Boycott Ritter Sport ??
Posted in: Opinion
Rights to ALL square chocolate products, or only rights to the square in the size Ritter produces?
Forum Activity for @Edward J
Boycott Ritter Sport ??
Posted in: Opinion
Hi Clay,
Wow that sounds weird. I heard they won a case against Caffarel, because the Caffarel wrapper was very similar to Ritter's. If you still need a translation, get in touch with me. Maybe I can help...
Cheerio!
Boycott Ritter Sport ??
Posted in: Opinion
Looks like a particularly unusual Germany *specific* situation. Guess Toblerone have the triangle LOL
Boycott Ritter Sport ??
Posted in: Opinion
From the Toytown site:
The square shape is actually patented at the German Patent & Trademark Office, rather unusually in fact.
Traditionally geometric shapes are excluded from such protection, unless a brand can prove that the buying public only associates their brand with that particular shape.
After tons of research and consumer tests showing customers square bars, with neutral packaging, no packaging, even with Milka lilac packaging with a cow on it, the public still saw square as equalling Ritter Sport.
That's the basis of the design patent. In US law such a determination would probably not stand as consumer perception is not the basis for patentability.
Boycott Ritter Sport ??
Posted in: Opinion
The key information in this page is the following as it refers to the mark:
Mark Drawing Code: Drawing/Design + Words
Design Search:Plain single line squares (Geometric figures and solids - Squares)
This particular trademark registration (which expires this month) is for a logotype, not for the box or packaging format.
Boycott Ritter Sport ??
Posted in: Opinion
Toytown Germany - Germany's English-speaking crowd wrote an article 2007 about Ritter Sport and mentioned this:
"The square shape is actually patented at the German Patent & Trademark Office, rather unusually in fact."
http://www.toytowngermany.com/lofi/index.php/t67934.html
I bought my first Enric Rovira square bar nearly 15 years ago. Wrapped in a box Ritter Sport didn't care about before.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) offers IP-services. http://www.wipo.int/services/en/
I searched International Trademark Registration (Madrid System) and got 24 hits searching for"Mark"and Ritter Sport but not sure what to make of it. Maybe someone else can get find useful information (ROMARIN (International Trademark Information Database):
Boycott Ritter Sport ??
Posted in: Opinion
From my recollection they are flow wrapped in a unique resealable wrapper.The idea of trying to trademark square bars isoutrageous. I think they would also have considerable difficulty in proving prior art. i.e. that they were the first people to produce square bars.
e.g. the "Ugg" word trademark in Australia was thrown out as the term ugg was in common Australian english use prior to the trademark "ugg" being sought.
Boycott Ritter Sport ??
Posted in: Opinion
That's crazy!
i also produce a bar that is square, and a round one and a rectangular one... do we all now have to be scared of any Corporate that has the money to patent anything? what if they patent as well the hazelnut in it or even better the word chocolate!
I don't buy Ritter and i hope that all the German friends stop doing it as well!
send me the papers, Clay, i'll have a look into it and let you know what does it say...
Boycott Ritter Sport ??
Posted in: Opinion
While I am pretty confident that Ritter Sport is not high on the list of chocolates that many ChocolateLife members eat on a regular basis, it turns out that recent legal actions being brought by the multinational company - and not against chocolate makers but against retailers - could have a profound affect on how chocolate is produced and marketed in Europe and beyond.
You see, Ritter appears to think it has a trademark on the square.
At least when it comes to chocolate packaging.
And they appear to believe that people walking into a store will be confused when they see brands as Akesson, Domori, and more, in square boxes.
I am fairly confident that anyone looking to buy Domori is not going to be confused into buying Ritter just because the bars are the same shape - just as I am confident that someone looking to purchase a Ritter Sport bar is not likely to be confused into buying Akesson - especially when they see the price difference.
Things might be different if Ritter were actually going after the chocolate makers. But they're not. They're going after retailers. In addition to fines (reportedly US$6,000 for a first "offense" and US$30,000 for repeat "offenders") there is also the theoretical possibility that Ritter could refuses to supply "repeat offender" retailers with Ritter product going forward.
Is it possible to trademark a shape as common as a square? Also, if my memory serves me correctly, all Ritter Sport bars are flow wrapped and I know Akesson and Domori come in boxes.
