How to Make Cocoa Powder from Beans

How to Make Cocoa Powder?

Step 1. Cleaning and Stone Removal

The first step in cocoa powder production is cleaning the cocoa beans to remove impurities such as stones, mud, and debris.

• Equipment Used: Destoner Machine (Impurity Separator)

  • Utilizes gravity, airflow, and sieves to effectively separate stones, mud, and other heavy impurities from the beans.

  • Ensures clean cocoa beans for further processing.

Step 2. Drying and Roasting

Drying and roasting are critical for enhancing the flavor and aroma of cocoa beans. This step also makes it easier to remove the shell in the dehulling stage.

• Equipment Used: Continuous Belt Dryer and Roaster

  • This roaster machine integrates drying, roasting, and cooling.
  • Adjustable roasting speed with stepless frequency control, ensuring high efficiency.
  • Compact size saves space and costs.
  • Dual-temperature heating system minimizes energy waste, making it cost-effective.
  • Includes a forced air circulation system for uniform heating.
  • Automatic temperature settings allow precise and consistent roasting with high flexibility.

Step 3. Shell Removal (Dehulling)

Dehulling removes the shell from the roasted cocoa beans, leaving behind the nibs, which are the edible part of the bean.

• Equipment Used: Dehulling Machine

  • The dehulling machine uses rollers to peel off the shells and a fan system to separate them. Vibrating screens ensure the cocoa nibs are clean and shell-free. Adjustable settings allow for precise shell removal, minimizing waste.

Option 1: Step 4. Grinding into Powder

Cocoa nibs are ground into fine powder using a powder grinding machine.

• Equipment Used: Powder Grinding Machine
• Process: Coarse Cutting: The nibs are initially broken down by upper blades.
• Fine Cutting: The material is further refined with second-stage cutting knives.
• Grinding: Lower blades grind the material into progressively smaller particles.
• Adjustability: The gap between the knives and blades can be adjusted to produce powders of varying particle sizes.

Option 2: Step 4. Grinding into Cocoa Liquor

Cocoa nibs are ground into a thick paste known as cocoa liquor.

• Equipment Used: Colloid Mill

• Utilizes a high-speed rotor and stator to achieve ultra-fine particle sizes, creating a smooth cocoa liquor.
• The fineness of the cocoa liquor can be adjusted by changing the gap between the rotor and stator.

Step 5. Pressing to Separate Cocoa Butter

Cocoa liquor is pressed to separate cocoa butter from the solid cocoa mass.

• Equipment Used: Hydraulic Press

  • The press extracts cocoa butter, leaving behind cocoa cake, which is the raw material for cocoa powder.

Step 6. Grinding Cocoa Cake into Powder

The cocoa cake is finely ground into cocoa powder.

• Equipment Used: Powder Grinding Machine

  • Pulverizers grind the cocoa cake into a fine, uniform powder. Sieving machines may be used afterward to ensure the desired particle size.

Other Equipment

1. Conveyor Belt or Elevator: 

• Function: Transports cocoa beans and materials between different stages of production.
• Features: Ensures smooth and efficient movement of materials, minimizing manual labor and production time.

2. Powder Packaging Machine: 

• Function: Packs cocoa powder into moisture-proof bags or jars for distribution.
• Furui Machinery offers auger powder filling machines and automatic fill and sealing packaging machines to choose from. 
• Uses an auger screw to measure and dispense powders with high accuracy.