Machine Brewed

My mom recently bought this coffee machine that brews individual cups of coffee with these little cup-like things you buy and pop in (this is my best explanation of this machine). Here is a photo! Aren't we glad for digital cameras being used to represent things when words fail?

And here is a photo of the cups. With mug, as that is pretty much a necessity with these things.



The ease of brewing a cup of hot chocolate... or anything, was incredible and highly appealing with this machine, and honestly, it did a pretty great job of it. It took all of 3 minutes to make this cup of hot cocoa, and that included the time it takes for the water to boil (I assume it boils) in the machine. After that it was a simple matter of putting the cup thing in and pulling down a lever. Yeah, I know I'm making all of this seem weird, but it's one of those contraptions you'd have to see to know how it works because I certainly can't explain it.



The cocoa itself left something to be desired... but it's already clear from 2 previous posts that I am incredibly picky about hot chocolate. For something instant but not coming in a little baggy you mix in yourself with hot water, I'd rate it as being pretty good. For an overall hot chocolate taste, I'd rate it low - but that is just the way of things, isn't it?

The chocolate taste wasn't strong, and I kept picking up this weird underlying coffee taste as I drank it. I think something from a previous cup interfered with it, and I'll have to try it again later to see if that was truly the case.