, the coffee machine is the way to go. If you want a warm Panini to go along with your drink, head over to the Architecture building. If perhaps you want to stick to brand names, then go on over to Starbucks, although I don’t believe the brand name is worth your money. Finally, if you want a smoothie and a hot cocoa, which oddly enough tastes quite good together, and you have a good book to read, Jazzman’s is the perfect location. Each location offers something of good value, but if you want a personal opinion, stick to the coffee machine, no need to waste money on any of the others, when the quality from the machine is just as good if not better.
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