[Music] Kit Kat, the crispy, chocolaty treat with a familiar, delightful flavor that’s loved by millions worldwide. Beneath that iconic red wrapper lies a fascinating and meticulous production process. Have you ever wondered what makes Kit Kats so irresistibly enticing?
Today, join us as we dive into the surprising journey of how Kit Kat is made at one of the world's largest chocolate factories, where over 8 million bars are crafted every single day. This sweet adventure is sure to leave you [Music] amazed. The journey to crafting Kit Kat's exquisite chocolate flavor begins in the distant lands of West Africa, where endless cocoa fields stretch under the tropical sun.
In July, as the ripe cocoa pods glisten under the intense heat, farmers begin their labor-intensive harvest season. They meticulously handpick each ripe cocoa pod with care, ensuring the precious cocoa beans inside remain unharmed. Every motion reflects their respect and pride in the fruits of their labor.
Once harvested, skilled workers swiftly crack open the pods to reveal the prized beans within. Each plump cocoa bean, embodying the essence of nature, is delicately handled and neatly arranged on large drying mats under the blazing tropical sun. These beans undergo a natural drying process that lasts about eight days.
As the days pass, the beans gradually lose moisture, their outer shells harden, and they seal in the exceptional chocolate flavor within. The raw cocoa beans undergo a rigorous quality inspection before officially enrolling at the production facility. Here, they face a series of stringent tests held to exacting standards.
The first step is a moisture check to ensure each bean reaches optimal dryness, preventing mold development. Next, the size and texture of the beans are carefully assessed, with underdeveloped or undersized beans being removed. Finally, an experienced team conducts a scent test, ensuring each cocoa bean exudes its signature exquisite aroma.
Upon arriving at the state-of-the-art factory, the cocoa beans undergo a special three-hour makeover process to prepare for their dramatic transformation. The journey begins with cleaning, where every trace of dirt and residual cocoa shells is removed. Workers empty sacks of raw cocoa beans into massive conveyor systems transporting them to the cleaning station.
A sealed, specially designed rotating drum inside the machine allows the beans to gently tumble and rub against each other as the drum spins, loosening their stubborn outer shells. Simultaneously, powerful air jets blow away any remaining dust and debris, leaving the beans spotless and ready for the next stage. The pristine cocoa beans then move on to the fire challenge, where their hidden flavors are awakened.
Each batch is placed into a large roasting machine. Much like coffee beans, cocoa requires precise temperature and timing to achieve perfection. This is the closely guarded secret recipe of chocolate makers, as even the slightest deviation in controlling the fire can completely alter the chocolate's flavor.
After enduring the intense fire challenge, the roasted cocoa beans, now bursting with aroma, enter their transformative phase. They are fed into a massive grinder, which crushes the beans and unlocks their rich, deep flavors. As the beans break apart, they blend together, gradually turning into a smooth, thick cocoa paste.
This paste then moves to a hydraulic press, where every last drop of cocoa butter is extracted, forming pure cocoa cakes that are perfectly round and weigh about 7 kg each. These cakes represent the essence of cocoa, brimming with a bold and captivating aroma. The cocoa cakes are ground again to a fine powder, becoming the perfect ingredient ready to help create Kit Kat's signature chocolate flavor.
[Music] The fine cocoa powder is then mixed with sugar, milk powder, pure cocoa butter, emulsifiers, and other secret ingredients—the exact proportions are Nestlé's closely guarded recipe. This mixture dances rhythmically inside a massive multi-ton mixing machine, churning continuously until it transforms into a thick, velvety chocolate mass. Next comes the art of conching, a refining process that grinds the chocolate particles to microscopic sizes, ensuring they melt instantly on the tongue.
The longer the chocolate is conched, the creamier its texture becomes, resembling silk, and the more refined its flavor. Finally, the liquid chocolate undergoes tempering; its temperature is carefully cycled up and down, ensuring it melts completely before cooling to 81°F, preventing the formation of unsightly crystals. This keeps the chocolate smooth, glossy, and irresistibly appealing.
And now, the soul of Kit Kat, the luscious chocolate coating, is ready to win over chocolate lovers [Music] everywhere. If chocolate is the soul of Kit Kat, then the crispy wafer layers are its heart, delivering a delightful crunch with every bite. The journey to create this heart is just as meticulous.
It all begins with familiar ingredients: refined wheat flour, purified water, sweet sugar, vegetable fats, and a pinch of salt to enhance the [Music] flavor. But the secret lies in the magic ingredient, a leavening agent that breathes life into the wafer layers, giving them their signature light and crispy texture. Everything is blended in a massive mixer, spinning rhythmically with vibrant energy.
