Forum Activity for @Andy Ciordia

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

ahaha. Christopher, small batches take you places. We have a tasters circle we bring in to vet our ideas. Make a few small batches, get an idea of the process and potential workload, if you like it, if more importantly customers like it, then bam-zoom. You're in trouble for creating a sensation. hehe.

Latest update on this test batch.. I had to use a knife to cut along my score lines, I was seeing more sharding than I would have liked but when cutting it I only saw a small amount of toffee/chocolate separation.

I have to try this again though. Because I was basically cooking my toffee longer in the oven I had a higher % of butter separation than I am used to. This could be creating an issue with the test if even after a good and through wiping the excess I feel it could be throwing a bit of this off. I also want to try not scoring it. Scoring can pool butter which may increase the sharding.

So positive signs but inconclusive. More experimentation!

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I am waiting on the edge of my seat here to see how it went, this is a very interesting discussion. I have not made toffee in my shop yet, but have been working on a recipe for it, but now I'm having second thoughts. There hasn't been much call for it here but I always want to try new things to keep my creative juices flowing. I can't wait for the next chapter.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Ok. We have a convection oven and I left it on. Maybe not the best idea. It's amazing I can tell there is a difference in the sugar setting up. Look forward to seeing how it rests over the next day.

I spread about a tsp, maybe a little more with a brush over the cooled toffee (wiped any excess butter) until the water got a little tacky then immediately ladled on our tempered chocolate.

I let it set up about an hour and just got finished fiddling with about half of it. I'm still seeing quite a bit of sharding. Underneath the tempered chocolate it's a little soft still. How long do you let your slab rest before you break into it?

If I switch from breaking it to knifing it, cutting into it, that's working pretty well.

I'm walking away from it for the night. See if that moist-ish layer between the toffee and chocolate dries/soldifies/whatever and will try again in the morning. If you have any further input on that stage, awesome.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

It's a deck oven. I warm it to 150'C/300'F and turn it off, then leave the trays for about twenty minutes or so. Sometimes the corners get a bit bubbly, but they settle down once they come out.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hey Tim, I've tried part one of your suggestions--I let it sit in a 150'c / 302'f oven and it spread a little. I had to jiggle it to the corners to help move it around. How long do you use the oven for? I started w/ 5m.

Is yours convection or standard? Few finer points I had not thought through.

It seemed to work well enough though. Looking forward to trying the couple tsps of water brushed on then tempered chocolate. Oooh experimentation!

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Ah you can reach me at andy at thesecretchocolatier dot com if you have anything offsite you want to discuss, or PM me here if you need.

It looks like our recipes are very similar, I think our only difference might be cream instead of milk. Thinking back over my purchase lists.

As you may have noticed our batch sizes are not incredible. We usually keep things much smaller so we keep a good control over it all and it all stays fresh. Most all of our truffles and caramels are done in < 200 unit batches.

I've never heard of using corn syrup solids. My father-in-law controls all the caramels so I'll ask him next time I see him.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I wasn't sure where to go on your website to ask a question so I'll do it now.

I have a question about making caramels. Boy was my arm tired the day I made toffee and caramel in the same day.

My recipe is a typical one, butter, cream, corn syrup, sugar, milk, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla.

When I was talking to an expert at the Cargill chocolate company he said I should be using corn syrup solids. I didn't want to show my total ignorance, so I just wrote down the information. Does anyone use this product, and if so, how do you use it?

My supplier only can get in in 50 pound tubs which is way too much for me.

If anyone is interested Cargill Company has a wonderful three day course on how to start a chocolate business. It's two days of classroom and one day of hands on. If your an accomplished chocolatier the hands on might seem simple, but you can pick the experts brains.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Trying to visualize how large a pot you all are using. We use induction cooktops here to keep more heat out of the kitchen but you're creeping into the zone where you're going to need more output than those magnetic beasts allow for. I can't quite recall how large out pot is.. I think I'm using a 5Qt SS but I may be off.

