Lloveras Conches
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Anyone out there with experience with Lloveras conches (Spanish made)? Please let me know if you have worked with them. Thanks!
updated by @Jeff Stern: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Forum Activity for @Jeff Stern
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Anyone out there with experience with Lloveras conches (Spanish made)? Please let me know if you have worked with them. Thanks!
updated by @Jeff Stern: 04/11/25 09:27:36
alternative to mycryo
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi,
i have used Mycryo to set a raspberry mousse with no gelatin, it works very well if you keep the temperature under-control otherwise it will split (almost like when you make pound cake and the eggs are too cold).
So start with a rather warmer base (depend on your recipe..) and then add your Mycryo in.
I have tried to replace Mycryo with just "Microplaned" cocoa butter and it works fine in pastry application.
If you would like to have a very fine powder, a simple trick: Temper CB, put in a spray gun and spray into a tray, scrape, put in a container and there you should have a fine powdered cocoa butter...
alternative to mycryo
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Most of the mycryo benefit is that it is in powder form. Cacao butter is hard to find in small morsels so lots of chefs use mycryo....tres expensive but convenient. We sell Bo at Qzina. We also offer about the smallest morsel size of cocoa butter I have seen. The c butter chips run about e size of 6000 ct Choc chips, so quite small. We sell a lot as alternate to mycryo or for tempering and spraying. Athough as a gelatin replacement, not sure. Have you tried agar, or vegetable gelatin, those work well also.
alternative to mycryo
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Clay, I use normal tempered CB regularly and have noticed no discernible difference. Caveat: I have only used it for tempering, not as a thickener for desserts.
However, from what I remember of the Valrhona class, it really didn't matter as it was used for its solidification properties rather that its tempering properties, and it could be melted to just about any temperature.
alternative to mycryo
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Cheebs -
Don't you think tempered cocoa butter will work a little differently? My understanding is that the crystals in Mycryo are pretty much all Form VI which accounts for their "aggressiveness" in setting up.
I don't have much experience using Mycryo in pastry, just in savory.
:: Clay
alternative to mycryo
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Absolutely! Just temper your cocoa butter as if it were chocolate and mold into blocks or whatever you want. Grate with a Microplane. Voila! Mycryo substitute for much less!
alternative to mycryo
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Can regular cocoa butter be used in place of Mycryo?
For instance, to set a fruit mousse or a cold cheesecake. Instead of using gelatin I have used Mycryo, however it is very expensive. Thanks .
updated by @Tom Early: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Packaging chocolate bars
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi,
Is there such a thing as a small machine that will package chocolate bars in foil and paper wrappers? What I've seen online is huge machines that do large volumes or instructions on how to wrap by hand. I'm wondering if there's a small scale version of a machine to do the chocolate packaging.
Thanks,
Geetha
updated by @Geetha Panchapakesan: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Cemoi
Posted in: Opinion
Hi Folks,
A few quick questions about Cemoi couverture,
- What is it like to work with?
- How does it stack up compared to other couvertures on the market?
- Would you recommend this brand?
Thanks,
Stu
updated by @Stu Jordan: 04/19/15 17:20:24
Questions regarding tempering & molding
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I find when tempering by seeding that it is not necessary to go down to 80, try testing for temper at 86, you may be happily surprised. The mark of 80 degrees, in my experience, refers to tabliering where you are creating the stable crystals vs. Seeding where you are introducing the stable crystals. I can usually temper by seeding in roughly 15 minutes with a fair amount of chocolate. Another tip, try to have a large chunk of factory tempered chocolate and introduce that after your 20%, this will help to drop your temp a little further and will be easy to remove when you are satisfied that you are in temper.
Questions regarding tempering & molding
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks for the tips. I'll try them this weekend. TheChicago house co-op is a great idea 
. I still seem to be having trouble when using the seed method to temper.I get the temperature up to about 115 Fthen use 20%by weight for seeding which helps drop the temperature to about 95 F but it takes forever (orit just seems like it )for the temperature to drop down to 80F (Then I bring it back up to 86 F to work with it). Any tips on helping the chocolate cool faster?
