Forum Activity for @Klassy

Tempering machine with a wheel/dispenser

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hello everyone.

I need assistance.

I am opening a chocolate company mostly selling truffles and maybe bars later (when I can do bean to bar (: which I am excited for!). I have a rev2 tempering machine, which is a great machine, but when I fill the molds, I cant just tip the mold over and dump the excess chocolate out into the machine (to make shells for filling) because the machine is so small. Its also a pain to fill the molds with a spoon and OMG does my current process make the biggest mess you could imagine. A 2 year old's chocolate dream actually.

So, I have decided that I need a bigger machine (bigger than my molds), with a dispenser OR a wheel. I like the wheel design that just makes a little fountain for you to fill the mold, then I can dump the excess right back into the chocolate supply.

Does anyone have any advice? I am willing to spend the money, but I am still learning and developing this small business. I absolutely love chocolate and and 100% confident that I will be successfull, so I am willing to pay, but I dont want to get suckered by some site with incredible markup prices.

I dont necessarily need a 40lb capacity, but should I spring for one anyways? What do you guys/girls think? I need expert advice.

Also, I do not have a shop. I am learning all this in my apartment. (1200 sq ft.) but dont mind a big machine. I use Cacao Barry (wish I could afford the Valrhona). I live in Colorado. Not sure what else to say. I wana make sure you have all the details needed.

Thank you!!!!!!!

updated by @Klassy: 04/11/25 09:27:36

New Moonstruck Peruvian Fortunato Dark Chocolate Bar

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

That is a typo. They're selling for $12 for a 2 oz bar.

New Moonstruck Peruvian Fortunato Dark Chocolate Bar

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

I've had chocolate made from the beans they use. It's quite interesting. But not that interesting (assuming that's not a typo).

New Moonstruck Peruvian Fortunato Dark Chocolate Bar

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

Moonstruck is soon coming out with a new bar, made from couverture produced in Switzerland. It's made from Nacional beans that were just discovered in Peru . The bar is called " Peruvian Fortunato Dark ".

For a mere $144 you can pre-order this 2 oz bar made by a fondeur. Better hurry while supplies last! (Can that really be the asking price, or is it a typo?)

updated by @ChocoFiles: 12/13/24 12:16:07

RAW INGREDIENTS

Posted in: Classifieds ARCHIVE

HELLO EVERYONE

CAN ANYONE GIVE SOME ADVISE ON WHERE I CAN GET THE RAW MATERIALS FOR MAKING CHOCOLATE SUCH AS

SORBITOL, INVERT SUGAR, GLUCOSE, PECTINE, CITRIC ACID, FROZEN FRUIT PULP, COLORANT, FONDANT SUGAR, GELATINE SHEETS, VANILLA STICKS......

IM LOOKING FOR GOOD SUPPLIERS FOR DRY FRUITS AS ALMONDS, HAZELNUTS, PEANUTS, RAISINS ..ETC

IM IN THE AREA OF TEXAS

I WILL GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT THAT WILL BE OF GREAT HELP ON STARTING MY BUSSINESS

SWEET REGARDS .

ELIA G

updated by @ELIA GUEVARA: 04/07/25 13:00:14

Books on chocolate production

Posted in: Chocolate Education

I found Amazon has a huge selection, you might be looking in the wrong area? Look for books from Rechuitti, that is my favorite and hope I spelled his name right. You will undoubtly be connected with other choice once you make a hit and then it will all open up from there.

Here's a link - Chocolate books

Books on chocolate production

Posted in: Chocolate Education

Hi there!

Could anybody advise me on book that would be good to read on the production of chocolate, tempering, conching everything one needs to know on making chocolate and where to get them. amazon does not have a great variety....

Thanks for the help! much appreciated

Karlien

updated by @Karlien: 04/11/15 09:34:51

Molds!

Posted in: Uncategorized

Thank youso much for the information and your opinion it is much appreciated!

I am visitng FL in early Feb and would love to taste your chocolate maybe learn more about it, your operation etc. Where would i be able to buy some of your creations?

Karlien

Molds!

Posted in: Uncategorized

Hi Karlien!

I have just published a new post on my blogon "how to make Valentines chocolates" - you can check here my recommendations for molds chocolate treats for chocoholics .

For unique Valentines chocolate gift ideas - click here

Good luck!

The most comprehensive guide for buying gourmet chocolate gifts-
your gourmet chocolate site!

Molds!