We did a laser thermometer check of hot pans out of the oven. Within the first minute they've lost half their heat. Amazing how quick that happens. Inversely a cold pan absorbs half the toffee heat in about the same time. Using smaller pans (1/2 sheets) is smart, they can't be used as heat sinks so much due to the limited size.

Love the discussion, lots of interesting thoughts and perspectives on how we accomplish the task. Anne you're usage early on in this discussion of Toffee Hell has gotten a consistent laugh by my family.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I make about 14 pounds of finished product at a time. I take 5, 1/2 sheet pans lightly sprayed with Pam into a cold oven. I turn it to 350, and when it reaches that temp I turn off the oven. I do this while I'm melting the butter.

When the toffee is done I put the hot pans on the counter and put some toffee in each of the 5 pans. I can control the thickness because by using 5 pans there's room for the toffee with space left over.

As I said before, I score it and break the pieces when it's still warm, let it air dry for a bit. Then I have a tray covered in nuts. I dip the pieces, drop them on the tray, and let my husband sprinkles the nuts on the top.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Silpat works but I found parchment paper worked just as well. The toffee might start pulling threads off the edge of the silpats so just be aware. That eventually annoyed me enough that I went back to parchment paper. The rolling pin is an interesting thought. I used one early on during the setup phase and it didn't help as much as an offset spatula and being fast as one could be.

You've given me a lot to think about today Tim. Thank you for signing up and participating. I really appreciate it.

updated by @Andy Ciordia: 09/13/15 21:09:05

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Well, it doesn't really spread at all on aluminum foil so I pour it onto the lined sheet pans and just let it sit in a 150'C oven and it self spreads and levels. That's my bottle neck now--the oven only holds the four pans. I think with the silpats I'll be able to spread better than I can on the aluminum foil. If not, I'll be stuck at my current batch size. I also have a teflon rolling pin on the way that should make things easy... I hope; kinda winging it a lot of the time.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Wow Tim, you're doing great between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

I was wondering if the chocolate sieze was preventing water absorption. Looking forward to my next batch to give that idea shot.

You're 2x what I'm up to; how do you manage to spread that much material in the time it takes for the toffee to start setting? We were heating pans but that just takes too much time/heat/effort, but to spread one whole sheet pan you get one or two spreads attempts then--well you better like what you've done haaha!

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I'm glad you like the look of it. I think that picture is a little under 1/4" (it's about 5mm), but the added chocolate I'm doing now probably puts it at 7mm, so a bit over 1/4", though the thickness of the toffee is the same.

Yes, brushing both sides. Honestly, it might speed up softening, but I don't know; I've never kept any past about 10 days. I suspect that it wouldn't, though, since I think the seizing chocolate binds most of that water away from the toffee.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I do about 5.5kg of finished toffee, which is maybe a nine pound batch of actual toffee, I think... I'm home today so I don't have my recipe handy. I'm working on aluminum foil at the moment, but next week I should finally get my silpats in (shipping to Brazil is sloooooow), which will hopefully let me do twice as much (I think I can fit thirty pounds in my large pot), so I can move to doing it every other week and free up some time for truffles, which I can't keep up on. I don't score... no particular reason, I just hadn't thought of it. Maybe I will next week, but like you implied, it might be too hard to flip the sheets.

I wish I could think about a fire kettle, but the shop isn't mine, and the owner won't even get more scoops. I hope to be ready to open my own place in a year or so, depending on capital, but I'll be opening small and growing slowly, so maybe in 5 years. Heh.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Nice looking product Tim. What is that about a 1/4"?

Are you brushing both sides with water before coating?

It's odd to think that we don't want toffee/sugar products absorbing water out of the air, but a little applied doesn't expedite a softening of the product.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I'm curious what batch sizes you all are working in? I started at 1#, then to 3# now I'm at the max I can do by hand which is about 5.5# (two sheet pans.) I'm definitely eyeing a fire kettle for the future as I think my rotator cuff might just drop off if I do this too long hehe!

Do you all score it as well before hand? I have a pizza wheel I'll do some 4"x2" (relative) squares to aid in snapping/breaking later. I feel like that would put it at a disadvantage if I wanted to dual coat it.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Yes, that's Celsius. A bit warm, but I like a longer crystallization time, since once it leaves my kitchen, I have little control of how it's abused.