Questions regarding tempering & molding
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Jo-Ellen,
I live near the Minn/Wis border, and I'm going to strongly encourage you, as others have, to take a class at either the French Pastry School or Callebaut Chocolate Academy, both in Chicago. I've taken classes both places, and they are both excellent, friendly, and immensely helpful. (Anyone want to start a student housing co-op for chocolate students in Chicago?)
I'd also agree with others on the melt by microwave option. It's much faster (pretty much blister free). I have a microwave that has a hotspot (maybe all of them do, I don't know). So I melt 30-40 seconds at a time at first, stirring between, and then 20-30 secs. as I go. Once you have chocolate melted, you can temper it via seeding, and then use a heat pack (from your local Walgreens) that you warm in the microwave to keep it workable for longer. Or, you can zap the bowl back in the microwave for 5-10 seconds at a time and stir, to keep it workable longer also.
Questions regarding tempering & molding
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Tempering ....time temperature, movement. There are several ways to do it, but practice makes perfect. If you google it, you will find lots of info, and a good video by Jacues Torre. We also have tempering info at www.Qzina.com if you need to print out.
Questions regarding tempering & molding
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Jo-Ellen, I melt all of my chocolate in the microwave either in glass or plastic. Go slowly with the melting process and remove the chocolate and stir it and check the temperature along the way to avoid scorching until you know how your microwave performs. I may be cursing myself but I've never scorched chocolate in themicrowave. I worry about water/steam with the bain marie. I sawyour comment above about taking a class somewhere. In Chicago you can check The French Pastry School - I just took an advanced course there with Jean Pierre Wybauw but I know they offer classes at different levels.I think there is also a Callebaut programsomewhere in Chicagoas well. Good luck! Andrea
Questions regarding tempering & molding
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Andrea - I havegone back tousing a bain marie since I have scorched to much chocolateby melting in the microwave. I do temper in a large plastic bowl so that I can use the microwave for maintaining temperature. I never thought about hiring someone for a lesson. Great Idea! Thanks so much for the morsels
of advice and the support - Jo-Ellen
Questions regarding tempering & molding
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks so much for the reply -
I'm glad I'm not crazy in thinking it was taking way too long to temper my chocolate, whew I'll try the heat gun trick next time the chocolate gets to thick. I would love to take a class unfortunately I live in central Wisconsin, not exactly a booming metropolis. I have been musing over the idea of looking for a course in Milwaukee or Chicago. It seems like to way to go at this point. Again, Thanks for the help. Jo-Ellen
Questions regarding tempering & molding
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I agree with Gap's comments and have a few other comments to add. Two hours to temper is way too long and you are definitely over-tempered. Once your chocolate is within your working temperature it should be more fluid than you are describing.
The solution to your problem may not be the end product (i.e. too thick chocolate). Make sure you are melting out your chocolate to a high enough temp to melt out all the crystals prior to beginning the tempering process. If you don'tdo this you will absolutely be over crystalized at your working temperature. If you are stirring for the entire 2 hours, then you will also be over crystalized. What kind of bowl are you melting your chocolate in? Glass will hold heat much longer than metal or a plastic bowl (for microwave only).
One other suggestion for once your chocolate is tempered and you are trying to maintain it's fluidity/working temperaturebesides the heat gun (although I have a heat gun and like it)is to use a microwave. It will take you a time or two to figure out what works time-wise. On my microwave I will put the bowl in for 5-6 seconds on 50% power. Sometimes it needs a bit less and sometimes a bit more but the microwave is a very effective way control the temperature within a few degrees.
As for adding cocoa butter, I don't recommend this as a solution. You can and will figure out how to correctly temper chocolate so that is has fluidity. I think adding cocoa butter is like adding a bandaid and it doesn't solve the issue.
