Forum Activity for @Matt Caputo

Matt Caputo
@Matt Caputo
03/08/10 22:17:29
53 posts

Favorite Chocolate Bar Retailers


Posted in: Opinion

Wondering what are the best shops around the country to buy chocolate bars? Thoughts anyone?
updated by @Matt Caputo: 04/10/15 08:47:52
Nat
@Nat
09/13/10 17:28:36
75 posts

New test improves control of chocolate origins


Posted in: News & New Products Press

...and to see how much people can modify the flavor or chemical profile of beans from one origin X with fermenting microbes from another region Y to see how close they can get both profiles closer to those of region Y.
Seneca Klassen
@Seneca Klassen
09/13/10 00:09:11
17 posts

New test improves control of chocolate origins


Posted in: News & New Products Press

Similar techniques have been in use with coffee for some time, and they do help discipline the marketplace by providing third-party confirmation of origin. In the case of coffee I know they're able to get very discreet data (even down to identifying an individual farm's chemical signature), so it'll be interesting to see how this methodology gets applied to cacao and chocolate.
Brian S. Ruggles
@Brian S. Ruggles
09/11/10 21:31:05
7 posts

New test improves control of chocolate origins


Posted in: News & New Products Press

This is easily the nerdiest view of chocolate I have personally come across, and the nerd in me (easily 3/4 or better) is quite interested.This makes me wonder - do these compounds define much of the flavor that we would normally associate from the terroir? Also, do you think this could lead to synthesizing realistic fine chocolate?Further, has there been any research to discover the chemical nature of the production process as it relates to flavor and aroma? For example, ferment and roast both lend much to the final flavor profiles of Domori and Pralus chocolates, respectively. I wonder whether there has been any research into what chemicals come from these processes that yield such distinct products.Over all, this was very interesting.
Clay Gordon
@Clay Gordon
03/08/10 11:40:38
1,698 posts

New test improves control of chocolate origins


Posted in: News & New Products Press

A simple test of volatile compounds in chocolate may serve as chemical tracers to enable better traceability of cocoa and inform consumers of the countries of origin, say French researchers.

Aided by the high fat content of chocolate, which traps all but the most volatile of compounds, researchers from the Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique et Sciences de l'Aliment (IPHC-UMR 7178) in Illkirch report that identification of seven compounds that can be used as chemical tracers.

The method described in this work (hydrodistillation, GC analysis, and statistic treatment) may improve the control of the geographical origin ofchocolateduring its long production process,wrote the researchers, led by Christophe Marcic.

The analytical technique is said to integrate the entire production process for chocolate from bean to processing to final product and distinguishes between chocolate originating from the Caribbean, Madagascar, Africa, and South America.
Consumers have no way of tracing the origin of the cocoa used to produce their chocolate to a particular country, much less a particular site of agricultural production, explained the researchers.

To determine the quality of chocolate and the veracity of labelling, consumers need to be informed of the cocoa production sites country, even more with the rising market of healthy chocolate, they added.

The analysis of the volatile content and their statistical processing by multivariate analyses tended to form independent groups for both Africa and Madagascar, even if some of the chocolate samples analyzed appeared in a mixed zone together with those from America, wrote the researchers.
This analysis also allowed a clear separation between Caribbean chocolates and those from other origins.

The French researchers identified seven compounds, which they proposed as tracers, including linalool and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal), for complete characterisation of the chocolate's geographical origin.

Source:Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry2010, Volume 58, Issue 3, Pages 14781483, doi: 10.1021/jf903471eDifferentiation of Chocolates According to the Cocoas Geographical Origin Using ChemometricsAuthors: A. Cambrai, C. Marcic, S. Morville, P. Sau Houer, F. Bindler, E. Marchioni

The entire text of this article appeared on ConfectioneryNews.com on February 10, 2010.


updated by @Clay Gordon: 03/11/26 06:20:34
Clay Gordon
@Clay Gordon
03/10/10 06:31:48
1,698 posts

Unfair Trade: Is Fair Trade Scalable?


Posted in: Opinion

Dom:Thanks for the reference to FairTracing.org . There is some very interesting stuff there and the 5percent4Farmers system could be implemented on top of it. I am going to reach out to them to see about collaborating.:: Clay
Dom
@Dom
03/10/10 01:13:33
1 posts

Unfair Trade: Is Fair Trade Scalable?