I do coat both sides (humidity is a constant battle, and it really extends the shelf life), first side as thin as possible, the second side about double that, with crushed almonds in the second side. This is mine if you want to see, though because of feedback we've started doing the chocolate a bit thicker than this picture.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

If Tim is talking Celcius it's be about 76'F which is still rather warm for my liking it's more what I was considering his temp.

Double side coating is always something we've thought of but I've never liked the result. Maybe if you have a thick toffee then two sides is good, if you have a near paper thin toffee (ours is about 1/8th of an inch) then the toffee itself will get lost with that much chocolate. However you are right your shelf life will be extended due to the oxygen barrier that a full enrobing would do. I think we get about a month or so while exposed.

Then of course you have costs to juggle depending on where/who you are sourcing from.So many variables..

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Did you really mean below 25 degrees or is that a typo? That's below freezing. Do you coat just one side or flip your sheet over to coat the other side?

I'm just curious. My toffee seems to last longer when it's totally enrobed in chocolate.

Anne Bennett

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Wow Tim. That is so counterintuitive I have to try it. Thanks for your input and story. :D

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi all! I've been reading this forum on and off for some time now, and I finally made an account so I can add my two cents. I'll add a disclaimer, though: I've only been doing chocolate professionally for a year now, and this advice goes against the very nature of chocolate.I discovered my solution on accident. I had the same problems as I see here, and sometimes worse--I once had an entire sheet of toffee lose its chocolate on the first break (and it was so nicely tempered, too). My shop, though, had no humidity control last year, and I live in the tropics. I made a batch of toffee on a particularly humid day (70RH, if I recall correctly). I had to cool the sheets directly in front of the air conditioner to get them below 25 degrees so I could apply the chocolate, and by the time they got that cool, they were a sticky mess. Still, the cost of the almonds justified taking a risk, so I coated it anyway. It was brilliant. There were a few rough spots where the chocolate seized too much, but for the most part, only the part actually touching the toffee was affected, and the rest kept a very respectable, though not perfect shine.So now, since our new AC unit dehumidifies as well, after I wipe off the excess butter, I brush each sheet with about two teaspoons of water right before I coat. I rub it around a good bit to get a nice thin layer of stickiness across the whole sheet, and coat normally. I know, water is anathema to chocolate, but it's hard to argue with results. I still cringe every time I ladle that chocolate onto a damp, sticky surface.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Welcome Anne and thanks for your own insights. I never thought I could be frustrated by one thing so much. I'm nearing the point where if I want to do it with utmost consistency I need it scored, broken/cut and then just toss it on our enrober when we do those production runs.

If I ever find something that works time and time again I'll definitely share it.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Hi, I'm a new member but fully understand the frustrations of all of you. I have found that I have the least shearing when I let the toffee air dry a bit so the surface isn't as slippery.

The most shearing I ever had was when I made the toffee, scored the toffee, and dipped the pieces as soon as they were at room temp. I had someone to help me for a short period of time and couldn't wait. The chocolate slid right off a lot of pieces when I broke them into smaller pieces for packing,

I make the toffee early in the a.m. and and let the pieces air dry on sheet pans on a rack. In the afternoon I dip the pieces in tempered chocolate and lay them on a sheet tray covered with nuts. My husband or friend then drops nuts on the top of the pieces, and then I put the tray in a cooling cabinet. This way I don't get a lot of chocolate in the nuts. I know it's more time consuming to dip the pieces, but it's not as if the surface has to be perfect because of the nuts. I then break the pieces in 1/4s for packing.

I do not make toffee on a rainy or very humid day. Anne Bennett

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Arthur, I kind of describe the steps in the beginning of this thread. The main two ways I deal with post-toffee creation is to either let it come down to room temp on speed racks or after scoring I'll chill it, then let return it to a rack to regain room temp.

It really depends on how fast we need the material ready that day. I've never just chilled and enrobed it, that seems counterintuitive.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

What is the temperature of the Toffee before it gets enrobed?

