Forum Activity for @Daniel Herskovic

What's your dream machine?

Posted in: Opinion

Hi Pierre,

Thanks for your post! I would love to respond in detail about the Perfect Enrober. As chocolatiers, we often have to purchase expensive equipment without having had the opportunity to take it for a test drive. What is great about this forum is that we can share what are experiences with equipment have been.

If you can afford a Selmi, it sounds like a great investment. Everyone I know who has one loves it. I would love to have one, but it probably does not qualify as my dream machine. I have seen the enrobing attachment in use on the "Futura" machine at the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy. At the end of the enrobing session there was a lot of chocolate build up on the belt because there was nothing keeping the belt warm. I would love to hear from other selmi owners if they have had this problem. I also saw the Savy Goiseau enrober in use and it did not have this problem.

To answer your question... I highly recommend a Perfect Compact Coater as an entry level enrober. Comparing the Perfect enrober to the Selmi is like comparing a Honda Civic to a brand new Range Rover. One will have a lot more luxuries and even be able to haul more stuff, but they will both get you where you want to go. Both enrobers will bring your daily production of chocolate from the hundreds to the thousands. During an enrobing session on the Perfect enrober, I get around 3500 centers coated with a thin chocolate coating and no feet. When I was looking for an enrober, I wanted a machine that could achieve a thin coating and the Perfect machine is the cheapest machine (and the only one I could afford) that could make this happen. Although the Perfect enrober operates through manual tempering versus automatic, it does have a blower and a detailer rod which are fundamental to creating a chocolate coating that is thin and polished looking. Now that I have owned the machine for 2 years, I get very good results. At first I did not get good results because I bought my machine used and it took me several months to realize I was missing a detailer rod. My machine did not come with a manual and I finally hired someone to take a look at the machine and give it a tune up.

Let me tell a little about using the machine... The night before I enrobe, I fill the machine with chocolate callets and let them melt overnight. At this point, only the wheel is on the machine and the enrobing attachment is not attached yet. When I come in the morning, I temper the chocolate directly in the machine through the seeding method. It takes me about 30 minutes or so. If you can temper chocolate in a bowl with spatula, you can temper chocolate in a big tank with a wheel. My tank holds around 40 pounds of chocolate. When the chocolate is tempered, I attach the 2 belts (one belt sends the chocolate through, the other is the exit belt with the paper take off). Attaching the belt, the blower, and the spout takes about 5-7 minutes. Then we do a couple of test runs to make sure that the chocolate curtains are flowing well and that the chocolates exit the belt without any feet. We also adjust the vibration of the belt to allow for the best coating.

I know that many people are concerned about having a wheel machine. I certainly was at first. I thought that I would be spending a lot of time fixing over crystallized chocolate with a heat gun. I don't. My enrobing sessions usually last around 8-12 hours and I usually am able to manage the chocolate without any big problems or using the heat gun much. I keep the chocolate at the best temperature and viscosity by adjusting the blower temperature. When the temperature begins to drop, I simply turn the dial on the blower to blow warm air. When the chocolate gets on the warm side, I turn the blower down to a cooler temperature. I use a heat gun about once every 2 hours just to keep everything in check and I usually use it only just for a minute or two. What is key is to make sure the room you are enrobing in is not too cool. 70 degrees farenhite is a good temperature. Last winter when it was 5 below outside, the chocolate got thick because the door was being open too often and our production room got really cold. I remedied the problem by adding warm chocolate so it is a good idea to keep a melter on hand with warm chocolate. I have a 6kg Mol d'Art melter. As for keeping a good temper, it is not a big issue so long as you have a good understanding of how chocolate works and what it needs.

When enrobing is done, I take off the belt and all the other parts. I rent space from a large wholesale bakery where there is a large dishwasher. I put the wheel and the chocolate covered belt in there and the parts come out as clean as a whistle. The pan that holds the chocolate is extremely easy to clean and I scrape the remaing chocolate into a bowl. The pan to the tempering unit (which is like a deep hotel pan) goes right in the dishwasher. The smaller parts I wash by hand. When I am able to get my own facility, I will definitely invest in a dishwasher!