Posted in: Opinion

Thanks for the very interesting posts on fair trade Clay (and hello from a first time poster, brilliant site).Hope you dont mind if I make a few comments (although I am far from an expert and very happy to be found completely wrong! (my intention is to learn)). Agreed, some flaws with fair trade (ft) concept:1) as you say in another post ft provides a fairer deal for producers in some countries than those in others (given differences in $ purchasing power across different countries);2) as Matt says it fails to incentivise farmers to improve quality (unlike say direct trade concepts) why put in more effort to raise the bar re planting more flavour-some but more labour intensive bean, or say spend more time and effort fermenting if you know you will get the same price as your more laid back neighbor who will just take the easy options? ;3) the farmer could actually be worse off : if every farmers goal is to sell fair trade cacao then wont this cause oversupply given the finite (albeit growing) fair-trade market? So those beans that s-he cant sell fair-trade (if s-he does not belong to a co-operative) will have to be sold on the open market at rock bottom prices given the glut.4) as you have pointed out before, the minimum cacao price contract seems, currently, a pretty rubbish deal after the spoils have been divied up. The ft floor price ($1750 per tonne isnt it? ie $1600 plus $150 premium) has been irrelevant for the last four or five years with open market cacao prices being above the floor (dont know why the floor hasnt been adjusted upwards to take into account of inflation). So the ft advantage for the farmers now (and for the foreseeable future in my opinion as I cant see cacao going down below $1600) comes from the $150 premium which as you point out is currently only about 5% above market. And if prices rise the premium will be even less in % terms. Obviously, when prices were at the $1000 level in the early 90s then farmers were getting a much better deal (when the ft price-premium was 75% above the open market).All this said, I think the fair-trade foundation has done really important work to inform western consumers about the plight of developing world farmers, their miserable wages, living standards, environmental standards etc AND to empower them to demand changes-improvements using their wallet. It is also keeping big business accountable to some extent on wages, the environment etc given the ft certification many consumers now expect from big business.But, I agree ft is mostly for the big boys. Its not really helping the small scale farmer (who as you say find certification costs prohibitively expensive) reach international consumers. Nor is it really helping the ethical chocolate maker or craft producer who pays way above the minimum fair-trade price because they think it is the right thing to do in the circumstances, since their ft logo, if they go for it, will lump them in with all the "no more than $150 premium" corporate buyers. One size cant fit all.As you say Clay no point criticising a system without a better alternative to propose so really interested in your new site, will check it out. PS I came across The Fair Tracing Project a while ago whilst browsing (and no, I have no connection with them!) and I thought there were some great ideas in there. No doubt you have come across it already.Sorry for rambling (especially on a first post)..and sincerely hope I have not offended anyone!Dom
Clay Gordon
@Clay Gordon
03/09/10 06:41:49
1,698 posts

Unfair Trade: Is Fair Trade Scalable?


Posted in: Opinion

Matt:I have suggested on several occasions that FairTrade actually exerts negative pricing pressure on the market by setting a value on the time and effort involved in the certification process. As some have pointed out (Frederick Schilling for one), this is not the case - FairTrade pricing sets the floor for negotiations. However in some cases (especially with commodity buyers looking to "greenwash" their brands by FairTrade certifying one or a small percentage of their products) FairTrade pricing sets a de facto price cap.Farmers get paid by the pound for their product. Given limited monetary, time, and labor resources they will always opt for a crop that will produce more for a given ratio of money/time/labor to maximize their return. The challenge becomes when the return does not value the investment. A maximum 8% premium - that then is split among many actors (including the certification fee "kickback" paid to the certifier) - is not nearly enough to justify the effort in most cases.In the end, the place to start is the consumer, who needs to realize that in order to help out the farmer we need to pay more for food and value quality. The issue (in the US anyway) is that federal agricultural and food policy for the last 30+ years had focused on delivering cheap calories to the consumer without considering the effects on agricultural workers, their families, and the communities they live in.
Matt Caputo
@Matt Caputo
03/08/10 22:48:29
53 posts

Unfair Trade: Is Fair Trade Scalable?


