Forum Activity for @James P

First attempt at experimenting with chocolate - question!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi everyone,

So, I'm interested in experimenting with chocolate, to see what I can do with it and if it's as interesting as I think it is.

I'd rather not spend a lot of money on expensive couverture, in case I spoil the chocolate. Can I experiment with tempering using cheaper chocolate, like Cadbury's or Galaxy? I'm wondering if the vegetable fat might be an issue.

updated by @James P: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Not to miss chocolatier in Orlando / Miami / Keys ?

Posted in: Opinion

Clay I am sorry I missed this post.

We operate in Miami Area and have a warehouse where we manufacture all our confections and sell online/deliver or ship out of state.

next time you are in Miami please send us an email to ricardot@caochocolates.com / www.caochocolates.com and look forward to meeting you.

thanks for putting this website together for all of us chocolate lovers to meet and share ideas/knowledge.

Not to miss chocolatier in Orlando / Miami / Keys ?

Posted in: Opinion

Though not in Miami/Orlando/Keys, one person whose work constantly impresses is Norman Love. His workshop is in Ft Myers and there is an outpost in Tampa.

Not to miss chocolatier in Orlando / Miami / Keys ?

Posted in: Opinion

Is there a chocolatier we MUST see while being in Orlando or Miami or somewhere on the Keys?

updated by @Davy Asnong: 04/10/15 19:18:10

NSF Certified equipment

Posted in: Opinion

I am looking for input on what others have encountered with regard to NSF requirements on equipment.

We are currently looking at retail space and would be incorporating chocolates on a very small scale for now. It appears that our health department is going to require everything to be certified. I currently own a ChocoVision Rev 2 which is the size I want to be using, but of course it isn't certified. I don't want to move to a larger machine at this time.

So has anyone encountered a problem with using the smaller machines? Has it even been questioned in other jurisdictions?

The only thing I can see about the Rev 2 that might cause her to question is the joint between the baffle and the sensor, but it appears that the next machine up (which is certified) has the same set up between the baffle and sensor.

So, is this a case of it just isn't worth it to the company to go through the certification process? or is there really a reason the smaller machines are not certified? Any suggestions or arguments for the health department if it does become an issue?

Thanks much,

updated by @Kim Bahr: 05/26/15 07:16:32

DIY Guitar

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

Thanks for all the sharing guys! I'm still using a pastry cutter but look forward to making a variation on one of these someday

DIY Guitar

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

Rather than a _guitar_ cutter, I made what is best called a _washtub bass_ cutter.

I used the best $25 hacksaw frame sold at home depot, and stretched stainless steel wire across the prongs that hold the blade.

The trick is to get a saw with _smooth_ prongs, and to wrap the wire around the prong a couple of times and then twist around itself to lock.

It takes a couple of tries to get the knack of it so that the wire can be tightened enough.

To deal with the wire having to pass below the slab, I used a firm foam with food safe material (plastic wrap) above it.

At first I would just use this for freehand cuts, but then I built a guide frame. This is just a pair of waterjet cut 'combs' screwed to some cutting board material.

I am only using this at home; in the commercial kitchen I'd probably use an NSF rated saw (they make them for butchers) and I would need to figure out different pad materials.

-Jon

DIY Guitar

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

Caramel? Kinda/sorta if you spray "pam" on the wheels, but I just use the wheel to mark the slab. Any regular kitchen knife will work to cut caramel (Grewling's recipie) as long as you keep the knife moving.

updated by @Edward J: 09/10/15 17:26:14

DIY Guitar

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

Those are pretty cool. How do they do for cutting caramel?

DIY Guitar

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

No.... Wile E. Coyote was an "Acme" man, through and through......

DIY Guitar

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

Edward,

i think at the moment you are on the top list for the "Wile E. Coyote/Mac Gyver" Award!!!

i will try to make one as well!

DIY Guitar

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

Lets see if I can upload a pic of my cutter.

If the cutter is heated in the oven for a minute or two, it does a reasonable job of cutting the ganache. Cutting is best done just after a bottom is put on the slab--when it is fresh and still sticks to the paper--this way it won't get picked up by the cutter.

DIY Guitar

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

Hi Edward,

please share a couple of pics with us, it sounds like a cool idea.

Cheers

Nino

DIY Guitar

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

I have had some experience "fooling around" with a home made guitar. My attempts were with alum. "L" bar riveted together and using bicycle s/s spoke nipples and pieces of s/s spokes as the tensioning device. Problem with alum. is is that it is soft. After a few months the frame warped-- all those strings under tension probably did it. But then, if alum is soft, the rivets are even softer, and when I tightened up a few wires one fateful day, I ended up shearing off the heads of the rivets.