Prior to buying the enrober, I was hand dipping and it was very time consuming. Although the machine I own is the most basic enrober, it has greatly increased what I can produce and using the enrober has become my favorite part of the chocolate making process. I certainly dream of getting an enrober with continuous tempering and a larger belt. When that day comes, I will still use the Perfect enrober as a secondary machine -- probably for enrobing in milk chocolate. The machine is pretty basic and the people that run the company in Quebec are very accomodating should you have any problems or need any parts. Considering that this machine costs around $11,000 brand new and that the enrobers with continuous tempering start at $30k, you get a lot of bang for your buck. Good luck with making your decision. Please feel free to ask me any further questions.

What's your dream machine?

Posted in: Opinion

I'm dreaming of a Selmi with Enrober. Our business is growing to the point that it may shift from a dream to a necessity. The question I have for you is about your Perfect Enrober. We looked at it in Philly last year. You mentioned that it is a good entry level enrober. Why? BTW.We are currently using Hillard's and hand dipping.

Pierre

What's your dream machine?

Posted in: Opinion

I believe it's a good thing to visualize your dream happening. Imagine your chocolate business is booming and you need to buy the very best machinery to keep up. What would you get? A Selmi, LCM, Nova Choc, Savy Goiseau, Sollich, etc...? At the moment, I currently have a Perfect Equipment Enrober and I think it is an excellent entry level enrober. Of course, I would not mind upgrading when the time is right and the money is there. I would be very interested to hearing others' thoughts.

updated by @Daniel Herskovic: 03/25/16 00:08:36

Chocovision Vibrating Table

Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)

Has anyone here had a chance to use one? Thoughts?

updated by @George Trejo: 12/13/24 12:15:15

"Intentional Chocolate" - Your Thoughts [sic]?

Posted in: Opinion

Scott -

Thanks for the update on this. Given Walsh's history (which Dr Martin lays out in exquisite detail in her post), I have trouble believing that anyone would do business with him. I have never met him, so maybe he's intensely charismatic. I have met people like that and I know intelligent, diligent, investors who've plunked down large chunks of cash on things that, to someone with some inside knowledge of chocolate would know instantly to be false.

I see that the article was updated today with some new photos posted by Steve DeVries of the Biosana project. Kudos to all who are working to expose what appears to be a huge fraud and con.

"Intentional Chocolate" - Your Thoughts [sic]?

Posted in: Opinion

As some may have noticed, last month Jim Walsh was sued by Deepak Chopra for fraud. Carla Martin--a postdoc fellow at Harvard with an abiding professional interest in chocolate--posted something of a dossier on Walsh at her web site, Bittersweet Notes . She concisely covers all of the bases: the Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate scandal, the formation of Intentional Chocolate and spurious claims on its behalf, the failed (and possibly fraudulent) Maya Biosana project in Mexico, the HESA Institute (a shell of a new age think tank that eventually became entangled with the Chopra Foundation), culminating in Walsh's teaming up with Deepak Chopra to release a co-branded, intentionally infused chocolate bar.

The chocolate world is full of fraud and craziness, but this story combines the two and turns the dial to eleven. Check out Dr. Martin's post here .

Scott

"Intentional Chocolate" - Your Thoughts [sic]?

Posted in: Opinion

this interested me because i am a long time meditator, and meditation has been shown to have measurable physical effects.....on the brains of meditators. whether those effects can be passed on to other entities in debatable, no scientific evidence exists that i know of, just a lot of new age mumbo jumbo. the "peer reviewed" article they refer to on their website is from theSeptember 2007issue of "explore, the journal of science and healing". the abstract did not impress and i'm not going to spend $12 to read the whole thing. it might or might not be real science.

but more importantly, with this as with most raw chocolate, as with many chocolates that tout "social consciousness" loudly, there is one glaring problem. from their web page:

