chocolate tempering machines
Posted in: Opinion
I use the ACMC for personal use, holds a nice charge of chocolate. Oh, it does have a fan for the cooling stage. And 2 100w bulbs for heat. Simple, and stands up to a good bit of abuse.
Forum Activity for @Mark Heim
Posted in: Opinion
I use the ACMC for personal use, holds a nice charge of chocolate. Oh, it does have a fan for the cooling stage. And 2 100w bulbs for heat. Simple, and stands up to a good bit of abuse.
chocolate tempering machines
Posted in: Opinion
Has this landscape changed any in the last year? Any new reviews or ideas? I was watching our process last night and we're losing a bit too much time getting chocolates setup for dipping etc.
chocolate tempering machines
Posted in: Opinion
I wonder whether I can add my experience with Mol d`Art melter. I simply love its work.6 Kg capacity. I put the chocolate in the melter setting temp at 43degrees the previous night. Start my work in the morning after setting temp at 31 degrees and seeding it . Takes a little time. Looks like a simple box, quiet. liked it so much that thinking to buy one more for melting milk chocolate.I wonder whether melters are considered as tempering machines!!
chocolate tempering machines
Posted in: Opinion
Both of the small Chocovision machines (Rev1 and 2) are noisy. The ACMC machine is quieter because it doesn't have a fan. However, I don't see how they can charge so much for something that uses the same technological approach as an Easy-Bake oven.Unfortunately, there really isn't anything else in the under 10-pound range or for under $1500.
chocolate tempering machines
Posted in: Opinion
Debra:There is nothing special about the chocolate that Lake Champlain uses. It's standard stuff from Barry Callebaut, and made in the St Albans, VT factory. You can get many Callebaut chocolates in bulk from Chocosphere.com and ChocolateSource.comThe Sinsation is the same thing as a Chocovision Rev1 or 2 - it's just an old name.:: Clay
chocolate tempering machines
Posted in: Opinion
I use both a Chocovision Rev1 and an ACMC Table Top Temperer. Love 'em both, but the Rev1 is NOISY!
chocolate tempering machines
Posted in: Opinion
Hi Kelli,Thanks, I have the sinsation and it has a small capacity also. I am wondering do you blend your own chocolates together to arrive at a taste that you like? Where is a good place to buy bulk chocolate? I really like Lake Champlain chocolate have you ever tried or used it. I don't know if they sell in bulk.Debra
chocolate tempering machines
Posted in: Opinion
I own the Rev 2. I really do like it, except during the holidays. I find for large production or large molds, it's just not quite enough tempered chocolate.
chocolate tempering machines
Posted in: Opinion
Hi Clay,I am just a hobbyist. I temper only around 2# at a time.Debra
chocolate tempering machines
Posted in: Opinion
Debra:To help set the stage for this discussion can you let everyone know something about what your requirements are?Are you a hobbyist so that you only need to work with a few pounds at a time, or are you producing hundreds of pounds of chocolate a day in a mix of dark, milk, and white and need something that can handle those demands? Or are you somewhere in between?This will help us know what kinds of machines to talk about.
chocolate tempering machines
Posted in: Opinion
Does anyone own a tempering machine and if so which one?chefveggi
updated by @debra kleiman walter: 11/21/15 17:09:56
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Signature Fine Foods in Toronto has the guitar sheets.
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks for your help. My family owns a screen printing shop. I own a chocolate shop. After reading your adventure it has inspired me to play around with it myself. Where can I buy proper sheets?
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I do have some of the 'proper' sheets, but tend to do use the overheads most for the experiments.I add white coloured cocoa butter to some colours - ie titanium dioxide - to make them opaque rather than white chocolate.
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Kerry,Are you using colored cocoa butter for every color or do you have to add white chocolate to any of your colors? Are you still printing on overhead projector acetate sheets or did you find a source for the thinner sheets?