Posted in: Uncategorized

I've used a few different brands of molds, my favorite by far are Chocolate World molds. They are available from Tomric by special order, or chocolat-chocolat.com which has a good number in stock.

My least favorite are the Tomric molds that they make themselves, which I think is everything that isn't labeled as a "european mold" in their catalog. These are just awful in my opinion.

Molds!

Posted in: Uncategorized

Thanks so much i will contact them. I looked at molds from india a while back but cant seem to find the website again.... they make custom molds also and seem to be quite reasonably priced. Do you have any contacts from there?

Molds!

Posted in: Uncategorized

Hi Karlien.

Check out:

Chocolat-Chocolat ( http://www.chocolat-chocolat.com/ ) - Canada,

JB Prince ( www.jbprince.com ) - New York

I have some other companies, but they are on my favorites back home. I will add them later today, unless someone else adds them before me.

Molds!

Posted in: Uncategorized

I actually have some molds i'm no longer using, if you are interested. these are the magnetic type that allow you to insert a texture or transfer sheet. they are rectangular shaped with inverted, curved corners. if you have any interest, email me directly at casey@20degreeschocolates.com and i will send you a link and provide more info.

Molds!

Posted in: Uncategorized

Hi there,

Can anybody help me with a good contact for good molds?

Regards,

Karlien

updated by @Karlien: 04/12/15 17:47:16

Which is better gift option either chocolates and flowers.............?????????

Posted in: Opinion

thanx.............i hope she like it................

Which is better gift option either chocolates and flowers.............?????????

Posted in: Opinion

chocolate flowers you can get roses made out of chocolate

Which is better gift option either chocolates and flowers.............?????????

Posted in: Opinion

Hey friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.............I want to present a gift for my friend on her birthday..............tell me one thing which is better option for her........... Chocolates Box and flowers.................please tell me soon................her birth date is coming...........

http://lachocolat.in

updated by @La Chocolat: 04/14/15 04:23:02

Master Chocolatier !!!!! how can I become a master ????

Posted in: Chocolate Education

Hi all I am a chocolatier I have stidied chocolate & patisserie for 3 1/2 years at William Angliss Institute melbourne australia. i have worked in the industry for about 4 years I seeking advice on how to become a " master "

does anybody know what the criteria is, to be called a "master chocolatier"

I would like to know if anyone knows what i would have to do to become a master

& where i could go to study.

hope to hear from you soon

kind regards

Laura

updated by @Laura Marion: 04/30/15 13:21:12

Icelandic chocolate, it's not organic -- just green?

Posted in: Opinion

Hi, I live in Iceland and grew up around this chocolate. There is nothing organic about it thats for sure. Its mass produced and has been since way back. but they do not make the chocolate from bean to bar, they get chocolate blocks from Swiss, that company got a bad rep a few months ago when they were involved with company that used child labor.

They do make pralines but they are all made with milk chocolate and are very popular here in Iceland.

I find their chocolate to lack all characteristics but they do make nice candy of all sorts.

Icelanders are very patriotic when it comes to chocolate and Ive had heated arguments wiht people when I inform them that I dont use Noi Srus.

Icelandic chocolate, it's not organic -- just green?

Posted in: Opinion

What does anyone know about this Icelandic chocolate, Ni Srus ? I've been seeing this on my local co-op shelves, and heard there is also something over at Whole Foods.

Well I haven't tried it, I somehow got the impression that it isn't on these shelves because it's one of the best chocolates in the world either, not that the co-op carries any of those anyway, they are allabout the certificates. Which excludes our locally made Rogue Chocolatier, ahem ahem...

But what's the story -- Rogue and local are out, and Iceland is in? Why should my co-op start carrying chocolates from this industrial candy company out of the blue? Surely instead of blue, it must have seemed a very good " going green " proposition for them...

Makes the certificate game, and the co-op itself, look even more ridiculous..

updated by @Casey: 04/10/15 16:04:51

Aloha! Our bitter tasting product needs some guidance to turn tasty!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

There seem to be several Hawaian chocololate makers on this forum. It's hard for me to imagine you couldn't convince someone to make a small amount of sweeter chocolate for you. Remember, cocoa is also very bitter, fat and sugar are the ingredients that counter the sweetness. You probably just need to get the right balance of sugar.