Thing is, in order to cut a slab of ganache, the wires have to exit the slab to make a clean cut. This means the wires have to end up below the slab when the cut is finished. To do this, I took a large nylon cutting board, and cut a series of 1/8" deep x 1/8" wide grooves in it with a table saw. This does the trick, but now I had to anchor and hinge the frame to the base, as any shifting when I pushed the frame down would make for messy cuts. And, a lot of crud gathered in the grooves of the cutting board. Probably close to 100 hours of farting around and "Wile E. Coyote Back to the drawing board" moments fooling around with this contraption, and now it sits in the attic of my garage.

I do 3 slabbed ganache varieties at work. What I use is a cutting wheel. At dollar stores, I buy a dozen s/s pizza wheels, usually 3" dia. I cut out the rivets, throw away the handles, and mount the wheels on a length of redi rod (all-thread rod) I have a lathe at home so I turn sections of hollow oak, cut them to 7/8"lengths, and space the wheels with these, make some handles, and cap off both ends with acorn nuts. Matfer has a version of this, which I un-shamefully ripped off, the 2005 catalouge listed it for over 300 USD. A picture is worth a thousand words...

After I pour out the slab, I wait until semi-firm, not fully crystalized, and then paint on a top layer of couverture, flip it over, then paint on a bottom layer. I put my contraption in the oven for a minute or so and then cut through the slab in strips, then in squares. Works quite well , and I spent far less than 10 hours making the thing.........

DIY Guitar

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

Hi Andy,

welding aluminum is matter of professionals, i built this frame when i just arrived in SA and i didn't know anyone. So i went the easier way to "rivet" (or bracketing) everything simply because was the only way i knew how to put it together.

Riveting is easy: drill a hole, put a rivet and with the right gun just close the rivet.

The bolts are the same as the one from the link, any engineering company is capable to drill a hole in it. Do not try at home, it will cost you so much on drill bits and time. Seriously i did all the rest of the job with the cheapest DIY tools i could find at a builder warehouse.

the frame has been put together almost 2 year ago and it hasn't yet broken into pieces... so i guess it works!

Next (just to consider it an evolution) i will buy a thick cutting block and cut the slots so it is easier /faster to cut and move the ganache.

looking forward to see yours!

DIY Guitar

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

Cool Antonino. It looks like you went for bracketing instead of welding it. A few other deviations from the plans you posted. Any further modified notes on how you made yours? It looks a bit easier to construct.

DIY Guitar

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

Here a picture of mine!

DIY is very very cheap,i would say 2 hours for shopping and 2 hours to put it together (the first one i made took me a lot longer... trial and error) if you get someone to do it (unless is a friend) it will look better but cost also more.

i use an elevated cutting board so i can push it trough the ganache.

sometimes i use it just to score the marks on a soft caramel and then cut with the knife...

still, only ca $40...... i can live with that!

DIY Guitar

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

Clay,

Agreed. Looking to see if we can do the whole thing in a manner that keeps the weight down so that it can bemoved easily and is durable enough to withstand the moving and workload.

Pete

DIY Guitar

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

I have a SS fabricator friend in FL I was thinking of approaching with the concept as well. It'd be neat to see someone in America producing these that doesn't cost so much. It's not rocket science.

For now though I just want a hacked solution to get the job done.

DIY Guitar

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

Yea I looked at that again recently as a thought. I don't really want a push through though. Either a top down push (whether on a rail or free-form) or hinged idea.

Push throughs could work good for straight ganache but if you do any nuts* or soft-caramels (*caveats abound but they can be done with standard guitars) it would cause too much tearing with this system.

DIY Guitar

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

Pete:

The footprint may be a bit large, but one advantage of doing something like this is that it's totally portable. When you're not using it ... just pick it up and slide it out of the way. It's not permanently taking up work/counter space.

:: Clay

DIY Guitar

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

Andy,

I have a welding buddy who says he can put one together with alum. but I have to say, the one Clay shows is very interesting. The only downside I see is the required footprint. It's a manual version of what SG is selling for 6500.00. The wheels are turning......

DIY Guitar

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

Andy:

Here is one I saw in Bolivia when I was there in November 2010. It uses guitar tuning pegs (and guitar strings)! Tiny holes are drilled through the base, as you can see in the photo, and the guitar strings are threaded through. Of course, you'll need to replace the wood with a material that's food safe, but it works well. It's pretty cool, actually. Push through in one direction, rotate the entire device 90 degrees and push through in the other direction.