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks curt. Yes I looked into it and it is really expensive, especially if you want to do multiple colors. Probably just cheaper to have someone make the transfer sheets for you. Can try the new Chocolate Artist program from Chocolate World as another option.
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
HI Christina: I am not sure about the food safe issue but I do know that making silk screens requires substantial equipment. The biggest in terms of price and space would be a vacuum table(for holding the screen flat) and high intensity lights(to set the emulsion film) . If you are committed to making your own screens I would suggest enrolling in a silk screen(serigraph) class at a local art center or college. Not only will you have access to their equipment, I'll bet they help you research the food safe issue....curt
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Irma,I really haven't found anybody come out and say that their products are FDA approved. I looked at the YUDO machine too. Very cool. I think this machine can also be used to make photopolymer plates for making raised/embossed chocolate molds.As far as the screens, I think the best choice is to buy them made from someone like Chef Rubber or just use acetate stencils or some other food safe stencil.Thanks,Christina The Chocolate Mold Factory
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Christina,I too have been trying to figure out how to make my own custom screens for cocoa butter. Have you found food safe supplies yet? I came across what's called YUDU which is a silkscreen machine. It uses emulsion sheets instead of regular liquid emulsion. I was just wondering if those emulsion sheets are or could be food safe after washing the screen before using it for printing. Any thoughts on this? I wonder where we can obtain info on the food safety of emulsion sheets. Does anyone have any ideas?
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I have the food safe emulsion for silk screening.Check out my experiments in silk screening here
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Clay,Thank you for contacting Mr. Edwards. I sincerely wish he would consider selling the emulsion. It is really scary to know what to use or not. It would be a great relief to have a trusted source.I appreciate your time.Thank you,Christina
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Christina:Actually, in speaking with Paul Edwards about this, I do believe that Chef Rubber makes the screens. By this I mean they buy the frames stretched with the mesh from someone else but then apply the emulsion, expose and develop the image, and then do the actual screening. Also from that conversation, I got the impression that the emulsion they use (they have it made for them) IS FDA approved - they just don't sell it.If the company advertises as non-toxic when dry you can count on it. Their lawyers would not let them say it if it weren't true because of insurance liability issues.You do want to check into the material many of the transfer companies are using for their "ink" - many (if not most) of them use partially-hydrogenated fats as the carrier for the pigments. Chef Rubber uses cocoa butter.The semi-automatic machines from decotechgroup.com you refer to in your blog - RokuPrint? Systematic Automation - systauto.com - Model F1?Also - take a look at the stencils like the ones used for cake decorating - e.g., designerstencils.com. There is a lot of stuff you can do with those, including getting some very interesting textures. There is a simple way to make a jig for each stencil set to ensure precise registration. Laser-cutting thin sheets of rigid acetate makes this very easy.In the end, I agree. If you are using lots of multi-color transfers then having them made is the way to go. If you want to experiment with single-color short run then finding an inexpensive way to make them offers lots of flexibility. Cost saving is another issue - they're less expensive only if you don't pay yourself to do the work.There is wallpaper out there that can cost hundreds of dollars per roll so I think there is an interesting opportunity for someone willing to push the envelope on transfer sheet aesthetics.
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks for the reply Clay. I think you hit the nail on the head.I was, and still am, in the process of locating supply sources for making the screens. I understand that there are many sources for ordering custom transfer sheets, but was looking for a method to actually make the transfer sheets or print directly on chocolate. I have found different sources for equipment ranging from hobby to commercial. See my blog entry for complete info. I found several different solutions, but as you say, nobody who has FDA approval on the emulsions. The companies just say the emulsions are non toxic when dry. I don't know if that is a good enough answer.As far as Chef Rubber, I do believe that they can get the screens made for you ready to use. This is the only food related business I have found that sells them. Bakedeco used to sell screens, but the item has been discontinued. Maybe there are different sources, I just can't find them.I don't think the folks at Chef Rubber are making the screens themselves. As you said, it is alot of work. Time being money $180 is not that bad; however, you need a different screen for each color, which isn't a cost effective solution except for big jobs. If you are going to do that, you may as well order the transfer sheets already made. It would be alot cheaper too.