Posted in: Opinion

Clay,Interesting post. I always hesitate to bring this up because people can react quite vehemently to it, but to me one of the biggest dangers of "Fair Trade" certification is that farmers on plantations growing flavor beans would need to join cooperatives to get the certification and have no incentive to grow anything but the most productive beans (often times least flavorful beans).I have talked to a handful of artisan chocolate makers who all agree that Fair Trade is a deterrent to biodiversity and quality. Many even go as far as to say that Fair Trade is a guarantee of commodity grade beans. Any thoughts in that regard?Thanks,Matt
Clay Gordon
@Clay Gordon
03/08/10 08:07:14
1,698 posts

Unfair Trade: Is Fair Trade Scalable?


Posted in: Opinion

Another reason why FairTrade fails is that it's not scalable on the producer side.

As I mentioned in my original post Unfair Trade in Belize - How Kraft Shafts Cocoa Farmers , the international FairTrade organization (FLO - FairTrade Labeling Organization, headquartered in Bonn, Germany) says that there were 746 certified producer organizations in 59 countries in their 2008-2009 annual report - after more than a decade of work. Again, as I asked above, if Fair Trade (as institutionalized by FLO) is so great, how come it's not more successful on the producer side?

One reason is that the certification process itself is not scalabl e. Individual farmers are not certified because the entity looking to be certified has to pay fees - the initial certification fee and annual re-certification fees. The fact that the producer organizations have to pay fees to be a part of Fair Trade is not widely known among the general public and the relatively high cost of certification is certainly a barrier to entry.

Another, more systemic, barrier to the expansion of Fair Trade, is the certification process itself. Certification requires certifiers. Trained certifiers. Paid, trained certifiers - who incur travel and other expenses.

Let's take the case of the Ivory Coast. There are an estimated 600,000 cacao farms in the Ivory Coast. For the sake of argument, if we organize Ivorian cocoa farmers into co-ops of 200 farmers each, there would be 3,000 co-ops. Certification is annual, and let's say that one certifier can certify one co-op per week. In order to handle the certification load - just for cocoa, just in the Ivory Coast - it's necessary to have 60 full-time certifiers working 50 weeks a year: for one crop in one country, to achieve 100% certification.

What would 100% certification mean for the individual farmer? Probably not much, as we can see from the TCGA example in Belize, because few co-ops (let alone farmers) have direct access to an export market. The Fair Trade premium on cocoa amounts to just 8% at the floor price (US$1800/tonne) and is about 5% at the current price (US$3200/tonne). The assumption that as the price increases the farmer automatically earns more is clearly erroneous - at least when it comes to cocoa. When government cocoa boards control prices and access to export markets (or there is a contractual agreement that limits market price volatility as is the case with the TCGA in Belize), producers are insulated from the market and have no pricing leverage.

More tellingly, there is no place in the FairTrade standards that focuses on improving quality or agricultural practices that could improve yield. Showing farmers how to take care of their farms (basic pruning, how to care for diseased trees and fruits, etc.) has shown to be able to more than double yields on existing land, reducing the pressure to "pioneer farm" (slash and burn new forest). A focus on improving post-harvest processing techniques improves the quality of the cocoa offered on the market. However, as long as the producer does not have direct access to markets, there is no way to extract any income from improvements in quality.

The focus on certification (to the producer - "You have to prove that you are following our rules, but we don't have to help you in any way by providing information that would make you better farmers") is a travesty in my opinion.

Another travesty is the layers of expensive bureaucracy that have developed over the years. FLO sits at the top of the pyramid in Bonn. There is a World Fair Trade Organization, a Fair Trade Advocacy Office, and more. FairTrade worldwide relies on government support - so some taxpayers (in Switzerland, the UK, and Germany at least) are supporting FairTrade through their federal taxes in addition to paying FairTrade licensing fees when they purchase products.

Perhaps more disturbingly, it occurred to me when I re-read the annual report in preparing this post, is that there is a subtle disintermediation that is happening through the official language that has been adopted by FLO. Agricultural workers are no longer farmers. They are producers. They are not farmer co-ops, they are producer organizations. At one level I can understand this, as not all products that are FairTrade certified are agricultural products (there is a move to certify gold as FairTrade, for example).

Nonetheless, the language has literally dehumanized the supposed beneficiaries of FairTrade, at least among FairTrade officialdom. As consumers, we are marketed to that FairTrade benefits farmers, not producer organizations. I wonder how successful end-consumer marketing of FairTrade would be if all the marketing messages talked not of helping farmers and their families, but of helping producer organizations?

