To find the best store-bought hot cocoa, I tried prepackaged powders from five different brands. I bought standard mixes from Ghirardelli, Hershey's, Land O'Lakes, Publix, and Swiss Miss.

For this recipe showdown, we included six popular hot cocoa recipes from celebrity chefs. All six recipes were made on the stovetop. Most recipes used full-fat dairy as the base of the cocoa — either ...