• The companys core mission is todo no harm and benefit others. At the highest level the brand resonates with consumers seeking to lead a more purposeful life
• The strategic advantage is an innovative technology that embeds the intentions of advanced meditators into chocolate and bridges the gaps between spirituality and science. This is the first mind matter product in the market
• The target market addresses a market segment that is being described as a mega-trend by 76% of executives worldwide, health and well-being. A recent Youtube video about Intentional Chocolate received over 150,000 hits in a 48-hour period.
• The companys products facilitate individuals and organizations in expressing their deepest emotions to their loved ones, such as I love you, I miss you, thank you. In addition, these offerings represent consumers core values about the interconnectedness of the world and our relationships to one another.
• The company intends to build purposeful partnerships through on-line retail, social networking and intentional fundraising distribution channels.
• The unanticipated business model for Intentional Chocolate is grounded upon the principle of offerings not outcomes. This is our expression of love: 20-50% of net profits will be reinvested into purposeful partnerships and intentional causes for the benefit of mankind.
• To walk the talk and express an attitude of gratitude our first offering to an intentional cause is to help the Dalai Lama in supporting a learning center at the Deer Park Buddhist Center in Oregon, WI that envisions an ongoing dialogue between Eastern and Western scientists about the nature of consciousness.

IT SAYS NOTHING ANYWHERE ABOUT TASTE!!! chocolate is food! if taste doesn't come first then i don't buy the model. put aside all the environmentally / socially responsible and/or new age verbiage from any number of thousands of food products, be it organic, fair trade, RA, UTZ, intentional, ethical, raw, whatever, if it doesn't taste good people won't want to eat it. so if they don't start with taste and then go to the new age stuff, it probably isn't all that good and not much of their "intention" will make it into consumer's bodies. things tend to go where they're aimed and if the aim is "do no harm," not "make great chocolate," well, you'll get harmless mediocre chocolate probably.

"Intentional Chocolate" - Your Thoughts [sic]?

Posted in: Opinion

exactly. Its a marketing ploy to sucker gullible new agey types.....consider the source....

"Intentional Chocolate" - Your Thoughts [sic]?

Posted in: Opinion

This appears to be nonsense to me. Singular farming method is typical from what I know and the chocolate is expensive.

"Intentional Chocolate" - Your Thoughts [sic]?

Posted in: Opinion

PT Barnum would be laughing his ass off if he wasn't dead.

"Intentional Chocolate" - Your Thoughts [sic]?

Posted in: Opinion

Posted by BusinessWire (a Berkshire Hathaway company - BH also owns See's):

LOS ANGELES, Dec 08, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Intentional Chocolate's Organic + line is the first ever chocolate to be certified organic, use cocoa from Rainforest Alliance farms with the added bonus of carrying the official Intentional TM certification. The Organic + dark line is also certified Vegan and Kosher and is gluten free.

The press release goes on to state:

The chocolates [are] embedded with this new ingredient "Intention" have been shown to significantly decrease stress, increase calmness, and lessen fatigue in those who consume it. This is the result of findings from a scientific pilot study conducted by The HESA Institute (Human Energy System Alliance) and a full year of consumer testing. With the introduction of this groundbreaking new product, creator and founder Jim Walsh aims to create an entirely new category of chocolate that both enhances its already beneficial qualities and brings our understanding of nutrition to another level. Breakthrough licensed technology helps embed the focused good intentions of experienced meditators and then infuses those intentions into chocolate -- some who have trained with the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama himself stated, "I think this chocolate will bring great happiness to mankind." Their hope with Intentional Chocolate(TM) is to reintroduce this ancient wisdom and galvanize a shift in the food industry to bring greater health and food that restores us, renews us and heals us.

An interesting historical footnote here is that Intentional Chocolate creator and founder Jim Walsh was behind the somewhat infamous Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate company. The HVC web site is still up and running and is a confusing mish-mash of the original HVC vision and its new intentional direction. Can anyone tell me what's unusual about their singular farming method ?

Apart from all of the other claims, any thoughts on "intentional" chocolate and what a "breakthrough licensed technology helps embed the focused good intentions of experienced meditators" might look like? I am also kind of wondering if this happens before tempering and if the good intentions get locked in as the chocolate crystallizes ... or if the meditating over the chocolate happens after.

Your (intentional) thoughts?