We were making chewy toffee disks and had plenty of problems during manufacturing, and I know fromexperiencethat toffee needs to be treated in it's own way.

Can you describe the process flow, times from the manufacturing of the toffee up to the enrobing stage?

Regards, Arthur

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Ok, I've made about 20# since I wrote this and trialled out quite a few variants mentioned by Ruth. I found a little cocoa powder is helpful--enough to soak up whatever butter/oil wasn't able to be easily wiped off. However, too much increases sharding, so much so I was nearly infuriated with a batch. I ended up stripping it and redoing it as wafers.

Next I found probably the best method outside hand dipping and that was to ladle on your chocolate, add your inclusion, and right before its fully set, break it then. The layer touching the toffee is still unset, so it pulls a bit gooey but it will not separate at this stage.

I have mixed feeling about this method. It works, sure that's good. But it means I can't just batch process a lot and break later. It also means you can use tempered chocolate pretty safely.

Still holding out for a magic method.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

You could always use a little white with the dark and swirl it. Any bloom would look like you meant it BTW I use a 61% and sprinkle with Fleur de Sel, then the nuts.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

Oh Ruth don't tell me that.. LoL! I was betting with my wife that anyone who used chopped/ground nuts were covering bloom.

I agree totally on your observation. This isn't a marriage made in heaven, a minutely slippery surface with a material that likes to shrink when cold, release well when tempered, and isn't thatporous.

Right now I love a 60% chocolate sea salt but it's a rather naked product so you see a bloom happen. Someone said they liked how it looked, like we did it on purpose. Heh, that gave me a giggle.

I do a white chocolate honey toffee and I have a consistent <= 1% shearing of the white chocolate but since we know its composition is so much more--buttery and the honey is just a little more tacky I can't use it in comparison.

I've been real watchful of toffees since trying to solve this, there's got to be a knack for getting some greater consistency. I have 9# of toffee to make by the weekend so I'll attempt the cocoa idea and see if anyone else has some thoughts.

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

As a friend in the business once told me, "Welcome to toffee Hell". If you think about it, tempered chocolate releases from a smooth surface, i.e. molds. We want it to release from molds, but not from smooth toffee. I finally decided to place callets on very warm surface and not touch until about 90F. I put on a clean glove and smear. I want it out of temper. I then top with fairly fine almonds. This is to hide any bloom. I have very little if any lifting. I have heard of sprinkling with flour to absorb any oil, but I don't have an oil problem and don't want the gluten in it. I have also heard of dusting with cocoa powder to absorb any oil. Also, I use dark chocolate only on toffee-just personal preference.

As to the blooming after a few days, I had the opportunity last week of taking a class from Chef Greweling and Mark Heim of Hershey. I didn't catch the whole discussion, but it had something to do with leaving the finished product in an 86 degree room for a time and it prevented or made the bloom go away. Wish I would have taken better notes! I think Mark hangs out here on occasion. He would have a great answer for you. Mark?

Troubleshooting the Chocolate on Butter Toffee

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

For the past 3 months I've explored, enjoyed and been successful with a butter toffee. Where Iconsistentlyhave issues is the chocolate layer shearing from the toffee during the breaking up of toffee stage.

Let's explore what's been done..

• I began like many do and let the chocolate melt on the surface of the hot toffee. This worked somewhat well but had some unpredictable outcomes. It would shear from 5% to 30% depending on batch and regardless the chocolate would bloom within the week.
• I then went to the toffee cooling method; I would pour the toffee, score it multiple times, cool it, come back to it later, wipe off any excess butter sheen (and it's been pretty minimal) then use a microwave to prepare the chocolate. This seemed to bring down my shearing to 0% to 15%. However much of the time the chocolate would bloom again within the week.
• Lastly I've gone to preparing it, scoring, cooling, wiping and then using tempered chocolate to coat the top and I get a 15% to 35% shearing.

I'm good at troubleshooting, I've got an engineering background so walking through steps andanalyzingthe situation runs in my blood but this.. this is head to wall bashing frustrating.

