Archive for the 'Food Store' Category

The Chocolate Tempering Machine’s Abbreviated History

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Previous to the development of the tempering machine, hobbyists and homemakers alike had to temper chocolates only by hand with such methods as tabliering and seeding and also with the aid of a microwave, where the double boiler and a reliable thermometer figured well in the procedure.

It wasn’t a walk in the park for these hobbyists and homemakers to undertake tempering using these methods especially for beginners who discovered that the result of their tempering efforts was uncertain. Only the commercial chocolate makers who handled hundreds of pounds of chocolates a day had the humongous tempering machines existing at that time.

An ace computer professional from Poughkeepsie, New York, Skip Snyder changed the status quo when he introduced the compact chocolate tempering machine.

Snyder focused his efforts on perfecting temperature control with the machine because temperature mostly dictated the outcome of any tempering effort. If the right temperatures were not maintained during tempering, proper tempering did not take place. This was because cocoa butter had fatty acids that formed into six types of crystals, each of which dominated the crystallization process at particular temperatures. The temperature at which type V crystals are formed had to be maintained accurately because only these crystals could turn chocolates into the famous shiny, firm and smooth candy that chocoholics favored.

Once Snyder succeeded in how temperature is controlled, he obtained a patent and started marketing the Sinsation Chocolate Maker after 1995. Hobbyists and homemakers happily embraced the use of the Sinsation.

Chandre LLC, a company for which Snyder was the chairman, was the first outfit to sell the Sinsation, whichat this timewas gaining notoriety as a “kitchen appliance.” An IT company in New York, Indotronix, ventured $1 million in Chandre LLC. At that time, the Sinsation was marketed via gastronomic and chocolate publications and it was through mail order that the machine was sold.

ChocoVision started advertising the Sinsation in 2000, branding it as the “New Sinsation” and including it in the Revolation merchandize line. It is believed that Indrotronix still retained its stake at this time.

EBay was mostly where ChocoVision’s New Sinsation was being sold. It was much later when they started taking part in trade and industry shows, including an active role in the World and National Pastry Competitions which was held in 2006.

Emulating their hobbyist counterparts, professional pastry chefs, reputed chocolatiers, restaurants, coffee shops and small-sized confectioners started using the Revolation tempering machine, whichto this dayis already being marketed across the globe through various retailers and other distribution channels.

The Fascinating Tale of Fannie May

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Fannie May has grown enormously in the last few years, yet it has established that marvelous service, high quality, and a carefully chosen variety of chocolates are the secret recipe for succeeding. It all started in Chicago, Illinois in the early 1920s. And so this well-known company has developed from one store into a flourishing organization providing the US with delicious treats. Fannie May’s ability to combine cocoa, sugar and other ingredients in exactly the right manner made them such a favorite with the public they expanded to just under 48 stores in only 15 years. As a point of fact the company was so committed to the standard of its candies they chose to shut their doors instead of changing their formulas during wartime rationing. As a result, many of the recipes it used back in the early days are still being used and on sale now.

As you’d expect, the chocolates look as delicious as they taste. Remember to ask for a decorative presentation box or tin when the chocolates are for a special occasion, simply to give the chocolates something extra. The size of a chocolate gift is altogether your decision, going from simply one perfect chocolate to a tower bulging with various flavors of truffle, toffees and even luxury pretzels. If you prefer to order particular types you can, however a general choice of carefully put together gift boxes are on offer besides. What’s even more convenient, Fannie May is pleased to have multiple franchises across the United States and worldwide. This makes it possible for you to send these fantastic treats anywhere in the US and internationally without even leaving home. While there are a couple of delivery limitations during the warmest weather, Fannie May has the business network to deliver the majority of gifts all over the world.

Special diets are not any problem. Tasty cakes and other sweet treats are on offer not to mention chocolates that are safe for low sugar diets. If you are preparing for a large event like a wedding, individual gifts and wedding favors are available too. You just need to contact them either offline or on the Web to tell them what you need.

You can see why Fannies May’s chocolates are such a flourishing business. Indeed, with varieties like every sort of chocolate, nut, fruit, and vanilla flavors, your most difficult part is picking what to send.

Fannie May — Delivered to Your Doorstep

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

Fannie May had small origins, still it has proved that great service, high quality, and an extensive range are the secret recipe for success. It all started in Chicago in the early 1920s. Pushing forward this famous business has developed from a single shop to a flourishing organization supplying the US with delightful treats.