I would recommend using a chocolate that you like the way it tastes. I don't know what type of bitter taste the kava root has, but you probably need plenty of sweetness to cover it. Try using a chocolate that is semisweet (50% cacao -60%) instead of bitter, maybe that would balance the kava. I don't know because I've never used the product.

The macadamia nuts will "sweeten" the chocolate a little as well with a similar creamy feeling as milk. If you want a paste and not a bar than use a larger % of nuts to chocolate so it can spread.

All the best,

Jo

Aloha! Our bitter tasting product needs some guidance to turn tasty!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Try lightly roasting the Macadamia nuts before grinding. Makes for an exceptional taste.

Aloha! Our bitter tasting product needs some guidance to turn tasty!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thanks for the reply Nat.

What if I add the water to the fully made chocolate along with granulated white sugar and cook it for a while as I whisk it around in a double boiler? you think shelf life is still compromised?

Our kava product is CO2 extract based so no problems there.

I am working with finished chocolate and totally agree on staying away from powdered sugar with the anti caking corn powder in it.

However, I hear there is a powdered sugar with no corn powder added.

Will try and find that and play with it.

Thanks again!

Aloha! Our bitter tasting product needs some guidance to turn tasty!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Any added water that may not cook out could lower the shelf life as it provides an environement in which bacteria can survive. Is it the sugar or cacao granules that are not melting? If it's the sugar, try grinding it to a powder in a coffee grinder or powerful blender. Don't use commercial powdered sugar as this has corn powder in it to reduce caking.

Coconut oil or other stable vegetable oils will soften the product without diluting the cacao taste too much. It would be best if you could grind the cacao, kava, sugar, and butter together with a stone grinder like a Santha which many people on the Big Island use to make chocolate bars.

Faerie's Finest has good organic and food grade citrus oils.

How do you deal with the possible intestinal distress from ingesting whole kava powder instead of the water extraction as it is used traditionally?

Aloha! Our bitter tasting product needs some guidance to turn tasty!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

thanks so much for your reply Jo.

I was skeptical about adding water to that chocolate to tell you the truth and my hunch proved right, thanks for confirming.

I like the mac nut butter idea and will look into it.

My vision is to keep this product as simple as possible with minimal ingredients.

Play a game with me Jo and let's trade hats for a second.

You have a bitter paste, it's REALLY bitter, and chocolate reduces the punishment of consuming it when mixed into the kava. Phew! But it's still so bitter you try to sweeten the 73% cacao chocolate (you WANT to keep it local even though it's getting hard to get custom supply for this stuff)

So you say, alright, I'll try a non Hawaiian chocolate to move things along!

Which chocolate would you try and experiment with?

What does this chocolate taste like, and what's the ideal cacao % to start playing with and is there a consistancy you are looking for?

Price per pound is not really a consideration at this point.Not if the kava get's it's soul mate in chocolate!

I am going to guess it's border line milk chocolate (least amount of cacao % before it gets into dairy - you want a vegan product for maximum shelf life and since this is a health food store product) .

Thanks for indulging me Jo,

A. Ghiasi

Aloha! Our bitter tasting product needs some guidance to turn tasty!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Try grinding nuts (macademia maybe) with sugar into a paste and working 10-20% sweetened nut paste into the 73% chocolate. Adding water to the chocolate is going to shorten its shelf life and seize the chocolate making it difficult to melt. Sugar does not dissolve into chocolate so I would recommend starting with a sweeter chocolate if you don't have any grinding machinery.

Nut paste will soften your chocolate (Gianduja) and cut the bitterness of the kava.

Hope that helps.

All the best,

Jo

Aloha! Our bitter tasting product needs some guidance to turn tasty!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Aloha!

Thank You for having us on the forum! Great to be here! We are choco-lovers albeit novices at working with this amazing medium.

My wife and me are kava growers on the Big Island of Hawaii. Kava is a relaxing antianxiety agent. This bitter tasting root has been used in Polynesia for over over three Millenia.

We have been experimenting to find ways to make our kava more palletable and came up with a kava chocolate paste (73% cacao. Hawaiian made chocolate)

Because the chocolate is not sweet enough, we put it in a double boiler and added raw sugar to it and whisked it about. The granules refused to melt so I was forced to add a tiny amount of water and this totally worked and the chocolate gathered a sheen and thickness and turned beautiful! We cooked the water off and were left with an outstanding chocolate paste to which we can add our kava.

