chocolate tempering machines

[isaac]

with the reminder from wendy, i wanted to ask all of you if anyone has ever worked with a tempering machine called the Revolation? you can see it at http://www.chocovision.com

there are a few diffrent ones... however i am looking at the revolation 1 or revolation 2. what do ya all think?

the rev 1 is 359 and the rev 2 is 479

any thoughts?

[Isa]

It looks very simmilar to something that was call Sinsation.

[breadster]

i'm not sure i see the difference between the Rev 1 and 2 - they both handle the same capacity

one is white plastic- the other looks stainless steel

if the Rev 2 is stronger, sturdier and geared more toward pro use- i'd go with that- when you have several different people using a machine (that isnt their's) it's going to get a lot of wear and tear-abuse.

[danno]

issac, what will you be using this machine for. If i remember corectly it has a capacity of about 24 oz. which to me isnt very much unless your using it for a la carte like wrapping desserts or writing on plates. but if your in a production environment you may want to look into one that has a larger capacity.
Danno

[isaac]

the diffrence between the rev 1 and the rev 2 is that the rev2 has a pause button that yo ucan use. it also has a sleep mode which will keep the chocolate in temper over night so your ready to go in the morning. also the rev 2 has a temp button on it so you can change temps if you want. i cant really justafy the need to spend an extra 120 dollars for the rev 2.

your right, it only holds 1.5 pounds of chocolate. thats really all, i suppose, that i will need. i am looking to cover some candies and making some molds. thats really it... maybe some garnishes, ect.

i do understand the fact that other workers will put a lot of harsh treatment on it... i will be using it most often. no one really is inclined nor motivated to do it. i might have them makes some molded chocolates if i need to take some time off.

i dont mind that it only holds 1.5 pounds. it melts and tempers in 20 minutes so i dont mind really.

isa: yes, they were the company that made the sinsation but they discontinued the line and started revolution line.

hope this helps

[m brown]

i have the sinsation, why? i don't know, bought it at a show and have used it several times. it really doesn't do much. the temper did not hold when i used it and when i called they told me to turn off the lights, the heat from the light bulb could have an effect on the temp of the chocolate?!?!?!?!?!
i can temper faster with hot water, chips of chocolate and ice. when i work with chocolate i use 5 pounds plus at a go and the machine is very very small.
i had called for a new instruction booklet last week because mine is misplaced. i wanted to teach my kids how to make chocolate with the machine. better use it as it was very expencive.

try the Hilliard corp. they have bigger and less pricy models that will hold up to years of use.

[danno]

ok im looking for everybodys advice that has had some experience with working with tempering machines. Im about 95% sure im going to get one within the next month. the ones im looking at the temp is controlled by water and has a 13 qt capacity. the other is made by matfer and has a heating element.If you had to buy one which one would go with.

thanks Danno

[isaac]

dano:

do you have web sites for those so we can look at them? how much do they cost? i am looking at the revolation 1 or the little dipper made by hilliards.

i am also thinking of buying one... just not sure which one!

[m brown]

[url=http://www.hilliards.tv/]

check the site out for yourself!

happy dipping!

http://www.hilliards.tv/

[isaac]

i cant stand web sites that dont have the prices!!!!!!!ahhhhhhhh

i talked with my old pastry chef and she said that the little dipper was pretty cheap in quality.

ANYONE HAVE ONE?

[m brown]

so, call or e-mail the rep's of both companies and have them send you information on pricing and their spec's so you can compare them side by side and make you choice by price, size, temper timing, temper load and which one "speaks" to you.

also ask to speak with folks who own the product to see what they like and dislike about it.

i have told you why i would not reccomend the sinsation II which is now the revolation. perhaps their larger models are better......

[isaac]

thank you mr. brown

[breadster]

i have both the Hilliard little dipper and the sinsation

i use them both- i've had my hilliard over 10 years now- and it still works-fine - although i've had to replace a few parts over the years- it actually uses 2 100 watt light bulbs to heat the chocolate and a fan to cool it

in the beginning it used to take forever- waiting for the chocolate to melt -then temper- until i learned the trick of melting the chocolate in the microwave first - then seeding and tempering

it can get very messy- the chocolate leaks inside and soon there is chocolate burning on top of the light bulbs- so you have to take it apart to clean it

changing from dark to white chocolate is incredibly time consuming- as you have to dismantle and unscrew parts to remove the bowl, baffle, etc to completely clean off the dark chocolate

it is not computerized- you set the temp. on a dial and have to listen for the fan to go on and off - you still need to know how the chocolate should feel when ready- but you can also set it to the exact degree you want -if the brand of chocolate you are using has a different viscosity

i use the Hilliard when i have large quantities to do-

although they say it is only 45 lbs- - it is heavy and takes up a good amt of space- you cant just move it around so easily

the Sinsation-now Revolution- is light weight , computerized, pretty foolproof- you can buy additional bowls and baffles so switching chocolates is fairly simple

but- it produces such a small quantity - and slowly- that it is almost not worth it- yet this past Easter, i had small amts of cookies to decorate and it worked just fine for me

does any of this help at all- or did i just add to the confusion?

[felixe the dog]

Danno, we use both a water based tempering machine and the large matfer trempreuse a air tempering machine, the water controlled machine is not matfer, but a local brand called Roband that uses a water jacket and thermostat, both are very good and will take 15 - 20kg of chocolate. Go for the largest you can afford in capacity as you will be suprised how much chocolate you will need once you temper it. My understanding of some of the smaller units are that the container for the chocolate is a sealed unit and cannot be removed, this can be a pain in the arse, the matfer and Roband/or similar have removable basins which means you can quickly switch over your chocolates.
Look at the matfer also because of the wheel and motor attachment, an excellent add on!
If it is any indication, I recently snapped up 2 matfer machines at auctions over here, they are so good I could not pass them up, the beauty of Matfer are that they are so well made that they will outlast you!, the problem is sourcing parts if you break them, I have an early model of their sugar lamp and it required a new dimmer, could only get it from France and it took 3 months, the upside, it was free! They will give support for the life of the equipment, thats how highly they recommend their own equipment!!

I hope this helps,
Regards,
Felixe.

[foodpump]

I've had the Sinsation now for almost 7 years, and really enoy using it. Included in the instructions is a method of "cheating" or "drip feeding" where you keep a resevoir of melted but untempered chocolate (like in a gas oven , heated only by the pilot light...) separate and slowly add it to the tempered. Works well. Used it several times for those choc. dipped strawb. parties, of up to 600 pcs.s