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Christina:There are several companies that will make custom transfers for you, but I know of no company that sells the supplies necessary to make screens for custom screening. The challenge as you note is finding materials that are food safe - most notably the emulsion. There is one, I think, and it is GRAS (generally recognized as safe) NOT certified food safe by the FDA. So, there is a food safety/liability issue to consider.Even if you order custom transfers from Chef Rubber I don't think they will sell you the screens. I know Paul Edwards, the owner and can ask if you like.Even though the $180 sounds like a lot, it's not when compared with the cost of doing it yourself because you can't do this in a screen printing shop because of all the nasty chemicals everywhere.You need to balance the cost against the cost of all of the equipment to do it - screens, a darkroom, the equipment to process everything, the light source for exposure, and the jigs to hold the screens - very important if you are doing multi-color designs that need any sort of precise register. You also need a way to keep the ink (the colored cocoa butter) at the correct temperature/consistency throughout the printing process.If you are still interested in doing it yourself, here is the only reasonably in-depth article I have been able to find on the process in the five or six years I have been searching: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=105238 :: Clay
Chocolate Silk Screen Supplies
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Can someone please help me locate a source for chocolate/pastry silk screen supplies. I want to make or buy custom screens. I saw that Chef Rubber will make them for you, but it costs $180. Do other companies make custom screens? If I want to make my own screens, where can I buy food safe supplies? Thanks in advance for any advice.
updated by @Christina Durta: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Good Brazilian Chocolate
Posted in: Opinion
Jim,I'm planning a trip to Brazil towards the end of August and have been trying to research cacao farms.We'll have from the 22nd of August about 4 days, and need to be in Rio for work on the 26th.Where are you located exactly?Best,Kaminikamini@bittersweetescapes.com
Good Brazilian Chocolate
Posted in: Opinion
Oh interesting. I've never had a really good alcoholic truffle, will have to keep an eye out for that.
Good Brazilian Chocolate
Posted in: Opinion
One thing I love about some European brands is the quality of their alcoholic ganaches or fillings. I am not a big drinker, but when I get a champagne truffle, I love really tasting the champagne - or any other liquor for that matter.I believe there is a law (per State) in the US that does not allow for a chocolate to contain above a certain quantity of alcohol. Not sure how it works, though.
Good Brazilian Chocolate
Posted in: Opinion
I will certainly take you up on that offer for next time, I loved Brazil and am planning to return. I didn't go to any cities Bahia like Salvador.
Good Brazilian Chocolate
Posted in: Opinion
Sarah,Although there are many chocolate shops and manufacturers in Brazil, some of high quality, 99.9% are users of Cargill, ADM, Nestle or Callibut products. Bean to bar is not in existant. There are currently several small attempts to start-up but have not formally begun to operate.The cacau producing region is in the Northeast and very warm and humid, Not very conducive for producing high end chocolate. Most known brands are produced in the South or Mid-south, i.e. Sao Paulo. In addition, the economic level of Brazil's population does not support bean-bar prices.I wish you would have contacted us before your travels in Brazil as it would have been a pleasure to have you visit our cacau farms and the regions that produce. Next time!Best regardsJim Lucas
Good Brazilian Chocolate
Posted in: Opinion
Yeah I would bet these companies are relatively new. Gourmet chocolate as a global phenomenon has taken off recently..I feel like the Europeans have had a great variety for a long while (I was in Germany last summer and was floored by the enormous chocolate collections of department stores!).
Good Brazilian Chocolate
Posted in: Opinion
Hi Sarah.Great info. I've never heard of Damazonia, Nugali or Barion, so I guess they are new (less than 5 years old, probably).I will check them out.Please let us know what your taste buds tell you about the chocolates. Very curious about the Amazon fruits ones.
