From a technological viewpoint, the greatest breakthrough occurred with the invention of the cocoa press in 1828, by the Dutchman van Houten. This removed a high proportion of fat from the cocoa powder resulting in a beverage which was both more palatable and easier to prepare To the 19th century consumer cocoa, as made using van Houten's press, was effectively a new product and consumption increased dramatically. Consumption of cocoa was, however, always small in comparison with tea and after the 1890s, chocolate confectionery became of overwhelming importance in the commercial exploitation of the cocoa tree In the years between the first and second world wars, cocoa bev. erages became regarded as a bedtime drink, especially of less affluent social groups. This image has largely remained until the present day. The high fat and, in the case of drinking chocolate, high sugar content has also limited consumption in recent years.