The wheat flour melds with the other ingredients, gradually transforming into a smooth, thick [Music] batter. Once the batter is ready, smooth, creamy streams of it are pumped into rectangular baking molds through ultra-precise nozzles. These nozzles ensure each mold receives an equal amount of batter, creating wafer layers with perfect thickness.
The molds are then heated to high temperatures, ranging from 350°F to 400°F, for just 30 seconds. The intense heat quickly bakes the wafers, giving them their signature crisp texture while locking in the delicious flavors within each delicate layer. Next, the wafers are transferred to the cooling area, where gentle streams of cool air gradually lower their temperature.
This step is crucial; it helps the wafers retain their crispiness while ensuring the chocolate coating won't melt when applied. While the wafer layers cool, the chocolate filling between Kit Kat's wafer layers is prepared. At first glance.
. . It may seem the same, but the chocolate inside the wafer layers is actually different from the outer coating.
The secret? A small amount of crushed KitKat pieces. Defective KitKat bars are ground into a fine powder and then used to make the filling for other bars.
This inner chocolate filling is slightly thinner in consistency, almost like chocolate cream. This allows it to bind the wafer layers together without causing them to crumble. Meanwhile, the outer chocolate layer is thicker and firmer, providing structure and protecting the bar.
Now comes the most mesmerizing transformation: the moment when the crispy wafer layers are draped in a glossy, enchanting coat of chocolate. Each wafer is neatly arranged on a conveyor belt, ready for its special chocolate bath. Liquid chocolate, with its rich brown hue and irresistible aroma, is delicately poured over the wafers.
Thin, even layers of chocolate are applied, covering every inch of the wafer with precision. Three layers of chocolate are carefully added, creating the perfect coating for the wafer. The final touch: a wafer layer is placed on top, like the finishing note that completes the masterpiece of KitKat.
[Music] [Music] The journey continues to a modern conveyor belt where sharp blades await. Each candy bar glides smoothly along the belt, heading straight into the cutting zone. Here, the precision blades swiftly divide the bars into equal portions, creating the perfectly sized KitKat we all know and love.
This magical transformation happens in an instant; in just a blink, complete KitKat bars appear, neatly arranged on the conveyor belt, ready for the next stage of their journey. After 15 hours of blending and fine trials, the velvety, aromatic liquid chocolate is finally ready to take on its familiar KitKat form. Behold the spectacular performance of high-speed machines, where hundreds of molds are filled every minute, producing over 200,000 chocolate bars daily.
Streams of molten chocolate are precisely poured into molds, forming a glossy and irresistible outer shell. Next, the crispy wafers take their turn, parading through a chocolate waterfall, ensuring every inch is coated with a flawless, even layer. It's hard to resist the temptation while watching this process; the enticing aroma of melted chocolate paired with the crunch of the wafer feels like a dance on your taste buds, leaving you wanting to reach for a freshly made KitKat straight off the line.
[Music] Are you familiar with the slogan "Have a break, have a KitKat"? A simple, memorable phrase with extraordinary marketing power. Since its debut in 1958, this slogan has become inseparable from the image of the crispy, chocolate-covered wafer bar, serving as an irresistible invitation to consumers.
"Have a break" encourages rest, relaxation, and a moment to set aside life's worries. "Have a KitKat" invites you to indulge in a sweet treat that refreshes your taste buds and lifts your spirits. The clever combination of "break" and "KitKat" not only evokes the act of snapping the bar but also taps into the universal desire to break away from stress and fatigue.
This slogan's phenomenal success has played a key role in establishing KitKat as one of the world's most beloved candy brands. Simple, memorable, and deeply resonant with consumer psychology, "Have a break, have a KitKat" truly deserves its place among the greatest slogans of all time. [Music] Before reaching consumers and hitting supermarket shelves, KitKat bars undergo strict quality checks.
Any bar with even the slightest flaw, such as air bubbles or cracks, is rejected without hesitation. However, these bars aren't wasted; they're crushed and repurposed as part of the delicious chocolate filling. The flawless bars continue their journey to the advanced packaging line.
Here, high-speed robotic arms swiftly wrap each bar in shiny foil. An eye-catching outer wrapper is then added, and just like that, the KitKat bars are ready to embark on their journey to consumers. Every day, up to 8 million KitKat bars roll out of the factory.
They're transported to massive warehouses waiting for orders from around the globe. Once the orders are in, trucks loaded with KitKat bars hit the road, bringing the sweet chocolate delight to people everywhere. [Music] If you find this journey interesting and want to discover more fascinating secrets about the food production process, don't forget to subscribe to the channel and turn on notifications so you never miss a video.