I don't do large molds and have never had the need to put my smaller molds (individual bonbons) in the fridge. It sounds like at your working temperature that you don't need to put them in the fridge unless you are doing large pieces.
I also think taking a class is a good idea. If you live in a large town/city you could even hire someone for a lesson. Call around either to chocolate shops or bakeries and find someone with some experience.
Good luck and you WILL master tempering!
Andrea
Questions regarding tempering & molding
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Everyone has their own opinions on things like this, but I'll have a go at answering for you:
1. 2 hours sounds way too long. I temper 3-4 kilos of chocolate using the seed method in about 15-20 minutes. I'm sure there's others out there who do it faster as well.
2. Chocolate is over-tempered when it is in temper, but is very thick and doesn't flow well. Use a heat gun (eg., paint stripper from the hardware store or a hair-dryer) on the chocolate for 5-10 seconds at a time while stirring to get the chocolate fluid again. You don't want to heat the chocolate too much or else you will knock it out of temper and have to re-temper it.
3. Sounds like it's over-tempered and you'll need some sort of heat gun on it
4. This one depends - usually on your room temperature and the size of your moulds. I think cooling too slowly or too quickly can cause "blooming" issues. The idea is to find the right middle ground. I always put large moulds (eg., large Easter egg) into the fridge, but smaller moulds (eg., individual bon bons) I allow to cool at room temperature.
It sounds like you're at a stage where taking some sort of class would be a huge benefit - actually seeing someone working with the chocolate and seeing how it should look (eg., how fluid) and a professional's technique for moulding. Given you've taught yourself so much already, you would probably pick up everything very quickly in an environment where you saw it all happening.
Questions regarding tempering & molding
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi - I am relatively new to making chocolates and have learned through books and the internet. 80% of the time my chocolates turn out very wellbutI am at the point where Icould really usesome sage advice to help refine my process. If you could help me out I'd really appreciate it.
1. It often takes me 2hrs to hand temper about 2 lbs of chocolate using the seeding method. Is it normal to take so long? The room temp is 68 F and I'm getting blisters from stirring.
2. How do you know if your chocolate is over-tempered? What is the best way to correct over-tempered chocolate?
3. My chocolateappears (to me at least) to get very thick when it finally gets into temper (I always do a temper test before using it) and then because of its viscosity it gets very had to mold into shells. I've tried adding cocoa butter. Any other remedies you could recommend?
4. I have read that molded shells should be put in the fridge to set and I've read to absolutely not use the fridge. I've read that coolng chocolate to fast causes bloom but I've also read that cooling chocolate to slow also causes bloom. Which is correct? What is the best way to mold shells?
Thanks, Jo-Ellen
updated by @Jo-Ellen Fairbanks: 04/11/25 09:27:36
What does it really cost to set up a bean to bar chocolate factory?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
And I thought we only had such nightmares in Vietnam!
What does it really cost to set up a bean to bar chocolate factory?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I don't what states you guys are in but it took me almost 9 months to go thru the buildout and permit process here in Hawaii.It was a nightmare. I really had no idea it would take that long and everyday watched finances drain away with no income coming in. Definately plan for the unexpected by having about 3-6 months living expenses stockpiled.
What does it really cost to set up a bean to bar chocolate factory?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hi Mickey,
I totally agree with Brad, a proper business plan is a must. I did write and implement a few of them in my previous career before turning to chocolate and they included a few extra zeros compared with our current artisanal bean-2-bar chocolate project.
Also agree with an earlier comment: a decent business plan allows you to tap into bank / investors which can make all the difference between day dreaming about your company and actually getting it started.
Having said that the investment and monthly spend figures that you quoted are small but not unrealistic as such, but it's just impossible to say without the other side of the equation:
How much are you selling your products for?
Based on that, how much margin are you making on each unit you are selling (leaving aside fixed costs)?