If you make toffee professionally what step am I missing? I have my toffee down to a rhythm, no separation, beautiful quality, flavor, color--but this lack of chocolateadhesiondrives me nuts. I'm about to just start scoring and breaking then enrobing squares but that makes the time of prep go up which I'd rather not do on most of the line I'm working on.

I feel there is a tip or trick I've not been privy to--that eludes me--driving me up a wall heheh!

updated by @Andy Ciordia: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Which Tempering Machine to Purchase: FBM, Gami, Selmi or Wheel type

Posted in: Opinion

Hi Antonino,

I am also based in South Africa and really appreciate your post. I have just "friended" you on the site as I would like to chat with you, if that's OK. I am looking to purchase a tempering machine and have been weighing up the FBM vs. Selmi. I would be interested to talk more about your experiences and get some advice from you.

Thanks,

Clare O'Neill

eClare Chocolates by Design

Pietermaritzburg

Which Tempering Machine to Purchase: FBM, Gami, Selmi or Wheel type

Posted in: Opinion

HI ALL,

There is a BIG BIG TYPO on the last reply:

"I have worked in the past with Selmi in a shop, and i didn't found them great."

WAS MEANT TO BE:"I have worked in the past with Selmi in a shop (Fagiotto's Peratoner) and DID FOUND THEM GREAT!"

My apologies, i still prefer FBM and have ordered another 2 machines , but the Selmi machines are also very good.

My apologies to Selmi for a wrong statement!

Which Tempering Machine to Purchase: FBM, Gami, Selmi or Wheel type

Posted in: Opinion

Hi Antonino,

You are right. My question was not clear, but you already answered it.

I just wanted to know why you are planning to buy a Selmi machine if you are so happy with FBM (and less expensive).

Thanks,

Omar

Which Tempering Machine to Purchase: FBM, Gami, Selmi or Wheel type

Posted in: Opinion

Hi Omar,

i don't understand 100% the question.

I have worked in the past with Selmi in a shop, and i didn't found them great.

Beautiful: yes, good working condition: yes, a bit too pricey for my budget:yes

Then when i was ready to buy a machine i accidently stood on FBM webpage, contact them, and Selmi at same time.

FBM responded immediately and they have been very helpful no matter how big or small my business was. It took a whole year before i could buy a machine: first plan was the small AURA, then it became Prima and although no deal was closed they never gave up on me.

Till last year: the business got a big kick and we had money to buy one.

We live in South Africa, not really around the corner of Italy, so i had to be 100% sure that if a machine breaks i would be able to fix it with what is available here.

South African Engineer are some of the best in the world, so instead of computerized machinery i choose a machine (FBM) that could be fixed here easily (IF I WOULD HAVE PROBLEM, THAT I NEVER HAD).

As well my engineer uses the same motors/mechanic supplier that FBM uses, so it was perfect!

With Selmi, we are interested in a machine that FBM doesn't make. If we will close a deal with them? i don't know: Wishes and money are not best friends!

So, would i be happy in the same way with Selmi? i will not know, simply because i do not have one of their machine to: a) work with it every day b) running her to the limit and beyond, c) open the "hood" and see if my MacGyver skills are useful.

As Italian, i can't be happier! Two Italian Companies are the most requested around the world of Chocolate!

Cheers

Antonino

Which Tempering Machine to Purchase: FBM, Gami, Selmi or Wheel type

Posted in: Opinion

Hi Antonino,

From your previous posts, we can see that your experience with FBM has been great. FBM also seems to be less expensive than other manufacturers.

What did make you try Selmi?

Thanks,

Omar

Which Tempering Machine to Purchase: FBM, Gami, Selmi or Wheel type

Posted in: Opinion

Wow, i hope i didn't start a negative competition between sale reps and companies!

What surprise me is that although this tread has got already 20 reply, no chocolatier is taking part of it!

Where are you guys? no one wants to share their secrets???

