Cambridge Design Partnership creates hot chocolate machine

CDP has designed and patented the process, which uses solid chocolate as opposed to chocolate powder to create the drink. The Maya machine uses steamed fresh milk and pods of solid chocolate to make the hot chocolate drink.

Paul Scott, mechanical engineer at CDP, says, ‘There has been a growing appreciation of quality eating chocolate and also a boom in demand for the drink at high-street outlets. This has increased dissatisfaction with the home-made beverage. The powder can be difficult to mix and the result is often watery, over-sweet and without that authentic flavour or richness.’

Scott says that following a series of focus groups, the consultancy developed the Maya machine, which ‘[creates] a new market opportunity for quality brands’.

The consultancy says it is currently seeking a manufacturing partner for the machine, and is seeking to license the entire system, which is currently patent pending.