Full release here .

updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/11/15 09:58:12

Research and Development

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Absolutely. Two particle size methods can be correlated - i've done it - keep in mind there are many, many variables you'll need to control. For the ball mill - how do you control the mass temperature and what is it? how many passes are you using? size and type of media? does it degrade into your product and change it's physical characteristics? do you have a way of measuring the particle size distribution that the ball mill results in, and a way to correlate that to what you get off the refiner(s)? What about residual moisture differences between the mills and it's impact? Are flavor differences important to you?

For the refiners - state of the crown, are you using the 2 roll as a pre-refiner followed by the 5 roll, or independently of one another? Are they hydraulics the same across the different adjustment points?

Does any of the above matter? Depending on what your goals are, they may not. Or they may be incredibly important.

Research and Development

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thanks. You just made a point I haven't fully considered.......''If you're not careful, not everything you do in the lab will translate into production if you use very different approaches''

If I use a ball mill as a refiner in the lab and 2and 5 roll refiners for mainstream production, can that turn out tohaveno correlation whatsoever if allI'm looking at is particle size and not impacton viscosity?

Also, right now I'm looking at more of a cocoamass to chocolate process line not bean to bar...so for now, roasting etc.. are not primary concerns. But is it possible to find say a 5Ib sample roaster?

Research and Development

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Mary:

There is no lab-scale machinery at 20kg/hr throughput for chocolate production. Only batch. You can get continuous temperers in that capacity, but that's trivial compared with the machinery for producing chocolate.

Unfortunately, there is no "system" of equipment scaled to that is scaled to that level of production. You can get a 20kg "universal," but there no complementary options for roasting/cracking/winnowing and, optionally, pre-grinding. It's easy to find 1 tonne/hr winnowers, hard to find 20 kg/hr, for example. Easy to find 1 lb sample roasters, hard to find inexpensive 20kg roasters.

It's also probably a good idea to know how you want to scale up in terms of production method/equipment. If you're not careful, not everything you do in the lab will translate into production if you use very different approaches.

Do you have even a ballpark budget in mind? You can't do this for $10,000. You could easily do it for $100,000.

:: Clay

Research and Development

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I should have been more specific.................equipment throughput should be about 20kg/batch( for batchwise machines) and 20kg/hr for continuous. The project now is strictly lab scale for development and testing of some products so nothing toolarge is needed.

Yes it will lead to and supportproduction on a much larger scale.

Thanks

Research and Development

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Mary:

A few questions to help clarify for people who might look to answer this:

Capacity is 20kg ... per batch? One batch per week? One batch per day? More often? Less often?

Truly lab scale (for testing) or are you going into production for retail sale?

Does the lab-scale equipment lead to production at a much larger capacity?

:: Clay

Research and Development

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Dear all

I'm new to this site so forgive me if I ask questions that have been repeatedly answered.

I am trying to compile an equipment list for a small chocolate R&D project. The target is to find laboratory scale equipment that are affordable but efficient and durable. Please suggest brands that meet the above mentioned criteria forlabscale refiners(ballor roll), conches, tempering machines(continuous or batch), mixers, heating cabinets, refrigerators etc.

Basically everything you need for an R&D lab.

Machinery capacity approximately 20kg

Thank you all.

updated by @Mary Dickson: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Induction burner for tempering chocolate?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Kevin:

An induction burner is not suitable for tempering chocolate. You can use one (in conjunction with a double boiler) as a chocolate melter (though some professional induction burners might go as low as 115-120F), but that's not the same thing as tempering.

If you are space and budget constrained and want an actual tempering machine, a machine from Chocovision or ACMC are the least expensive choices. If you are going to be tempering by hand, there are a number of much less expensive options than an induction burner for melting chocolate and holding it in temper after manually tempering it.

:: Clay

Induction burner for tempering chocolate?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Hi!

I'm a chocolate hobbyist who is trying to set up a chocolate work bench away from the proper kitchen in our basement. I was hoping to find one of those single burner induction cooktops to use to temper chocolate, but they all seem to heat too high. (140 degrees)

Has anyone had any luck working with those things? If so, what model do you suggest? Would it work better as a heat source for the double boiler method?