Probably not nearly so successful.

I am firm believer that you can't just be against something, you have to be for something in its place - otherwise shut up. About this time last year, I started another (private) network on Ning to discuss an alternative idea for FairTrade. There are already several members and quite a bit of discussion. As of right now, I am making the network public (subject to member moderation) to advance my ideas in this regard.

The network is called 5percent4farmers . The idea is to create a system that:

a) has the minimum of bureaucracy and overhead
b) does not charge farmers to take part
c) captures premiums for the farmer throughout the value chain - not just at the point of initial sale
d) is scalable
e) can benefit farmers everywhere in the world, not just "developing countries"
f) is completely transparent, using the power of the Internet for administration and oversight
g) encourages "voluntourism" as a component of oversight
h) works to provide farmers direct access to markets

If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to visit the site and join to add your opinions. If anyone knows anyone interested in funding the development of the underlying software system needed to implement this, please let me know.

updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/18/15 18:29:03
Dirke Botsford
@Dirke Botsford
04/26/10 15:27:54
98 posts

Label ingredients? Nutrition Facts


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

thank you so much for this link! saved me a lot of time and frustration!
dale montondo
@dale montondo
03/15/10 18:05:11
10 posts

Label ingredients? Nutrition Facts


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I called the FDA. Since I don't use any meat products they referred me to the Dept of Ag. and Mkts. I called them and They told me I was talking to the correct Dept.In order to sell in NYS I need an approved kitchen. A list of ingredients starting with the largest ingredient. A name on the packaging. Contact #'s and owner name.I was told If I met that I can sell anywhere I want. I should be able to verify that in about 4 weeks when I open my shop. My other inspections include the town code, fire marshal, and town Supervisor. Also Certificate of authority to collect taxes. Insurance in case someone gets sick. Then it's time to see the business attorney. This is what I have to do in NY. If I require more or less I will post when I open for business.
Brendan
@Brendan
03/08/10 05:41:24
21 posts

Label ingredients? Nutrition Facts


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

No matter how small you are you have to list your ingredients (and net weight, btw). You also need to specify any of the major allergens of which your product could contain traces. The exemption you mention is for the Nutrition Facts label--you don't have to do this until you sell over a certain amount per year. Which is handy, cause it will cost a few bucks to get that info together. The FDA has a guide dedicated to labeling requirements that goes into serious detail.
MelodyB
@MelodyB
03/07/10 23:13:31
8 posts

Label ingredients? Nutrition Facts


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi,I can't speak for food exactly but I know in cosmetics that all ingredients must be listed on the packaging.I've had extensive experience with the FDA on cosmetics and know first hand that ignorance is never an excuse.I quickly looked at the FDA website and here is a link to a few pages that list all of the guidelines: http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/default.htm When I have time I am going to read these CFR as it looks like there are some exceptions to the rules.21 CFR 101.9(j)(1) and 21 CFR 101.36(h)(1) a http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/UCM053857 am interest to hear other people that are already selling chocolate's experiences and advice as well!Best of luck to you,Melody
Karen H.
@Karen H.
03/07/10 09:35:00
4 posts

Label ingredients? Nutrition Facts


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I"m getting such a run around on this topic even call FDA but the hold for an answer is taking hours. But my question is do we have to put all ingriendents on our products once we start selling online or in person even is your a very small bus? Also do we have to put the Nutritin Facts and if so do anyone have a lead on how to do this? I was ready to launch my site when it came to mind and don't want to put myself in any hot water before I get started.

I thought I read somewhere if you have less than 10 full time employees and make and sales few than 10,000 units you are exempt. (NY) just want to be clear.

Thanks a bunch


updated by @Karen H.: 04/11/25 09:27:36
steve5
@steve5
03/10/13 21:24:44
5 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

hola , I am looking some info were to buy ,products for panning ,,,, like what the name of the product , and puts on the shine ,any info would be great , thanks steve

Mike3
@Mike3
11/26/12 08:34:01
63 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Wondering if you can offer some advice---I just started playing around with panning, and I am not able to get the coated centers (coffee beans, in my case) to polish. I'm using the kitchen aid attachment, and each half has two metal ribs welded in---do i need to add more for polishing or is that what those are for? I'm also trying to avoid any coatings for polishing, which i understand is possible, though I don't believe it yet :)

Kerry
@Kerry
03/11/11 10:28:18
288 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