How many units are you going to sell?
If you find out that your number of units x margin per unit eventually covers your fixed costs you're on the right track. I sometimes see people getting fixated on the margin % without thinking of the production numbers, which are just as important: say you are making a 100% margin on reindeer-shaped chocolates you import from northern Latvia, they cost you 1USD and you sell them for 2, that's a really good margin, but, assuming it takes you time and effort to source and sell your wares, unless you know for sure you can sell a couple thousands of them per month you're probably better off keeping your day job.
Cheers,
Sam
What does it really cost to set up a bean to bar chocolate factory?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Mickey;
I don't want to sound like a jerk, so please don't take my comment here as such.
Starting ANY business needs planning and estimating up front. 80% of small businesses FAIL in the first 12 months because the owner is either "too busy" to take the time to plan, or is completely disillusioned as to the amount of work in starting a venture.
The spreadsheet I described in detail how to set up in my first post is an absolute necessity for the following reasons:
1. It creates a list of everything you are going to spend money on.
2. It keeps it organized
3. It provides you with a roadmap of goals.
4. It allows you to evaluate whether or not your business is going to be successful before you spend a single dime.
I've personally done a few proforma's only to find that the numbers didn't work. A little work up front saved me several hundred thousand dollars!
I may have the prior experience, and can do a lot of this in my head, but believe it or not, on Saturday evening I was out in the mountains camping, had my laptop by the fire, and was doing EXACTLY what I just described for you to do, in order to estimate the costs of opening my next location.
In my opinion, whether you're spending $1,000 or $100,000, you need to formulate a plan and some "what if's". The spreadsheet I described allows you to do just that.
The equipment list that Clay is asking you to provide is PART of that spreadsheet.
Cheers, and best of luck to you.
Brad
What does it really cost to set up a bean to bar chocolate factory?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Mickey:
Without going into too much detail (i.e., specific equipment names/brands - unless you want to share) can you give us a breakdown of where you're spending that $50/100K?
So -
- Permitting and professional services (e.g., architect)
- Buildout (construction - other than electrical and plumbing)
- Electrical andPlumbing
- Cleaner
- Roaster
- Cracker / Winnower
- Grinder
- Refiner/Conche (any holding tanks?)
- Tempering / Molding
- Startup supply of beans
Just curious to see what the relative allocation of costs is.
:: Clay
BTW: There are no startup calculators/books that cover this topic specifically, though Pam Williams may go over it in her classes at Ecole Chocolat.
What does it really cost to set up a bean to bar chocolate factory?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
How can you measure the real cost of producing B2B small batch chocolate? I'm in the middle of my start up and am trying to bootstrap the business (no external help) while working full time not to mention trying to spend time with the family! If you want to include the cost of a divorce in your costs fuggetaboutit! Seriously since this is all new to me how do I estimate the cost of fumbling around doing things for the first time unlike Brad who has prior experiences? In the beginning sourcing used, new or repurposed equipment for the best prices and best value is a time consuming challenge. I'm sure there are calculators and books out there that can break down the start up costs but I seem to feel they leave something out. Assuming I don't get blindsided by something that isn't included in my business plan.
Here are my preliminary estimated costs for 50lb - 100lb batch per day is:
Fixed start up costs $50,000 - $75,000
After 6 months with employees, rent and production costs per month - $12,000-$16,000
Someone smarter than me said you can choose the size of your headaches and I hope to keep mine small.
Mickey
Ciao Chocolate
What does it really cost to set up a bean to bar chocolate factory?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Ahhhh... Where to start??? Having done this before, started numerous entrepreneurial ventures (some successful and some not), the best place to start is with a spreadsheet and an "ideal" vision of what you would like your business to look like, including location. Columns = Months and Rows = costs and revenues.