Thanks for your time!

Ken

updated by @Ken Culver: 04/16/15 18:29:32

Agostoni chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Having read your review and checked their website, I have just one question... where can I get them in the Netherlands.

Agostoni chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Actually we on The Chocolate Cult, are being sent samples to test and review.

We'll do that with the same care we take with all products we are sent. In this case we'll make baked goods and/or candies with them and report on the use and variety of the products.

Agostoni chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

I contacted the company and they pointed out one error in my review: the Gianduia has no milk in it. Just chocolate, hazelnuts, sugar, lecithin, and vanilla.

No wonder it's so incredible!

Agostoni chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Thank you Ellane very much for the shipment of the 10 samples. I conducted several blind tastings and found the Agostoni chocolates consistently winners!

Here are some of my tasting notes:

The Agostoni Gianduia is truly outstanding. The blend of top-quality milk chocolate with perfectly roasted hazelnuts is a real winner. So excellent that I immediately ordered it in bulk.

(My preference is for darker chocolate, e.g. 70%, and so am more sensitive that most to chocolates being sweet)

I found the Bianca Bio (bio means organic) to have a very well-rounded and fine flavor for a white chocolate, and while I found it a little bit too sweet, my other tasters loved it.

Of the two milk chocolates, I preferred the milder Finissimo Bio (32%) for its flavor notes, but the slightly darker (Ricco) will appeal to those who like caramel notes in their milk chocolate.

Now on to the darks (in my mind, the main event):

The best of all of the Agostoni chocolate according to myself and the majority of my tasters was the Single Origin Peru (70%). It is incredibly well-rounded in flavor, with fruity, wine, raisin, and cherry notes. Lovely, lovely, lovely. (And yes, I also purchased this in bulk immediately).

Almost equally pleasing, but with more of a balanced and hearty and lush fine chocolate experience was the Tremezzo Bio(70%). One of the favorites of most of the tasters too.

The Bittra (60%) is actually amazingly fine given its slightly lower chocolate content. It too is fruity, with a creamy, rounded, and "high" notes. It was one of the taster's favorites, and liked by all.

The Las Vasquez (75%) shows its greater chocolate content with notes of licorice, burnt caramel, and bass notes, and yet remained creamy and well-balanced. It was the fourth best liked dark chocolate, nonetheless still very fine.

The San Primo Bio (60%) showed quite more sweetness, more lightly flavored and creamy, with notes of straw and milk.

Finally the Single Origin Equador (74%) had some creamy, caramel, and vanilla notes, but was judged as one-dimensional and forgettable by tasters and was surprisingly mild considering the chocolate content.

Because my favorite country of origin for chocolate is Madagascar, I purchased a kilo of Agostoni Single Origin Madagascar (70%). It is also an excellent chocolate with caramel notes and incredible richness and a top-of-the-line chocolate. However, I'm used to much more fruitiness in Madagascar chocolate than was present in Agostoni's Madagascar, and so was a little disappointed.

During the tastings, we also tried Felchler and Guittard samples, neither of which compared with the Agostoni chocolates. My tasters and I were very surprised how flat the Felchler tasted after sampling the Agostoni chocolates. That's a real testament to the superlative quality of the Agostoni product.

I recommend Agostoni chocolates to all chocolatiers.

Agostoni chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Hi Hank,

I would be happy to send you some samples of our Chocolate to try for yourself. Thanks,

Ellane: epirotte@agostonichocolate.com

Agostoni chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Look up Icam, it is the parent company, well establlished in Italy, makes good choocolate.

Agostoni chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Dear Ann,

Thank you very much. I'm wondering how their other dark chocolates fair too. Anyone out there try others?

Agostoni chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

No problem Hank! I'm just surprised that I remembered their chocolates...I'm a big fan of organic chocolate, so I know that their 60% organic was one of the best semi-sweets I've had. I'm looking at Chefshop right now and they have it! It's called "Agostoni Organic 60% San Primo"...you just reminded me that I made a mental note to purchase some semi-sweet chocolate for the holidays!