It would be the plastic tubing that you might get at a make your own wine place - used for decanting the wine into bottles. You want something considered food grade.
updated by @Kerry: 09/08/15 06:03:11
Dana Rebarchick
@Dana Rebarchick
03/11/11 07:17:59
1 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I am fairly new at this and trying to figure the process out. When you say plastic tubing can you please tell me a little more about what this means? I assume it is something I can get at a hardware store?
updated by @Dana Rebarchick: 01/22/15 13:07:45
Hilal ÇAKMAK
@Hilal ÇAKMAK
02/24/11 01:50:09
1 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hello,

we are producer hazelnut and chocolate process equipment.


The Laboratory Type Pres Using For Obtaining Hazelnut Oil.

Hazelnut/cocoa bean cutting unit

http://innovas.com.tr/english/urunler/giyotin/Cutting_Unit.pdf

chocolate cooling system

Scraped surface heat exchanger

http://innovas.com.tr/english/index.htm

The Laboratory Type Chopping Machine For Agricultural Producs Nuts Etc

Hzelnut cutting andchopping units with sieving

etc...

http://innovas.com.tr

info@innovas.com.tr

thanks in advance

Hilal akmak

sales engineer

Kerry
@Kerry
01/21/11 05:25:54
288 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

You can ridge your pan by taping plastic tubing in it.
Kerry
@Kerry
01/21/11 05:24:36
288 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Andal - that's exciting news. Will it have heating and cooling air or just turn?
Andal Balu
@Andal Balu
01/20/11 21:23:24
16 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

We at cocoatown.com are working on a panning attachment for the small melangers to be used by scale chocolatiers. We are testing the attachment and will send you more information soon.

Kerry
@Kerry
01/20/11 17:44:40
288 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

To get the shine without chemicals - you need to let the product sit overnight then put back in the pan - 48 C air is blown in with pan rotating. You are listening for quiet - once it gets quiet you pick a piece up and see if it is squishable (ie the chocolate becomes plastic). Once you reach this point you start adding cold air again (13-15 C) for about an hour until the product shines.
Benoit N
@Benoit N
01/20/11 15:19:25
14 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Dear Kerry,

Thank you so much for your advise. I will try that tomorrow and will keep you up to date.

Benoit

PS: have you got some advises to get the shine on the product without chemical stuff?

Kerry
@Kerry
01/20/11 14:35:09
288 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

You need to add the chocolate slowly (and not tempered). The product (ie hazelnuts) need to be cooled in some way while you add the layers of chocolate. So either some dry ice, or an air conditioner blowing cold air into the pan.
Benoit N
@Benoit N
01/20/11 11:05:44
14 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hello

I have just started experiments on my new coating pan. Is there anyone out there that could help me?

I put my hazelnuts into the pan, then pour the tempered chocolate...all began to mix...and a few minutes later, everything began to stick...and I got, a big "ball' of choco-hazelnuts"...horrifying...what is the problem do you think? How to avoid that? Is it a matter of spinning speed? of amount of material in the pan?