Once you've got your spreadsheet laid out, brainstorm a list of ALL the equipment you can envision in your ideal business. Research the prices, and delivery times, and plot them in your 1st 6 months of your spreadsheet. Be sure to include such things as signage, business cards, your first packaging order, kitchen tools, sheet pans, molds, tables, fridges, ribbon, bows, labels, display cases/stands, tempering machines, a food processor, a mixer, bowls, and plastic containers for product, sheet pans, sheet pan lids, and the list goes on and on.
Then create a list of everything you will need to open your "store" - costs such as 1st month's rent, damage deposit, leashold improvements, signage, chairs, utility deposits (gas, electricity, etc).
These and your equipment costs go in your "up front costs". You can plot your expenses in the first 6 months as you incur them, for budgeting purposes, but you will still need to record them.
Plot your spreadsheet in such a way that your everyday business expenses actually "start" 6 months after you start spending money (expenses such as staff labour, rent, utilities, telephone, internet, permits, etc). You need to do this because, quite often chocolate equipment comes from different areas of the world, and can take as long as 3 months to arrive. Beans are often 2-3 months out (again depending on the size of the order). You also need to account for your time. Start "billing" your company the minute you start working on it, and this includes the 6 months prior to opening. After all, you can't live for free while you're getting started. You TOO need a salary/wage.
Plot out ALL of the expenses you can think of in your "IDEAL" business vision. Only then can you determine how much product you need to sell in order to create a sustainable business. Helpful "standard" numbers in the food industry are as follows: Labour cost: 35-40%, Food cost: 30% (Chocolate industry is a bit lower - say about 25%)
In my opinion this is the only way you are really going to know what it will cost to set up your business.
Once this is complete, you can then determine what you need to order, make, and sell as product. It will also give you an idea of how many staff you will need to do so.
If you are looking for investment capital from friends, family, or financial institutions, they will all want to see these numbers to make sure you're organized, and to make sure their money is going to the right place.
I did this for my first location, and have to do it for EVERY location I open. I'm going through this exact exercise this week for another location I'm opening. Every location has different costs to open, and this is why I have to do it.
Cheers.
I hope this helps.
Brad
What does it really cost to set up a bean to bar chocolate factory?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
This is in response to another discussion that was started over in the Classifieds group asking about the cost of setting up a small confectionery kitchen.
There is a lot of interest in making chocolate from beans, both in-country and out. There are many challenges, not least of which is securing the necessary equipment. It's easy and relatively inexpensive to find equipment for the kitchen hobbyist making 5lb-5kg batches.
It's also easy (but expensive) to find equipment that can be used to make large batches (1MT) at a time.
However, it's not so easy to find equipment for most everything in between that is both affordable and where each piece is scaled to the same throughput.
Yes, there are "turn key" systems you can purchase that are scaled properly. These might cost anywhere from $80-100k on the low end, for a system roughly capable of up to 50 kg/day up to 100,000 Euros for something capable of producing between 250-400kg/day.
It's also possible to piece together systems using a combination of commercially available machinery and home-grown pieces where needed, but this requires a certain mechanical ingenuity that not everyone possesses or has the patience for.
Jim Lucas over in the thread in Classifieds , asked about what it takes to produce in-country (in Jim's case, Brazil).
New member James Swanwick asked a very good related question , which is how much does it cost to produce a single bar of chocolate. Another way to ask this question - which may be more useful - is, "What is the minimum level of production (and sales) you need to get to in order to have a real (i.e., sustainable) business?
I am really looking forward to the discussion on this.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/11/25 09:27:36
Margins: how much does it cost to produce 1 chocolate bar?
Posted in: Chocolate Education
Having trouble finding any industry research on profit margins.
In a nutshell: I want to know what it costs to make a bar of chocolate and put a wrapper on it.