Which Tempering Machine to Purchase: FBM, Gami, Selmi or Wheel type

Posted in: Opinion

Hi Sam,

Did you expect a reply on this, because I really don't want to write too much because everybody has to see for themselves but everybody needs to have the correct information I think... It's very clear. The motors are secured until a safe value. If you are using chocolate that is overkristallising because you set a temperature that is too low, the machine will go in security to safe your machine/motor but also to safe you a lot of time for remelting the chocolate and retempering... If customers are standardly working with thicker chocolate, we will talk the customer through how to set more power on the motor and then you can work perfectly.

About the dosing we have created a wonderful system which you can get the information from Tomric, after all we have to say that the machineries are tempering machinery with a dosing function and not a dosing machine that works 100% accurate. Now we have the option to do it 100% accurate, so we put a dosing system as an option on the tempering machine and this works perfectly !

I'm here when people ask me or you can contact me by mail.

Very best regards to all and keep up the work with chocolate...

Tom

Which Tempering Machine to Purchase: FBM, Gami, Selmi or Wheel type

Posted in: Opinion

I am definitely a geek when it comes to chocolate machinery, especially tempering machines and enrober. In my experience, the people that know about these machines best are the people who represent and sell the machines. Here in North America, I have spoken with reps for Selmi, Savy Goiseau, LCM, Novachoc, Perfect, Bakon USA, etc... and I have never been pressured to bite the bullet if I was not 100% ready. They have all been able to answer very detailed questions about how their machinery works. Some of the people who sell these machines are actually engineers first and sales people second.

Which Tempering Machine to Purchase: FBM, Gami, Selmi or Wheel type

Posted in: Opinion

HI Giuseppe,

No i wouldn't dare to put a computer together by my self, i actually have the same one for about 8 years and i'm scared to touch it....

I'm good with simple things, but if i put my mind into something i learn how to do it.

I have made my own guitar and my own "melting pot" with a digital thermostat "stolen" from a reptile tank....that how far i could go with "electronic"

there is no moving parts: no mechanics= no fun for me....

Which Tempering Machine to Purchase: FBM, Gami, Selmi or Wheel type

Posted in: Opinion

Hi Sam,

I tried not to post up to now (neither when Tom entered the discussion) but after your question to him, I felt you changed your mind about the reps of the companies. Please forgive me if I am wrong.

Sam I believe you got reply from more than one company: Antonino Allegra, Ankur Bhargava and P. B. Marshall have been your references. Then, of course you have to read between the lines and this is not always easy.
FBM stopped producing water cooling system in 1997. Then started with gas. Our system used to heat an cool water around the augur and heat the water of the bowl. So we can really say which is the best solution.
The water cools the chocolate but it doesn't determine its own temperature, it is the compressor that makes 30,5 or 25,6 . Compressor cools (and determines the degrees) of water in the same way it does with gas.
Something about our electronical panel: it arranges the heating and the tempering process (to the decimal), dosing with repetitions, cooling, vibrating molds, and set the machine on night cycle. Than something more that the operator do not see.
Sam, sorry for the above technical boring issue. I know that in the major part of the cases this is something that bother the customer. But there are some customers (like Mr Allegra) who go crazy for this explanations and technical features (and of course we go crazy for these customers) who prefer to go deep into it because they want to know what they really buy (also under a technical point of view).
Maybe you have further , less technical, questions to do, feel free to dare. I am at your disposal.
Mr Allegra, thank you for your support in this discussion, I believe you are not used to buy a personal computer to a store but to assembly it by yourself! Am I right?

Which Tempering Machine to Purchase: FBM, Gami, Selmi or Wheel type

Posted in: Opinion

Hi Tom,

all good from my side, i'm an Italian that speaks english mostly with my hands (ha ha ah ah a).

i will get back to you to our other potential deal once the factory is back 100% in shape.

Which Tempering Machine to Purchase: FBM, Gami, Selmi or Wheel type

Posted in: Opinion

What about this

" Their experience is that the pump mechanisms in the Semis (Colors and Pluses, can't talk about Tops) are underpowered and they are having problems getting consistent doses out of the measured depositors. I don't know if this is a problem with other makers' machines but it is certainly something I am looking into.?"