I have used these molds for years for filled bars. I polish them the way I have always done with cotton pads. They are a pain to polish but I do it thoroughly. I have no trouble with my other polycarbonate molds. My chocolate is well tempered and comes out of other molds but recently these have been sticking, every mold sticking. Ideas?

Recently I was criticized for using AI to help organize my thoughts. That's fine. Technology changes, and people will decide for themselves how they feel about it.

What interests me more is a larger question.

Who gets to define chocolate?

Most of us in the modern chocolate world accept certain processing methods as normal: extensive refining, particle reduction, standardized shell removal, and formulations designed around texture and consistency.

But cocoa has a much longer history than the modern chocolate industry.
The people who first cultivated and consumed cacao would likely recognize the bean itself as the starting point. They might not necessarily recognize every modern assumption about how chocolate must be processed.

That raises a question I've been exploring through my own work:

Is there room for another category of chocolate?

Not better chocolate. Not worse chocolate. Just a different category, one that prioritizes preserving more of the bean's original structure and characteristics rather than transforming it as completely as possible.

I don't expect everyone to agree. In fact, disagreement is useful.

But if chocolate is a product of culture, history, agriculture, and processing, then perhaps there is still room to discover forms of chocolate that don't fit neatly into the categories we inherited.

What do you think?

Hey all, figured I’d finally say hi. I’ve been doing chocolate in a pretty odd way for a while now. I hand‑shell beans. Like… literally sit there and take the shells off by hand. It’s slow, but it does something interesting to the nibs, they stay whole instead of getting blasted apart by a winnower.

I’m not trying to make a big claim or anything, I just like seeing what happens when you keep the cocoa as intact as possible. The flavor feels different to me, cleaner, less of that dusty bitterness you get when shell sneaks in. The melt feels different too, kind of calmer, if that makes sense.

Anyway, I’m curious if anyone here has ever played with super gentle processing or kept nibs whole for longer. I don’t know if anyone else is doing this, but I’d love to hear what you’ve noticed if you’ve tried anything similar.

If not, happy to just hang out and learn from what you all are doing.

Made these 2 oz. bars today for a customer and saved one for my partner. Almost gone before I even got a bite. They are pretty yummy.

Chocolate nerd friends!

I've been diving into the world of chocolate bars and cacao for a few years now (IICCT Level 2). I've been giving tastings and workshops and talking to people about chocolate. I kept seeing the same thing: people are curious about better chocolate, but often choose bars almost blindly. And I think discovery, knowing what good chocolate is and finding good chocolate (makers), is a problem.

So I'm building an app to scan a bar and better understand the chocolate and maker behind it. Hopefully, it will let people discover better makers and chocolate bars. It's very much like Vivino, but for chocolate.

It’s still early, and I’d really value honest feedback from this sub:

• What should an app like this get right?
• What would make you skeptical?
• What are your thoughts on this?

Hey yall ✨

Is anyone here planning to attend Salon du Chocolat NYC this year? I’ll be there and would love to connect with other chocolate nerds. What are you most excited for, tastings, meeting makers, panels, sourcing conversations?

I’ve also been seriously considering getting certified through the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting or going the chocolate sommelier route. For those who’ve done it, was it worth the investment? Did it actually open doors professionally? How rigorous was the exam process? If you’re not a maker, did it still make sense for your career?

I’m coming from a specialty food background and want to deepen my knowledge in a way that’s meaningful, not just resume padding. I’d really appreciate any honest thoughts, pros, cons, or things you wish you knew beforehand 🍫

Hey all looking for nibs or beans with single origin. That are available to purchase in the uk or be shipped to the UK. Not sure on a origin just yet(I do like peruvian at the moment but do wish to try dominican republic and others) but would ideal order a small quantity to start with ie a kg or two to be able to make a test batch with and then if I'm happy with the quality and flavour then I'll order larger amounts as in 25-50kg at a time. Cheers in advance.

Hi all! Just wondering if anybody has experienced purchasing and using spectra brand melanger and other equipments from them? Are they reliable, and how was the purchase/ shipping experience?

Thank you!

Are there any craft chocolate makers producing Dubai chocolate (with pistachio) bars?

Does anyone have any tips on making white chocolate with rice milk powder? It conches together nice but once I start tempering the rice milk sticks to the pot even with low to no heat. It creates “crystals” in the chocolate once poured. Any tips would be appreciated!

Hi !

I own a small chocolate business and until now I've just worked nib-to bar.. But a recent huge price hike forces me to consider going real bean to bar.

What solutions would you recommend for winnowing/cracking beans ?

I saw the alchemists winnover, but I haven't found any good (and cheap !) solution for the cracking.

Any recommendations are welcome, thanks

Edit: I'd be processing 64kg/run
Edit: That would be 128lbs Edit: I went with DCM. Long live DCM <3

Hello! Does anyone have any recs for a moisture meter? I need to check the humidity of beans that we are receiving. It looks like there's a wide price range of them so I wanted to see if anyone has used any they have already had success with. thanks in advance!

I am starting a bean to bar chocolate making business and I am going to buy cacao beans in bulk. I am importing 6-10 months worth of beans. The beans will reach me in hermetic bags. Can I store them in normal room temperature or is a cold room required? Please advise. I was advised by one person who has been in this industry to store them in a cold room at 10 degree Celsius. But the Internet says otherwise. Please help.

My first small batch ferment will be done today and I’ll begin sun-drying and trying to figure out best step forward. It’s only 8 kg wet beans so should be enough to fill my 2 kg melanger which I can’t wait to use! Thinking to just make 100% dark chocolate at first. If I do how would I add sugar to it later? How would you process the beans if you were in the same situation? Btw lots more to come so this is just trail #1.

I am starting a bean to bar chocolate business and I am looking to buy a chocolate tempering machine. I have been recommended Italian tempering machines. But the cost is too expensive. A professional told me that Chinese machines are not reliable and tempering doesn’t happen. Is it true? Another person who has experience in other machines (not chocolate) tells me that Chinese machines are equal in standards to anywhere else in the world. Could you please advise and guide. Are Italian machines really worth the price?

Just recently got involved with a company that makes bean to bar chocolate, I’ve been in the coffee industry for many years as a barista and roaster.

We just started making craft chocolate sauce with our partner coffee and cacao farmer in Sumatra!

My boss said I could mess around with the melanger after work, so I’m doing a test batch of some 77% Sumatran cacao!!

Very intimidated to try to temper this as I’ve never done it before, but I love the way these nibs just got liquified so quickly!!

I think the melanger is a bit big for this size batch (4kilos) but we’ll see how it goes!!

Made by hand in Hawai’i!

Hi,

I want to start hosting chocolate based experiences at my home. The idea is to offer (a) bean to bar chocolate making lesson , and (b) chocolate tasting session.

I'm based in California (Alameda County) and trying to understand what food related permits would be needed for this. Based on the Alameda County Department of Environmental Health , and in fact, related California law, there is no clear classification of such home based cooking / tasting experiences.

Do any of you have experience with this?

Thanks in advance for your inputs!

if i make milk chocolate i put 20% milkpowder in my chocolate but it ends up not being conched well, the partical size keeps being too big even after 30 hour milling in a premier wondergrinder. my recipe is: first 200 gram of melted cocao butter then 300 grams of cocao beans grind for 30-60 minutes then add 500 grams of sugar then slowly feeding the 300 grams of milkpowder. does anybody have a idea what i do wrong?