Here are some questions, comments and concerns we have:

a) By doing what I did above, are we lowering the shelf life of our chocolate (if left at room temp - ingredients are only cacao masse, coconu oil, sugar with vanilla.)? We are hoping for a one year shelf life at room temp if possible (the added kava is totally stabilized)

b) The final product is very hard after the chocolate cools. A serving size of our product is 1/4 tea spoon (or a gram) and this makes it very hard to get a dose as one is fighting with a tiny spoon to get a tiny mount out! TO soften this product for easy access, we added coconut oil. Our question is if we can add something more effective which is dairy free, shelf stable. If it is not flavored, this is a plus, but slight flavor is acceptable. Any ideas?

c) For such a bitter product, we feel a lower cacao % a better option. We feel the only problem with this is that the additional cacao butter will harden the product even more! What can be done here for a smoother, softer dairy free product which is not as bitter?

d) Do you prefer any citrus oils from a particular vendor online? Cost is not a consideration as we are trying to produce the finest artisan kava product.

Mahalo Nui Loa for reading this post and helping out!

Aloha from the Big Island

A. Ghiasi

updated by @Paradise Kava: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

I used cacao paste and cacao butter. I also did it with cacao nibs grinded in the concher. Results were similar in terms of tempering.

But again the less agave syrup or moist sweetener the less trouble (technically).

Plus, there has been controverses about the raw agave syrup. It seems difficult to produce in a raw state because it has to be heated to become a syrup by evaporation. The darker it is the more processed it probably is. Also the benefits of fructose over glucose on health has been disputed.

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Ok, I tried tempering again the other day. I used Cacao butter 3oz, Cacao Paste 3/4oz, 1/4 oz coconut Nectar (liquid/raw) 1 1/2 oz coconut sugar, powdered, 1/4tsp van extract, 1/2 oz cacao powder.

It was just ok. I think it actually tempered though as it had a nice snap to it. It was still a little soft when I rubbed my finger over the final product. THe taste was so so and the texture also so so. I left it out on the counter and the kids ate it so it must not have been that bad.

When I was melting over double boiler there were what appeared to be unmelted fragments on the bottom of bowl. Upon closer inspection (taste) it was one of the sugars. Must have been the coconut sugar wasn't powdered enough i'm assuming.

Taste is not creamy enough. I"ve had much better raw chocolate...and much worse! Still working on it... I have sunflower lecithin on order and want to try a few drops of it also. I think it needed more sweetener.

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

HI David,

I will go over that discussion you talked about. I experimented a little yesterday with tempering the cocoa products that go into my original chocolate recipe. Then I added it to my other ingredients such as cashew butter etc... It actually created a product that was able to withstand being out of the fridge! I was so excited.

What I want to do is create a new tempered chocolate coating to replace the untempered one I was using before. Thats what I will work on tomorrow after I make all the fillings. I want to use this tempered chocolate to create a bar that doesn't need refrigeration. It also must taste great, something that I haven't come across much with the raw bars I have tried.

What I'm curious about is do you use the whole bean and grind it up, the nibs, cacao paste bar, or just cacao butter and cacao powder? Or a combination? I've had a tough time coming up with an un-bitter chocolate using the nibs and paste bar. Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

I"m wondering if I could use coconut sugar AND liquid Agave. I need to find out the ratio of sugar to chocolate. Its confusing as the books that I have read on cooked chocolate says to use bittersweet, semi sweet etc... THe sugar is already in the bar and its just melted and tempered. I dont have that luxury with raw chocolate as I'm not aware of any bar that can be melted down that is already raw. Besides I do too much chocolate to make it economical for me to buy one already made even if there was one. I want to make my own.

Thanks for your help. I will be a success soon. People are counting on me

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Thanks Nat,

Great info from everyone on this post.

Coconut sugar: I am going to use the un-raw stuff and powder it in my vita mix. Yesterday that worked great. Its not raw but very nutritious. The other stuff I was talking about was "raw" coconut sugar from Coconut Secrets, its wetter so had a difficult time powdering it. Maybe I will use Agave and coconut sugar. I like to mix my sweeteners in other recipes. I think it makes for a great product. BAck to chocolate>>>

I've heard some people talk about conching but I dont know much about that. I dont have any machines. I am using a double boiler method. I feel so "green" here next to all you experts.

I'll let you all know how it turns out. thx

Jennifer

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

People who are making tempered "raw" chocolate are probably using agave powder not syrup. The temp is driven up during conching to about 115-120 depending on your machine and the temp controls you have on it, so I don't believe this is high enough to drive off the amount of water in agave syrup.

