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.

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.

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.

A couple of weeks ago, I realized that I hadn't thrown a true kicking and shouting temper tantrum in quite a while, so I bought this machine.Cut to me on the balcony during a weekday screaming at a bar of untempered chocolate with specks in it that look like Damascus steel, and launching a verbal tirade over my kitchen sink while I scrape out the unmelted mass of chocolate from the mold to try and temper it again.I have run out of profane words to exclaim while using with this machine, and have invented a few of my own.This machine is very well-crafted, and easy to use. It's not much louder than a dishwasher, and produces a consistent result. Tempering the chocolate is a different story, but that is no fault of this machine. I can't even temper store bought bars of chocolate I found out when trying to convince myself the machine didn't work. That was a 2 a.m. temper tantrum.

A Beast!!!! I purchased this to make chocolate and it works wonderfully!!! Make sure your power source is strong enough... I initially plugged into a power strip that was plugged into another power strip and it would not work. The company send me a new one right away!! So the Company is the bomb :) I later discovered my mistake and now it is plugged into an extension cord that is connected to the wall.This machine will grind and conch your chocolate wonderfully!! Make sure you pre-grind your roasted nibs first - I use the Cuisinart coffee grinder - and heat them in the microwave. Get your hair dryer and heat up the grinding stones as well. Make sure that as you are running the melanger that you heat up the sides with your hair dryer and scrape it back down into the stones. (just point the hair dryer or heat gun at the outside of the melanger, the metal sides will heat up and any chocolate that is stuck to the sides will melt.)If you are going to make your own chocolate from bean to bar... this is a must have!!!!