Will people really be confused?
While Ritter have claimed they are only interested in asserting their rights over their packaging in Germany they do sell worldwide so there is always the possibility that they could go after American companies (notably Tcho) for the same reason.
Bertil Akesson tells me that he and Domori (which is owned by Illy, a fairly large company) are working together to fight these cases.
How can you help? You can start by taking a poll that I've added to the Facebook page for TheChocolateLife .
You can vote directly by clicking on one of the radio buttons, but you can also leave a comment (and vote) by clicking on the title of the poll or by clicking here . (You have to be a Facebook member to vote.) And - while you're at it, why don't you "like" TheChocolateLife and add it to your Favorite pages?
We will keep you posted here of any updates as they are revealed to me.
Also, I am looking for someone fluent in German who is interested in doing some translation work. I don't know the exact language of the papers being served to the retailers and it's not possible to rely on machine translation for the nuances of such.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/12/15 17:49:54
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
I am now going to try out some of those hand cracker cocoa mills.
But if you ever find your self with out one (like Me last week) i found that my little hand cranked mincer worked really well. you run the beans through without and mincing plates in, the cocoa beans crack in the auger Chamber and come out in nice almost cube shaped bits with large bits of separated shell.
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Please keep us posted!
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Hello to everyone!
I am from Brazil and I bought one of these Botini coffee crackers for cracking cacao.
It's very cheap, about U$ 50,00 (without freight).
It has an adjustable gap, not much, but enought for different sizes of cacao. I don't have a cranckendstein to compare, but I think this one makes a pretty good job.
I'll try to post some photos of the nibs, dust and shells.
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
I don't disagree. I just hope that the final price, when it's announced, makes sense.
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Hi Clay, I saw an earlier version of the Aether and the results were much better than the Crankandstein.
Also, I really liked how little dust the earlier version produced. Now that the improvements have been made I am even more interested in it.
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
I'll add it to my list of projects!
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Maybe. I am not convinced. Go for it. Make one and let us know.
There is also the potential to embed small pieces of concrete in the bean that you won't be able to remove via winnowing. That may just be a matter of the type of concrete used - perhaps you could use some sort of resin binder.
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Definitely, but I think that should be controllable by raising or lowering the middle/turning part to increase or decrease the cracking gap. If the gap was set correctly, the beans should just crack and drop.
I'm interested in it because I think the shearing action would help to reduce one of my current headaches, which is nibs holding on to the shell that have to be screened out after winnowing.
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Ben:
I am familiar with this project and have, in fact, tried to contact the Full Belly Project about them. My concern is that roasted cocoa beans are a lot more delicate than peanuts (what cracking cocoa beans is closer to is removing the reddish paper shell that sticks to the nut, not the outer shell) and that it would be difficult to gently crack the cocoa without breaking them into very small bits - which is exactly what we're trying to avoid.
:: Clay
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
I tried googling around for more info on these and came across the universal nut sheller. It was originally designed to give people who subsist on peanuts a better way to crack them. Looks pretty easy to build (especially the 2nd revised version at the end of the 'redesigned' video) and could be motorized to really chew through some beans. What do you think?
Original designers:
http://www.thefullbellyproject.org/Products/UniversalNutSheller.aspx
Instructable:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Universal-Nut-Sheller/
Redesigned Universal Nut Sheller
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Hmmmm..... Interesting concept....
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
Deborah -
The grid is on the bottom - the output side of the grinding mechanism. My guess is that it's necessary to remove the grid to allow unimpeded flow of the cracked beans. If you don't mind a mess (or can shroud it otherwise - this is a short test), you might be able get away with not using the bottom cover.
Worse comes to worse let me know and I will see about getting a replacement for you.
: Clay
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
John did tweek the Champion by cutting out a grid . If no one else gets to it first, I have both a Crankandstein and a Champion and can try the comparison this weekend.
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
On a related note, John Nanci over at Chocolate Alchemy has finally published a photo for his new winnower - the Aether - that uses a Champion juicer as a bean cracker. I don't have a juicer at the moment, so I was wondering is there are any ChocolateLife members who do have one - and who also have a Crankandstein - who'd like to experiment with using their Champion to crack roasted cocoa beans and compare the difference in the cracking efficiency between the two with us.