Good Brazilian Chocolate
Posted in: Opinion
I have just come back from Brazil and did a very complete search for fine chocolates in Rio and Sao Paulo! I found a few promising suspects. I haven't tried any of them, but the one prominent brand (in the duty free shop, too) is Damazonia (Damazonia.com.br). I purchased a box of assorted dark chocolates with amazon fruits, I'll try it soon and update this post. There's also a company called Nugali, I bought a 70% and 80% bar (Nugali.com.br). The 80% I opened first and to my dismay there was evidence of bugs inside so...I didn't try it. But the 70% looks safe. Then there's Barion (barioncia.com.br), I chose a 70% Wine Chocolate from that company, I suppose it's just supposed to be paired with wine as it's not an ingredient. Lastly, I found Neugebauer (neugebauer.com.br), they had a 70% bar called 1891, but they mostly make candies. I hope this is what you were looking for, but I will be back with reviews
Good Brazilian Chocolate
Posted in: Opinion
Hi there Runner NYC.I am originally from Brazil, but moved to NYC a while ago.When my only source of chocolate was the local Brazilian one, I actually never had any complains. Once I moved to the US and started to try different chocolates, then I discovered something impressive: that I hated Brazilian chocolate! But that was 8 years ago.Recently a friend was visiting from Rio and she brought me some chocolate from different companies. Most of them still have something that is very unattractive; some sort of after taste that lingers for a while; quite heavy and oily. I can't explain what is it. Besides, they are too sweet.But there is this small company called Cacau Noir that makes some very nice chocolate. They are expensive, but worth it!Have you found out anything else about Brazilian chocolate since you first posted in October 2008?
Good Brazilian Chocolate
Posted in: Opinion
Does anyone know anything about Brazilian chocolates? My only experience with Brazilian chocolates is brigadeiros.Thanks!
updated by @Runner NYC: 04/18/15 04:02:51
Next Generation Chocolatier competition finalists announced today
Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)
Okay thanks! And thanks Brady!
Next Generation Chocolatier competition finalists announced today
Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)
Photo album with details here . Thanks to ChocolateLife member Brady for the pix.
Next Generation Chocolatier competition finalists announced today
Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)
Congratulations to all!! Are there pictures of the winning pieces?
Next Generation Chocolatier competition finalists announced today
Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)
Judging for the 2008 Next Generation Chocolatier competition happened last week, on Wednesday October 8th to be exact. The six judges (Kee Ling Tong and Fritz Knipschildt - chocolatiers; Rose Potts (Blommer) and Laura Tornichio-Vidal (Guittard) - chocolate makers; Steven Millard (Dean & Deluca) and Linda Sturges (Bloomingdales) - retail) gathered in New York City to judge the entries. In all, 25 bonbons and 7 bars entered into the judging.
The scoring system developed by me consisted of two major sections: Technical and Taste/Mouthfeel. Within each section, the judges awarded a set of scores to each piece. All 32 pieces were tasted in a firstround and the order the pieces were tasted in was random. During the first round, each judge had background sheets that listed only the name of each piece plus a marketing description and an explanation of what salt was used and why. During the first round the judges were able to ask me questions but were discouraged from talking among themselves.
Once the first round was over, the judges were asked to review their scores and cast their votes - each judge was asked to choose their top 3 bonbon recommendations and their top 2 bar recommendations PLUS indicate a choice for Rising Star. During this process they were able to discuss among themselves the pieces, re-taste, etc. Once the scoring was completed I tabulated both the raw scores as well as the recommendations using a spreadsheet. The votes were preferentially counted and the raw scores were there in case there was a need to break a tie.
Finally, as Head Judge, I was not involved in the actual judging and did not cast votes. Furthermore I refrained from making comments and remarks that might influence the judges until after the scoring sheets were collected. My role was to be there to answer questions and interpret the rules as well as keep the judging on track and onschedule. Technical considerations for the judges included visual appeal, temper, etc., parameters that spoke to the work skills and habits of the chocolatiers whose work was being judged. The Taste part of Taste/Mouthfeel had two major components; a) how well the flavors of the piece worked together, and b) how well the flavors reflected the theme. Mouthfeel covered the "bite" of the piece as well as the texture of the center and how the piece melted/chewed.
