Melanger Premier Chocolate Refiner - 110V/60 hz - 8 lbs Capacity

The media could not be loaded. "Penny wise and pound foolish," my mom would have said. When I think of how much money I invested in quality ingredients, ending up with grainy chocolate on every attempt was so much more than frustrating. I probably spent more than the cost of this chocolate refiner in cocoa butter and cacao paste in my last few orders alone. (I'm stubborn, what can I say? I wouldn't stop trying other ways to solve the problem.)In the scheme of life, the universe, and everything, the Premier is not outrageously expensive. It doesn't take up a crazy amount of space. It turns grainy ingredients into silky smooth chocolate. It's a work-horse--you can leave it running for days if you want to. And best of all (the whole reason I started trying to make my own chocolate in the first place), it lets me keep tweaking my recipes until I get precisely the chocolate I've always wished I could find (soft, silky, very milky, and not-at-all sweet for me; and rich, sugar-free, very dark without sugar alcohols for my diabetic husband).Unless you've still got a 1974 dishwasher that runs, the Premier is bound to be louder than your dishwasher. Someone is fibbing about that, but that's about the only con to this beastie. (I've been plugging it in in the foyer so we can't hear it in our bedroom. There's a solution to every problem, if you're willing to think outside the box.)If you think you might like to try a chocolate refiner/melanger, you probably should. I highly recommend. I'm sorry I waited so long.

My first batch of chocolate I tried a Cuisinart that did ok, but it left some grit. I realized I needed the right equipment to make chocolate. The Melanger was the right thing at the right price range for Hobby chocolate. I started with 2.5 lbs of Milk Chocolate, batch 1 ran or 22.5 hrs batch 2 ran or 48hrs. the Melanger Stood up to the test and ran smoothly for booth batches. Set up was easy. I ran vegetable oil and rice for two hours as directed washed it with soap and water and set it in a warm oven to dry it completely before starting my first batch. Mouth feel for my chocolate is smooth and creamy te way it should be. I will take my other chocolate and continue couching and refining it in the Melanger now.

The melanger arrived quickly and promptly. No issues whatsoever with ordering or shipping. It was packaged very well.The machine is very simple to assemble and operate; however, determining what type of cacao to put in the machine and how long to run it for is a whole other issue to get the chocolate you are making to turn out the way you like it. The machine has pretty much been running non-stop since purchased about three weeks ago. No issues have surfaced and it has performed flawlessly.It does take practice to wipe the excess chocolate off the rollers. I found using a spatula to scrape the rollers and then wipe that on the side of the melanger - and repeat - works well. When finished cleaning the rollers, it's convenient to set it on top of the upside down lid.Very happy with the product and would definitely buy another one if the need arises.

Very easy to setup, use and clean. I have used this Melanger for several years now and it has never let me down. My most popular chocolate is 45% Dry roasted peanut milk.Ingredients: Makes About 2lbs of Chocolate6.4 oz Cacao Nibs1.5 oz Dry Roasted Peanuts8.0 oz Cacao Butter8.8 oz Sugar8.8 oz Milk PowderMelt Cacao Butter and pour into Melanger then turn it on, slowly add Cacao Nibs and Peanuts. Allow it to refine for an hour then very slowly add Sugar and Milk Powder in several 15min intervals. Allow to refine for 3 hours without the cover, then cover and refine for at least 24 hours. Temper and pour into prepared molds. Rap molds to release air and let sit at room temperature till set. Enjoy.

The media could not be loaded. The machine was easy to set up right out of the box.After doing some research I made a few mistakes, tried all kinds of methods to make the chocolate shiny. The first batch I did turned out poorly because I didn’t place it in the fridge.I didn’t realize making chocolate is actually an art form. I advise the new chocolate novice to do research to achieve best results.This machine grinds the beans so fine that the chocolate becomes smooth and silky. I would like to mention it’s advisable to use some cacao butter to ease the process along with a dedicated blow dryer or heat gun to speed up the process of the grinding.Just make sure it doesn’t focus on the plastic to avoid damage to the machine.After about 12-15 hours of grinding I poured the chocolate into molds and placed in the fridge. The first batch turned out with white streaks because I tried to temper the chocolate when it’s already tempered through the machines grinding process.Initially one has to scrap the sides but once the machine gets all the beans to a smooth consistency. From there it’s just a matter of how smooth you want your chocolate.As wonderful as this machine is I would like to note it’s very loud. As far as cleaning is concerned for me it wasn’t too bad as long as it’s done with pretty hot water.In conclusion. A powerhouse of a chocolate making machine that’s all in one with no tempering required, at least for me. Please not I’m just a hobbyist not an expert.Happy chocolate making.

No real problems with it, just make sure to pre-warm the grinding parts (not the motor part!) and all the ingredients in the oven at about 125-130 degrees F. for a couple of hours before you start grinding you nibs. It easily reduces the nibs with no strain. But once you start it don't stop it for a while or it can get stuck. Wait at least until the nibs are mostly liquefied and then you can stop it if you want to. My sixth batch since I bought it going right now.