What I like about this compared with other approaches is that it doesn't require the precision of machining the slots in the base to accommodate the strings, and there is no hinge. It does require more elbow grease than a hinged guitar, but it's a comparatively simple device to build.

DIY Guitar

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

Great thread, thanks for the info Antonino!

DIY Guitar

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

here we go: i found the link, hope i don't mess up with the T&C of the forum

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/89623-home-made-guitar-cutter/

DIY Guitar

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

Excellent! I am great with chewing gum, paperclips, and wire cutters.

If you can find your details that'd be great, much appreciated.

DIY Guitar

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

Hi Andy,

i actually did! i found some details online (will try to remember and forward the links).

you will need:

a) being good as "MacGyver'

b) few tools

what i did: i bought some aluminum pipes of 25mmx25mm and cut to size to create a frame.

riveted all together. made holes for the right cut size ( 2.5cm )

Then i bought some high resistant bolts and got the holed by an engineer company ( in Cape Town we have a lot of them that work with marine items).

The wires are not from an electric guitar (too expensive) but is fishing rod for deep see fishing (sharks, tuna etc) that can hold pressure up to 300kg.

the next step would be to get a base cut from a piece of aluminum (like a real one) but i don't feel now to pay $$$ for it.

Now, it looks very "frankestein" BUT it works!

I will try to take some pics tomorrow.

BTW, a frame cost me about Zar 350 (ca $45)

DIY Guitar

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

Anyone built their own Guitar? I really don't want to expend resources on one right now and my brain just can't come up with the justification for the cost association, always seems like highway robbery. We're starting to move out of hand rolled though and cutting with a knife is tedious.

In my head I've got PVC pipes in a square with stainless strings tightened by eyelets or thumbscrews spaced however seen fit with a hinge.

So--built your own? Come across some plans for a DIY project? If I could spend a few hours and < a couple hundred I'd feel it was a worthy small project.

updated by @Andy Ciordia: 12/13/24 12:15:15

Color fade

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

You know come to think of it I've never seen our transfer sheets fade. There must be something out there that has a more reliable or longer color hold that isn't toxic.

Color fade

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Yes, because the appeal of this product is visual, I'm reluctant to put themin anything but a clear package.

Color fade

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Your all natural, food concentrates, will fade faster i'm afraid.

Color fade

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

"In these black bags we have 2 colored pretzel sticks.", heheh!

We've noticed colors can fade in the dark as well, might be an oxidization thought to it. Mainly it is our blues that go--sometimes red but it's not consistent. Same things happen with some of our icing colors with cakes.

Love to know a trick or brand that has more resilience. We want to try the food-based-colors as well. Neat to see if beets do the same.

Color fade

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Package them in something that doesn't let the light pass through. What you're seeing is a photo-catalyticdegradation.

Color fade

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

What is the best coloring method to prevent or decrease color fade?

Im currently using oil-based colorings (Chefmaster and some Wilton) with white Callebaut couverture.

Until now, Ive only used small amounts of color for drizzle decorations on truffles. I have noticed a slight amount of color fade (especially with pink), but its not particularly noticeable, since there is so little of it.

Ive started doing solid chocolate lollipops with larger swaths of color. In particular, were doing some baby-themed pops (pink, blue, green, etc. filled in the deepest part of the mold, then completing the pop with dark, milk or white) that I want to sell through local hospital gift shops. Our test pops, however, are showing a significant amount of fade, just after a few days. They are currently packaged in cello bags.

Ive researched some other options like using a powdered colorant or colored cocoa butter. Could the cello bags be accelerating the fade? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Mickey Miller
Mount Vernon Confections
Mount Vernon, Iowa

updated by @Mickey Miller: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Chocolate couverture training

Posted in: Opinion

Good day friends!

I am looking for a personalized hands on chocolate couverture training in Europe withan experienced master chocolatier. I would like to extend my knowledge in making [Ed: working with] chocolate couverture (not bean to bar). I am mainly interested in learning the science behind it all, and how each and every ingredient interacts with the others. Why use this and not that? How the addition of a certain percentage of a certain ingredient affects the chocolate (i.e., flavour, texture, aroma, shelf life...)

Any recommendations other than the renowned Callebaut academy?

Thank you,
Omar

updated by @Omar Forastero: 04/16/15 01:03:53

Pricing

Posted in: Opinion

Just curious....

Have you asked them what THEIR budget is?

THEIR budget, not yoursis your starting point.

Quite often organizations will dangle the carrot of "exposure to new customers" as an incentive to bring your price down and/or almost work for free. I promise you that you will get very little business from an event like this. You need to find out what they can spend on dessert, and then see what you can do to make something for them AT A PROFIT. It's a business summit. They'll understand if you tell them you can't work profitably within their budget.

