I tried hot chocolate at Costa, Starbucks, Caffe Nero and more-best was cheapest by £2.30

Autumn mornings are dark and dreary, which makes it tempting to hit snooze on the alarm to spend a just few more minutes in our warm beds. It is the season we need a little more encouragement to start the day and splurge on a toasty and sweet beverage. I love treating myself to a hot chocolate when the weather turns colder, but buying from a coffee shop even just once a week can quickly become expensive.

Even just a small cup can cost nearly £5, so I have decided to do a taste test to see which of these luxury drinks are actually worth it. I have been going out before work and buying a hot chocolate from most of the major brands, and I have been surprised to learn the tastiest drink is also the cheapest one available.

Costa Coffee - £4.60

I usually love Costa in the colder months as last year they had a delicious autumn menu, but unfortunately I found their regular hot chocolate underwhelming.

When I took my first sip I immediately realised it was not chocolatey enough, and instead had a muted milky taste that was passable, but not really enjoyable.

The drink keep me warm that day so I did not regret buying it, but I found it quite flat as it was just not sweet or rich enough for me.

Rating - 4.5/10. Drinkable, but there are better hot chocolates out there.

Starbucks - £4.50

I enjoyed the Starbucks drink, and although it is not my absolute favourite on this list, I will definitely get it again. It was creamy, and you can really taste the chocolate without it being overly sweet. The drink itself was silky and enjoyable, but the top was too foamy, which made the hot chocolate a little bubbly.

This did not affect the taste, but I found myself having to tip my head back to get any of the actual drink at first, which is awkward when you are trying to walk about in the morning.

Rating - 8/10. A tasty drink that will keep you warm this autumn, but I think would be more enjoyable if you are sitting down to drink it.

Pret a Manger - £4.30

I liked the Pret A Manger hot chocolate and found it had a satisfying cocoa taste, but maybe was not as flavourful as it could have been. It was smooth and really easy to drink, but there was nothing really noteworthy about it.

It was a cosy drink that is fine for a quick fix when you are looking for something hot and sweet, but it just did not stand out.

Rating - 5/10. A fine but totally average cosy drink.

Caffè Nero - £4.25

I did not like the Caffè Nero hot chocolate, and I tried to finish the whole cup but ending up having to throw it away. This hot chocolate was thick and sludgy so was really difficult to drink. I had to take the top off just to take a sip which is awkward when you are walking down a busy street.

I also found it was really sickly sweet, and ended up pouring most of it out onto some grass at the nearest park. I think a child might really like this hot chocolate, but personally I would not buy it again.

Rating - 2/10. The thickness and sweetness of this hot chocolate was off-putting.

Greggs - £2.30

If I am being honest, I did not expect much from Greggs and almost passed on its hot chocolate completely, but I am glad I took the chance as it was my favourite.

It had a rich and almost buttery flavour with just the right amount of sweetness to make it really indulgent. It was a really comforting and tasty drink without being heavy.

Greggs is perfect for a cheap sausage roll so I was really surprised at just how good the drinks were, and for the price it was better than all the chain coffee shops combined. In fact, it was half the price of the most expensive hot chocolate - Starbucks' £4.60 option.

Rating - 10/10. A surprisingly perfect drink as it was cheap, cheerful and better than any other hot chocolate