Wanted: Melanger (s)
crbear
Wanted:
Melanger (s) for small/mid size chocolate production. Ideally looking at something like the Spectra40, but open to other options as well. Please get in touch with any ideas.
Thanks!
CB
crbear622@gmail.com
No. 1-1
DiscoverChoc
Editor
@crbear - where are you located? Always helpful to know when making equipment recommendations.
I am a big fan of direct-drive melangeurs like the ones from DCM/melangers.com. You don't have to worry about belts stretching or lubricating chains. The DCM machines also have a number of very useful accessories, like pneumatic pistons for tensioning the grinding stones against the base.
4 Replies
crbear
Hi there... I'm in southern California. Thanks for the advice on the DCM... I actually just wound up picking up a DCM100 yesterday. But now in the market for a continuous tempering machine... so if you have any thoughts of anyone looking to part with one, keep me in mind. Thanks much!
DiscoverChoc
Editor
What capacity are you looking for in a continuous tempering machine? Quantity of tempered chocolate per hour? Per day? How many different recipes are you making? Are you adding cocoa butter to your recipes? Budget? Used only?
crbear
I think 25kg bowl capacity would be ideal, but I can see the benefit of having something smaller like an Aura for small batches. Right now I am using a small amount of cocoa butter in my recipes and have around 4 different beans that I'm working with. Budget-wise I need to stay under 15k, so for the 25kg capacity I realize that would have to be a used unit. Thanks for your help!
DiscoverChoc
Editor
One question you haven't answered is why you think you need a 25kg working bowl. What does that translate to – in your mind – to the number of bars you want to produce per hour and per day? What production problem(s) are you trying to solve by moving to a continuous tempering machine from a batch method? What kind of upgrades are you looking at, if any?
I get that an Aura is an attractive option but there are aspects of the design – including a shorter tempering pipe – that make it less than ideal for higher-viscosity chocolates.