Agostoni chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Dear Ann,

Thanks! Do you remember which of their dark chocolates you tried?

Agostoni chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

I was able to try their chocolate at the Summer Fancy Food show. From what I can remember, I was surprised by the quality of their chocolate. I believe their Organic white chocolate blew me away. I'm more of a dark chocolate lover, so I was surprised that I actually liked their white! Their hazelnut chocolate was also amazing. The sales representative had said that chefshop.com carries their line...I hope that helps!

Agostoni chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Agostini is a subsidiary of ICAM, the Italian-based multinational.

Agostoni chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Hi! I've run across an Italian brand of chocolate but could not find a single review of it on the internet.

The brand is called Agostoni.

Have any of you had any experience with this brand?

Thanks!

updated by @Hank Friedman: 04/09/15 04:42:34

Selmi tempering machine question

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Rodney:

Thank you very much for making this point. I deliberately left this sit overnight to see if there would be any response from the community and to make sure that I was not replying from an emotional perspective.

I also made a point of going to a meeting of a New York group called The Society of Enlightened Entrepreneurs last night and it was during the meeting that I came to clarity on what to do.

Tom, Richard: Your interests, naturally, lie with the companies you work for or own. My interests lie with TheChocolateLife community. You may disagree or dislike the decisions I make about how I run TheChocolateLife, but they are my decisions to make. At every point I am going to consider the needs of the entire community - as a global entity, which includes my wants and needs, by the way - over the wants of manufacturers and distributors.

Last night,I made the decision to close this thread to further discussion as it had drifted so far from the original poster's question, not because I am trying to "censor" Richard's or Tom's discussions on whether or not I am being "fair" to them. Tom and Richard, Rodney is right: This is a discussion you need to take up off-line. TheChocolateLife is not a place to air the relative merits of your equipment, company's viewpoints, or anything that is not directly applicable to the discussion at hand. I also want to let you know that any continuation of this discussion at any level in any other public posts on TheChocolateLife will be looked upon very negatively.

You can, of course, take this up with me privately; I know you both have my e-mail address.

:: Clay

Selmi tempering machine question

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

To all,

Just form a side-line, this whole discussion is not really interesting to be honest. So could you please do this off line? I guess you know how to find each other?

Best regards from a remote Amsterdam

Rodney Nikkels

Selmi tempering machine question

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

To Tom, not sure what you are talking about Tom, we have sold in the past a few machines, JKV 27 years ago, Moldart, a few here and there for last 15 years, and Chocotec Wheel Machines, which we made in Edmonton ourselves for 10 years, sold over 170 of them, before closing that assembly and transferring assembly of last few machines to Bakon USA. Aside from that, I have bought and sold some ACMC machines at Qzina, and purchased for various factories that I have owned over the years machines from Chocoma, Neilson, Carle & Montanari, and Sollich, but never re sold or represented them. I do however consider myself an expert on chocolate machines, and have 30 years experience working with literally thousands of customers who use all kinds of machines, coupled with extremely extensive chocolate manufacturing background, including pure chocolate processing, molding, and much more. We recently began carrying the Pomati line, which is the first and only machine of this style we carry or have ever carried, and I believe they have an exceptional range, and through our network of 7000 customers using chocolate, I am certain they and others will appreciate our investment in this offering. Although Clay does not get commission, he has not approached us, and I am not sure what you have with him, but it seems there is some confusion about what this site is really about, benefits to Clay, his sponsors, or open sharing of information from people with experience whether for fun, enthusiasm, passion, or even some financial benefit. I don't see this site as a mechanism for the latter in my case, but rather as one of many avenues available for everyone to share opinions and perspectives. If your perspective on Qzina is at we change flags, perhaps your information is sensorsed or filtered and you don't have he facts straight because of that. I wish you well with Selmi but you are not the only supplier of this style machine, so I look forward to some sporting competition. Too bad your first contact with us on this matter was in fact "wrong" and you stand corrected, our flag flies high and proud with Pomati.