It's also ok to walk away from business opportunities if they simply don't make sense financially. Remember.... Your business isn't a charity. You have bills to pay just like every other business, and in fact handing opportunities like this to your competitors is a good thing in some ways. Let THEM work for free!

Cheers

Brad

Pricing

Posted in: Opinion

There's another way to do this, which is to research what other (caterers) are charging for similar items. I do this a lot on my projects.

If a survey of caterers and venues reveals that they charge $7/pp for a dessert then you know what the market will bear - you know the maximum you can charge. Taking a much closer look at food costs (Antonino is right - $2-$3 is too wide a range), you can mark your costs up to reflect the other costs (labor, overhead, delivery) to arrive at a final price. I would recommend you consider thinking about gross margin, not markup.

What's the difference? For an item with $3 in total costs, a 50% markup results in a final price of $4.50. On the other hand, a 50% gross margin results in a final price of $6.00. An item with $2.25 in ingredient and labor costs and a gross margin of 45% results in a final price of $4.10 - you'd factor in all your other costs into the final price -- $4.10-$2.25 = $1.85 gross profit/unit before other costs.

The general formula for calculating a final price based on a gross margin percentage is:

Final price = cost price / (1 - margin percentage)

$4.10 = $2.25/(1-.45)

Pricing

Posted in: Opinion

Like Antonio and Andy have mentioned, it is very important to understand your costs. I actually have a catering company and before I prepare a quote, I always ask myself " How much money do I want to make on this project?." Then I go about analyzing my costs to come up with a price for the client. Good luck. This is a tricky thing to figure out, but you will.

Pricing

Posted in: Opinion

Pricing is always derived from your COGS or COGS+L(abor) numbers. It's hard to arbitrarily price something as you're requirements and overhead are different from my own. You also want to be above your margin threshold, for some it's 300% for some foodservice they are lucky to get 80% so YMMV.

Just noticed Antonino's post and he's right on.

Pricing

Posted in: Opinion

H,

pricing is a big science, so many things to calculate: food cost, overheads, profit but also market related prices, high potential profit for once-off or lower price to create a long lasting client/business relationship!

So start to have your food cost (ingredients per portion) right: $2-3 is a very wide range!

THEN do this calculation: food cost (FD) X 65% = minimum selling price. (eg: $2X1.65=$3.30-min.selling price)

or: final price is equivalent to: FD +15% (oveheads)+55% (minimum profit) (considering your food cost being 35%)

Also remember to add to your costing any extra tool/trais, foil, petrol etc necessary to get the job done. ( let say 5-10% )

As well: do you need to hire extra people for the job? Add it on. Do you need to work extra hours for the job? if you will do it on your extra time, add it on: you could have been doing something else but you stuck at work till late night!

Then you will see, if this price isbelow your competitors or market related you can add as much as you feel :a) right; b) fair c) worth the effort d) try to cash up heavily to buy a new tool/ great dinner/a day at the SPA....

my suggestion? it should be worth the effort and the extra time without being to heavy on mark up..

Remember that unless you are happy at the end of hard work, you will feel very very bitter about it and you will not appreciate what you did.

My few rand (south african money..) worth of knowledge...

Hope it helps

Pricing

Posted in: Opinion

Ive been offered my first catering job: to create 150 desserts while keeping with the theme of my very new chocolate business. The dessert is to follow a dinner following a summit on local businesses and mine has been chosen to make dessert. I have decided on giving them a choice of one or the other or both and letting the people choose like a menu. First is a dark chocolate mousse served in a white/milk chocolate cup garnished with chocolate covered orange peel the second is a square of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake(no crust) enrobed in dark chocolate. I have never priced something like this out before but have calculated that I could make each dessert for around 2-3$ I would like to make a reasonable profit on this job but also don't want to over charge. I was thinking 500-550$ for one dessert for everyone or 650-700 for the option of one or the other. Is anyone out there familiar with these kinds of things?
updated by @Rosie: 04/20/15 15:56:31

Makeshift Tempering Machine

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

There is a cheaper and easier route...

Go to a drugstore and get the cheapest heating pad (electric blanket). The more expensive ones have auto-shut off and terry clothe covers which you don't need.

I just flip over a 1/2 sheet pan on the counter, put the heating pad on top, the bowl or hotel pan of cold couverture on top, and walk away overnight. The "medium" setting is usually pretty darn close.

Stirring is a different matter. Chocolate is thixotropic, which means it is best mixed with a shearing action, any other action for longer periods of time usually incorporates bubbles. Most melters and temperers usually use a wheel/disc with a scraper, or a rotating bowl with a scraper.