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.

Instant Mix

I'm home ill today which means that I should be drinking tea. Except I hate tea, so I end up guzzling hot chocolate instead.

Picture this: You're feeling sick, laid up in bed... a hot drink sounds nice, but do you want to spend all that time making a fantastic cup of hot cocoa when there are instant mixes available?

Sadly, you will probably agree to doing the latter, which leaves you with this:


(Brand name blurred so as not to give free-advertising to that brand name. Also, all packaged mixes suck as far as I'm concerned - didn't want to discriminate and make you believe this was the worst.)

"JUST ADD HOT WATER"

I will give you some free advice. Any product that says that will not taste good, or will taste fine and yet leave a horrible aftertaste. Think about it, make good decisions in life.

Oh dear. Well, time to turn the kettle on, rip open that package, and see what we have to deal with.

Appetizing! It's Cocoa's anemic cousin.

Kettle's boiling!

Queue ten minutes of stirring.

Finished!

Oh... I guess that's it then. Notice the way the mix doesn't completely dissolve even after stirring viciously for quite some time. Isn't that great? Who doesn't love hot cocoa grit in their teeth?











Close-up of the bog before it goes into my trembling and unwilling tummy.





It took me a while but I finished that entire mug. It could have been my stomach, but it left much to be desired. (Aren't you all surprised to hear that). It was about 70% water, 20% cocoa, 10% vampire elixir. I hate copious amounts of water added to hot chocolate, but with an instant mix - JUST ADD HOT WATER - you can't really get around that. I dare not try this with milk (I fear some sort of clotted disaster).

So, final verdict:

I still feel sick.