Disclosed is a method for processing cocoa beans or nibs comprising the steps of: (a) adding water to cocoa beans or nibs to form a suspension (b) wet grinding said suspension (c) subjecting said suspension to a heat treatment at a temperature of 70C or less (d) separating the suspension into: a water phase (heavy phase) a fat phase (light phase) comprising cocoa butter and a solid phase comprising cocoa powder and fluid components (e) continuously separating the fluid components from the solid phase obtained in step (d) to obtain cocoa aroma and cocoa powder by supplying a flow of said solid phase to a mixing device wherein the mixing device comprises: a cylindrical tubular body with a horizontal axis having an inlet opening for the solid phase an outlet opening for the dried solid phase and an optional outlet opening for a vapor phase comprising cocoa aroma end plates closing the tubular body at its opposite ends a coaxial jacket heating or cooling the internal wall of the tubular body to a temperature of from 55C to 150C and a bladed rotor which is supported for rotation in the tubular body its blades being arranged as a helix and oriented for centrifuging the solid phase and simultaneously transporting it towards the outlet opening.