What do you mean the coconut sugar wouldn't "break down" due to temperature? You don't want the sugar to melt during processing, but rather be ground very fine. You can do this before adding it to chocolate by grinding it to powdered sugar consistency in a coffee grinder or a high-powered blender.

I prefer to call "raw" chocolate unroasted chocolate instead since the magic temp for raw is 115 F which is almost always exceeded in cacao fermentation unless someone is very explicitly controlling the temp as they discuss at places like Big Tree farm. There is no certification for raw so any manufacturer can slap the raw label on any product they want without running afoul of the law. There has been some problems certifying that raw cocoa powder is actually not processed above 115 in the last year.

-Nat

____________________

Nat Bletter, PhD

Chocolate R&D

Madre Chocolate

http://madrechocolate.com

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Have a look at these http://shop.chocolatealchemy.com/collections/equipment they are even hobby sized. I may be getting confused mysef but i think a melangeur is basically a conche.

To work it appears the cacao liquor must be molten i.e. > 36 degrees C but presumably if you had a spot IR thermometeryou to just switch the machine off if its getting too hot.

I'd also assume if you can modify the gearing you could in principle do a REALLY slow grind where the friction heat generated was mostly lost during the grind. I have also seen AC motor speed control where you could presumably lower the grind speed as you desire.

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

there are a few bars and truffles I have tried that are raw and are actually tempered and very good. Most though leave alot to be desired like you said.

I dont know much about conching but I hear it drives up the temperature and is hard for the person who does not have industrial equipment. I would have to read up on it though.

Where theres a will theres a way!

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Coconut oil melting temperature is 24C. Butter melts at about 33.5 C. Cocoa butter has a melting point of around 36 C.

Would conching help drive out water, impove granularity and general consistancy. I've been sampling some of the raw bars available in Australiarecently and their texture, taste and temper generally leaves a lot to be desired. After reading about tempering temperatures it should be possible to produce a raw tempered bar though.

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Yeah, I know what you mean by trying to temper stuff with Agave. I know its possible as there are others doing it. Maybe they dont use large amounts?? I am concerned that if I use coconut sugar it wont break down enough in the chocolate as temperature cant reach too high. There is a raw coconut sugar new on the market by coconut Secret but it is wetter than the others. HHHHmmmmm....

I have some raw cane sugar that I can make into a powder and try. It seems to work good in some of my recipes. Maybe a combination of Agave liquid, Agave powder, Coconut sugar. I am going to work with this and post my results. Thanks everyone!

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Thanks for replying. I did read this and it gave lots of great advice. I think I just need to experiment some more. I dont see anyone using chocolate paste/liquor. The raw bar that I have is hard so I thought if I added some more cacao butter to it and a bit of agave, vanilla, lecithin it might work however it has a very strong flavor I have had a hard time overcoming.

I will try a few things and post my results.

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

As mentioned in the other post David links to, you won't be able to temper if you use any sweeteners like agave syrup that contain significant amounts of water, and coconut oil will also cause problems since it melts at a much lower temperature than cocoa butter. Coconut sugar would be your best bet as a sweetener for still being able to temper. There is agave powder but it is mostly inulin, which is an indigestible sugar that your gut flora love, producing a lot of gas. I don't think anyone would want gassy chocolate!

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Chocolatetempering is one of the last steps taken to process and preparechocolate candy. In this process, the cocoa butter molecules within thechocolate are stabilized through a process of heating and cooling thatallows the chocolate to harden properly and ensures a shiny finish.

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

Hi Jennifer,

Did you read the previous discussion we had on this topic?

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ... (Read-Only)

I am wondering if anyone out there can give me some advice on tempering raw chocolate. Is there a 'best' way to do this? WHich items can I use with the greatest success?

Raw cacao butter, cacao powder, cacao paste?

Sweeteners would likely be raw agave and/or raw coconut nectar. I could use some raw cane sugar if needed. Also not opposed to using coconut sugar, although not raw it is highly nutritious.

I would also be using some raw sunflower lecithin, vanilla beans and/or extract. possibly some carob powder.

I've read lots of posts on this site and they have helped but not completely answered my questions to where I feel confident.

Any help would be appreciated. I currently make and sell raw refrigerated chocolate and its great but want to also produce something that is shelf stable.

Jennifer

The Great Un-Baked!

updated by @Jennifer Davis: 12/13/24 12:16:49