Selmi tempering machine question

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

To Richard,

Sorry and correct me if I am wrong but I think that Pomati is not the only brand that you represented in the past, isn't it ? It's important to stay credible in the brands (in this case tempering machines) that you represent and it's impossible to change flags regularly.

Good luck

Tom

Selmi tempering machine question

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Dear Tom I will send you an email by tomm. Thanks for the reply

Selmi tempering machine question

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Richard:

Your comment is tantamount to my walking into your new center in Irvineand complaining, after you pull down flyers I have posted on your walls- loudly and to everyone who might be in your showroom at the time -that you won't let me sell competitive products in your place of business.

Furthermore, imagine my walking in and, when a prospective customer asks a question about a Pomati (or some other brand you sell) machine, I start talking up the virtues of a brand you don't sell.

What would your reaction be? I don't think you'd be very happy. You'd probably usher me out of your place of business and demand that I never come back. And, as the business owner,you would be within your rights to do so.

TheChocolateLife is my on-line place of business. It may be a small business in terms of the revenue it generates, but it's a huge business in terms of global reach and influence. My perception is that you want to unfairly take advantage of my place of business by not abiding by policies you and I have discussed offline.

Qzina is a multi-million dollar business and I have a policy on TheChocolateLife that businesses that are in the business of selling products and services to confectioners and chocolate makers have to pay to promote them. We discussed this last summer in Washington, DC when we met during the Fancy Food Show.

You are right, I did delete several posts where you promoted the Pomati tempering machines you are now representing. BUT - I did it BEFORE I had a relationship with FBM. I deleted the posts because the content was inappropriate in the context of the original poster's question. I believe that I wrote you an e-mail at the time, explaining why.

You will see that I am NOT "censoring" Mr Bauwerarts' responses because he is actually an employee of Selmi and is responding to questions about Selmi machines. The same is true for responses from Brian Donaghy, who used to be employed by Tomric, the US dealer for Selmi.

You will notice, if you care to look, that there have been several recent discussions about ChocoMa and Perfect tempering and enrobing machines. You will also notice that I have featured ALL of the Qzina Institute classes and events at your new school ... all the way forward to October. (I also do this for BAKON.)

What I object to, Richard, is your perception that I owe you anything . You are attempting to reach the members of my community to sell them products and services. It is my policy to ask companies like Qzina to pay me a very modest amount for granting access. I do this so I don't have to clutter up the site with advertising banners that are irrelevant and intrusive.

I have no objections if you respond to direct questions about Pomati machines. I have no objections if you supply answers to technical questions about other tempering machines and say how Pomati does things differently. In other words, I have no objections if what you post is relevant and adds value to the discussion at hand. I do object if you see your response primarily as an opportunity to sell - or cross-sell - something.

If you want to promote Pomati or any other brand(s) Qzina represents then I respectfully request that you comply with my commercial policies. You can promote any and all Qzinaproducts - in the Classifieds. Classified ads cost $10 each or $100/year for up to 1 post per week. Or you can take out a Member Marketplace ad and/or Sponsor a group . You can also work with me to provide things of value to ChocolateLife members that compensate me via success fees. I would have no problem if you and I organized a series of classes in Irvine, we jointly promoted them, and I was compensated to give the classes. We talked about this specifically last summer, but I didn't pursue it because you wanted me to assume 100% of the costs and risk for promoting "my" events at your school (ignoring the fact that I would be promoting your school at the same time).

It's clear that you want to reach ChocolateLife members because you recognize that the community is a valuable one that's very highly focused and contains a large number of potential customers. What I want to be equally clear about is that I have worked very hard over the past four years growing TheChocolateLife to its current position and scope, and over the prior seven years on chocophile.com and on my writing and promoting my book, Discover Chocolate . Qzina is a business that you have worked very hard to grow. I know, from talking with you directly, that you are very careful not to let other people and companies "take advantage" of the hard work you've done without your being compensated appropriately.

All I ask is that you think of TheChocolateLife - and me - in the same light. I cannot, and will not, allow you to take advantage of TheChocolateLife to grow your business without directly recognizing - in monetary terms - the value of my business and my expertise, experience, and network, personally. And I object to your characterization of me publicly and without any notice as being a really cheap shot.