Yes, there are 100 variables. But if anyone has any case studies on profit margins, would appreciate the info. Thanks!
updated by @James Swanwick: 04/18/15 11:15:37
Renting kitchen space by the hour?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Thanks for the responses. It looks like my place is actually at the lower end of the cost scale. Which means my "fix" is to greatly increase production speed. Tempering capactiy is my bottleneck right now - need to get a big enough machine to make it worthwhile to add some helpers and boost production/ per hour. Thanks again.
Renting kitchen space by the hour?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
In the DC area 4 years ago I paid $30 an hour and that was cheap! And I fully concur with others remarks regarding odors, cleanliness, and organization. As well, it's sometimes a good thing, sometimes not, if you can arrange for storage space of some of your products so you don't have to schlep everything every time you go.
Renting kitchen space by the hour?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Ruth is 100% right regarding sharing space. I was going to mention looking for a church or school but that is not allowed where I live, so make sure it is allowed where you are. She is also 100% correct about it being difficult to share space when making chocolate. As we all know chocolate can pick up scents/flavors. One of the kitchens presented as an option to me was normally a kitchen for a BBQ place!! The other thing to bear in mind is that other people's standards of cleanliness and organization may not match yours with regard to any workspace you may rent. Please visit any space you are considering and ask who else might be using the space and to check how the equipment is laid out and if the facility is clean.
Renting kitchen space by the hour?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Get creative and try to find a kitchen in a school, church or other facility that doesn't use it much. If that doesn't work, find a business that is busier in the summer, when you are not, and need some rent money in the winter when you need the kitchen. I share a commercial kitchen with gals that make granola. Their business is busy in the summer with Farmers Markets and less busy in the winter. I provided the kitchen with some equipment, ie SS table, speed rack, gas stove, copper kettle, etc. They use my equipment all year, and I go in the kitchen as needed. They don't charge me unless I use the kitchen several times a week. I also have my home-based kitchen that I use for chocolate production. I found it was very hard to work chocolate in conditions I couldn't control. Sharing a kitchen for chocolate is difficult at best. Good luck.
Renting kitchen space by the hour?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
I am in Montana and have been looking at commercial kitchen space recently and it ranges here from $15/hour up to $40/hour. Prices can vary widely and, of course,verify the kitchen it "legal" with the Health Dept.
FYI - most if not all states prohibit food production from a home ktichen. You can consider setting up a kitchen that meets code in a garage or basement space.
Good luck!
Renting kitchen space by the hour?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Hello Chocolate Lifers ;^) I'm a new subscriber, starting a chocolate business, and have tons of questions to ask. I'm in New Mexico, where the health codes prohibit any food production for salefrom the home - I have to work in an approved kitchen. I know that renting time in a commercial kitchen is one way many people get their start. Can anyone give me an idea of what to expect to pay to use someone else's kitchen during their off hours? I expect that these arrangements are often based on personal connections, and might vary widely depending on where you are. I'm currently working out of a kitchen incubator that charges an hourly rate that is too high for my operation to handle, as my production and sales are still very small. Any ideas on what a comparable cost might be would be helpful. $300/month? $500? $10/hr?
TIA for your insights,
Steve Whitman
Choco Canyon Artisan Chocolate
updated by @Steve Whitman: 04/11/25 09:27:36
New ChocolateLife Resource Wiki
Posted in: News & New Products Press
Jeff:
I set up a country page and made you the editor ... you'll have to sign up for an account and let's talk about what the page should contain.
http://www.discoverchocolate.com/wikilists/doku.php
:: Clay
New ChocolateLife Resource Wiki
Posted in: News & New Products Press
Sounds good Clay. I can be a resource for all chocolate things Ecuador.
Jeff
New ChocolateLife Resource Wiki
Posted in: News & New Products Press
Clay,
Sounds like a good addition to the cacau/chocolate community. I'm looking forward to "just the facts man, just the facts" . Count me in when you kick off.
Jim Lucas
New ChocolateLife Resource Wiki
Posted in: News & New Products Press
For some time, I've been striving to maintain databases of chocolate makers, blogs, and more and have been frustrated with the lack of good tools for doing this (i.e., flexible database tools that did not require huge amounts of expensive customization).