Fannie May’s talent of mixing cocoa, sugar and other ingredients in the perfect manner made them such a favorite with the customers that they grew to just under 48 stores in merely 15 years. During WWII food shortages, the stores were shut, because they decided not to undermine the quality of their candy. As a result, many of those very same recipes are even being produced and on sale nowadays. Almost as exquisite as their tasty chocolate are the especially designed packages they come in. Stunning presentation packages and hampers add that special flourish to make a gift anyone will treasure. Have a box or tin delivered for anniversaries or as a thank you, or maybe ask for an enormous tower of delicacies for friends, loved ones or business contacts. You can choose a premade assortment from the online store or you can personalize the order with specific kinds and types to make sure everybody has enough of their favorites. Fannie May nowadays have providers not only in the country but in various other nations worldwide. So you can choose a gift online and have your gift box sent anywhere in the world. There are a couple of sensitive items that are not suitable for shipping during the summer, but Fannie May has the business network to deliver all sorts of gifts worldwide. Particular dietary demands are not any problem. Fannie May’s make chocolates with no added sugar and various other sweets besides. If you are planning a large event like a wedding, individual table gifts and wedding favors are available as well. You simply have to ring them up to let them know precisely what you would like. Fannie May has become such a thriving chocolate company and it is all down to its dedication to make quality products, service and a large variety. Indeed, the most difficult task is picking from the large assortment of alternatives on offer. With every sweet treat conceivable from peppermint to eggnog creams to be had for the asking, you are sure to get precisely the ideal present you are looking for.

Tempering by hand compared to chocolate tempering machines

Monday, December 28th, 2009

You won’t be able to concentrate on your work when shiny, smooth, and creamy chocolates are around. But these attributes are conferred on chocolates only by the process of tempering, done serially in three stages: heating, cooling and reheating. But it is essential to maintain specific temperatures constantly and accurately while tempering.

If only for the maintaining temperatures accurate aspect is tempering construed as an intricate procedure that even master chocolatiers may balk at doing it, simply because of several reasons:

  • The difficulty of tempering by hand is due to the complexity created when the fatty acids of the cocoa butter crystallize into six varied forms.
  • These separate crystal forms make the job even more difficult as they become dominant also at six different temperatures.
  • The object is to maintain only a specific temperature so that the formation of type V crystals alone is encouraged. Chocolates become crisp and snappy only due to type V crystals and so your aim’s to create only the type V crystals.
  • Even a small lapse in tempering temperatures can lead to fewer quantity of type V crystals formed.
  • Tabliering and seeding are the two methods with which you can temper chocolates by hand. You must maintain accurate temperatures whatever technique you choose to employ when tempering by hand. Even tiny changes in temperature can cause you to repeat it till you temper the chocolates perfectly.
  • Additionally, moisture should be guarded against and an accurate thermometer must be made use of for monitoring temperatures.

If you want to create only the type V crystals during tempering, by all means invest in a chocolate tempering machine, not only for large-volume productions but especially to achieve a uniform quality in your products.

A microprocessor in the tempering machine handles temperature-control as well as keeps chocolates perfectly tempered for hours. A lot of time is saved and you’re free of the hassles of manually tempering your confections. You can deploy this free time and energy towards innovating on methods and improving on business strategies.

Although you can’t afford to not know how to temper by hand because you may be forced to do it on certain occasions, it’s only when you have a tempering machine can you craft chocolates in large quantities and with uniform quality as well as deliver them to your public at the right time.

Merriment and Games for Holiday Celebrations

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

The occasion season brings with it a host of customs. After the presents, the tree and the goodies, one of the favorite traditions many families have is the execution of Christmas skits by the children. Whether for church, schooltime or family parties, these short plays let youngsters select an active function in the indulgence of the holidays. Tykes love the chance to costume up and perform, while parents and other household members love the performance. Everyone is repaid with tender memories they submit to potential contemporaries. From telling the story of Jesus’ birth to simple exercises about Christmas, skits are festive for everyone, but they also remind us of the chronicle, history and true significance of the time of year.

Skits are fantastic Christmas party games. Kids, especially, will enjoy to perform and grownups in the family are always easy to observe. Here are our top skits that ensure to entertain all the invitees at the Christmas fete.

Many Christmas skits for kids tell about the birth of Jesus and the significance of Christmas. If you are looking for small-scale activities that let kids act it out, look for skits with easy roles and props. The birth of Jesus and A Puppet Christmas are 2 great picks. Since Christmas skits for children normally have few parts, each youngster will feel like a superstar.

If your youngster is just starting to read and is unable to perform such a part, try a Christmas acrostic game instead. This play on words about Christmas is educational and amusing. It is also flexible, because you can pick out a word to fit any size group, ages and setting.

Christmas is one of the seasons that tykes look forward to most. Besides the anticipation of gifts, kids enjoy the holiday cheer that unfolds from school, through the streets and to their families. Memories of the smells of mom’s baking wafting through the household, or the image of pop guiding Christmas lights while trying not to fall off the roof are two of the many memories a great deal of people will treasure for the remainder of their lives. Turn the countdown to Christmas and the wait for Santa Claus into games and craft activities for your kids.