In particular, I am interested in knowing about the consistency in sizing and the percentage of very large pieces with shell still attached.
Cracking cocoa beans using a Brazilian coffee sheller
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)
A ChocolateLife member in Hawaii recently sent me pictures of a Brazilian-made coffee sheller that they've been using in a lab in the University of Hawaii to crack cacao beans for winnowing.
One of the things that makes this device interesting (apart from the fact that it should be inexpensive) is that the gap is adjustable. If so, this could address one of the issues that many people have with the Crankandstein, which is that because the gap is fixed (and narrow) it results in over-cracking the beans and a lot of small particles and dust.
Here are some pictures of the unit:
I am asking any member of TheChocolateLife in Brazil if
a) they know anything about these coffee shellers
b) can try them out on roasted beans and let us know how they work (photos, please!)
c) let us know how much they cost
d) be willing to help (translate) to see if it's worth trying to bring them here to the US.
Thanks,
:: Clay
updated by @Clay Gordon: 12/13/24 12:15:15
Chocolate and water do mix
Posted in: Opinion
The article is indeed misleading. Sounds like they are using water as a selling point to portrait a unique product. Thank you for the in depth reply Clay.
Also Brad, I've included water a few times to broken ganaches earlier in my career. It was the best way to fix them by gradually adding and whisking. Works well.
Cheers,
O
Chocolate and water do mix
Posted in: Opinion
I'd like to add something here too. There is a fallacy about a simple drop of water being added to chocolate to cause it to sieze. This is not necessarily the case - although it's a good scare tactic for beginners! If done properly, water can be added to properly tempered chocolate in order to speed the thickening process for working with. When one really thinks about it, chocolate is by nature very hygroscopic - it readily absorbes moisture from its environment.
It's common for chocolate to equalize somewhat to the relative humidity of the area in which it's being stored/used. This is why it's hard to work with chocolate in humid climates, and areas like Belgium and here in Alberta are great for working with chocolate as it's very dry both in Belgium and here.
Try it sometime: take a couple of lbs of tempered chocolate, and carefully pour a couple of teaspoons of water into it while stirring vigorously. It'll thicken very quickly, but still temper just fine.
Cheers.
Brad
Chocolate and water do mix
Posted in: Opinion
Water-based ganaches are nothing new - I have personally known about them (and have made them) for at least six or seven years. I have also known people who have been making them for a lot longer (it's where I learned about them). So Damian Allsop is not at the vanguard of anything - he's just doing a good job of PR in a market that is unaware of the history of this area.
Cream has a flavor, and while fats do a good job of transporting flavor, the flavor of the cream (and other dairy) will mask other flavorings in the ganache. The fat in the dairy helps with emulsification, so it requires more work to create a stable emulsion with just water. Immersion blenders are just the trick here - doing it by hand is not the way to go.
One thing the article got wrong was the idea of a chocolate and water shell. There is no reason to do this and, technically, it won't work. Another thing the article confuses is conflating ganaches with mousses. There's no reason to add egg to a ganache. Most knowledgeable people will know that, but people with less experience might try to figure out how to add eggs to a ganache.
Another thing to consider is the solvent used to extract flavoring.
Take a cinnamon stick, for example. You'll get different flavor components with water, oil, and alcohol extractions that can deliver a far more expressive version of cinnamon than any one (and water is the one on the tongue). If I were working on a new cinnamon-scented water-based ganache I would look to blend my own extract of cinnamon from a variety of solvents. This technique can be applied to any number of herbs and spices.
Chocolate and water do mix
Posted in: Opinion
awesome Clay thank you.What do you think of this product? Seems to me like more of a chocolate dish to be served in restaurants. But why would the taste be stronger with water rather than with cream or any other product?
Chocolate and water do mix
Posted in: Opinion
Omar - the link was broken so I fixed it and rearranged the post so that something showed up in the description on the front page.
Chocolate and water do mix
Posted in: Opinion
Anyone tried this before?