Therefore, I've decided to change things up and open things up and start something that could eventually become " the Wikipedia of Chocolate " (and be much more useful).
TheChocolateLife Resource Wiki is not a place to engage in discussions or make blog posts.It's a place to aggregate resources for community access. At the moment there are sections for Chocolatiers (chocolate makers), Confectioners, Blogs, Cocoa Merchants, References, and more. As the Wiki grows, it will include more categories.
If this is a project you'd like to get involved with, I am interested in working with people who are interested in becoming section editors. Let me know.
As with any Wiki, the respect of the community is vital. It's not a place to flame. For the most part I am interested in collecting facts - opinions can be expressed here on TheChocolateLife.
Please note that your ChocolateLife login will not work automatically on the Wiki. You'll be asked to create a new account.
:: Clay
updated by @Clay Gordon: 03/11/26 06:20:34
Lecithin substitute
Posted in: Opinion
I must agree with you, I don't like Lecithin for a number of reasons.
1. Aesthetic
2. Allergen sensitivity.
3. It usually solvent extracted with hexane. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexane http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecithin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soybean_oil
I suspect its most commonly used by big chocolate to enable mass production machinery to be used with cheapened indredients.
Lecithin substitute
Posted in: Opinion
Lecithin will allow you to use less cocoa butter in your recipe, thinning itto get the flow properties you need for your use. It affects yield value a little more than viscosity, but overall more fluid rheology. It does have emulsification properties, and there is water in chocolate. Most chocolatespecifications call for less than 1-1.5% moisture, but it's there. The refining process generates heat, and some of the sugar becomes amorphous and will draw water from the air, the same thing is seen when you make confectioners sugar where you need a little starch to keep it free flowing. This moisture is emulsified by the lecithin. The lecithin has a polar and non polar portion of the molecule, the non polar portion extends into the fat, the polar portion into the moisture, usually on the surface of the sugar. If lecithin was simply a lubricant it would not start thickening the chocolate when you use too much, even tenths of a percent too much. It's not necessary but chocolate without it has higher cocoa butter levels compared to chocolate with, madeto similar rheology. The use of PGPR is becomming more common, but does not work very well if not with lecithin. Both thin the chocolate to let you use less cocoa butter, an expensive ingredient.
Lecithin substitute
Posted in: Opinion
Haha! Well said Omar.
I apologize if those reading this think I was being competitive. The reason I provided stats is because it's easy to hide behind anonymity and"talk the talk" on the Internet having not actually accomplished anything. At least Marco admitted that he doesn't actually "make" his chocolate. Thank you for your honesty Marco.
I too agree with not using any other fat than Cocoa Butter (well, except for the milk fat present in powdered milk for milk chocolate). I also agree with using an ingredient like lecithin if it's necessary.
As I've repeated, I believe that business is about making profit. If it isn't, then I challenge whomever questions this philosophy to stop being a hypocrite and stop charging money for their wares. Unless of course I'm missing something, and everyone out there in chocolate land is independently wealthy.
Cheers Omar. Thanks for the tip on Amonium Phosphatide.
Brad
Lecithin substitute
Posted in: Opinion
wooha! things are heatin up here, chocolate is melting
Marco I agree with not using any other fat but cocoa butter, however I don't see anything wrong with the use of soy Lecithin. At the end of the day, it's your baby, you decide what baby wears. Alot of chocolatiers use much worse ingredients than all of us and still there product is classified under "chocolate". And if this chocolate did not have a market it sure would not exist. I mean I can't see myself listening to justin beiber, yet beiber has thousands of fans. I can't compare beiber's music to daft punk either coz the genre is completely different. Just like music, you have the mainstream and the indie chocolate.Anyway you both make valid points (besides the muscle flexing) and that's the beauty behind the variety in chocolate abd its ingredients.