Tempering Chocolates Basic

Friday, November 13th, 2009
If you’re determined to get your chocolates right, you’ll definitely temper them. Though the task is quite a difficult one, your chocolates will become smooth and shiny, will not be coarse when you take a bite, and whitish-gray blotches will not appear on their surface to make them unattractive.
Tempering chocolates isn’t a step that should be missed because chocolates don’t possess smoothness and shine on their own. Though the chocolate making process includes conching to make the particles smooth, only if you do tempering do you prevent the formation of large crystals. Your goal is to enjoy your chocolate, which isn’t possible when you allow the crystals in cocoa butter to show.
Only from chocolate liquor would you get cocoa butter, the basic component in chocolates. Cocoa liquor is the paste you get by grinding roasted cocoa beans, which itself contains more than 53% of cocoa butter. It’s cocoa butter that gives chocolates its rich and creamy texture. Without chocolate tempering, white spots get produced when the cocoa butter fragments; the crystals rise to the surface of the chocolates and become visible to the eye. This is what’s referred to as blooming.
The six kinds of fatty acids in cocoa butter have separate, specific temperatures when they crystallize and this is what makes tempering complex. When the chocolate melts, the fat crystals in cocoa butter disperse. Tempering alone can re-bond them to avoid blooming, a matted appearance and a crumbly grain.
There are three ways to temper chocolates:
1. Tabliering, or the artisan’s method, is complicated and involves melting the chocolate at a high of 90F. A third of the molten chocolate is worked on a marble slab, slowly stirring in the remaining chocolate. The whole mass is then worked to bring to the same temperature.
2. “Seeding” is an easier method in which already-tempered chocolate is used as seed so that the uniform crystallization of the free-moving crystals is triggered. You start the process just similar to tabliering by melting two-thirds of the chocolate. The remaining one-third is cut into small strips and then are used to “inoculate” the melted chocolate. Just as in tabliering, you have to maintain specific temperatures in seeding too.
3. To become an expert chocolate maker, you’ll need to concentrate more on perfecting this craft but most of your time and efforts are taken by the difficult task of tempering. If you use a chocolate tempering machine, the third painless way to temper chocolates, you can focus more on developing your chocolate making skills.

Halloween Origins throughout the World

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Halloween is a fun holiday overflowing with traditions. Though they seem routine to us now, grooming like the undead and begging for goodies door-to-door is really an unusual thing to do! Find out how these traditions came to be, and what they mean today.

The Tradition of Donning Costumes

Costumes have been put on during Halloween long before it was called Halloween. Up to 2,000 years ago, Samhain merrymakers would wear animal skins and heads to dance around the bonfire.

During All Hallows Eve, attires were worn to deceive the floating souls into imagining you were one of them. This was done to keep them from moving into your house while you were out.

Pop Costumes: By the 20th century, costumes were put on by both children and grownups in a festivity of the holiday instead of as a way to trick ghosts. Festivals and parades accompanied the holiday, which produced the affiliation of Halloween with merriment, jubilation and halloween treats, in lieu of religious superstition.

An entertaining old tidbit is that the idiomatic expression “God Bless You” is really associated with Halloween. The Welsh believed that every time you sneezed, you wasted part of your soul out of your body. Hence, they would tell “God Bless You” to anyone who sneezed to bless their soul. Because of this, sneezing on Halloween was to be avoided completely. It was conceived to be extremely hazardous because wandering spirits or the devil could seize your soul as you sneezed!

It all started out about 2,000 years ago, with the early Celtic celebrations of Samhain (articulated sow-in). The Celts, who lived round what is nowadays Ireland and the UK, celebrated the New Year on November 1st (crops expire, daylights get briefer, etc., etc.), and conceived that on the night before, the living world and the spirit world would assemble.

Cream Chargers Are the Newest Tattle of the Town

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Cream Chargers were formulated to take on the demand of getting kitchen function simpler. Also noted as whippits or nangs, they are steel cylinders or cartridges that have been filled with nitrous oxide (N2O). The cream is being mixed with N2O which functions as the cream’s whipping agent. To raise a presentable plentiful foam, N2O is utilized to emulsify the cream. Utilising a Cream Charger decidedly beats manually whipping it in conditions of measure and standard. Cream Chargers are to be employed with a whipped cream dispenser. Together, they have whipping and applying whip cream much lighter.


Cream Chargers are wrought similar to a little feeding bottle. They are really convenient and effortless to utilize. As far as storage is referred, our Cream Chargers are put in a box fixing it very easy to stack away. Discovering a space to put them away would not be a problem. For safety reasons, they are specially created to bear the pressure within. Cream Chargers can only be applied at one time. They cannot be refilled, however, they are recyclable.


Our Cream Chargers come with unambiguously balanced characteristics of class, style and strength. They surely will contribute a extraordinary contribution to your kitchen ware aggregations. To get you started, they occur in the average 8gm content and the large 16gm capacity. Further, our Cream Chargers are packaged in a shiny silver case that is very refined to behold.Our Cream Chargers come in 8gm and 16gm capacities making it compatible with whatsoever dispenser. To yield that fine look, they are made of bright silver casings. They get in the common 8gm content as well as the large capacity which is 16gm.