Membership in the community is free and voluntary. If you don't want to play by the house rules, you are free to not participate in the community.

:: Clay

PS.For your information, I do list the companies I have financial relationships with right on the home page of TheChocolateLife immediately under the Groups section at the top. It may not have been obvious enough, so I edited it to make it more obvious.

Selmi tempering machine question

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Dear Devika,

Would it be possible to send me again the mail to t.bauweraerts@selmi-group.it. We have sometimes the problem that mails get into our spam account frequently.

Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Tom

Selmi tempering machine question

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I have lots of machines to offer but Clay just keeps deleting my posts every time I mention it. We sell melters, wheel machines, and Pomati machines, but no commission to clay so I guess nobody here will ever know. Clay, you are clearly controlling content to hour own benefit not the benefit of the membership. At least be up front about it.

Selmi tempering machine question

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Dear Tom

I have been trying to contact selmi on the email on its website as well sent an email to your id few months ago but got no reply. I am looking to find if you have distributors in India ? my email id is devika.kandhari@gmail.com

Selmi tempering machine question

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Tom:

If you take a close look, you'll see that I actually refer THREE companies' temperers, melters - Selmi, Chocovision, and Bakon, and have commission relationships with all three (Selmi through Tomric in the US). I have referred the sale of a Plus in 2011 and have, when the situation arises, directly notified Tomric of technical questions about Selmi equipment they might want to answer.

I currently do not have a relationship with FBM, though we are working in that direction.

Each of these companies offers products at different price points and capabilities.You will see that I represent both Irinox and Desmon. Both offer similar products, but again, at different price points and capabilities.

I try to be as aware of the technical competitive differences as I can; if I make a mistake in how I represent something it is from imperfect knowledge, not a preference of one brand over another. I try to take into account, as best I can, what someone's needs are and make the best recommendation I can. I would be more than happy for Selmi to bring me to the factory in Italy to get up to the minute training on your products so that I can speak about them from a position of first-hand knowledge.

For nearly four years, now, I have chosen to keep TheChocolateLife virtually free from advertising. I do offer advertising, sponsorship, and referral programs that make sense for the communityit somehow has to be related to chocolate. That's how I earn the money to keep TheChocolateLife operating; paying for the direct, hard costs of keeping the site and community open, operating, alive, vibrant, and growing and not a whole lot more.

I am always open to comments about where my product and technical knowledge is imperfect. In this way I can grow - and the community can grow as well.

:: Clay

Selmi tempering machine question

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Dear All,

I notice that Clay has become a reseller for certain machines. A pity because I thought that the creator of 'The Chocolate Life' (which is great) should not take any sides and should only advise correctly on machinery. We invite you to learn about the difference between FBM and Selmi. We invite you in our factory to come and have a look to our machinery that we make. You can also visit our website on www.selmi-group.it where we recently added some videos on other machinery that we make. OUr standard range has always been 4 types of tempering machinery and now we have the EX models. With these models you can was the archimedian screw completely because you can easily take it out. Also the other parts can be washed completely, so no chocolate stays in the system.

If you see a system of removable screw, please ask the seller to do a demonstration on this how easy it is. It is easy to make a removable screw, but with some other brands you need to be a technician to put it back.

I understand that sometimes people do not believe me, because I am the export responsable of the Selmi factory, but I ask them always before to buy, to test first all the features of the machinery very well.

The purchase of machinery in the chocolate business is very important and we are very well aware of this. We are making a lot of tempering machines yearly and we have in the US a great reseller that can give the service after sales locally and they also offer training sessions on the Selmi equipment.

I also want to make the people aware about the small machinery and the enrobing belt. How many chocolates you cover with an enrobing belt on a tempering machine of 7 or 8 kgs and another question is the space where the chocolates are covered and the time before they go on a belt is really short. where is the excess chocolate going in this short period. We think for this investment it's better to work by hand and safe money for a machine that helps you to earn money.

check it out and let me know if you have any further questions.

Regards

Tom Bauweraerts (t.bauweraerts@selmi-group.it)