Thank you

Benoit

Glenn Knowles
@Glenn Knowles
01/17/11 18:44:06
19 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thank you very much. I'll give Dave a call.
Sebastian
@Sebastian
01/17/11 15:06:15
757 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Centerchem is a great resource. Dave Jordan's your go-to guy with them.
Glenn Knowles
@Glenn Knowles
01/17/11 13:55:49
19 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Do you have any recommended suppliers for the coatings (glaze, food shellac, etc.)?
Andy Ciordia
@Andy Ciordia
01/14/11 07:11:15
157 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hey Bob, how'd your education, equipment procurement, and first steps go? We're looking into panning but probably not on the scale you are.
Kerry
@Kerry
03/10/10 21:04:02
288 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Something around 20 inches is all I have experience with. You don't want to overfill the pan initially, because as you add the chocolate the amount of product 'grows'. It doesn't take too long to coat a batch, then it sits overnight anyway before polishing the next day.
Bob Aman
@Bob Aman
03/08/10 10:05:26
3 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Kerry,Thanks for the reply and yes, that answered my questions. I also took a look at the Union Machinery web site for used equipment. Lots of items to choose from. What might be a good size to start with for batch sizes of 15 - 20 pounds?
Kerry
@Kerry
03/07/10 20:02:14
288 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Yup, those pans would have worked fine. You use the smooth pan for the coating, then one of the ridged pans for polishing. Of course you can tape tubing inside your smooth pan, to make it ridged for polishing.By 'coat the chocolate after panning' I assume you are asking if you need products such as polish and sealers? The whole process can be accomplished without these things.
Bob Aman
@Bob Aman
03/07/10 19:03:57
3 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thanks for the great replies. The coarse seems to be a great way to get started. I do like the idea of a headed pan for other flavorings. However, I might look at one of the off the shelf nut roasters which are propane fired. This way I can run the chocolate in one room where the ambient can be better controlled and do the roasting and flavoring in another room where the heat isn't as much of a problem.I did actually bid on the 3 pans that were on eBay but I had to be away from my computer when the bidding closed and I got outbid in the end. Would this type of pan work for chocolate? One had ridges and the other two were smooth inside. Might like to know if another deal like this come up.Also, is there a need to coat the chocolate after it has been panned? Is this a standard process or only used with certain types of chocolates?Thanks again for the suggestions.Bob
Kerry
@Kerry
03/06/10 21:27:25
288 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I second the PMCA/NCA panning course. It was an excellent course.You've got to love the Selmi - a little dear in price - but it heats and cools which allows you to polish the product without any additional polishing products being added.E-bay often has pans - I bought a Stokes pan several years ago. I noticed a group of 3 small pans that closed yesterday for about $2100.There are a couple of companies that sell used equipment - Union Machinary being one that comes to mind.The chocolate is probably one of those things you are going to have to experiment with to decide what you like with your product. I've been happy lately with the Belgian Belcolade milk and dark.
Mark Heim
@Mark Heim
03/05/10 18:25:51
101 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

The PMCA offers a nice panning course, covers hard, soft, and chocolate panning. Think too of a pan you can also hot pan with. Similar pan but with gas burner under to caramelize sugar around the nuts. Add a variety of seasonings and you can offer a nice seasonal variety. But then you can also season the chocolate. For chocolate, think of a cool/dry air source. Portable coolers work nice but overall warm the room so not good for continuous use. Just blowing ambient air will work if cool/dry enough, but you lose some control, especially if you're looking to add color for marbling or speckling.Good luck with whatever you choose.
Bob Aman
@Bob Aman
03/05/10 09:59:48
3 posts

Chocolate Panning, process and equipment


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Greetings,
I'm investigating the art/science of chocolate panning for nuts, primarily hazelnuts and almonds. This would be for a small side business to our hazelnut farm here in Oregon. I'm looking at providing raw, roasted and chocolate coated nuts to start with. Raw and roasted I have under control, but chocolate panning and equipment is new except for what I've been reading. Still, looking at batch sizes of say 10 to 20 pounds of nuts, what type/brand of coating pan might be a good start? The Selmi certainly looks like a great tool but really high end and costly. Is there any good source for used equipment?

Regarding the process, what is the best approach for classes, training or literature? What are some of the best bulk chocolates to purchase, both milk and dark?

Thanks,
Bob

updated by @Bob Aman: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Wendy Buckner
@Wendy Buckner
05/22/10 00:28:00
35 posts

Selling at farmer's markets... in the heat of summer?


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi llana! Craigslist is a website used for posting classifieds and forums... Not sure it is used much in Israel. http://telaviv.craigslist.org/ I use it to look for used equipment in other cities in America... It is great for posting things for sale, or to post things that you are looking for. People even post homes and cars for sale.
Ilana
@Ilana
05/21/10 06:05:02
97 posts

Selling at farmer's markets... in the heat of summer?


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Can you explain to me what is Craigslist-sorry!
Chris6
@Chris6
05/20/10 15:12:21
6 posts

Selling at farmer's markets... in the heat of summer?


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Thermoelectric coolers are all over Craigslist. I bought two last summer (one in May, one was in July) for $30-$35/piece
updated by @Chris6: 04/17/15 19:11:34
Jackie Jones
@Jackie Jones
05/19/10 15:10:14
15 posts

Selling at farmer's markets... in the heat of summer?


Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I am new in the business and ready to start selling, but need chocolate cabinets to place in retail areas. Could I obtain specs to give to my electrical engineering son? I need 2 cabinets now! For retail locations - one a zoo, and another a large gallery/antique mall. email directly: jackiejjjj@aol.com
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