There were several things about the entries, taken as a whole, that impressed the judges. One that I was really surprised by is that there was no duplication of molds for the shell-molded pieces. I know that there are hundreds of polycarbonate molds that are commonly used - and we saw many of them - but no two molds used were alike. Another aspect of the entries that impressed the judges was the willingness of many of the chocolatiers to take flavor risks. When the organizer of the competition, Curtis Vreeland, and I first discussed the theme flavor several months ago we were worried that we might get only caramels with fleur de sel. While we did get several of these - and they were well received by the judges - pieces that really explored the competition's theme of SaltySweets received slightly higher marks and ended up being selected as finalists.
Finally, we were impressed by the number of entries in the initial application pool that qualified for the Rising Star award. In past years, the ratio of established chocolatiers to new chocolatiers was the reverse of this year. This fact gives me great hope for the future of artisan chocolatiers in this country.
Overall, the technical execution of the pieces was very high. We saw elaborate and beautiful surface decorations on the insides of molds and exquisite transfers as well as several different ways - often unusual - of incorporating salt into the pieces, including several that focused delivering the texture of the salt not just the flavor. Furthermore there were a number of multi-layer pieces - and not just ganache/pate-de-fruit pairings - that provided not only unusual texture combinations but also new and wonderful taste sensations.
In the end, the judges made their decisions and it was not obvious to me from a quick glance at the scores who the winners would be.
From the 20 chocolatiers invited to submit entries for judging, the SIX finalists are (in alphabetical order by the name of the piece):
- Dark Chocolate, Dried Blueberry, and Salty Almond Bar Maria Valente, Chocolations, Mamaroneck, NY
- Mayan Chile Verde Ganache w/ Sweet Corn Bonbon Joanne Hansen, Bon Bon Bakery & Chocolates, San Diego, CA
- Mexican Mango Bonbon Bill Brown, William Dean Chocolates, Largo, FL
- Molasses Shoo-Fly Caramel Stephanie Marcon, Coco-Luxe Confections, Sausalito, CA
- Salty Nutty Toffee Bar Sarah Hart, Alma Chocolate, Portland, OR
- Three Hot Nuts Bar Gail Ambrosius, Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier, Madison, WI
updated by @Clay Gordon: 12/13/24 12:16:07
Halloween's Upon Us. Your Faves?
Posted in: Tasting Notes
Halloween is certainly one of my favorite holidays as well. The memories of halloween's past bring a big smile to my face. The costumes, the candy, the kids, the candy, the partying, and the candy. We've tried various treats throughout the years. Popcorn balls, homemade cookies, those goofy candies wrapped up to look like eyeballs, you name it. The favorite has always been and will remain CHOCOLATE. Snickers, M &M's, Hershey bars, Reese's PB Cups, even tootsie rolls. These of course are MY favorites and I've been known to sneak a piece or two. Ultimately, the kids don't really care. It's their night to go out and HOWL. I love it. Wish I was 6 years old again.
Halloween's Upon Us. Your Faves?
Posted in: Tasting Notes
I have admitted elsewhere that Halloween is the one time of the year where I break down and eat candy. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Almond Joy. Butterfingers. I don't go out and Trick or Treat, I poach from the bowl of what we've bought to give away and from the kids' bags when they're not looking.This year I didn't put a lot of thought into what we're giving ... I was at Costco and bought two big bags of mixed candy bars and sugar candies. I am thinking of making some adult hot chocolate (nudge, nudge) for the parents out their dutifully doing their, ah, duty.What about you? What are your Halloween candy favorites and what do you plan to distribute this Halloween?:: Clay
updated by @Clay Gordon: 05/05/15 10:44:24