Water-based chocolates create 'far superior' flavors
Love to hear your comments, gang.
updated by @Omar Forastero: 04/21/15 00:17:26
Transfers on White Chocolate?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Because white chocolate has the lowest working temperature, your transfers are having a hard time "transferring" . So it is very important you get them on to the top of your creations immediately. Also try storing your transfers at a few different temperatures until you find the best result. Could be your transfers are too cool or even too warm to work the best. I think it is just an equation of tweaking your method, but again, most important is to remember white chocolate is already cooler working temp so will be most difficult to melt those transfers off the plastic onto your surface.
Transfers on White Chocolate?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Yeah, I agree, especially the dipping as least favorite part.
Transfers on White Chocolate?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Well, it's possible. I don't do that style of chocolates, so I can't offer much. I do know when I did mess around with trying that, I didn't leave the transfers on long enough, and they didn't adhere. You may just have to dip and get the transfer on as soon as you set it down, and leave them on overnight. I just feel this method is too time consuming, and dipping is my least favorite part anyway.
Transfers on White Chocolate?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I'm actually not using molds, but dipping and then placing the individual sheets on top. I wonder if the molds hold in enough residual heat to make the transfer, while there's just not enough heat hanging around to work on the dipped pieces.
Transfers on White Chocolate?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Never had any problems with white chocolate and transfers. I use the chocolate at 88 degrees. I generally use either El Rey or EGuittard.
These two are the usual ones I make, and never had a flop.
How long do you leave them before unmolding? It helps if you can leave them overnight, even though I have rushed them and they still worked.
Transfers on White Chocolate?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Anyone having luck getting transfers to work consistently on white chocolate? I'm finding that the pre-crystallized white chocolate isn't warm enough to melt the image off the transfer sheet. These same transfers work perfectly on dark chocolate.
Any thoughts? Thanks!!
Craig
updated by @Craig Boreth: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Using Coating
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Antinino:
Take a look at the company Grand-Place. In another forum one of their people mentioned that they had developed a compound that is very difficult to tell from regular chocolate. As the company also operates out of Vietnam (they are headquartered in Belgium) cost and temperature concerns are important to them.
Using Coating
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Don't buy American compound coating, buy product made in Europe. That is a generalization but mostly a rule now. Qzina sells a huge variety of coatings, made in Italy, France, Singapore, Belgium, etc. We have trans fat free, fractionated, non hydrogenated, high cocoa, low cocoa, all kinds. But none are as good as the real thing. Melting point is not the reason people use compound, as depending on the fat used, the melting point could be higher or lower than pure chocolate. Mostly it is easy of processing, but don't be fooled, some compounds require very precise working conditions. I suggest you learn to work with both real chocolate and find good compounds. Even the best chefs have applications for both. Whatever you do stay away from any product that has "partially" hydrogenated oil, this is the deadly trans fat heavy coating. Anyway, Qzina has some great options if interested call Qzina nearest you.
Using Coating
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
HI Darlene,
the compound i'm working about, is supposed to be (on paper) as good as cocoa butter chocolate. do i believe is that good? not really. Is my intention to expose underprivileged to a better/healthier chocolate (less sugar, organic beans.organic milk powder etc) YES.
I will keep posted on it. i have a huge challenge in front of me, but don't we all have one?
Using Coating
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
The melt down and flavor release properties of cocoa butter are unique. Changing to other fats in compound coatingschange the melting profile, and how it will taste. There are tempering coatings that are an improvement, cost more than those not needing temper, but cheaper than cocoa butter.
Using Coating
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Darlene,What is "your dream"? Starting a candy business? opening a chocolate shop?I am sorry I disappointed you.... I Did not intend to dash your passion BUT let's continue the discussion. What compound coating are you using and how much LESS is it per pound than REAL chocolate? Is it really worth a compromised quality to save a few dollars? You also mentioned working with chocolate and needing more equipment.... Not so Darlene. You can produce a boat load of amazing product with the Tools in your kitchen!!! HONESTIf you are starting a business you can adopt 2 of the following 3 principles: price, quality service BUT you can't provide all three and stay in business.... If price and service are your concerns then of course.Quality will be less than gourmet... IF you desire quality and service you have to step up to real chocolateand learn how to work with it (it's not that difficult) really
YOU CAN DO IT We know you can